ASU to Obama- "Sure, sure, Leader of the Free World, but you're still no Erma Bombeck!"

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

http://graduation.asu.edu/honorary/past

Here is a list of all past recipients who received Honorary Degrees from Arizona State University from their own website.

(For any who may be unaware- despite inviting President Obama to speak at commencement, which invitation he accepted, Arizona State University has deemed that the President does not have a large enough record of accomplishments to be awarded an honorary degree)

[David Dunham]

1. In 1972 they gave Raul Castro an honorary degree. But not a US President now?

[Still Sensible]

8. I believe the "Raul Castro" in this instance is former

Arizona governor and ambassador to Mexico.

That notwithstanding, this is a joke. And the way ASU separates their honorary degree and commencement committees is the idiotic reason for it.

As a 1979 ASU grad, I will no longer be donating to any arm of the school unless and until they correct this idiocy.

[rufus dog]

10. 85 graduate here

No problem with giving a Governor a degree, the problem is NOT giving a President one.

The stupid locals never learn, the racist excuse for rescinding Babbit's Executive Order for MLK day was "we aren't going to let outsiders tell us what to do." (A big deal was made over Gregg Gumble stating that AZ would lose the Super Bowl if they didn't approve MlK day) So they lost a Super Bowl and the millions of revenue. Twenty years later the same thinking is going to cost them millions of revenue at ASU. I can't fucking wait for major Football recruits to start pulling out of commitments. For the first time in my life I am backing USC. I hope they are calling the one recruit they lost to ASU and trying to get him to switch. The Football and Basketball coaches should be having a banner day today.

[Still Sensible]

13. The school has been calling me frequently to again donate

as I have done in the past to the College of Liberal Arts. I can't wait to get this week's call so I can give them an earful to pass on to the lunatics in charge. Yes, I understand the committees are separate, but this is incredibly idiotic. What they don't seem to understand is that President Obama's appearance at their commencement is (or should be) a source of pride and prestige. Instead, by their shortsighted--or outright republican--political position, they look like fools.

[Realityhack]

21. I hope many many others do the same. n/t

[CreekDog]

2. "The grass is always greener over the septic tank"

:rofl: :applause:

[Schema Thing]

3. I'd love to see the students, in a show of symbolism against their UniPres,

each hand their degree over to the real President.

[Realityhack]

22. If even one did that it would be kick ass.

Unfortunately I am not sure they will have the access to do so. They may have to just announce it with a sign or something.

[FightingIrish]

4. I can't believe these schools that pretend to honor the President

and then insult him with a ridiculous refusal to grant an honorary degree or not forcefully defending their invitation in the face of extremist protests. I think it's pretty clear that President Obama has enough on his plate that he doesn't need to waste his time speaking to an unappreciative audience. I think his absence from the ASU or Notre Dame commencements would be a serious blow to both institutions.

[Metta]

5. Obama's barely Harry Truman at this point.

So far his bad policies and politics around intelligence, the banks and now refusing to review Siegelman are adding up to a really bad hand.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

6. Jerry Colangelo.

:rofl:

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

7. ASU has cemented a very negative image with this act of discourtesy to the President

And if they did backtrack and offer a degree to Pres Obama, I hope he regretfully declines it. If he were to accept it, the word on the ignorant streets and highways and byways of the MSM would be that the White House "co-erced" a degree from them.

[ixion]

9. Hugh Downs, Art Buchwald, Blake Edwards... but no Barrak Obama?

:wtf:

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

12. I know. It's interesting to look at the list

Some names we recognize right off the bat. Erma Bombeck was the one who jumped out at me. I mean she was humorous and all in a very whitebread, middle class, surburban American way which was reflective of her time, but to say her accomplishments outclipse Pres Obama's is just strange.

[Realityhack]

11. Their excuse is retarded.

Getting elected president of the United States of America isn't qualification enough? Even if you are the first black person to do it? Even if you were also a Senator? Even if you also did tons of community work?

WTF? If Joe the plumber got elected president they would give him a degree in a heartbeat.

Racist jerks.

[mitchum]

17. Hell, if Joe The Plumber got a job they would give him a degree in a heartbeat

[msanthrope]

19. Hey!!! Don't insult the retarded!!! ASU is far stupider!!! n/t

[Realityhack]

20. Right you are. I stand corrected.

There excuse is stupid, transparent, and unacceptable.
Becoming president of the undisputed most powerful nation on earth should be at least enough for an honorary degree, even if the person had done nothing else.

[mix]

14. racist and disrespectful

Accomplishments? How's this:

Obama is the first African-American President of the United States.

[tishaLA]

15. I decided to email the president of ASU

This is an embarrassment to the university, the state, etc. Even most wingnuts have more respect for the Presidency than these assholes have.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

16. For those who say ASU never said that Obama wouldn't receive a degree

I'm afraid they did.

http://www.asuwebdevil.com/node/5763

[Karenina]

18. Wow! Just

:wow::wow::wow:

[Political Tiger]

24. Yeah, it's not like he's done anything in his life to deserve one

I mean, it's not like he was president of the Harvard Law Review or a professor of constitutional law or a civil rights attorney or served in the Illinois and United States Senate or wrote two best selling books or is the first African-American President of the United States of America.....

[csziggy]

23. HuffPost says ASU has a different story about the whole thing

ASU Faculty Receive Threats; Pres. Michael Crow Says ASU "Will Honor Obama"
TEMPE, ARIZONA - Arizona State University President Michael Crow is saying that ASU will "honor President Obama in every way" just two days after student journalist Adam Sneed broke the story that Arizona State University (ASU) would not be conferring the customary honorary degree on President Barack Obama when he gives the commencement speech in May.

<SNIP>

The Honorary Degree Committee does not work in concert with those who search out commencement speakers. During a normal year, they would probably talk to each other during the process, but this year was different. When Obama accepted the invitation to speak at the ASU commencement, the news was top secret. People normally in the loop were frozen out. Those kept in the loop were sworn to secrecy. The Obama press team wanted to break the news themselves, together with the other commencements at which Obama would be speaking.

The news came, though, through leaks from beltway insiders. One day in late March, within the span of an hour, messages about the commencements proliferated across social networking sites, most notably Twitter. Without any warning, the news was out. The Obama press team and ASU quickly sent out press releases. So many people hit the ASU website that some of the servers went down. ASU didn't know what hit them.

It's been less than 3 weeks since the that ill-fated announcement. When I spoke with an ASU official yesterday, I was read the guidelines, which say honorary degrees are given for significant achievements over a lifetime and for achievement of eminence and so on. Then I was told, "Obama's body of work is yet to come" and told that he could be considered for an honorary degree after his presidency.

Those don't appear to be the words of the Honorary Degree Committee, though. Laurie Chassin, who is listed on the Honorary Degree Committee's webpage as the active chair is actually on a one year sabbatical and says she "has no knowledge of this year's process." An official inside ASU says Obama was never nominated.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dawn-teo/asu-faculty-receive-threa_b_185801.html