U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona apparently needs a refresher course in U.S. and presidential history after he botched an iconic quote from our 40th president during remarks at the Western Governors' Association's winter meeting earlier this month in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Pledging to make the Department of Education more "accessible" to state leaders, Cardona promised to "follow-up" with governors to make sure his bureaucratic agency (one that probably ought to be eliminated) provides the "resources," "technical assistance," and a "playbook" to support state-level education efforts.
"As — I think it was President Reagan said — 'We're from the government, we're here to help,'" Cardona quipped. "Count on us as a partner in this, our students are waiting," he added.
Unless the "students are waiting" for the Biden administration and its Department of Education to get a clue, they might not want the Education Department's help.
As anyone who's learned about Reaganism or small government conservatism knows, Reagan would never say that "the government" is "there to help." In fact, Reagan's quote that Cardona apparently didn't care to understand when he, at some point, heard it is a direct indictment of the very ideology and agenda Cardona is pushing.
Reagan's quote, the one Cardona dragged kicking and screaming from its context, came during a news conference on August 12, 1986: "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help."
That is, the federal government is not great at helping Americans. In fact, as the Biden administration has shown, the clumsy and ineffective hand of the federal government, guided by a faraway bureaucrat in Washington, more often than not makes things much, much worse.
Watch, then cry for the future of America as its "education" is guided by a man who doesn't have a clue about conservatism, Reagan's ideology and policies, or the reality of the federal government's effect on Americans:
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 27, 2023
"I think it was President Reagan who said, 'We're from the government. We're here to help!'"
Here's the actual quote:
"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help." pic.twitter.com/Hgxpt2Xdoh