CNN's Roberts and Martin Confront Jim Greer Over His Fear Mongering on Obama's Speech to Students
By Heather Friday Sep 04, 2009 4:00pm
Unlike Chris Matthews who did an absolutely horrible job interviewing this guy, CNN's John Roberts and Roland Martin actually did a pretty well in taking on Jim Greer over his fear mongering on Obama's upcoming speech to students.
A little back ground on this. The invaluable Media Matters took everyone's favorite Drudge gossip-rag, The Politico to task for their initial fact free "reporting" on Jim Greer's statements.
Politico forwards falsehoods on Obama speech to students:
Reporting on the conservative reaction to President Obama's planned speech to students, the Politico uncritically quoted Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer's claim that Obama will speak about "his plans for government-run health care, banks, and automobile companies." PolitiFact.com, however, found Greer's claim to be "factually incorrect" and noted that the Florida Republican Party was unable to provide any support for his statement.
PolitiFact gave Greer a "Pants on Fire" rating for his fear mongering and Roberts and Martin actually do their job and confront Greer with their reporting. Of course Greer just tries to dismiss them as some "liberal" outfit that shouldn't be taken seriously. What a surprise, huh?
Steve Benen has a great write up on this at the Washington Monthly:
IT'S COME TO THIS.... In 1988, then-President Reagan spoke to students nationwide via C-SPAN telecast. Among other things, he talked about his positions on political issues of the day. Three years later, then-President Bush addressed school kids in a speech broadcast live to school classrooms nationwide. Among other things, he promoted his own administration's education policies.
President Obama wants to deliver a message to students next week emphasizing hard work, encouraging young people to do their best in school. The temper tantrum the right is throwing in response only helps reinforce how far gone 21st-century conservatives really are.
Transcript below the fold.
ROBERTS: Talk about a teachable moment. President Obama's plan to make a back-to-school speech to students next week has some conservatives up in arms. They're urging schools not to show the address in class, calling it -- quote -- "an attempt to indoctrinate students."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: On Tuesday, the president is going to be addressing the schoolchildren and saying that they should work hard.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Critics say the speech and the teaching aids are just a way for the president to indoctrinate children. And some school districts say they're not going to show this and some parents are refusing to send their kids to school that day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is some historical precedent for presidents speaking to students in nationally televised addresses. President George H.W. Bush did so in 1991. Ronald Reagan even talked politics with students in 1988.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the head of Florida's Republican Party accused President Obama of trying to turn kids into socialists. Like other controversies, this one spread over the Internet and talk radio faster than the White House could contain in t.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So, is this a manufactured controversy, or do critics have a point? Joining us me now is Jim Greer. He's the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. He put out a statement condemning the president's planned speech as -- quote -- "an attempt to indoctrinate America's children to his socialist agenda." And on the other side of the issue, CNN political analyst Roland Martin.
Jim Greer, let's start with you.
What's your problem with the president addressing schoolchildren next week?
JIM GREER, CHAIRMAN, FLORIDA REPUBLICAN PARTY: Well, first of all, we have to see where we are today, compared to where we were 24 hours ago.
Up until recently, last night, the White House had lesson plans distributed throughout the country for teachers to talk about how students can help President Obama, the new ideas of President Obama. There was clearly going to be designed some effort to engage the students across this country into the public policy debate.
After the parents across this country and the uproar that occurred, the Department of Education withdrew all of that language last night. The White House reissued its lesson plans. And now they have said they will let parents see the text of the speech.
So, I think my concerns and the concerns of parents across this country certainly were substantiated by the scramble that the White House went through last night.
ROBERTS: In fact, Jim, if I could, just to help folks at home, let's put up what the original text was of this lesson plan, which is what you have an immediate problem with, and how it was amended.
GREER: Sure.
ROBERTS: First of all, here's the original lesson plan, which asked students to -- quote -- "write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president." That was amended now to read, "Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short- term and long-term educational goals. These will be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals."
So, Roland Martin, was there a little bit of problem there with the additional materials that were provided to go along with the president's speech?
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: No. It's not a problem.
