All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

Conservatives were up in arms last week over a video showing New Jersey elementary school students singing songs praising President Obama -- evidence, critics suggested, that children were being indoctrinated in school.
The video was used as the basis for a Republican fundraising appeal, with Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele calling it "the type of propaganda you would see in Stalin's Russia or Kim Jong Il's North Korea."

Now a new video has surfaced showing children praising the president, and it is once again generating anger. The clip shows part of a PTA program at Sand Hill-Venable Elementary School in Ashville, North Carolina from February in which students were "paying tribute to various American heroes," the Mountain Express reports. You can watch the video, which was (obviously) put together by a critic of the program, above.

The video quickly made the rounds on conservative blogs and Fox News, where one anchor compared it to a campaign commercial.

As a result, the school district has reportedly been "inundated" with calls over the video, according to the Citizen-Times, with some callers issuing death threats and suggesting the school is brainwashing students.

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When meeting 11-year-old Zach Bonner, the first thing that comes to mind is his deep devotion for a cause that has taken him on a 1,225 mile journey spanning 3 years. In an epic trek from his home in Tampa, Fla. to the White House, Zach has raised awareness for the 1.3 million homeless children living in the United States.

Bob Schieffer spoke with Zach after reaching his destination and asked the "young philanthropist" if he ever felt like giving up.

"There were definitely times during the walk where you get tired and you don't want to go any further, but a child that's homeless doesn't get to quit being homeless, so why should I quit?" he answered.

Zach also spent 24 hours with homeless children and spent the night in a Sasha Bruce Youthwork's emergency shelter. He did chores alongside them, ate with them, and slept in the same dorm rooms. He is now raising $2,000 to buy 10 new mattresses for the shelter.

In his online journal Zach writes, “No child should be through the things they have been through only to find themselves homeless. I walked away with a better understanding. I can never really understand what their life is like, but I can continue to try and make it better for them. They deserve it.”

Zach will soon head to Hollywood as the inspiration for a motion picture produced by the Philanthropy Project and will receive a check for $25,000 from Elton John to his Little Red Wagon Foundation, which Zach created in 2005.

Watch Bob Schieffer's interview with Zach Bonner and catch Washington Unplugged live every weekday at 12:30pm.

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As part of the series “CBS Reports: Children of the Recession,” CBS News conducted a national poll that includes nearly 1,000 interviews with parents of children under 18 who live with them.

The poll found that almost four in ten parents reported their children have been affected by the recession, and four in five said their families overall had been affected. Many said they were having a harder time paying for life’s necessities, and about one in ten said they had delayed taking their child to the doctor or dentist because of financial concerns.

Unmarried or single parents (defined as parents who are single, divorced, separated or widowed) comprise 25 percent of parents in the survey, and they have been even harder hit by the recession. Nearly half of them say the recession has affected their families a lot; only 36 percent of married parents say the same. Single parents (43 percent) are also more likely than married parents (37 percent) to say the recession has affected their children.

Many more single than married parents have had difficulty paying bills in the last six months, more are grappling with unemployment, and more have forgone medical care for their children due to financial problems resulting from the recession.

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A clear majority of Americans favor spending tax money to fund health care, school meals and dental care for children who can't afford them, a new CBS News poll finds.

But asked if they're willing to spend more in taxes to increase federal spending on children and they are less enthusiastic, according to the survey.

Eight in ten Americans – including 93 percent of Democrats – favor using tax money to pay for health care for children who cannot afford it. Eighty-five percent favor using tax money for school meals for low income children, and 73 percent favor spending tax dollars on dental care for kids who cannot pay for it.

Though providing day care to poor children is less popular, six in 10 Americans still approve of using taxpayer money to do so. And while Democrats are generally more likely than Republicans to support federal spending on services for children who cannot pay for them, majorities of Republicans support spending tax money on health and dental care and school meals for low income children.

When asked if they support spending more on taxes to increase federal spending on children, however, 44 percent say no. Only slightly more - 51 percent - say yes. There are clear partisan differences on the issue: While two thirds of Democrats are willing to pay more in taxes for programs for children, a similar proportion of Republicans say they are unwilling to do so.

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Huge crowds, spotty cell phone service and a police force stretched thin apparently have the Presidential Inaugural Committee worried about your kids' safety.

Inaugural planners are asking those bringing their children to see the president-elect take the oath of office to set up rendezvous points in case families get separated among the throngs watching tomorrow's parade.

"Families should have a predetermined meeting place if they become separated from one another," according to a memo from the inaugural committee.

(Hint: Pick a time and place away from the crowds. The Washington Monument at 1 p.m. is probably not going to be a whole lot of help.)

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When Barack Obama declared his candidacy for president, he knew he had to fix a brewing economic crisis, confront war zones around the world and restore the nation's sagging reputation.

But apparently those were not the driving forces behind his White House run. That distinction goes to his daughters.

In an open letter to Sasha and Malia Obama, the president-elect declared: "I ran for President… because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation."

In the letter published in Parade Magazine, Mr. Obama tells his daughter that he knows life was hard for them while he was away on the campaign trail and that he wanted to explain why he wanted to "take our family on this journey."

"I thought life was all about me-about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want," he writes "But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours."

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