While the United states Armed Forces (private mercenaries) are in Afghanistan and the Philippines defending “all freedom-loving people everywhere in the world,” Republican (fascist/socialist) de facto President George W. Bush (having received an unlawful advantage of 52 ineligible Electoral votes) signs house resolution 3801, establishing the Institute of Education Sciences, within the Department of Education, but with the authorization to conduct and publish research “without the approval of the secretary [of Education] or any other office of the department.”

       NOTE: Afterward Bush issued a signing statement asserting, “The Director of the Institute of Education Sciences shall implement … the Act subject to the Supervision and direction of the Secretary of Education.”

       [added 11/26/2023] Thanks to Bill Holmes for this entry.

       Republican (fascist/socialist) Willard Mitt Romney, is elected governor of the commonwealth of massachusetts, on a platform of “No New Taxes.”  During the campaign the ostensibly fiscally conservative Romney vigorously opposed Proposition 2½, which would have eliminated the personal state income tax and replaced it with nothing.

       Postscript: As governor Romney,

• In each of his four years raised taxes (a.k.a. “mandatory government fees” to the amount of over 5,000,000,000 “dollars,” with an equal amount of increased spending.
• signed legislation enabling collection of sales tax on Internet commerce.
• signed legislation enabling municipal governments to raise business property taxes.
• increased state spending from 22,700,000,000 to 25,700,000,000 (27,900,000,000 if “off-budget” spending is included) “dollars”; Although Romney claimed to have reduced state spending by 3,000,000,000 “dollars”; and
• each year proposed increasing spending 1,000,000,000—even before the legislature proposed their version of the budget.

       NOTE: So much for conservative Republicans!

       [restored 11/26/2023]