September 25, 2009 12:45 PM

Students' Obama Song Used For GOP Fundraising

By
Brian Montopoli
Topics
In The News
The Republican National Committee has sent a fundraising email to supporters tied to what it calls the "fanaticism" displayed in a video of New Jersey elementary-school students singing a song praising President Obama. (Watch it at left.)

RNC Chair Michael Steele writes that the video shows "the indoctrination of our nation's greatest treasure -- our children."

"Friend, this is the type of propaganda you would see in Stalin's Russia or Kim Jong Il's North Korea," Steele writes. "I never thought the day would come when I'd see it here in America."

The video, which shows students learning songs praising Mr. Obama for his "great accomplishments" and efforts to "make this country's economy No. 1 again," was posted on the conservative Drudge Report and reported by Fox News, prompting anger from conservatives.

"This is the type of fanaticism Republicans are up against as we fight to stop the Obama Democrats' radical leftist transformation of America," Steele writes in the fundraising email. "The only way our Party can defeat their liberal ambitions is by electing more Republicans in the upcoming 2009 state elections and the critical 2010 mid-term elections."

School administrators say students were taught the songs in the video, entitled "School Kids Taught To Praise Obama," in conjunction with February's Black History Month. The recording and release of the video, administrators said, had not been authorized.

A spokeswoman for the New Jersey Department of Education released a statement saying that "the commissioner has directed the superintendent to conduct a thorough review of what happened."

The goal, she said, was "to ensure that students can celebrate the achievements of African Americans during Black History Month without inappropriate partisan politics in the classroom, as well as ensuring the privacy of children is not violated," as the Daily Journal reports.

The spokeswoman added that the teacher behind the video retired at the end of last year.

Steele concludes in his fundraising email that "the indoctrinating of the most impressionable members of our society is unbelievable unless you see it with your own eyes."

"Please watch the video of young school children literally singing the praises of Barack Obama that their teachers have taught them," he writes. "Share it with your friends, family, neighbors or anyone you think may be concerned by this. Then make a donation of $10, $25, $50 or $100 to support the RNC's efforts to fight this leftist propaganda and elect more Republicans this year and next."

Add a Comment See all 149 Comments
by scubbasteve01 October 15, 2009 7:51 AM EDT
So who is Michael Steele? Stalin's Russia or North Korea? Propaganda? A TOKEN Black Guy who has no idea what his race really is and has accomplished NOTHING in his time at the RNC. SOCIALIZING? INDOCTRINATION?. The Confederate Flag swings loudly in the wind above the State Of South Carolina. This is where the votes of John McCain dominated many of the districts during the election. A very strong symbol for white supremacy and the Klu Klux Klan and still to this day a flag that represents racism, homegrown terrorism and death. So how you like them apples Michael Steele?
Your party isn?t represented by the party of Lincoln here and when people mention that they would prefer that things returned to the old ways they are talking about segregated lunch counters, white and colored section only, the back of the bus and police and fire departments hosing blacks in the streets and beating them up with clubs.
Blacks being hanged from trees, dragged or shot to death. Turn back the clock.
You morally culturally wrong idiots who continue to ignore how HISTORY has used one race to advance another continues with FOOLS like this one at the top of the page who say Black History is a joke. You need to get off of your computer put down those BONS-BONS and start blowing the right smoke out of the other side of your a** The school board just found out their was no agenda here. The person that should have been held responsible for this incident was the teacher himself. For going ahead to do something that violated the school board's rules. It is you political pundits who need to get your act in order because a black man is in charge of YOUR country now.
You won?t have to worry about saying death to race mixing or anything else when nuclear winter comes around.
Do yourself a favor and look into your history books and remember that the black race was brought to America by force in chains and shackles and weren?t introduced to the U.S. by going pass Ellis Island like other races looking for freedom and what this country had to offer for their families and were sold into bondage shortly after the long trip and typically had their women raped on the slave ships. Before coming into harbor.
Yet another example of society where whites are supposed to be at the top and blacks are supposed to be at the bottom of the food chain as custodial workers, trash-men and shoe-shine boys.
There was no time to be fascinated by Fourth of July fireworks for these slave ship passengers none of these families have family trees that are intact.
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by mecury69 September 28, 2009 12:41 PM EDT
Black History month is a joke. I had to watch my son's 1st grade class do a song about Thomas Stewart, the guy who 'invented' the MOP!

