no, the dog was just neurotic and that dog can be educated to stop barking like that.

greer is a mad dog.

9:00 AM?

A republican compared to dogs ?
What on earth could a dog do to equal the mass destruction of republicanism ?
Bow Wow indeed

American politics is schoolyard scuffling with no recess monitors on the field.

The dog may believe itself, but Greer is a liar. And he knows it.

HEY! Quit badmouthin' dogs!

It's bigotry, plain and simple. These people cannot accept the fact that we've elected a black (actually, a "mixed-race") president. As a very conservative friend of mine said shorly after the election, "We've voted ourselves off the island".

Obama could enact more tax cuts for the rich, bomb Iran to smithereens, allow prayer inschools, kill climate change legislation, AND outlaw the teaching of evolution, and these people would still find something to complain about.

The dog metaphor is apt. Neurosis, not really, more like learned behavior, postman comes, dog bark, postman leaves. Barking made the post man go away. In the GOP's case, the barking is giving positive reinforcement by a media that relays it uncritically, so of course the GOP dogs believe their own press. Why shouldn't they?

My own school community is a great example of the power of uncritical thinking. They will not be showing the feed today. After concerns were voiced to the principle (what were the concerns I asked in an empty vacuum?), my daughters school decided to video the presentation and make a judgement later. What kind of country do we live in now when the educated class is dictated to my the frothing of a minority? When we suspect the President of under handed motives with no real evidence exists of any motive but to be an example to students of what you can achieve when you work hard and take responsibility for your actions and goals.

Apparently this is a lesson better served upon parents and educators. Tomorrow, after my daughters school has had an opportunity to review and decide if the President of The United States of America has the best interest of their students in his heart, they will hear from me what no president would say - that they have failed in their responsibility as educators and citizens and deserve no more respect then a barking dog..

What I wouldn't give to hear Obama give his speech and go a bit off message. Perhaps conclude it with a little assignment. Ask the kids to discuss with their parents why he is the first president ever that was tagged with the task of providing his speech to the kids in advance and why some parents don't want their kids to hear his message.

It's just racism. These folks just don't want their children listening to an intelligent black man in a position of authority. They are afraid it might start a trend.

If the message of staying in school and learning as much as possible is political indoctrination, then being ignorant, uninspired and uncaring for life is the political message of these protestations.

What Stetson Kennedy said . If Barak breathes they complain if he stopped breathing they would complain about that too. Can you imagine , I mean really imagine only six months ago what would have happened to someone who brought an assault rifle to a McCain Palin rally. They would have benn locked up so fast it would have made your head spin. Idiocracy , The Documentary.

Jim Greer and that dog have a lot in common.

The dog only licks his butt. Jim Greer has his head up his.

Socialist indoctrination it isn't.

Am I going nuts here, or am I the only one who sees Obama's hidden message within the text of the speech? If you take the 2nd letter of the 8th word, the 1st letter of the 1st word, the 3rd of the 18th and so on, Obama clearly states "I am a communist dictator who you must obey, do not listen your parents."

My school district initially bowed to the hysteria but reversed course over the weekend. Students had to get permission from their parents or guardians to listen to the President of the United States today. Ridiculous yes, but they heard from enough of us to change their minds.

If there's a silver lining, it's that this 15 minute address bears more importance now than it would have if the wingnut republicans hadn't gone beserk over it. Maybe the kids will even pay attention to it.

"Glenn Beck" - you can't *see* the commie code. You have to hear the speech first, then play it backward. It's all there.

Thank goodness we have watchdogs like Jim Greer.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

Thank goodness phagocytes while whitely innocuous ,are mortally vigilant .

I just hope Obama also mentions that eating the lunch provided for students at school is far better than asking your parents to make their lunch at home. God, I hate packing those frickin' lunches.

Also, if he could mention that my daughter Charley should not go out with Peyton Tolliver under any circumstances, I'd greatly appreciate it.

I'd like to read about school administrators who stood up to rabid parents and did *not* ask their permission to show students the President's message.

I disagree. Clearly Obama would have discussed end-of-life counseling in his speech to school children if it were not for GOP pressure.

Thank you, Jim Greer, for your public service.

Thankfully, this is my daughter's first day of school, so she didn't have a release form for me to sign.

