From “Rice: Bush Opposes Penalties in War Bill.”

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush will not sign any war spending bill that penalizes Iraq’s government for failing to make progress, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday, a fresh warning to Congress about challenging him.

…

“To begin now to tie our own hands - and to say ‘We must do this if they don’t do that’ - doesn’t allow us the flexibility and creativity that we need to move this forward,” Rice said.

Funny how it just doesn’t work that way with No Child Left Behind.