It's pathetic that we allow ANY race to be propped up for nothing other than the color of their skin.

PRESIDENTS DAY reflects on those who held the office and what they ACCOMPLISHED, not their race!

Just look at the continent of Africa to see how black leaders and organizations perform when left on their own.

The evidence is right there in black and white.
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by ABM_21 September 28, 2009 12:37 PM EDT
Now, I heard of Retardicans twisting up someone's words. I even heard of them lying to get into office---and then ruining things. But, to use children in a fundraising scheme is a new low, even for them. Shame on you, Republicans!
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by scoobydob September 28, 2009 11:27 AM EDT
Unbelievable steele pimps these kids for donations while yelling about how awful the democrats are. He's just jealous they didn't think of this for lush limpballs.
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by bigmo47 September 28, 2009 10:52 AM EDT
So at what point can we begin to teach children history. At the time the emancipation proclamation was very political, but we learned about it in school. I learned about all of the Presidents, including ones that were currently serving, when I was in elementary, middle and high school. There is something else going on in America right now. It wasn't an "indoctrination", the children were singing about the first black President during Black History Month. Does the fact that he is still in office make it wrong.

Everybody likes to talk about how differently things are becoming in schools, but the same things went on. We played Presidents in plays, had mock Presidential elections, and tuned in when the President addressed the nation (during school hours). This has nothing to do with teaching politics to children and more about who the President is right now.

My brother's high schoool band was chosen to perform for President G.H.W. Bush. My parents were thrilled that he got that opportunity although they disagreed with many of his policies and the band would be there as he sought support for those policies. Right now if a high school band was chosen to perform for the President, I'm sure people will call it outrage for their child being forced to play "Hail to the Chief" for him (Hail...isn't that what the Nazis say?).

This is getting beyond ridiculous.
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by graftongirl61 September 28, 2009 10:10 AM EDT
I attended Catholic school in the 60's and 70's and I'm pretty sure we spent most of our days studying reading, writing, math, and Catholicism. My friends who attended public schools at the same time studied the same things, minus the religious instruction. That's what schools were like 30-40 years ago. There was no talk of politics, the nuns and lay teachers didn't discuss their political beliefs, and we students surely did NOT sing praises to any President. My understanding is this video was filmed in February, approximately a month after BO was sworn in. I'm curious as to what "great accomplishments" the children were singing about. He's been in office for almost 9 months and I can't think of a single thing. This little vignette is the reason parents cannot trust their schools and school districts and should drive them to become more involved in the education of their children.
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by yus_yus_13 September 28, 2009 9:53 AM EDT
How can you call this brainwashing? Obama himself had nothing to do with this. The teachers, I'll admit, need to be talked to, at least. You can't freak at the Obama administration for something they did not do.
Reply to this comment
by Boneyjamez September 26, 2009 6:05 PM EDT
I think if you look at the video carefully from the beginning you will see that one of the students is teaching the teacher and his classmates the song, the teacher states "I like that let's try it". This is much ado about nothing again the right is distorting the facts, also school children sang the praises of G. W. Bush concerning Katrina of all things.
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by MichaelSteeleisajoke September 26, 2009 5:16 PM EDT
If Michael Steele falls and no one is around to hear him, does he make a sound? I can only say one thing about the simpleton, stupid is as stupid does. I think Steele walks into the RNC and they sit him down at a desk, put a pair of headphones on him and continuously loop several comments until they are implanted that peabrained thick skull of his. Then they let him loose to regurgitate it all.
Reply to this comment
by suttonmark September 26, 2009 2:43 PM EDT
All this is missing is the little gray hats with a red star on them.
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