ASU caves: The President Barack Obama Scholars Program

April 11, 2009

barry gets snubbed and the heat gets put on. Surprise. barry is slated to give the commencement address at ASU on May 13th. ASU told the AP that barry would not be receiving and honorary degree because:

His body of work is yet to come. That’s why we’re not recognizing him with a degree at the beginning of his presidency.

The guidelines for meriting the degree:

significant contributions to education and society over the course of a person’s career.

barry hasn’t made any contributions to education. His pal, William Ayers, perhaps. And his contribution to society has been what? Exactly. Becoming the first biracial president via race-baiting. Giving a politically expedient race speech? (All he does is give speeches that are either at odds to his subsequent actions or followed by no action.) Equating his typical white woman grandmother in a completely uncorroborated story with a man who spews hate, screams “GODDAM the US of KKK A” & “Hillary ain’t never been called a nigger” from the pulpit and delusionally blames the US government for creating AIDS (which unequivocally started in Africa) and for the murder of 2973 innocent people? What kind of man does that to a woman who helped raise him and who he did not allow to speak with the media to rebut the alleged story? Her own co-workers in Hawaii were outraged by it - people who worked with her for decades.

ASU President Michael Crow:

I apologize for the confusion surrounding our invitation to President Obama to address ASU students at commencement. The entire ASU community has been electrified with excitement since we learned of his participation in our commencement ceremony. We hope that the recent discussion of honorary degrees will not detract from the honor and thrill that ASU - and indeed all of Arizona - is experiencing in anticipation of his visit. I am honored, as are our faculty, staff and students, that President Obama will give his first commencement speech as president of the United States at ASU.

So now barry gets a scholarship program named after him: The President Barack Obama Scholars Program - a program already in place, which evidently will now be expanded.

Although the focus and attention of the media and others has been on an honorary degree, we never felt that was the only–or even the best–means of honoring his tremendous service to our country. Naming this scholarship program after President Obama that will affect the lives of thousands of students is an honor befitting, not only the president’s exceptional achievements, but also his values as an individual. The President Barack Obama Scholars program will be a legacy that will endure and inspire others for generations to come.

It doesn’t change their initial proclamation that he did not merit it. Nor does it change the fact that he is not giving the commencement address at either of his Ivy League alma maters: Columbia and Princeton.

Source: CNN’s KATE BOULDAN, KRISTI KECK

ASU: barry can speak, no honorary degree
ASU caves: The President Barack Obama Scholars Program
CNN’s Preston: barry’s degree enough for ASU honorary degree