--- title: CPAC Features Politicians Speaking Out Against Common Core description: Anti-Common Core lines earned applause at CPAC, but when the questioning probed deeper, everyone cringed. canonical: https://time.com/3726097/common-core-cpac-jeb-bush/ author: Haley Sweetland Edwards article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-02-27T18:54:13.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:42:33.446Z article:section: Politics og:title: Conservatives Lash Out at a Common Enemy At CPAC og:description: With one notable exception. og:url: https://time.com/3726097/common-core-cpac-jeb-bush/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt762599523960fc39/69878141428a9e4c22cc758d/cpac-conservative-political-action-conference-mark-peterson-republicans-christie-3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2880 og:image:height: 1620 og:image:alt: CPAC Conservatives Republicans Chris Christie og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Conservatives Lash Out at a Common Enemy At CPAC twitter:description: With one notable exception. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt762599523960fc39/69878141428a9e4c22cc758d/cpac-conservative-political-action-conference-mark-peterson-republicans-christie-3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Ghost of Common Core Haunts Conservative Gathering > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f96c551c-e1ec-4b3c-ae95-53aff5d21cdf&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f96c551c-e1ec-4b3c-ae95-53aff5d21cdf&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=f96c551c-e1ec-4b3c-ae95-53aff5d21cdf&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f96c551c-e1ec-4b3c-ae95-53aff5d21cdf&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: REAL TIME: Donald Trump At CPAC 2015 [Watch (HLS stream): REAL TIME: Donald Trump At CPAC 2015](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/QH9p6obo.m3u8) (0:59)  _Published 2015-02-27. Business tycoon Donald Trump shared his views on ISIS, Obamacare, and immigration at CPAC 2015, and talked about a possible presidential run in 2016._  by [Haley Sweetland Edwards](https://time.com/author/haley-sweetland-edwards/)  ## Haley Sweetland Edwards Feb 27, 2015 6:54 PM UTC  New Jersey governor Chris Christie on stage at CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 26, 2015. New Jersey governor Chris Christie on stage at CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 26, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  by [Haley Sweetland Edwards](https://time.com/author/haley-sweetland-edwards/)  ## Haley Sweetland Edwards Feb 27, 2015 6:54 PM UTC For the politicians speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington this week, it’s usually pretty easy to give the grassroots audience the red meat it craves. Abortion? Against it! Taxes? Lower them! Obama? Don’t like him! But one hot-button issue was trickier than usual for some of the politicians, especially the governors who are likely to run for president in 2016: Common Core. With one notable exception, the speakers at CPAC were against the state education standards, saying they hurt local control of education and took the power from parents and teachers. On Thursday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal demanded the [immediate repeal](http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/videos/2015-02-27/jindal-we-must-repeal-common-core) of Common Core. That same day, Ben Carson, the neurosurgeon-cum-presidential hopeful, slammed it for eliminating parental choice, while Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz questioned the conservative credentials of anyone who doesn’t actively attempt to dismantle the program. “If a candidate says they oppose Common Core, fantastic,” said Cruz. “\[But\] when have they stood up and fought against it?” Meanwhile, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker took turns condemning Common Core for being poorly implemented and impinging on state control. That was all well and good–anti-Common Core lines tend to earn hoots and applause from the grassroots—but whenever the questioning on Common Core probed ever so slightly deeper, everyone seemed to cringe. That’s because, just three years ago, the majority of Republican politicians—including Govs. Walker, Jindal, Christie and Jeb Bush—not only supported the implementation of Common Core, they outright championed it. In early 2011, 40 states, including nearly all Republican-led ones, voluntarily signed on to the shared standards. In the next two years, five more followed suit. In 2011, Walker included Common Core in his first [state budget](http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/32.pdf), explicitly instructing the state education chief to come up with a Common Core-aligned state test for Wisconsin kids. In 2012, Jindal told a crowd of business leaders that Common Core “will raise expectations for every child.” In 2013, Christie told a crowd of educators that he was [sticking with Common Core](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-common-core-conundrum-for-2016/) regardless of the “knee-jerk reaction that is happening in Washington” among Republicans who will simply disagree with anything President Obama supports. “We are doing Common Core in New Jersey and we’re going to continue,” he said boldly. But as the politics around the issue have shifted, driven largely by a grassroots base of Tea Party conservatives, all of them have tip-toed backwards, either distancing themselves or outright condemning the standards. All of them, that is, except Jeb Bush. The former Florida governor has, in the past two years, earned the ire of the conservative base by not only refusing to condemn Common Core, but by [continuing to support it](http://time.com/3703727/jeb-bush-common-core-iowa/). That’s awkward. Some at CPAC responded to this rift by ignoring it entirely. In a panel about Common Core on Thursday—entitled “Common Core: Rotten To The Core?”—a group of vehemently anti-Common Core educators simply avoided saying Bush’s name. “Entire Common Core panel at CPAC happened without mentioning the words ‘Jeb’ and ‘Bush,'” tweeted Igor Bobic, a politics editor at the _Huffington Post_. ### Behind the Scenes of CPAC  Peter Dudziak of John, Minnesota attends CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 27, 2014. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  Nine year old Thomas H. from Virginia at his first CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 27, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  Sarah Palin at the 42nd annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at National Harbor, MD on Feb. 26, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  Dr. Ben Carson gives a speech to open Thursday's session at CPAC in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 26, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  Timothy Flynn from New York City poses in an American flag jacket at CPAC in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 26, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  Rick Santorum takes a selfie with a supporter at CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 27, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  A Rand Paul supporter at CPAC in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 26, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  Rand Paul speaks at CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 27, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  Sen. Ted Cruz shakes hands with a Sarah Palin supporter at CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 26, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  A reporter asks attendees to choose their favorite candidate at CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 26, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  CPAC attendees listen to Donald Trump