11.   Asked to compare Riley with William Bennett, who served under President Reagan and remains perhaps the most well known education secretary, Goodling paused for a second.

12.   Blackwell was introduced by former education secretary and Empower America co-founder William Bennett.

13.   Bennett is a former education secretary in the Reagan administration who now runs a conservative advocacy group called Empower America, based in Washington.

14.   A GOP insider said Bush may skip national Democratic figures altogether, instead appointing a Democratic lawmaker from Texas or a local entrepreneur as education secretary.

15.   Additional critics include former education secretary William Bennett and C. Delores Tucker, head of the National Political Congress of Black Women.

16.   Alexander was appointed education secretary by President Bush.

17.   Alexander, who served in the Bush administration as education secretary, made Iowa appearances last week on behalf of five legislative candidates.

18.   Alexander, who was education secretary during the Bush administration, defended his record of tax hikes when he was governor of Tennessee.

19.   Bush was accompanied on the visit by Roderick R. Paige, his choice for education secretary.