We Can't Afford No Education?

My dear friend David Moltz over at Inside Higher Ed had a piece a few days ago about the influx of first-generation college students at small liberal-arts schools. As hard as it may be for some of my friends in C'ville to believe, there is still a substantive portion of the US that doesn't even get a shot at a four-year education. 

David says Kentucky ranks 47th in terms of people with bachelor's degrees or higher. In case you're interested, West Virginia is dead last with 16.5 percent of the population holding post-secondary degrees. Virginia is 7th but I wonder what the ranking would be if you just included the Fightin' Ninth. According to the Census Bureau, the nationwide average is 27 percent.

That Makes Both WV Senators for Obama

Sen. Byrd once again proves himself to be a pragmatic, if occasionally sleepy, Democrat with his recent endorsement of Obama: "Barack Obama is a noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian, and he has my full faith and support."

Now if only the rest of Appalachia could follow Senators Byrd and Rockefeller's lead in the general election.