Did you have Wisconsin in your bracket? No… I don’t mean your Sweet Sixteen. I’m talking about the pool to predict the Republican most likely to tick off the entire political world in the shortest period of time. If you did, then Scott Walker may just be your golden ticket.

Get ready for the battle over school vouchers in Wisconsin.

As local school officials, the state’s top school administrator, and even GOP Senate leaders slam Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to expand vouchers to nine school districts — including Madison — Walker is reiterating his determination to ”empower parents to make decisions regarding their children’s education.”

And influential former GOP leaders are suiting up to lobby for Walker’s plan to make more public school districts offer a voucher option, in which parents can get state funds to help send their children to private schools.

You know, it’s kind of ironic how there are so many people who are all about “choice” in America and the rights of citizens to chart their own course until you start talking about the state or local government making it easier for them to make choices regarding the education of the next generation. Being of a more libertarian bent, I tend to support a variety of choices which aren’t even popular among my own “tribe” in various social contests, but you’d think this one would be a no-brainer. There isn’t a single debate for any office which takes place without one or the other candidate bemoaning the sad state of American education and the need to improve the chances of the next generation. Why is this so different?

You want parents to have choices as to which church – if any – their children attend. You want them to have choices about who they marry or who their kids can marry. You want them to be able to choose healthier foods and habits if they wish. But when the subject turns to the universally agreed upon, important topic of education, choice is a bad thing. If you live in an area with substandard or failing schools, allowing the state government to offer a bit of a leg up to send them someplace else where they might stand a chance to make it into a good college or other career path is… bad?

Can somebody explain this one for me, please?