Press Secretary Gibbs on the Con controversy over the President's school speech: "It's a sad state of affairs...an 'Animal House' food fight..."The White House has just posted the remarks President Obama will give tomorrow, live at Noon EST, in a nation-wide back-to-school event that will be viewed by millions of K-12 students. It's an inspiring speech, with the message for kids to work hard, listen to parents and teachers, and be responsible for their own destinies, no matter what circumstances they're in: "Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future" (...and oh yeah, wash your hands so you don't spread the flu...). The President tells the story of First Lady Michelle Obama's overcoming big odds to attend the finest educational institutions, and he also tells stories about American kids who've accomplished big things against all odds. Natch, there are foodie referents in the President's speech as he details his own difficult road to achievement:
When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning. Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."
Well, we all know how that non-picnic turned out...Another foodie referent, related to the nutty controversy over President Obama addressing school kids: Previously, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs noted that "we've entered silly season" with the Fringe Con opposition to the President's speech (Gibbs, in photo). At this morning's press briefing, Sec. Gibbs noted that "It's a sad state of affairs that many in this country politically would rather start an "Animal House" food fight rather than inspire kids to stay in school, to work hard, to engage parents to stay involved, and to ensure that the millions of teachers that are making great sacrifices continue to be the best in the world. It's a sad state of affairs."*And yeah, civil society is a thing of the past: At the Atlantic, Marc Ambinder has rapidly parsed all the possible objectionable things the nuts could get burned up about.
*The President's remarks will be livestreamed from the White House and also at C-Span at Noon, Eastern time. Photo at top of post is President Obama and his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, from Time.
