It says a lot about the government

I was surprised to hear President Obama's planned speech to the nation's schoolchildren would be a first by a president. I was even more surprised when I saw the poll question on the Denver Post's web site: Would you encourage or discourage your child from watching this speech. When I voted, a narrow plurality would discourage their children from watching. (Some are prohibiting them.)

Mr. Obama's accompanying "what they can do to help the president" lesson plan was, of course, inappropriate. The president of the United States should speak to the country's children every year and instead encourage them to help themselves. (That's what education is for.)

But on it's face, Mr. Obama's trip to school seemed to me a legitimate 'study hard and make something of yourself, kids' pep-talk. That the White House quickly removed the "help the president" line from the lesson plan is evidence that Mr. Obama does not intend this to be controversial. Part of the president's job is, after all, making speeches and inspiring.

Today I'm more interested in the reaction that Mr. Obama's planned speech has had. It reminded me of a Rasmussen Reports poll released this week: 42 percent of American voters think "a group of people randomly selected from the phone book would do a better job than the current Congress."

We have the best government in the history of the world. Yet so many people don't trust the president of the United States to speak to their kids. So many people didn't trust the last president with anything. So many people didn't trust the president before him with their teenage daughters. So many people don't trust Congress as much as they trust "a group of people randomly selected from the phone book."

So many people don't trust the government, even to have good intentions. That says a lot about our government.