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Opposition to School Speech 'Silly': Gibbs

Obama press secretary also hints at possible racially-driven censorship

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 4, 2009 5:10 PM CDT

(Newser) – Robert Gibbs fired back today at critics of President Obama's planned address to school children, calling it "a little bit of the silly season," the Hill reports. Noting that that Ronald Reagan and the elder President Bush both made school addresses, he painted Obama's critics as censors, making a reference to school districts that "won't even let" students "read Huckleberry Finn."

Gibbs also mentioned that the president’s planned message, to stay in school, is shared by the National Basketball Association. “If staying in school is a political message, then somebody should tell the NBA,” he said. “I think we've reached a little bit of the silly season when the president of the United States can't tell kids to study hard and stay in school.”

Schoolchildren may be confused by all the to-do.
Schoolchildren may be confused by all the to-do.   (AP Photo)
President Obama's press secretary, Robert Gibbs.
President Obama's press secretary, Robert Gibbs.   (AP Photo)
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.   (AP Photo)
President Barack Obama.
President Barack Obama.   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 59 comments
gropius
Sep 7, 2009 10:42 AM CDT
@godogs, I'm admittedly a lefty but I'm having a hard time seeing your point about the left going on and on about race. Hell we've got a black President and we're _proud_ about that! If somebody doesn't enjoy the fact, we'll they'll just have to eat it because our man won fair and square--we don't have to say anything. The point is that the right _has_ gone after Obama about his race, background, etc--both overtly (truther birth certificate fiasco, Barack HOSSAIN obama probably being a Muslim oh the horror) and in code (he's not qualified to punch tickets let alone be President, etc.) And this coming not from posters in the comment board jungle but the top voices coming from the right. Sure some lefties play the race card, but plenty of lefties believe in post-economic Anarchy and that W. blew up the WTC. You needn't pay much attention to the lunatic fringe. We don't. I do have to gently point out, though, that you seem to be spending a lot of time on race here when nobody else on this thread (oh, wait I spot one conservative wingnut chiming in, on cue) is even going there.
LiberalJesus
Sep 6, 2009 12:22 PM CDT
Your argument holds no water. You just said the President works for us and he is asking kids to help him. He is not telling kids what to do, he is asking what he can do. We still have a very large racial problem in this country. If schools were debating whether or not to run Bush/Reagan speeches the school boards would have been called un-American. What a sorry sad bunch of GED saps. Dumb from birth and only adding to their ignorance.
So_Cal_Larry
Sep 6, 2009 2:12 AM CDT
Sometimes I believe that the White House and their spokespeople are a little silly themselves, and do not stand up to the significance of what is happening. Mr. Gibbs stood there and defended the rights of gun carriers to exhibit their military weapons at Presidential events. What utter garbage. The administration should have immediately proposed legislation putting a very large moving circle around the President, overriding all the various ridiculous state laws regarding guns while the chief federal officer of the nation, the President, is there. Again we are 'silly' about this Presidential address to the students of the nation. It wasn't silly when Dan Quayle gave spelling lessons to the nations students. It wasn't silly when President Bush was reading to the classroom children after he was notified of the second plane into the World Trade Center. It isn't silly when school districts email their teachers advising them that notice must be given of their intent to broadcast this address in their classroom, that the teacher must notify parents, and offer alternatives to parents who don't want their children hearing the President of the United States. This Administration must start exhibiting a righteous indignation to these actions which are intended to diminish the stature and authority of the Chief Executive Officer of the United States, and, its Commander In Chief.

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