School Kids Sing President's Praises

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

School Serenade

Public school officials in Burlington, New Jersey are being accused of indoctrinating their students following the Internet posting of video showing the children being taught songs over flowing with praise for President Obama.

The superintendent of schools sent a letter to parents Thursday saying the songs were related to Black History month last February. He did not say whether parents were told at the time or if children could opt out of the activity.

The president of the local parent-teacher organization said she was "numb" when she saw the video.

Helping Hands

A new national poll finds most of the people surveyed think the media helped get President Obama elected.

The Sacred Heart University poll found about 84 percent of those surveyed felt that way. Almost 70 percent think the media are intent on promoting his presidency and 56 percent say the media are promoting his health care reform agenda without objective criticism.

Going Soft

The newest battleground in the environmental wars is your bathroom. The Washington Post reports environmentalists are going after the makers and users of extra-soft, three-ply toilet paper. They say this type of bathroom tissue is made from trees that are decades or even centuries old. They want folks to use recycled paper instead.

But paper companies say consumers just don't care: "That's a segment of consumers that is quite demanding of products that are soft."

Heavy Metal

The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department in California spent $500,000 on a state-of-the-art mobile emergency command center. But now they'll have to spend about $20,000 more to make it street legal.

A Stockton television station reports the manufacturer in Ohio built a vehicle that was legal there, but about 2,000 pounds too heavy for California. Deputies will have to drive it all the way back to Ohio, where the builders will put on another axle to make it legal.

— FOX News Channel's Lanna Brit contributed to this report.