What you have is, you have some insane parents who want to bring their ideology into the table. Now, here's what's interesting. Our guest heads the Florida Republican Party. I remember, when I was in school, John, the former head of the Texas Republican Party, George Strake, came to my school. Thank God I didn't have some crazy parents saying, oh, no, I want my child to opt out of listening to George Strake because he might indoctrinate my child to become a Republican.
This is about ideology. Why is it -- I didn't see people sitting here saying when President George W. Bush went to go read to students, oh, I want to see what book he is reading. I want to pull my kid out of the class because I'm a Democrat, he is a Republican.
This is absolute nonsense.
GREER: Well, you see, the example you gave, the parents didn't have an opportunity to decide whether you have to listen to when the chairman came to speak.
Here, in this case...
MARTIN: Because they shouldn't. It was ridiculous. They should not.
(CROSSTALK)
GREER: As a parent, as a parent -- and I believe parents across this country believe this -- I want to know what my child is going to be taught. I want to know who is teaching it to them, and I want to know what my child is going to be exposed to.
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: Really? How about this, John?
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTS: Roland -- Roland, let me just interject here for a second if I could, because, Jim Greer, you talk about the lesson plans that will accompany the president's speeches being really the central focus of the problem, but you also said this the other day. You said, "The idea that schoolchildren across our nation will be forced to watch the president justify his plans for government-run health care, banks and automobile companies, increasing taxes on those who create jobs and racking up more debt than any other president is not only infuriating but goes against the beliefs of the majority of Americans, while bypassing American parents through an invasive abuse of power."
Now, when you look at the central part of that statement, forced to watch the president justify his plans for government-run health care, banks and automobile companies. PolitiFact ran that through their truth-0-meter and they said well, that's pants on fire untrue. That you just made that up.
GREER: Well, I really don't have or believe in much credibility of political fact because it's run by some left-leaning people that don't really focus on the issues.
MARTIN: Oh, here we go.
GREER: But let's get back to the issue at hand, John. Here's when the White House put these lesson plans out and they asked students to write a letter and say how they can help President Obama. Well, President Obama has for the last nine months been very vocal and aggressive on his vision for the future of America.
MARTIN: OK, John.
GREER: And his vision may not be the vision that I want my children to hear and that's why parents have raised their voices nationwide. And, John, that's why the White House has scrambled and changed the lesson plans and now are telling parents what he's going to say.
MARTIN: And, John -- and, John, here's why Jim's argument is an absolute fraud. Most school board members across this country are elected. So here's what I want to know.
I want to know does Jim plan to protest every time a school board member, a state rep, a city councilman, a governor, a congressman goes to visit any school in the state of Florida, because if you want to suggest that parents should opt out of pulling their kids out when any politician speaks, all of those people are elected. So are you going to say right now that you are going to protest any elected official who goes to any school in your state or anywhere in the country?
GREER: Well, I can tell you, Roland, if there's a lesson plan to attack your vision --
MARTIN: Oh, no, no, no. Now, you're switching. Now you're dancing.
GREER: That's the problem is.
MARTIN: No, no, no. No, no, no, Jim. It's the lesson plans that were attached to his speech is what started this controversy.
(CROSSTALK)
GREER: John, it's clearly what has shown --
ROBERTS: Hang on, Roland, on that point, federal statute does deny the Department of Education from providing any kind of curriculum to schools on the state level. So, does he have a point?
MARTIN: A little point.
ROBERTS: Does he have a point --
GREER: I have a point.
MARTIN: No, Jim --
ROBERTS: Does he have a point about this curriculum should not have been distributed (ph). MARTIN: No. Jim doesn't have a point because what he's complaining about that students are going to be writing letters to the president. Do you know how many children every day in classrooms as a part of the process actually write letters to the president, to the White House?
There are kids they send packets every day to the White House from schools all across this country. This is politics, John. Jim wants to dance around it.
You know, people who are bringing their ideology saying I don't want my child listening to this liberal Democratic president when you have people complaining -- John, your letter was ridiculous talking about health care in all industry.
