twodinks.com

Surprise! The right-wing echo chamber went off the rails again, this time over Obamas welcome-back speech to schoolchildren.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a possible contender for the GOP’s 2012 presidential nomination:

At a minimum it’s disruptive. Number two, it’s uninvited. And number three, if people would like to hear his message they can, on a voluntary basis, go to YouTube or some other source and get it. I don’t think he needs to force it upon the nation’s school children

Yes Tim, it’s forced upon them. Next we’ll be propping them up with toothpicks holding their eyelids open, making them watch endless hours of Whale Wars and Keith Olbermann. You tool.

Florida GOP Chairman Jim Greer released a statement this week accusing Obama of using taxpayer money to “indoctrinate” children:

As the father of four children, I am absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama’s socialist ideology,” Greer said.

The idea that school children across our nation will be forced to watch the president justify his plans … is not only infuriating, but goes against beliefs of the majority of Americans, while bypassing American parents through an invasive abuse of power.

Ya know, Jim, that’d be a valid argument if your side hadn’t gotten pummeled in the last two elections. Seems people really are tired of your Republican crap.

Oklahoma state Sen. Steve Russell, a Republican:

As far as I’m concerned this is not civics education — it gives the appearance of creating a cult of personality.

Yes, Mr. Russell, you unbelievable hack. It’s a good thing the right has never used mass media to flatter and praise a public leader. Say, in the runup to the illegal war in Iraq.

Also, it’s a good thing we never had a cult of personality around an old man with dementia. He might have had the gall to inject political commentary into his own speech to schoolchildren. Wait? What’s tha…oops!

In November 1988, President Ronald Reagan delivered more politically charged remarks that were made available to students nationwide. Among other things, Reagan called taxes “such a penalty on people that there’s no incentive for them to prosper … because they have to give so much to the government.”

But giving credit where it’s due, at least Newt Gingrich had the balls and Laura Bush had the…uh…ovaries to make their own judgments. But then, neither of them is running for anything, so they don’t really need to pander to those who listen to the right-wing lunatics. I’m willing to bet Rush Limbaugh pilloried Gingrich within an hour of Gingrich’s statements.

It seems that George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush all spoke to school children at some point in their presidencies as well. There was a Democratic investigation into GHWB’s speech, but no media uproar, and there sure as hell should not be now. If you want more evidence that the media is not left-biased, there it is.

But turning back to vitriol, I’d say this little incident is far closer to the dreaded indoctrination than anything Obama said in his speech today. Where’s the right-wing outrage? Aren’t they the party that DEFENDS THE DERNED CONSTITUTION TO OUR DEATH DAGNABBIT Y’ALL and stuff?

Oh yeah. They only care about guns and their right to say whatever they like, as long as nobody calls them on it or expresses another point of view. Or worships another God. Or has a different view of marriage or personal privacy or warrantless wiretapping or torture or blowing the shit out of anyone who doesn’t agree with us. And THE GUMMINT SHOULD LOCK UP ALL THE DAMNED DIRTY LIBERALS or send them to Guantanamo or something. I don’t know, it’s impossible to keep up with the idiocy anymore.

Oh and psst: I have two things to say to all of you calling Obama a Socialist or a Nazi or a Communist: first, pick one already. You’re giving me a headache with all your lane-switching. Also, you should try having a least a passing idea what those words mean because right now, it’s painfully obvious you have no fucking idea what you’re talking about.