Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has backed out of delivering the commencement address at Rutgers University following protests by some faculty and students over her role in the Iraq War.
Rice said in a statement Saturday that she informed Rutgers President Robert Barchi that she was declining the invitation to speak at the graduation.
"Commencement should be a time of joyous celebration for the graduates and their families," Rice said. "Rutgers' invitation to me to speak has become a distraction for the university community at this very special time."
The school's board of governors had voted to pay $35,000 to the former secretary of state under President George W. Bush and national security adviser for her appearance at the May 18 ceremony. Rutgers was also planning to bestow Rice with an honorary doctorate.
But some students and faculty at New Jersey's flagship university had protested, staging sit-ins and saying Rice bore some responsibility for the Iraq War as a member of the Bush administration. Barchi and other school leaders had resisted the calls to disinvite Rice, saying the university welcomes open discourse on controversial topics.
Damn, mad props to the students and faculty of Rutgers for taking a stand against a member of one of the most corrupt and treasonous administrations in American history.
Personally I cannot imagine why ANY institute of learning would allow this criminal onto their campus.
In fact I don't know why those in the Bush administration are not sitting in a cell somewhere waiting for their imminent execution.
As I always liked to say, "Condi was lying through her teeth!"
ReplyDeleteEver notice her resemblance to "Chuckie" from "Child's Play?" Cheap shot but the Bushie boys represented the lowpoint of civilization a we know it.
I think you need to learn the facts. But from reading your opinion you need to go back to elementary school and this time try to learn something. I wonder how you graduated high school or maybe you didn't. My bet is you didn't!
DeleteGood Lawd! She looks awful. Talk about aging gracefully...not.
ReplyDeleteI just checked and she's only 59. Guess guilt and remorse take their toll on a person.
DeleteA week or so ago I read something about how young voters are not likely to turnout for the mid-term elections. I think this is a good sign that young voters are realizing they are the ones who will suffer most if the gop retains a majority in the house.
ReplyDeleteI hope that was a typo.....the young voters need to vote now more than ever. If Obama has the house, this country is gonna move again.
DeleteWould LOVE to see the whole lot of bushies afflicted with LWOPP syndrome. Schadenfreude? You betcha! Let's see if darth cheeney still has that a-hole smirk behind bars.
ReplyDeleteI think this ends her Presidential hopes..if she can't even stand up to Rutgers, how would see ever last in a debate?
ReplyDeleteCondi is not married, and is not apparently "dating", nor has she been seen to date any man in the time she's been in the public sphere
DeleteShe's suspected of being gay by many, which automatically means she's not wanted by the evangelicals, the teaparty, or the fringe right Bundy crowd
I think she sold her soul to the devil by playing ball with Bush and Cheney, but she's one hell of a smart educated and capable person.
Kind of ironic and sad that someone as smart and capable as Condi would be unable to run for high office because of gayness, and you have thugs like Cruz and Palin who would be acceptable to the Teabots.
My husband went to college with Condoleezza Rice (University of Denver in the late seventies, Slavic language studies). I asked him what she was like, and he said she was like a little robot who was incredibly eager to perform however someone in authority wanted her to--basically, jump, yes yes, how high?
DeleteAny surprise she played such a minion in the Iraq war decisions?
Who picks commencement speakers anyway?
ReplyDeleteShouldn't the graduates have a vote about who will be speaking to them? Michelle Obama just backed out of a high school commencement in Kansas (she was speaking because of the anniversary of Brown v Board) when some kids started complaining that there would be limited seating for their families. I'm sure a lot of it was political in nature too. Whatever. I suppose when the boring guy from the local Chamber of Commerce spoke--they were all into it. Not. But at least
someone's uncle who they see once every three or four years got to watch them graduate from high school. Oh joy.
I think Michelle and Condi were right to get the hell out and let people enjoy their boring ass graduations. As I'm partisan--I would not have wanted to listen to Condeleeza Rice after the cluster-fuck she helped perpetuate in the mideast. But I would have loved to hear Michelle Obama speak about diversity in education.
But truly, if I was complaining with many other people about not wanting someone to speak at my graduation for whatever reason reason--stupid or not--I guess I'd still want to be heard.
