Arizona State University apologizes for Obama honorary degree gaffe

[BirminghamExaminer]

Excerpt:

Yesterday, ASU Media Relations Director Sharon Keeler said that Arizona only gives honorary degrees "for an achievement of eminance," and that the President doesn't meet the criteria. Keeler also said that Obama hasn't served long enough in the White House to properly judge his legacy. "His body of work is yet to come," she told the AP.

But as the Pheonix East Valley Tribune reported on Thursday, ASU has handed out honorary doctorate degrees to "pioneering scientists and college presidents, titans of oil and computer microchips, newspaper publishers and generous donors, a foreign communist educator and a successful movie director." Apparently ASU gives honorary degrees to generous donors like oil company executives and movie directors but not to United States Presidents.

Honorary degrees are usually conferred on dignitaries who are invited to speak at commencement exercises. It's typically seen as a way to thank them for speaking and for their service at large.

ASU President Crow said, "I apologize for the confusion surrounding our invitation to President Obama to address ASU students at commencement."

For complete story, click on this link.

[screembloodymurder]

1. President Obama will not speak at ASU.

Fuck em.

[aquart]

4. Where did you hear that?

[AZ Criminal JD]

8. Want to place money on that?

[kaygore]

11. It would be great if he would tell them to F*CK OFF

but he is too much of a gentleman.

[lucretia54]

2. Tee hee!

[nolabear]

3. Apparently they're establishing a scholarship in his name.

Not the worst outcome for a bad situation. I'd like to see John McCain give the first contribution.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

5. I'm mystified ...............

Who was the genius who decided that President Obama hadn't yet done anything really meaningful with his life? I would love to know where that little bit of brilliance came from, and how come no one around had the common sense to say, "Hey, dickwad, have you noticed he was the first black editor of the Harvard Law Review? That he was a Senator from Illinois while he was still black? And then he became the first black President of the United States?"

What were they waiting for? Obama coming up with the cure for cancer after he leaves the White House?

I mean, I just don't understand how a group - not an individual, which might be understandable if you're dealing with just one ignoramus - could be so bloody thick.

Does racism enter into this, do you think?

[Kali]

6. um we don't have black people in Arizona

so that is why we can't comprehend the accomplishments of that guy :sarcasm:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

7. It's so early in his presidency,

and I am already quite totally fed up with the bullshit that's thrown Obama's way simply because of his racial makeup. This debacle is infuriating beyond words, and I hope to hell ASU is ashamed of itself for a good, long time.

Nice, that scholarship idea. Too bad they couldn't do it in conjunction with President Obama's visit. And you just know that he's gonna deliver a stemwinder of a speech and be his usual elegant self, but I'll be pissed on his behalf, for what it's worth.

Can you imagine any school inviting the fucking PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES to speak at commencement and then decide he's not worthy of an honorary degree?

It's fucking ARIZONA STATE!!!! I mean, it's ARIZONA STATE, for fuck's sake!

[BirminghamExaminer]

9. ASU should feel honored that he is willing to grace them with his presence really...

I couldn't say that in the article but that is what I was thinking. Here's a guy who is so far above anybody in the ASU administration that it's laughable that they would take the stance that he hasn't done anything of value, has contributed nothing to society.

I didn't see it as a matter of race, but more a matter of ARizona is a big fat red state that is afraid of losing their red state fat cat donors' dollars.

[kaygore]

10. I worked on my PhD at ASU and am going to write them with my dismay

How very embarrassing. I now am ashamed to say I am an alumni.