You know it's a divisive time right now politically when you watch the dustup over President Obama's planned speech to American school kids next Tuesday.
But the White House certainly hasn't helped matters by at first laying out lesson plans where students could write letters on "how to help" the President.
There were plans for posters and more in schools, in an effort that sounds like it was put together by someone who has campaign experience, and not necessarily education experience.
So instead of a bland speech to kids about doing well in school, the White House now says it will release the text of the President's speech on Monday so parents will see that there's nothing bad in it.
Unless of course you find some subliminal messages in between the lines.
"There is no national emergency matter in this guy's speech," said an email to me from listener Carl Runyon of Indiana.
"All this is pure propaganda, and it should not be allowed," he added.
Carl was one of many who said they can't believe other Presidents have done this before.
All I can say is that I have learned to be somewhat skeptical when people tell me it's never happened before, because it probably has.
The first example I found was the first President Bush giving a speech directly to students in September of 1989, which was his first year in office, the same timing as President Obama.
That speech centered on a new anti-drug push in his administration.
The publication "Education Week" had this to say:
"Mr. Bush's 15-minute speech, carried on national television last week, was seen by millions of students in public and private schools across the country. It came only a week after he unveiled the first national strategy to fight drugs."
News reports indicated that the Education Department notified 15,000 school superintendents and 55,000 principals about the speech, many of whom organized special assemblies to view it.
"I think that's totally different," wrote Stevieb611 to me on Twitter.
"Bush in 89 isn't anywhere close to what Obama's agenda is. Compare apples 2 apples."
Ah, so that's what it is all about. His "agenda."
I'm sure a lot of Democrats would be outraged if the second George Bush was addressing school kids a year ago, too, upset about his "agenda."
"This marks the beginning of American Education Week, and I'm particularly pleased to be talking to American students," said one President.
That was Ronald Reagan in November of 1988, speaking to a group of students in a broadcast that was then watched by students in schools around the nation.
You can read the whole transcript at http://bit.ly/3bqDGB .
Yeah, it's not the same thing as the Bush speech, but it didn't seem to be the end of the world when Reagan talked about issues like gun control and more to high school students.
Look, if Obama talks up his agenda to students by asking them to tell Mom & Dad to support him on health care or something like that, it might be out of place.
But if he just urges them to work as hard as they can in school....oh, I forgot, someone will think that's our of place too,
Remember, it's about the "agenda" right now.
Just like Democrats started spitting every time Ronald Reagan came on the TV, Republicans start spitting every time Barack Obama shows up on the tube.
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