It is rather unbelievable. I completely understand disagreeing with the president--but to encourage total disrespect of the office for a message as necessary as "stay in school" is ridiculous. Then again, Texas reveres high school football and cheerleading at a cultish level, so I guess it's no wonder that any president would rank low in a prioritized list.

This comment illustrates a rift in the social fabric of America that has grown so deep and so broad that I genuinely question whether we'll ever be able to reconcile with one another.

Unlike the last civil war this country had which also was based in a backward social and cultural outlook and views on governmental roles... this one isn't as geographically concentrated.

All I'm really sure of is that as every day passes I am personally less inclined to make the effort to reach out to them to even consider the basis of their view let alone in an effort to reconcile my own with them.

His children are going to miss their lesson on Creationism that day.

This is nothing new. The same kind of rhetoric came from the left when GHW Bush gave a similar speach in '91.

http://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/04/us/financing-for-a-bush-speech-is-attacked.html?scp=1&sq=alice%20deal%20and%20bush&st=cse

Joe,

Fair point, but I don't see any accusations of socialism, fascism, or brainwashing being leveled at Bush 41 in that article.

Anyone accusing President Obama of "socialism" knows nothing about socialism and not much about Obama, who is very much a centrist Democrat.

Relax gang - people like this are not great in number. It's a ginned up controversy. I'm not an Obama fan, and he does have some pretty creepy people tucked away in parts of the administration, but he's not Joe Stalin. I predict there will be very few that excuse their kids from the speech.

This is a president who holds a morning conference call with the media to share talking points on how to attack critics. This is a president who has demeaned town hall protesters and called on his foot soldiers to "get in their face". This is a president who insists on reforming health care despite a majority opinion that does not want his method of reform.

If the president had behaved like a statesman we would not have a controversy.

What we have is a president who has vowed to "transform America". Truth be told I wish he would enumerate to our nations children all the many ways he desires to change our country. He could start with an economic agenda that desires to "spread the wealth", cover his foreign policy that aims to coddle dictators and tyrants and sum it up with an explanation of why he includes in his circle of friends, czars and staffers so many tax cheats and racists.

Anyone accusing President Obama of "socialism" knows nothing about socialism and not much about Obama, who is very much a centrist Democrat.

Do you actually read what you type? Here is a link that rated Obama in 2007 (prior to his presidential run as the MOST liberal senator in the Senate. Please don't try and rewrite history. There is nothing centrist about this guy. Yea...I know it is Bush's fault...sheeesh!