Obama Speech: Handwashing, Not Brainwashing

The eagerly anticipated speech President Obama will deliver to the nation's schoolchildren tomorrow contains none of the socialist indoctrination conservatives had apparently feared, Politico reports. Rather, an advance text indicates, he urges kids to work hard, not expect to get something for nothing, and "wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well" to fight the spread of swine flu.

The speech, released today in an attempt to allay fears that the president would attempt to sneak in a political message, is a back-to-school pep talk that urges children to "to set your own goals for your education" and not get discouraged if meeting those goals proves tough. Obama discuses being raised by a single mom and mentions that the parents of his wife, Michelle, didn't attend college. "The truth is, being successful is hard," he explains. "And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try."
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