Maybe some of you remember the solar eclipse about 30 years ago that crossed the western United States. A few teachers freaked out from urban legends of people going blind, and they actually locked their kids indoors with the curtains drawn rather than subject them to an educational experience.

These kids won't remember any details of what Obama tells them. They'll just remember that the President cared about them. We can't have that.

I'm going to wait for Ann Coulter to brand the head of the Florida Republican party a traitor.

some of the backlash problem has its roots in the lesson plans that Arne Duncan sent to the principals for teachers to use as followup to Obama's talk to the kids.

A WH spokesperson described one of the discussion points "how can I help the president" as inartfully-phrased -- and that discussion point was jettisoned.

In principle, there's nothing wrong with a president -- any president -- directly addressing school children, but I hope that SecEd Duncan has learned a lesson. It's not cool to ask school kids to discuss how they should "help" the president. I sure would not have liked it if President Cheney talked to kids, then teachers discussed with the kiddos, "how would you like to help President Cheney?"

Ugh.

Plain and simple.

Joan's article is a textbook example of the logical fallacy known as "begging the question."

This phrase does not mean, as is commonly assumed, that a question needs to be asked. It means that the argument already assumes that its point is proved, and then looks for reasons to justify it.

Joan assumes that any opposition to Obama is race-based. She then constructs her article assuming that thesis is proven, and extrapolates from there. It does not occur to her that many of us are profoundly concerned about the cult of personality built around Obama, or the idea that school children are going to be asked to participate in liberal causes.

Of course, Joan is obsessed by race and has made many laughable and pathetic statements about that subject; her lionization of the despicable Kennedys is a good example of her myopia. That aside, I am not alone in my rejection of this Mao-like hero worship liberals are prone too (Kennedys again). As I posted in a previous letter, I will not pull my children out of school on Tuesday but I will take care to discuss this indoctrination with them.

I think it has to do with self loathing as well. Many of the screamers and haters on the right simply can't see the good that a direct address to school children will do. I live in a city with a public school system upwards of 170,000. The demographics are not something to cheer about due to white flight to private schools, but I can just picture the majority of the schools just delighting in hearing from their president. (Our three children were products of the public school system here, a Plan II Scholar at UT in Austin and accomplished artist, the second is a brilliant fashion designer, and the youngest is a published author and Mensa member at 17. I would have been bursting with pride to see the president address them among their peers.

Leave the haters behind, we'll forge a new and honorable country that will benefit them as well, in spite of their sputtering racism and troglodyte mentalities.

... should read:

Far Right schools Obama!

I think they've worked themselves up into such a frenzy about losing the election that their hate can be targeted at anyone. For some of them it is racism, definitely. But I also think there's also just a lot of free-floating resentment and hatred (and maybe even some self-loathing) that's been stirred up over the past few years in those groups. I truly think it can be turned on anyone and anything.

It's nuts. And they say they are the patriotic ones? The ones who bash the "gov'ment" (otherwise known as the elected representatives of the People), the ones who act like our president and, you know, leader of the free world has the cooties?

Scary times. Scary people.

Perhaps that's the difference between Reagan, Bush and Obama.

~It's a furniture polish & an allegiance!

After all the accusations thrown at Obama these past seven months, after the none-too-subtle campaign to get the Electoral College to vote against him during the transition, after the Palin rallies where people screamed "Terrorist!" and "Kill him!" — heck, after eight years of watching the right wing try to destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton — why am I hearing Jake Tapper of ABC News say things like "the White House was caught flat-footed on this"?

I worry that the Obama Administration has underestimated the hate. I know he graciously reached out to the lunatics on Election Night — "I hear your voices... I will be your President, too" — but, enough already. These people can't be reasoned with, talked down or accommodated.

Note to the White House staff: Stop being so surprised. Proofread everything you write at least 15 times before you issue it. Give up on Republicans calling the nutjobs out, because they won't. And PLEASE tell Secretary Geithner to make sure the Secret Service is doing its job.

I am a high school principal and I had some guy call and tell me he did not want his son to hear "socialist indoctrination"...I just got off the phone. He called the superintendent, too.

We laughed it off. I will show the speech in the cafeteria and library. It is our first day back and I do not want to mess up 6th period.

You are right, Joan. This is getting beyond reason. I really do believe though, that these nutty folks will burn themselves out and start to look sillier and sillier. You know what...they have always been among us, boiling beneath the surface. Well, now we know. I used to wonder how witch hunts and Inquisitions could happen in rational societies. I wonder no longer.

It does not occur to her that many of us are profoundly concerned about the cult of personality built around Obama, or the idea that school children are going to be asked to participate in liberal causes.

Please. As a republican, it's very unseemly for you to pretend to have real guiding principles.

Fact is, Reagan and Bush 1 both did something very similar to this. And Bush 2 had a cult of personality around him (profoundly undeserved) that caused Bill Kristol to admit that the movement was focused on the man. All this occurred, and not one peep from right wing authoritarians.

However, this time, whoa nelly, he's out ta getcha!!!

From what I can tell, there are 2 differences between Obama and the other examples that met with no republican objection: the letter "D" after his name, and the color of his skin.

So, which is it that you're wetting your pants over, Unlovely?