GREER: I have never said --
MARTIN: He's talking about kids staying in school. Your letter was incendiary.
GREER: The president should not be allowed --
MARTIN: And it was on purpose.
GREER: I believe that the president, any president, should be allowed to talk to students on the first day of school to talk to them about staying in school and the benefits of an education. I believe that. This president included.
MARTIN: You just say this president --
GREER: Let me finish, Roland. Roland, no. No, I haven't said anything about pulling kids out.
MARTIN: OK.
GREER: Others are saying that. I do believe -- let me finish. I do believe that parents, parents, not the government, should decide what their children should be exposed to. And I would tell you in this day and age I think the president has enough to do focusing on the economy and finding jobs for Americans than writing lesson plans out of the Oval Office.
MARTIN: Well, you know what?
GREER: That's what's concerning.
MARTIN: You know what, Jim? Considering the dropout rate in this country and concerning so many kids don't even understand civics in the United States, I'm glad we have a president who's willing to speak to children because maybe these same parents were acting like children. I mean, they can't listen. Maybe the kids can also teach them a lesson on how to have some respect for the president of the United States.
ROBERTS: Gentlemen --
MARTIN: I'm not afraid of kids listening to politicians talk like you are.
GREER: Roland, you have --
ROBERTS: Unfortunately, we're --
GREER: Do you have any children?
MARTIN: I have --
ROBERTS: We're going to have it leave it there.
MARTIN: And I love them to talk to politicians any time.
ROBERTS: Roland, Jim Greer, we have to leave it there. A spirited debate. Thanks for joining us tonight. Appreciate it.
MARTIN: Thanks a lot.
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My god how can these morons get attention?
republicanism is a mental illness!
The only thing I want my kids doing in school is being draped in an American flag and reading from the bible.
That is how they get attention...It is not just faux news..I saw part of this and was more impressed with the Martin comments...How stupid can Greer and his ilk be ...The kids will get around this and some, I have talked with, are angry with the loss of a chance to communicate directly with the President! I gave them the email addresses...
all tv republicans are pedophiles!
Then expect that child to understand what is going on around it if it has no experience in it?
These people are idiots. Just ignorant fools that should not be parents. My god no wonder we have people that hate so much that they would vote for bush/chenny twice!
I guess the nut doesn't fall far from the tree.
republicanism is a mental illness!
They don't want children to understand the world. They want blind obedience to republicanism no matter what!
against the wingnuts and their corporate backers soon, they'll have nothing to show for their four years in power. Of course, knowing the DLC, that may be what they're hoping to accomplish--nothing that might upset their corporate patrons.
spoke at my son's high school in Mesa at a required assembly.
The now-indicted rep Renzi spoke to students about how Reagan was
A HERO who fought the evil ANTIAMERICAN Libbrills.
And how the libbrills are ruining our freedumb!
That's okay.
We've been dancing around it for whatever reason, either to be polite or to be kind, but it's time to be blunt. Right wing supporters are stupid. Don't be afraid to say it. Just call them what they are. Barack Obama wants to encourage kids to study hard and stay in school, and a few wingnuts say it's communist propaganda, and every fricken right wing supporter bleats and shuffles as directed. Unbelievable.
And to make things worse, right wing news agencies further incite the stupidity. We shouldn't shut them down, but goddamnit, it's time to point a finger and call it what it is. Stupid stupid stupid!!!
It's time to call hysteria - hysteria.
They are confusing communist indoctrination with the fact that
people turned out in record numbers last November to send the
Fuckuplicans packing.
Those stoopit fecks whine about how "government doesn't work"
and when they get elected - they set out to prove it.
The Democrats could be sitting pretty if they would've continued telling the truth, said "fuck bipartisanship" and just got
health care DONE!
I agree that we're dancing around the truth, but it isn't that they're stupid. It's that they're racist. This black President has them unhinged.
Yes, they were weird and nasty to Clinton, but the Obama stuff is on another level. If the country had elected a white Democrat, they would have given him or her the Clinton treatment, but no more. All of this extra Obama weirdness is just plain racism. It's getting too obvious to ignore, even for the MSM.
