Obama Speech to Students Draws Out Conservative Crazies

What's all this fuss about President Obama addressing school children as they begin a new year? You'd think he was planning to kill puppies. Maybe conservatives are as confused as Emily Litella, in her Weekend Update editorial response about schoolchildren:

"I'm here tonight to speak out against busting schoolchildren. Busting schoolchildren is a terrible, terrible thing. I hear this is going on all over the country. Mean policemen arrest little children and put them in jail in the wrong neighborhood, so they can't even play with their little friends. Imagine, busting schoolchildren! The food in jail isn't good, and even though they get bread, I don't believe they can get toast..."

The president announces he will deliver a back to school address and conservatives go crazy!

"As far as I am concerned, this is not civics education - it gives the appearance of creating a cult of personality," said Oklahoma state Sen. Steve Russell. "This is something you'd expect to see in North Korea or in Saddam Hussein's Iraq."

I particularly liked this comment:

PTA council president Cara Mendelsohn said Obama is "cutting out the parent" by speaking to kids during school hours.

"Why can't a parent be watching this with their kid in the evening?" Mendelsohn said. "Because that's what makes a powerful statement, when a parent is sitting there saying, 'This is what I dream for you. This is what I want you to achieve.'"

I would be willing to bet these same parents have no problem sending their children to school to pray with strangers. Yes, school prayer certainly builds stronger families then having mom and dad pray with their children before sending them off to school in the morning.

So what is Obama planning to do?

Obama plans to speak directly to students Tuesday about the need to work hard and stay in school. His address will be shown live on the White House Web site and on C-SPAN at noon EDT, a time when classrooms across the country will be able to tune in.

Schools don't have to show it. But districts across the country have been inundated with phone calls from parents and are struggling to address the controversy that broke out after Education Secretary Arne Duncan sent a letter to principals urging schools to watch.

Districts in states including Texas, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Virginia, Wisconsin have decided not to show the speech to students. Others are still thinking it over or are letting parents have their kids opt out.

Some conservatives, driven by radio pundits and bloggers, are urging schools and parents to boycott the address. They say Obama is using the opportunity to promote a political agenda and is overstepping the boundaries of federal involvement in schools.

Well heck ... I certainly think getting parenting advise from radio talk show pundits is the way to go! Geezz...

This might sum it up for everyone:

In Florida, GOP chairman Jim Greer released a statement that he was "absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology."

Yeah, urging kids to stay in school and get from it all that they can is a pretty socialist idea alright. So what would our friend Emily say?