U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) issued a tongue-in-cheek news release Friday, Jan. 21, pretending to commend Dr. James Dobson and Focus on the Family "for uncovering a plot by Spongebob Squarepants, Barney, and other icons of childrens' entertainment to pervert America's youth."

"I would never have expected it: a schoolroom cartoon video celebrating tolerance is also a secret weapon in the war to turn our kids gay," Nadler wrote. "Shows how naive I am."

The video in question is We are Family, which will be sent to 60,000 schools across America, and in which children's television and cinema stars "celebrate diversity to the strains of the 1970 disco hit of the same name," Nadler said." 

Citing a New York Times news article in which  Dobson aide Paul Batura was quoted as saying, "We see the video as an insidious means by which the organization is manipulating and potentially brainwashing kids," Nadler delivered his punch line:

"Simply put, kids' cartoons are no longer safe for kids—at least if we want them to develop into bigoted, narrow-minded adults."   —Donald H. Harrison