.
These wing-nuts are so eager to see Obama fail...
... They'll sabotage their children's experience of hearing an accomplished adult address the advantages of a good education and success in life.
.
They are creating bullshit ,right out of thin air.
What's next? Obama communicates with the dead? Oh, that was Nancy wasn't it?
Meanwhile, Federally indicted Tom Delay, who redistricted Texas in the middle of the night, and who pushed through bills in the middle of the night, will be on Dancing with the Stars?
talked to the dead -
and the Mor(m)ons frakkin convert 'em...
Now Isaac Newton gets to be a Mor(m)on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWw9x-7fFG8
Really blew Jim out of the water. The education system is in great need of a rehaul, and out of that, many people will find new opportunities to help themselves and this country.
has a set.
Tweety, no.
And here I thought it was Goldie with the set.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzta9XU-CEA
Tweety aired about 10 seconds today of his interview with Greer...it was the final 10 seconds. Not the rest, where he slobbered all over himself trying to make Greer seem rational....
a complete waste of time, he's like limbag, he likes the sound of his own voice too much.
I now understand why Republicans use so often the threat of being "indocrinated".....They must have looked in the mirror and realized how easy and often they've been indocrinated by the Limbaughs and Becks of this country.
Not everyone is so easily indoctrinated....
I’m so tired of conservatives denigrating the term Liberal. It’s the conservatives that should be ashamed.
Conservatives throughout history have always been the ones who have blocked progress for the human race. They’re typically a fearful and small minded group without a vision past their own fears and wants.
Liberals on the other hand have always shown courage and a sense that things could be better by doing things differently.
A prime example of this is the Founding Fathers (whom the conservatives like to champion as their own) and the Constitution they fought for.
“ We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. ”
This wasn’t written and acted on by fearful, selfish, small minded people, every word of it is “Liberalism” writ large about how thing should be better for “everyone”, notice the words “common” “general” “welfare” this is a document that is inclusive, not exclusive as conservatives like to be.
Throughout history around the world it was Liberals who struggled against conservatives to improve the human condition, it was Liberals who created the new science, new arts and new politics.
Conservatives are a blight on the earth and humanity. Be gone, all of you.
Greer is a classic coward conservative.
Like it or not Americans respect strength in their leaders. Obama's softness only encourages and further empowers his enemies. If he continues to be the great compromiser at every turn, then he has guaranteed himself one term, if that.
I don't know what he plans to say next week to the students or to the American people, but when he gets up in front of the joint session of Congress, his voice should rise in anger, he needs to point fingers, and he needs to call out Republicans (and Democrats) by name. Embarrass the hell out of them, call them out, and identify them as liars to the American people. Americans would respect that.
been ruled a suicide.
Perhaps Mr. Greer would be more comfortable with preempting Obama's address with a more familiar Floridian politician.
Mark Foley comes to mind, I heard he got a way with kids.
And Michael Jackson like to frequent Target whenever he heard they had a special half-off on boy's pants.
It's becoming mind boggling the extent that repugs will go to to denigrate and demonize any action Obama attempts.
He could be healing the sick and giving everyone ponies but still they would smear him.
Just following the Pigboy's orders, I suppose but it's becoming bizarre when every word or action of Obama has to be put in a bad light.
Didn't their mothers ever text them that if you couldn't say something nice about someone to just STFU & GFY K?
The RNC PR machine is coming at the American people from
many many different angles. Anyone who believed the
republican soul searching and leadership nonsense are
in for a big surprise as the unemployment rate (the official one)
heads toward 10%. When it goes to 11 and 12% you will see
what happens as they ramp up the propaganda. Anyone
who thinks otherwise should read Max Blumenthal's new
book. You have all been led by the nose.
don't they just admit the truth and come out and say it.........They don't want their kid to listen to a BLACK man as President.....that's what it's all about.........total racist bunch, they are!!
This has everything to do with the Republicans refusing to acknowledge that Obama is the legitimate President of the United States.
