DEAR EDITOR:

Re: Kathleen Parker's column "Lesson of the Day," Wednesday's MDJ

It would have been more complete if she had reflected on how she and her newspaper, the Washington Post, dealt with an earlier similar speech by President George Bush. Perhaps she could have also educated her public with a few facts about the congressional hearings and administration actions to harass those who served Bush at the time.

What did she, and the Post say about the speech by Bush? I believe one of their criticisms was that Bush's event was an "arranged" press event which cost many thousands of dollars. Of course it was, they both were. But will anyone tell us how many dollars yesterday's performance cost? Instead we have use of words such as "protestors" and "hysterics."

I am in favor of our presidents making talks to school children such as Bush and Obama made. I was apprehensive about the possibility of Obama using the event to ask children to "help him" by supporting the health control initiative which follows immediately after his "arranged" press event. I was concerned by the content and illegality of the "lesson plan." Thankfully, he did not step over any lines and his speech was appropriate. Would it have been so if concerns had not been raised?

His speech could have been more effective if he had freed himself from the teleprompter and looked directly into the camera, and the eyes of the vast majority of those watching his performance. His dependence on the teleprompter for such a benign event is distracting.

Bill Lyons
Smyrna