Federal File: Serving notice; Friendly fire?

In a speech last week at a Pennsylvania high school, President Bush repeated charges that Democratic lawmakers are ignoring his America 2000 education strategy in favor of "business as usual'' legislation. He said he wants to "serve notice'' on "the education lobby and their friends back on Capitol Hill'' that they "cannot stop change.''

The Congress has decisively rejected the President's proposed voucher program that would include private schools, and lawmakers have so watered down Mr. Bush's plan for federal funding of 535 innovative "New American Schools'' as to have effectively killed it.

The Senate reform bill, however, contains regulatory-flexibility provisions that resemble those Mr. Bush sought, and the House bill is expected to emerge from committee...