I was disgusted when I visited one of my wife's cousins and saw that she had a picture of George W. Bush on her fridge. It turned out that her daughter who was in second grade had written a letter to the President and had received the picture back as a response. I had to swallow my bile and say to the young girl how great it was that our President would reply to her. I said that maybe she could even be President some day.
Mind you, this was after that un-elected bucket of puke had already overseen the greatest failure of American defense since Pearl Harbor and had led the US into two wars on the other side of the planet with no exit plan.
Barack Hussein Obama is the President of the United States of America, and these people need to suck it up and deal with reality.
..the way you held your attitude in front of the wife's cousin's daughter. Perhaps one day, you'll explain to her why w wasn't a good President. I have a cousin who has met a couple Presidents. She said that regardless of politics, meeting a President was a special thing. I could see her point but in the case of w, well,...walk the other way and remember if you can't say anything nice...
it was an American Idol contestant or a "sports" person wanting to talk to the kids, the stupid parent would be slobbering all over themselves to be at the school site as well...........wow......talk about ignorance gone awry!!!
The Obama oughta' be follow by the masterful articulate
george bush, that is,if he know how to write !!!!
What saddens me is that Roberts and Marten were ill equipped to call out Greer in any meaningful way for his lies and distortions. Roberts also provided Greer ammunition by presenting a cropped passage from the lesson plan: "Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the President..."
Help the President what? What does the rest of that statement say? Clearly, it's being taken out of context to appear as if it's requesting that students think about ways to help the President politically. As far as I know, the rest of that sentence says something like: ... better serve the interests of students across the country.
Does anyone know what the rest of that sentence actually says?
Underneath the nuttery, there is a valid point. I remember some pretty weird school assemblies (The Simpsons satirized this pretty well with the yo-yo episode) that I'm sure I wouldn't have had to attend had my parents been informed in advance. The weirdest assembly by far was Chuck Negron at my Jr. High in 1984, there were parents across the school district upset about that. If parents don't want their children to attend certain assemblies, isn't that their right, without having to explain themselves?
In this case the "concern" has been crafted in a cauldron of hatred and parceled out to the over wrought fear addled base of the Republican Party.This is about hard rightwing ideology and the utter contempt these bigots have for the Democratic process.
This is a war being waged on the Obama Presidency.
if you cant respect the office...then get the fuck out of the country
or be prepared to face me in your death panel
Can you imagine the pathetic life his children will have? They are going to live in a little christian bubble and eventually break loose and fu*k everyone in sight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9SaKYFR6ms
By letting Greer filibuster? By having him on in the first place? By offering one tepid challenge?
Every time I see a C&L headline indicating that someone in the media "did a good job", I know I'm in for a big disappointment.
Roberts is another bought and paid for shill for corporate America. The most rudimentary factchecking by an even mediocre media would have long ago unmasked the GOP for the lying sacks that they are. As is the case with health care, American's apparently don't deserve even that much.
In a land of 300 million there are bound to be a number of idiots but why OH Why! do they all get to have their 15 minutes of media fame. Can't anyone read? What does "write a letter to themselves " mean!!! With kids being killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, fires burning out of control in California and the economy and health care reform going down the tubes what better time to divert America's attention to the pressing issue of keeping our children's classsrooms safe from the views of your democratically elected President. How do you even begin to explain this to the countries that you are so determined to introduce democracy to ??? These are the same guys/ parents that don't give a rat's ass about what video games their kids are playing, music they are listening to, TV or movies that they are watching. They are also the first to scream bloody murder if their children's teacher ever walked into a classroom WITHOUT a lesson plan.This is pure nonsense- where is Peter Finch (Network - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90ELleCQvew ) when you really need him ?????
Most republicans can't write anyway (I've seen their text messages). They shouldn't let their kids attend public schools either. Their A.D.D. is inherent. You have to pay attention to write. Nobody want's bullies in school. Bush couldn't write or read either. No,no,no,no. Don't let 'em into school on that day.
Is this what the reichwing think of President Obama?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26jvG4THLIE
Is making people go apeshit crazy.As a Canadian I do not understand. Can someone please tell me what the problem is?