And, you know what? No matter how very, very much I hate George W Bush [and I hate him with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns!], it would never occur to me to demand that my child be excused from hearing a positive message about school and responsibility from him. Above all else, the most important lesson a child of any age can learn is that everyone — even a person daddy hates — who speaks a positive and rational message deserves to be heard.

I would draw the line at Dick Cheney for obvious reasons.

Jim Greer and that dog have a lot in common.

Except the dog is house broken.

What I want to see is Florida schools telling Mr. Greer that he cannot speak to schoolchildren any more. Instead, he can submit a video of a speech and the school will put in on the school's web site for the children to watch later. We can't have politicians indoctrinating our children.

Jim Greer is like a dog that has rabies and worms at the same time: while scratching it's asshole on the lawn, dragging it, because of the worms, the rapid foam comes out of it's mouth .....err.......asshole

No, Al, the price of eternal vigilance is freedom.

Sorry but I would just drop the 'do it for your country' crap.

Do it for family, friends, yourself, your loved ones, but can the for your country crap.

.

What's so hard to understand, mental giants? Obama's speech is fine today. Last week it wasn't fine. Obviously Greer's and others' criticism had an effect.

Logic was never you lefties' strong point.

Quite simply the republicans, following Gingrich, got the word that this whole "controversy" wasn't playing well outside of the Limbaugh-Beck-Hannity crowd, and they needed to back off, especially before people found out what the speech really was.

So Mike, you have a copy of the "original" speech? Love to see it along with the mark-ups showing response to right wing tantrum. Apparently Greer lost his...or just imagined the whole thing.
PS: Is there anything you and Al are NOT afraid of?

What the Republicans did on this speech was sheer hatemongering and they need to be called on it. Bashing a guy for what you're just sure he was going to say before you criticized him for it is nuts.

Greer needs to be made a liability. Every Republican in Florida needs to be asked on camera if they agree with their state party chair in criticizing an unseen and unheard speech as 'socialist indoctrination'. They also need to be asked if it's okay for their party chair to go to schools to tell kids that all Democrats are welfare bums.

Greer needs to resign, and the Florida GOP needs to be pressured until the a$$hole does resign. I'm sick of these phony controversies, and they need to learn they'll pay a price for them.

Dang Greer and his big mouth! I was really looking forward to seeing all the little kiddies goose steping all the home from the bus stop.

FreeThinkingRedneck

Yeah, me too. Everyone knows that you tell a kid something once, it sticks. This is how brainwashing works.

So he's not gonna ask all the kiddies to goosestep on the way home tonight? Thanks, Greer!

colonpowwow: That's dirty talk.

As an educator I'm pleased that the president or any public figure would come out with a public statemnmdent supporting learning and education. As a master's candidate in a really tough teaching job market I found his speech very inspiring. I believe in what I have to offer as an educator, and despite a lot of rejection letters and interviews that didn't land me the job...I'm still submitting applications and trying.
The thing that saddens me is how polarized our national debate is. It seems everything is either red or blue with no shades in between. It's time for Americans to consider a variety of viewpoints and perspectives and stop blaming "the other side" and start having some productive discourse to work on addressing important issues.

A friend post this on her Facebook page:

"1935: Adolf Hitler urges all good German youth to listen to him, write letters of support, and organize - The Hitler Youth is born, and a generation of German children are sacrificed on the alter of Nazism. 2009: obama urges all good American youth... to listen to him, write letters of support, and organize...well, you get the picture."

Of course, she never intended for her children to see the president's address, and because of our weak-kneed (or maybe like-minded) school superintendent, most of the schools in our county did not air it. She, like Greer, had no knowledge beforehand of what the president had to say, and she still doesn't know the content of the address. But still, this is the outrageous conclusion she jumps to. I started to comment on how stupid she sounds but decided it wasn't worth it.

chrenson - you're probably not following this thread anymore, but your post was hilarious. I hope Obama also made the point that 8th grade girls who aspire to be trumpet masters need to practice more than half an hour a week!

I live in Texas and I am truly scared of these conservative self-righteous bigots. Mr. kennedy is right. They hate him because of his color. They say they are not racist, but they are and always have been. They hate anyone that is not a WASP. The right-wingnuts want a civil war and when that happens (which I fear is very possible)they will of coarse blame it on the "liberals". This has become a scary place to live. Moving to Canada is sounding better and better everyday.