Some Level of Federal Indoctrination More Equal Than Others

Tim Rutten of the LA Times sums up the controversy of Obama’s Sept. 8th speech as the paranoid delusions of the Right-Wing Hate Machine (patent pending) akin to Birther/Muslim type conspiracies found in scary corners of the internet:

Miller has identified precisely the process at work in the healthcare hysteria and, increasingly, elsewhere where the GOP thinks it can shove the Obama administration into a ditch. Republican officials such as the Florida state chairman are playing a dangerous game with an unhinged segment of public opinion that regards Obama not as an elected official with whom they disagree, but as an illegitimate usurper of the presidency.

That paranoid fantasy is what’s really behind the “birther” movement and the allegations that the president is — take your pick — a secret Marxist or a secret Muslim.

A bit extreme in his characterization, since he doesn’t mention the fact that the Department of Education issued a memo for kids to think about what they could do for the president (later revised), which was summed up superbly by Professor Jacobson as a bit “creepy“. BooRadley (who has a lot of kids and might know something about being a parent) already summarized the low-level anxiety at TAH, and noted that the President speaking to school kids is fine, but using the opportunity to stump for the political issue of the day is not.

But, I’m confused, because I thought the left was always looking to protect school kids from the imperiali$tic/capitalist horrors of Uncle Sam , at least if its the military. Remember the lady in Seattle who wanted to ban recruiters from public parks because her wuss kids might be scared? The Marines in Berkeley getting their recruiting vandalized? Most, recently the ever-moderate Mother Jones exposing a secret plot within the Pentagon to garner information on potential recruits from public schools. Our favorite commentator, Jim Staro, offered his keen insight into the scandal (note the two exclamation points means you really better read this!!):

This was just more from the cheney/bush cabal acts against the country, and their growing list of proof of crimes against this Nation and Our Constitution, no one was safe, especially our children, needed to fill the ranks of bringing democracy? to others by extreme force!!

You can only wish that the left would apply some sort of ideological standard on what constitutes outrage in public schools before they attempt to squash all criticism from their political opponents, because I’m now baffled on what is “genuine” outrage.

Category: Liberals suck