As another citizen of Soviet Canukistan,is that all of this insanity can be traced right back to the GOP pandering to the extreme religious Right.Throw into that "heady brew" 30 years of Reagan,Bush,Rove,Cheney,Limbaugh and the NeoCons-among others,and you inevitably wind up with a nation divided against itself.
We as Canadians certainly are in no position to feel too smug by the way.If Harper gets his Majority government our own country will start swirling around the drain.
I'm not sure you noticed but President Obama is a shade darker than the previous 43 occupants of the office. I've heard that he has an African father and is in fact a scary closet-Muslim/black-nationalist/socialist eugenicist.
Oh, and his wife is black.
Did I mention that his middle name is Hussein.
... and he's black. (Or at least half black.)
but i wish he had listened a bit to what that wingnut said...especially when he said "...obama needs to find jobs for million of people...."
uh...did that fuckwad just admit that the gov has a hand in job creation?
Oh noes !! Teh evil lesson planz by teh evil black socialist prezdint. Keep it coming U.S of A! The rest of the world is watching and enjoying how ridiculous you really are.
...tell me when exactly Matthews did a horrible job? Just curious.
I don't think he did such a horrible job as far as it went. I think that most of us, however, just would have liked him to go a little farther. If Matthews would show the same passion he had for the guy with the gun towards all the right wing nuts I think it would be a lot more effective. Nobody on the right is scared to go on Hardball.
Mike Burns
http://www.disorderlyreport.com/
So why is the poster saying that he did a horrible job? This is crappy blogging and certainly why the blogger earned to be criticized. Not only is crappy, it's also manipulative and a lie.
As the racists and the wingnuts come out from under their rocks to defend their children from the "evil Obama brainwashing program", The Republican party is becoming the real causality new culture war. They are still looking to embrace any wedge issue and trumped up fear tactic that they can find to damage the Obama Presidency. They think they are making progress and scoring points by going on TV to debate these crazy theories but they are only alienating moderate voters who don't want to be part of the crazy club.
Mike Burns
http://www.disorderlyreport.com/
But, public education is obviously socialist/Marxist/Leninist/communist/baathist/racist/terrorist/elitist/sexist/analcyst (thanks Rushbo, almost missed that -ist) indoctrination of our children to become fact loving readers of books other than "My Pet Goat". I think the only thing for the teabaggers/birthers/deathers/tenthers/larouchites to do is to pull their children out of public school altogether and protect them from any and all non-bible related teachings.
If President Obama gave a speech about the virtues of brushing your teeth, these cretins would display their single tooth proudly as a sign of their 'freedoms'.
kiddie day care.
A republican who is a liar and an idiot.
He's just preaching to his choir.
In addition to their reactionary, instinctive response to anything the DemocratIC party proposes, this non-issue bullshit is due to one main underlying current in too many of those who maintain they're Republicans, and that is racism.
Pure, unadulterated race hatred. Maybe we could get somewhere if they would just come out and admit it.
The Creationist Rifle League(formerly known as The GOP)keeps claiming that us progressives want to lock them up in internment camps for re-education. After listening to this Florida Republican asshole I'm starting to think that sounds about right. I mean, seriously, these people are two-steps-back on the the evolutionary trail.
Oh that's good.
.."I don't want that n----- brainwashin' my kids." What an idiot! What a disgusting human being. "I believe...", "This President..."
jim, he IS the President and if he wants to talk to children about staying in school, you are a goddamn fool to foist your twisted values on this by lying about what it is the President is trying to achieve. It could be the most important and/or encouraging speech those kids ever hear. It has to potential to make a difference and he is the President. You and your ilk LOST. Offer something other than racism and hate..oh wait, gop, racism and hate is all you got. How pathetic!
