What are my children's names?

Great.

As if having federal micromanagement of local schools isn't enough of a burden, our intrepid Congress wants to stick its Pete Townsend - sized nose into our family rooms.

Take a look at this bill that was passed by the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR02343:@@@L&summ2=m&

Don't you just love the Title? The "Education Begins at Home Act." No kidding! It just occurred to these geniuses in Congress that kids begin their lives at home before they are shipped off - for the most part - to government-run public schools six hours a day.

But the Democrats in Congress (remember, they run the joint these days) aren't satisfied with tinkering with education at schools. Now, they want to send a local friendly bureaucrat to your door to make sure you can handle raising little junior. And if you can't? Well, brothers and sisters... We got the gubmint to help us!

Here's the summary of what the bill will do:

Education Begins at Home Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) allot grants to states, Indians, territories, and possessions for programs of early childhood home visitation; and (2) make competitive grants to local educational agencies and other eligible applicants for early home visitation for families with English language learners. Directs the Secretary of Defense to make competitive grants to eligible applicants for early home visitation for military families.

Amends the Head Start Act to direct the Secretary of HHS to establish standards for home visitor staff in Early Head Start programs with respect to their training, qualifications, and conduct of home visits.

Revises Early Head Start programs to provide for: (1) training in parenting skills and child development; (2) certain home-based and family support services; (3) procedures for transition into Head Start or other local early childhood education programs; (4) staff communication and program coordination; and (5) professional development and personnel enhancement.

Directs the Secretary of HHS to develop and implement a public information and educational campaign to inform the public and new parents about the importance of proper care for infants and children under five years of age.

In other words, you, my friend, must be an IDIOT. Therefore, the government will render its expertise. It's not like people have been raising kids on their own for oh, five millenia!

This reminds me of an exchange between Sen. Phil Gramm and a Clinton appointee who ran a federal agency. The appointee was touting a new government program that would "help" children. Sen. Gramm wanted to know the justification for this program and the appointee assured the Senator that government workers really, truly and sincerely love other people's children.

The Senator, God bless him, said: "You mean the government can care for my children as well as I can?" The reply: "Yes, senator, I believe we can." To which Sen. Gramm queried... "Then what are their names?"

Keep your eyes on these jokers in Congress. They want to strip you of everything.