Keep Your Paws of My Summer Hooplahs! - Rachel

More school? Obama could trim summer break.

This is the headline on msnbc.com.

Not only that, he and Education Secretary Arne Duncan are proposing extending school hours by 3 hrs a day and potentially adding Saturday to the school schedule.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? 3 HRS and SATURDAYS? (yes, I am yelling in all caps)

Maybe I am a weird mom who likes to not only see my children, but raise them also. There are many things needed to be learned outside the school building that happen before and after the hours of 8am-3pm. My time with my children is precious and I try hard not to take a minute for granted. I love being the one who teaches them, too, not only academically (on a smaller scale), but also socially, emotionally, and spiritually. I believe it's our jobs as parents to be the primary caregivers of our children...and having them at school 9-10 hrs a day makes that seemingly impossible.

On top of that, what are teachers going to do? Teachers are wonderful and work hard enough as it is. I'm waiting on pin and needles to hear the scoop fro my teacher friends...yeah, I'm pretty sure they are livid.

Now, I am not so naive in my little suburbia to know that there are many children who need a safe place to be after school before a caregiver can pick them up - but to paint the entire country in that scenario is unrealistic and wasteful. There are thousands of afterschool programs to aid these children and I am in full support of them.

BUT I'm not about to give up any part of summers with my children or have them at school 9-10 hrs a day just because our Asian counterparts do.

So, Obama and Arne, count me out of this plan...not gonna buy it.

Mr. Wilson, didn't your mother teach you manners? - Kelley

September 9th 2009, our President addressed congress on health care reform. As many Presidents before him, he addressed them to help gain support for his cause. Now that in and of itself is no big deal. But something happened that day, as the President was speaking. Mr. Wilson felt the need to interrupt him. That is NOT OK! Mr. Wilson, didn't your mother teach you manners!? This man, whom you were disrespectful to is the leader of the free world, UM did you just forget? Why don't you just throw a shoe at him, too?

You are representing your constituents of South Carolina and they must be ashamed of you and your actions, I know I am. Your apologies will never "fix" what you did that day. Do you know this puts you in the same category as Kanye? Patience, understanding, and respect are virtues. None of which you have, sir. You not only owed the President an apology, you owe the American people an apology, as well.

Perhaps it is time for you to find a new profession. I heard that the Iraqi's are hiring and are ok with this type of behavior.

Obama'd Out - Rachel

So I'm reading Anne Kornblut's article in last Saturday's Washington Post dedicated to Obama taking on the TV circuit....again.

I get he's pushing for health care reform and maybe (gasp) we need a little, but seeing his prime time mug every few days is wearing me out. The more I see him, the less important I think his presence is.

Don't you remember, as a child, sitting on the floor wide-eyed when the President of the United States was addressing the nation? I remember Reagan after the Challenger tragedy, Bush Sr. after bombing Iraq, Clinton after the Cole attack, and of course, Bush Jr. after 9/11. Such wonderment I felt for these men in leadership, guiding our country out of dark shadows.

Now appears Obama...after one, two, three press conferences, special reports and joint Congressional addresses, the awe is gone. The urgency is gone - and with that, the importance of what he is saying is gone.

We need to see less of his baby face and more realistic plans for this great country. He has been in office 248 days, 8 hours and 19 minutes and, yep, I am so totally Obama'd Out.