Spellings attacks PBS

Gee, what a nice example of tolerance. Spellings gets off to a fast start by condemning a set of cartoon characters, ala Dobson and his ilk.

But, really, just as the Dobson threats are in truth attacks on the SPLC and their tolerance pledge per David Neiwert (on target as always), I think this is about attacking PBS.

Spellings issued three requests to PBS.

She asked that her department's seal or any statement linking the department to the show be removed. She asked PBS to notify its member stations of the nature of show so they could review it before airing it. And she asked for the refund "in the interest of avoiding embroiling the Ready-To-Learn program in a controversy that will only hurt" it.

In closing, she warned: "You can be assured that in the future the department will be more clear as to its expectations for any future programming that it funds."
The department has awarded nearly $100 million to PBS through the program over the last five years in a contract that expires in September, said department spokesman Susan Aspey. That money went to the production of "Postcards From Buster" and another animated children's show, and to promotion of those shows in local communities, she said.

A threat, don't you think.

While one could argue she's throwing a bone to the Christian right, who felt a bit miffed by her appointment, I wonder if we are seeing the start of the real Spellings/BushCo agenda.

Update: saw this by juls at dkos

Let the DOE know bullying and intolerance is unacceptable:
1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327)
Email them.

Contact PBS Kids here.

Woops: More details emerge. Obviously, we are not a television household. Apparently the objection is not to cartoon characters but to reallife people who were present in the background. And the whole point of this program is to show kids about other cultures in the community, which makes Spellings' actions even more vile.