Nothing But Praise for Duncan in Senate Hearing

Arne Duncan, President-elect Barack Obama’s choice to serve as secretary of education, coasted through his confirmation hearing today on a wave of bipartisan support from the Senate education committee.

“Mr. Duncan, there is no question that schools across America can benefit from the same kind of fresh thinking that you have brought to Chicago public schools,” said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who presided over the hearing because Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., the committee’s chairman, was unavailable. “You have very impressive credentials and experience.”

Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who served as secretary of education under President George H.W. Bush and is considered one of the chamber’s leading GOP voices on K-12 policy, also had kind...