Analysis: Furor over speech typifies polarization - Yahoo! News:
"WASHINGTON – The furor over President Barack Obama's start-of-school speech to the nation's students — challenging them to work hard, earn good grades and stay in school — typifies the country's widening rift over politics and social issues.
It's certainly an unwelcome distraction as the president prepares to address both houses of Congress and the nation Wednesday about his embattled attempt to overhaul the health care system, which has taken a hammering from Republicans and some middle-of-the-road Democrats."
Dating back to his campaign for president, some Obama opponents have tried to paint him as a "socialist." Since winning the White House, the attacks have continued over his attempts to invigorate the tumbling economy with a $787 billion stimulus.
Far-right critics now charge that Obama would use his back-to-school remarks Tuesday to indoctrinate youngsters into his alleged "socialist" agenda.
Fox News Channel commentators Michelle Malkin and Glenn Beck have been prominent in attacking the speech. Florida Republican party chairman Jim Greer said he was "absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology."
Even Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, a moderate and potential presidential contender in 2012, said Obama's speech was "uninvited" and raises questions of content and motive.
"WASHINGTON – The furor over President Barack Obama's start-of-school speech to the nation's students — challenging them to work hard, earn good grades and stay in school — typifies the country's widening rift over politics and social issues.
It's certainly an unwelcome distraction as the president prepares to address both houses of Congress and the nation Wednesday about his embattled attempt to overhaul the health care system, which has taken a hammering from Republicans and some middle-of-the-road Democrats."
Dating back to his campaign for president, some Obama opponents have tried to paint him as a "socialist." Since winning the White House, the attacks have continued over his attempts to invigorate the tumbling economy with a $787 billion stimulus.
Far-right critics now charge that Obama would use his back-to-school remarks Tuesday to indoctrinate youngsters into his alleged "socialist" agenda.
Fox News Channel commentators Michelle Malkin and Glenn Beck have been prominent in attacking the speech. Florida Republican party chairman Jim Greer said he was "absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology."
Even Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, a moderate and potential presidential contender in 2012, said Obama's speech was "uninvited" and raises questions of content and motive.
