Their pretended pious words about the flawlessness of a public school system that turns out record numbers of failed students every year was a cheap smokescreen.

The two Republican senators who this week assailed Betsy DeVos, the much maligned Secretary of Education nominee, sped up as they drove fast past the true reason.

The ladies hoped no one would notice.

Most won’t.

In the tradition of, oh, say CNN, the always cooperative liberal media enthusiastically agreed not to identify the true reason Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine will vote against Ms. DeVos.

Partially because Ms. DeVos champions charter schools.

Partially because Ms. DeVos is a successful advocate for vouchers, which minority parents love.

Partially because Ms. DeVos, as The New York Times delicately belittled her, is “stupendously rich.”

Ms. Murkowski and Ms. Collins, probably the two most liberal GOP senators, are beholden to public school teachers, and that explains their defections.

They twisted their own arms.

Both receive financial support from America’s largest union, the National Education Assn., an odious thought for mainstream Republicans.

Both ladies have received straight A’s for the last three years for surrendering their integrity.

From the Washington Free Beacon:

“Ms. Murkowski has long been a favorite of teachers unions. She was one of only four Republican senators to receive contributions from the NEA in 2016, hauling in $10,000, while the other three Republicans received only $3,200. She received the NEA’s endorsement in 2010 when she won as an independent candidate after losing the GOP primary, and received it again in 2016.”