Wrong. I never imagined the outbreak of right-wing crazy that Obama's gesture would provoke, and this time it's hard not to see racism behind the hysteria. The message is "Obama's coming for our children!" the standard cry against scary boogeymen in every culture. I mean, really, what besides Obama's race could make him so scary to these people? That he's a Marxist socialist fascist Nazi? I'd argue that the only reason those extreme epithets have taken hold goes back to reason No. 1: Our first black president is provoking some outsize and irrational reactions.

Especially since, as has now been well-documented, President George H.W. Bush addressed American students in 1991, and Ronald Reagan did so via C-SPAN in 1988. (Bush talked mainly about the importance of education, while Reagan hailed the benefits of low taxes and the line-item veto.) President George W. Bush appealed to "the children of the country" to back the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001, to no public crit

"And he speaks to young people with passion, conviction and humor (plus references to L'il Wayne that John McCain couldn't pull off) about taking responsibility for their own education"
He knows how to communicate effectively and get people to listen,especially younger people. The last thing they want is an interest growing in what else Obama has to say. So they try to turn him into the oogie -boogie-man .

The best thing that happened to US of America and the World is the election of Obama as president.

We cursed the Americans for electing George Bush Junior a second time.

The US of Americans earned our respect double fold when they chose Obama a colored man.

Also redeemed the lost respect when president FDR insulted Jesse Owens the colored athlete who won four Gold medals for US of America in Munich Olympics in 1930s.

The Americans are awake now. They are voting in elections.

Wonder if it would help if ''voting'' is made mandatory as in Australia !

“The Department of Education should not be producing paid political advertising for the President.”

They did it for Bush,

Sooners, you may call it an advert, but for us it is knowledge the stuff some are not aware of yet.

Where does it state that the Department of Education is funding Obama's School Speech? Supporting it yes, where does it say it's Paying for it?

In the imagination of these jealous inept imbeciles.

<<<Mark Steyn, a Canadian author and political commentator, speaking on the Rush Limbaugh show on Wednesday, accused Mr. Obama of trying to create a cult of personality, comparing him to Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong-il, the North Korean leader.

The Republican Party chairman in Florida, Jim Greer, said he “was appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama’s socialist ideology.”

And Chris Stigall, a Kansas City talk show host, said, “I wouldn’t let my next-door neighbor talk to my kid alone; I’m sure as hell not letting Barack Obama talk to him alone.” >>> NY Times 5 Sept.

omg

Using taxpayer money to buy stake in Wall Street and GM is far more insidious, and much more akin to socialism, than having the President of the United States encourage American children to stay in school.

Those who think this is a brainwashing technique need to take a step back and imagine what this country could accomplish if our children were to actually get a quality education. Granted, our public school systems are not the best in the world,.but it is about time we get more serious about education than the ‘no child left behind’ crap that focused more on testing ability than content.