I'm so angry about this I could just scream. Our school system has declared that teachers must get in touch with parents to get permission before showing the address. Of course over a long holiday weekend that's not going to happen, and what a terrible situation to put teachers in anyway, like they should really be expected to spend their time calling parents to get permission for children to listen to the president. It's just unbelievable how we allow these nut jobs to dictate the rules. Is this the road we really want to go down. You can be sure the next time a republican president wants to address children, the other side can also have a big old hissy fit. Or, do we really want any elected figures speaking to our children because, heaven forbid, they might be trying to indoctrinate them. My child now gets denied the opportunity to listen to the president's address.
..hell will probably freeze over but he wouldn't be denied speaking by his detractors; his detractors would have more class and respect for the office. Actually, I think that in another few years, there won't be a republican party. There really isn't one now (its the party of NO now) but the shadow it left behind is still a pain in the ass.
They'll go the way of the Federalist party.
If they get trounced just as bad in 2012 as they did last year, we might just see the GOP tear itself apart. Good riddance to bad trash I'd say, the party of Lincoln and Ike has long been dead at this point, instead we have this impostor calling itself the Republican Party.
I'm deeply disturbed that so many school systems seem to be buckling under to this sick right wing hysteria. It wasn't enough to frighten grandma, veterans, and even woman about health care reform. It's not enough for these nut jobs to try to convince people that Obama is out to kill them with healthcare reform. Now, they want to drag children into the fray, by trying to make them afraid of the "bogeyman" in the Whitehouse. Can you imagine if Bush was going to address the children and the left protested. Oh my God, there would have been such an outcry. And of course, never mind the Reagan and Bush I DID address the children.
Jim said in there "his vision may be a vision i don't want my children to hear". He doesn't want children to listen to other ideas? Now thats fascism.
John Roberts should have called Greer out on his "it's a liberal" nonsense as far as Politifact goes. Of course he didn't.
ANYTIME someone says "yeah but they're liberal" or "yeah but they're conservative" and doesn't follow up with how they are wrong as well, believe that the liberal or the conservative caught them in a lie (as is what happened here with Greer) and they think that solves the problem. We need more doctors and nurses in this country, but we also need to get back to having more real journalists and John Roberts kind of failed here.
After listening to that jackass GOP for about 1 minute, my wife kindly asked me to "turn that jackass off". She didn't understand, I I don't either, WHY the news gives people like this the time of day.
WOW! Abject failures interjecting there Stupidity and Moronic attitudes on the CRITICAL THINKING and FREEDOM of THOUGHT. WHY when we have a PRESIDENT(something you couldn't say for 8 years prior with the COURT APPOINTED and BALLOT BOX FIXED ELECTION).
I take offense at this RACIST NAZI CHRISTIAN try to say he is concerned for me, This RACIST much like his PARTY of NO doesn't have a clue.
Notice how the RNC (RACIST NAZI CHRISTIAN) twisted and side stpped the issue, NO direct answer. As I have told my GRANDCHILDREN all 14 THINK FOR YOUR SELF and DRAW your own conclusion, if you do not understand ask and KEEP asking until you receive a satisfactory answer. If anyone claims your stupid for listening ask them if thy are a republican do they have their mommies permission to think fo themselves. Remember the PARTY of NO is just that NO for everything except LIES, HATRED and anything good for AMERICA.
Wonder how much this sky-is-falling crap is because of some deep buried racism these Chicken Little Republicans have. I'd seriously doubt we would have seen this level of idiocy if back in 1994 Bill Clinton went to go talk to speak at some school.
Next Tuesday are part of the Tea Party/Birther crowd. This Greer Guy is pushing his own policies and clearly setting his own agenda. he should be embarrassed, I know I am. He's given me another reason why I'm embarrassed to say I live in Florida. These "white people are an endagered species" ppl will stop at nothing to spew their vitriol, even if it means dragging children into their ignorance. shameful! It's ironic isn't it? Keep your child home from school because the President is going to talk about the value of a good education and staying in school
In the 1950's our elementary school, in Texas, had a program every month where Civic Leaders and Ministers came to our school and gave talks about staying in school and other things. Things were just fine when Protestant Ministers gave their talks; but then the local Catholic Priest was invited to speak. Yet many Parents of Protestant students pulled their children out of class and some out for the day. God only knows what those parents would have done if a black protestant minister was allowed to speak; but schools were segregated and the small community of black kids in our town were bused about 10 miles to an all black school in a larger city until 1966.
