That's correct. The kids are supposed to write letters to themselves about how they can help Obama do a better job and write down in a scrap book his most famous sayings. This sounds like praying to me to the Obama diety. I thought prayers in public schools was unlawful,and hardly the kind of thing a non-believing, democratic president would want to be associated with.

Joan,

As usual, you cherrypick the story. The Dept of Education was accused of issuing homework assignments to the kids asking that they write letters to themselves about how Great Obama Is. Well, I don't see that little gem in your piece and how that might get a reaction from any parent. Are you beginning to carry Obama's water for him?

I wish Obama would do some real work and stop the goddamn politicking. People are getting sick and tired of his daily dish, and you applaud him everytime he opens his mouth, which is way too often these days.

His numbers are dropping like a rock and he is quickly earning a reputation for being unable to "close" the deal, any deal, that is. He can't seem to close Gitmo, he can't withdraw from Iraq fast enough, his healthcare program is a flop because he doesn't understand the industry he is trying to reform, he's overcommitted to Afghanistan, he can't secure the borders, he can't even raise taxes as the deficit balloons out of control, he can't even spend the stimulus money. In other words, he hasn't done anything other than talk.

And now he wants to waste more time talking to little kiddies and you think that is just grand.

All we ever hear is how the public option will lower costs because of subsidization from the public monies will make it happen. But what about the supply and availability of medical services at lower unit costs. Will that part of the equation be there when we need it? Nobody wants to tackle that side of the equation because nobody really knows.

Every week there is something clearly retarded going on in the Obama administration and this is the latest misstep. Obama needs to put in an honest day's work and cut out all the distractions. His numbers are dropping and he is the sole reason for it. Don't blame the repubs for this.

How in the world is the current medical bureaucracy going to process the onslaught of new patients if the public option is passed or any of the other so-called reform measures are passed? These are the boring details that nobody wants to address or discuss because they are practical and presumably non-political.

You wait till 2012 or 2014, when you have to take the whole day off from work to see the doctor for the flu or the common cold. See how liberal your views will be then. Appointments will no longer be "at 10:00"; they will be for the whole day. There will be dozens of people milling around "in line" waiting to see "one" doctor. You will be asked politely to "take a number and come back in an hour or two". Maybe we will have "odd-even" license plates rationing again? Liberals will say this is the price of progress so get with the program. Whiners and complainers will be labeled "reactionaries". Most people will just think it sucks and those old enough to remember will recall the culture of "standing in line for everything" that defined progress in the old Soviet Union.

Of course, the liberal elites will never wait in line for anything because they know they suckered the rest of us to bear that burden.

Why would Robert Reich say such irresponsible things? Is it just to appease the lefty inclinations of Salon readers? The size of our economy today is $14T and we are running annual deficits as far as the eye can see at a clip of $1.5T per year. The total deficit will exceed our GDP within 5 years for sure and overwhelm us within 10 years. And, who will continue to finance our deficits? China and Japan? Who can guarantee that economic growth will cover future spending. Ask CA how well they manage their boom and bust affairs.

The sinister part of all this out-of-control spending pushed so hard by the left is that when the cuts come, they will most certainly come from the military budget. That is the "Holy Grail" of lefty thinking and planning: the dissolution of the military, the abolition of national borders and the creation of a UN police force under the control of non-US interests. If that is the long-term plan, then say so.

Why would the Catholic Bishops be "front and center" on the public option if Obama doesn't even think it is "essential" to healthcare reform? If Obama is not going risk any more political capital on it, why should the Bishops?

Now for the "real-world" reason: because the Catholic Church operates 650 hospitals in the country, what impact would the public optionon have on their funding? I have no idea, except to say that it won't go up.

In fact, universal healthcare is not even financial possible in this country without taxes going up across the board by by 10% of all income. Nobody in their right mind will propose this so it will die.

Frances Kissling was looking for a reason to undermine and attack Catholic teachings on several other issues. She never misses a chance to promote her misguided views on these issues.