Hey, at least Obama's said nice things about libraries & librarians. That's something.

[laststeamtrain]

U.S. Senator Barack Obama addresses the American Library Association
Monday, June 27, 2005

"Literacy and Education in a 21st-Century Economy"
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
Saturday, June 25th, 2005

<snip>

Libraries have a special role to play in our knowledge economy. Your institution has been and should be the place where parents and kids come to read together and learn together. We should take our kids here more, and we should make sure politicians aren't closing libraries down because they had to spend a few extra bucks on tax cuts instead.

Each of you has a role here too. You can get more kids to walk through your doors by building on the ideas so many of you are already pursuing - book clubs and contests, homework help and advertising your services throughout the community.
In the years ahead, this is our challenge - and this must be our responsibility.

As a librarian or as a parent, every one of you here today can probably remember the look on a child's face after finishing a first book. They turn that last page and stare up at you with those wide eyes, and in that look you find such a sense of accomplishment and pride; of great potential and so much possibility.

And in that moment, there's nothing we want more than to nurture that hope; to make all those possibilities and all those opportunities real for our children; to have the ability to answer the question, "What can I be when I grow up?" with "Anything you want - anything you can dream of."

It's a hope that's as old as the American story itself. From the moment the first immigrants arrived on these shores, generations of parents have worked hard and sacrificed whatever is necessary so that their children could have the same chances they had; or the chances they never had. Because while we could never ensure that our children would be rich or successful; while we could never be positive that they would do better than their parents, America is about making it possible to give them the chance. To give every child the opportunity to try.

Education is still the foundation of this opportunity. And the most basic building block that holds that foundation together is still reading. At the dawn of the 21st century, in a world where knowledge truly is power and literacy is the skill that unlocks the gates of opportunity and success, we all have a responsibility as parents and librarians, educators and citizens, to instill in our children a love of reading so that we can give them the chance to fulfill their dreams. Thank you.

<more>

http://obama.senate.gov/speech/050627-us_senator_barack_obama_addres/
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[Demeter]

1. Did the Man Married to a Librarian Ever Say Such Things?

I can't recall any.

[laststeamtrain]

2. Ain't that the truth? n/t

[LiberalEsto]

3. Hey, he hasn't finished coloring his presidential library

Cut the poor guy some slack!

It's kind of hard finishing all 3 coloring books for his official presidential library when a guy's so busy strategerizing, decidering, falling off Segways, leaking CIA agents's names, declaring missions accomplished, clearing that pesky brush, and otherwise pResidentin'.

Once the duly elected real president is sworn in on Jan. 20, the husband of the First ex-Librarian will have plenty of time before his court trials to color in the last pages & say something nice about Laura, even if he doesn't understand why she wants to truck with all those big-worded book things.