They don't want President Obama to succeed in ANYTHING.
All they are focused on is ousting Democrats, a thing they have been doing since the 1970's.
In this case they HATE our president because he is not a KRACKER.
I repeat my post from the joe story of the same subject today:
All Presidents Visit and Talk to Students
Sat, 09/05/2009 - 11:33 — Yellowbird
It's like KISSING BABIES. IT'S what politicians do.
http://www.dailykostv.com/w/002099/
On eve of 1992 campaign, Bush 41 pitches education plan in televised classroom speech
Posted Sep 3, 2009, 11:26 AM PT by Jed Lewison • First broadcast: Oct 1, 1991
On October 1, 1991, George H. W. Bush pitches his education plan in a speech broadcast to school classrooms nationwide:
And there was Ronald Reagan:
http://mediamatters.org/blog/200909030020
Conservative media take note: Reagan preached tax cut gospel to America’s students
September 03, 2009 1:09 pm ET by Matt Gertz
Before that "POLITICAL VISIT BY A PRESIDENT".... THERE WAS REAGAN: The RR Library says:
Public Progams
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library sponsors school programs and public events throughout the year, such as 4th of July, Presidents' Day and Colonial America.
For Educators
Lesson plans, curriculum guides and educator workshop materials including the Great Communicator Files and Picturing the Presidency: President Reagan and the Cold War.
Education Workshops
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library offers educational workshops for teachers and students on the Great Communicator Files, Picturing the Presidency, and From the Source, an archives workshop.
To be perfectly fair, President Clinton did it too. Here's an example:
U.S. Newswire
Article: Transcript of Clinton Remarks to Glen Forest Elementary Community
U.S. Newswire ; October 31, 1998 ; 700+ words ... U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a transcript of remarks by President Clinton today to the Glen Forest Elementary School community: Glen Forest Elementary School Falls Church, Virginia 10:45 A.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Good morning. First ...
In fact if you Google the two terms President and Classrooms, you get presidents from all over the world visiting classrooms.
A speech by Obama to school children? God save us from the boredom. There is nothing so boring as a government official talking to children. Not to mention these sort of talks generally peg the "full of shit" meter.
I guess Obama is going to tell them of all the wonderful opportunities that are strewn before them and any failure is their own damn fault. All they have to do is work hard as children and continue to work, work, work as adults until they drop dead.
See, that's because there is nothing structurally wrong with our economy or our political institutions, or anything else. They're perfect. So perfect and all that's needed is a little bootstrap yanking by the kids and they'll be certain to be big successes. Can't miss. It isn't like the fix is in and they are slated to work their asses off all their lives and wind up with nothing and if they don't like the deal there is always an enormous prison system just waiting for them to step out of line. No, no, no. There is nothing but wonderful opportunities all along the road just waiting to be picked like daisies by anybody no matter their economic class. Ah, such a wonderful world and wonderful life.
This ought to be good for a laugh anyway. Nobody can peg the "full of shit" meter like Obama can and this is the sort of talk where his talent can come into full bloom.
Unbelieveable.....it's time for the citizens to take back their country.
Looking in from England, can't understand the state of things in the US anymore....it's very scary, dangerous all at once. It's time to stop these el loco's....loonies who are really making ur country look bad or else you might be looking at the first "talibanised" western country....i mean where debates are not allowed, it's just going to be God, guns and madness. No disrespect to Americans, but this is all we see now. Screams and shouts instead of debates, gun carrying idiots to forum centres and so forth.....It's like everybody's gone bunkers...politicians, journalists etc..never seen anything like this before. In the so called third world countries, situations like this would have led to a civil war long time ago.....It's a shame really finding myself compare the US in such fashion.
This is the most ridiculous protest yet. We need to hang it around their necks and make them carry it around. Remind people of this stupid protest every time they bring up any issue. It proves that they have no principled opposition to the Presidents agenda, they are pure obstructionists.
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