Education finally brought up in debate

"We can't do it just in the schools," Barack Obama noted, saying that parents have to become involved in education.

McCain is hitting the choice and competition nonsense, though he is right about getting rid of bad teachers and rewarding good ones.

Unfortunately, McCain is also pushing for letting teachers into the classroom without training, which is a recipe for disaster.

Obama ripped educational vouchers, but McCain fought back, though after a brief nod to the Washington, D. C. voucher system, he ranged far afield. "Vouchers are a good and workable system and it has been proven," McCain said.

Obama answered, "The data doesn't show it (vouchers) actually solves the problem."

Neither candidate particularly came across as effective on the issue.