in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 27, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  Jeb Bush speaks at CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 27, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie gives a thumb's up at CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 26, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  A supporter poses with a life-size cutout of Rand Paul at CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 26, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker at CPAC in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 26, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  Retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson greets supporters at CPAC in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 26, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  Former Republican Governor of Texas Rick Perry at CPAC in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 26, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  Buttons for past Republican campaigns on display at CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 26, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  Supporters watch Rand Paul speak at CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 27, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  Donald Trump signs a Playboy magazine at CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 27, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  Attendees applaud at CPAC in National Harbor, Md. on Feb. 27, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME  An empty room ready for the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 26, 2015. Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME But others, including Laura Ingraham, who has made no secret of her dislike for the former Florida governor, came at Bush swinging. This morning, the conservative radio host told the crowd that there really wasn’t any difference between Bush and potential Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, citing the two politicians support for Common Core as among their similarities. “So I’m designing the bumper sticker,” she said. “It could be, Clush 2016: What difference does it make?” ## Transcript [00:00] [ MUSIC ] Where are [00:04] you on the scale in terms of where you think you are in [00:07] deciding to run? One to a hundred I would say 75 and 80. I [00:11] am really inclined, I want to do it so badly, I'm looking at it [00:15] very seriously. I don't want what happened to Mitt Romney [00:18] to happen again, because that was a tremendous blow. For [00:21] this country. As far as our borders are concerned we [00:26] need strong borders. We need a wall [00:31] If I run, I will tell you the king of building buildings, the [00:35] king of building walls, nobody can build them like Trump. [00:37] That I can promise ya. [ APPLAUSE ] Nobody if I decide to [00:41] run and win. Nobody would be tougher than [00:45] Donald Trump. Nobody. You know, a year ago you [00:49] wouldn't have said it and nobody would have liked it, now [00:50] everybody likes it, you may have to have some boots on [00:53] the ground for a period of time until you get rid of the [00:55] cancer. [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3726097/common-core-cpac-jeb-bush/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3726097/common-core-cpac-jeb-bush/"},"headline":"Ghost of Common Core Haunts Conservative Gathering","datePublished":"2015-02-27T18:54:13.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:42:33.446Z","description":"Anti-Common Core lines earned applause at CPAC, but when the questioning probed deeper, everyone cringed.","url":"https://time.com/3726097/common-core-cpac-jeb-bush/","keywords":["Education","2016 Election","CPAC"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt762599523960fc39/69878141428a9e4c22cc758d/cpac-conservative-political-action-conference-mark-peterson-republicans-christie-3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Haley Sweetland Edwards","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/haley-sweetland-edwards/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt762599523960fc39/69878141428a9e4c22cc758d/cpac-conservative-political-action-conference-mark-peterson-republicans-christie-3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"CPAC Conservatives Republicans Chris Christie","caption":"CPAC Conservatives Republicans Chris Christie","creditText":"Mark Peterson—Redux for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/education/","name":"Education"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3726097/common-core-cpac-jeb-bush/","name":"Ghost of Common Core Haunts Conservative Gathering"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Real Time: Ted Cruz Rallies The Right At CPAC 2015","description":"Ted Cruz fired up the conservative base during his speech on the first day of CPAC 2015.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/KFQHEvq4/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-02-26T21:46:04.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/KFQHEvq4.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3726097/common-core-cpac-jeb-bush/","duration":"PT59S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3726097/common-core-cpac-jeb-bush/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Real TIME: Chris Christie at CPAC 2015","description":"Chris Christie addressed his media critics and spoke out on his pro-life stance and passion for the job during his Q&A at CPAC.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/089jRuSu/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-02-28T20:13:48.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/089jRuSu.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3726097/common-core-cpac-jeb-bush/","duration":"PT59S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3726097/common-core-cpac-jeb-bush/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Real TIME: Scott Walker At CPAC 2015","description":"Gov. Scott Walker shared his views on the economy, minimum wage, and and the partisan showdown in Congress over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's impending visit to the U.S. during his speech at CPAC.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Em2MtXHb/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-02-28T21:32:43.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Em2MtXHb.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3726097/common-core-cpac-jeb-bush/","duration":"PT59S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3726097/common-core-cpac-jeb-bush/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Real TIME: Jeb Bush at CPAC 2015","description":"Jeb Bush addressed his mother's comments, and outlined his views on immigration and the Common Core during his Q&A at CPAC 2015.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Opukemjy/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-02-27T21:32:38.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Opukemjy.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3726097/common-core-cpac-jeb-bush/","duration":"PT59S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3726097/common-core-cpac-jeb-bush/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"REAL TIME: Donald Trump At CPAC 2015","description":"Business tycoon Donald Trump shared his views on ISIS, Obamacare, and immigration at CPAC 2015, and talked about a possible presidential run in 2016.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/QH9p6obo/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-02-27T18:49:02.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/QH9p6obo.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3726097/common-core-cpac-jeb-bush/","duration":"PT59S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3726097/common-core-cpac-jeb-bush/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```