Is there a plague of ergot poisoning in America?

The last time we saw this level of lunacy was 1741 in New England. Then it was called The Great Awakening and thousands fell into hallucinatory fits. At the time they attributed this frenzy to religious conversion. Today, scientists are pretty sure the converts who were seeing visions had been poisoned by ergot, a psychoactive fungus that grows on grains and makes people crazy.

Which brings us to today's GOP. Just when we think we've seen maximum crazy, they step up and outdo themselves. This time Republicans are screaming about Obama's speech to school children. He's goin to talk about the importance of education.

Horrors.

"I sent my children to school to be educated NOT indoctrinated," sputtered a GOP mom.

Another took the opportunity to break out the ever-popular H-word: "I am recalling similarities between Hitler's speech at the Reichsparteitag in 1935."

Like the nefarious scheme Obama has for expanding access to health care, the Republican moms and dads see this speech as a plot to plant Socialism into the soft skulls of our rightward boys and girls.

To see how well our citizens are being educated now, you don't have to look beyond the erudition of the GOP base.

Some people have suggested that it's not the speech that has them frothing at the mouth for the TV. It's the lesson plan that goes with the speech. So I read it. You can read it, too.

Among other activities, it suggests students make note of words like personal responsibility, persistence and goals.

What a dictator!

Maybe Obama should back off making Socialist-Fascist speeches about education and other stuff that's none of his damn business. Maybe he should be like other presidents and read the damn kids a book.

That worked out so well before.