What is it with outta the limelight TeaTHUGllican women - Condi's looking rather Jane Pittman there.
ReplyDeleteWoah 1:29! Just hopped into the Way Back Machine to the Cecily Tyson movie. From 40 years ago! Well played.
DeleteFLOTUS did a graceful compromise as it was a HIGH SCHOOL speech In Kansas, (aka Bronwbackistan) , that may be the nly graduation, besides kindy for many.Very different from Rutgers University smackdown/backdown. Buy a clue, Angela.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/04/24/michelle-obama-changes-date-of-kansas-commencement-speech/
Excuse me. I don't have to buy a damned thing. The thing was--- she changed her plans so there would be no crap. Rice chose to step back so there would be no crap.
DeleteAnd let me say this. Condeleeza Rice was invited to Rutgers. Invited. Would I have invited her? Hell no.
But the administration did. When it got ugly--she stepped away. She did not beg Rutgers to pick her as the speaker. They chose her. No different than Michelle Obama---except Mrs. Obama would not be paid and Mrs. Obama was given a compromise. She still is not speaking at the commencement.
Now. Buy that damned clue.
I agree with you, angela.
DeleteAngela, I suggest you stop posting on anything that has the word school in it. You seem rather illiterate. So finish your schooling first.
DeleteCommencement belongs to the students, nobody else.. they are the reason for the season, if you will. A popular vote might elicit the trashiest candidates but within reason the students ought to be the only ones doing the inviting. An invitation committee would solve this problem; universities have no problem creating student committees for everything else.
ReplyDeleteI will never forgive her complacency in Iraq/Afghanistan. EVER.
ReplyDeleteRachel Maddow: "Why We Did It." Look it up if you haven't seen it.
I may be a democrat but don't wish for anyone's exucution
ReplyDeleteThere's an entertaining review of the 1976 film "Network," where reviewer Matt Cale finds in the character Diana Christiansen a fictional blueprint for Rice.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ruthlessreviews.com/1831/network/
Finally....I was born & raised on the Jersey Shore and my eldest daughter graduated Rutgers. Its about time some good news came out of that state as Rice has no business speaking in front of any body of graduates, let alone getting paid that kind of money. She is mired in the immoral war and its lies just as deep as Bush, Cheney etc. She was a vocal mouthpiece spewing lies and writing a book of lies, she belongs in jail. Thank you NJ for speaking the truth & being heard....bad enough Christie corruption stench is never ending....he will lose his position b4 this is over.
ReplyDeleteRutgers is a fantastic school! I had to take two years for a job at their New Brunswick Campus and their students and teachers are top notch. This was during the Florio years,
DeleteWhy are people PAID for such events - expenses I can understand - but payment to talk to a group of students about their futures - I find it disgusting
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't think people should be expected to speak for free. BUT - students/schools shouldn't have to stress over such things.
DeleteI wonder how much michelle O would have gotten if she didnt cancel amid protests
If $arah wasn't paid, she wouldn't go anywhere.
Delete@4:53 - I will ignore the attack on Michelle Obama (who does not get paid for such events) - but as for why should people speak for free - to students - I would think because citizenship, because publicity - because it is the right thing to do - but way too many in US political life see it as a stepping stone to money money money and are much more interested in the cash than their country.
DeletePay them to talk to a group of money hungry supporters - who pay to hear the speech - who get what they pay for - but a group of students who are a forced audience - no way.
They're all crawling out from under their rocks and positioning themselves to be of aid to the GOP after POTUS undid what they started. That's a pretty harsh looking photo of former Secretary of State Condoleeza "I don't recall" Rice. She's nearing sixty, and she looks at least 20 years older. Guess that's what lies and keeping secrets for a long time does to a person.
ReplyDeleteWhen she was asked to read the heading on an e mail, she refused. It said "Credible threat of an attack on our land from Al Quieda" (paraphrased from memory) and she kept saying she didn't recall. When it was read word for word, she STILL denied it. She's NOT a stupid person, just untrustworthy and a liar.
I'm proud of the students at Rutgers and hope that others do the same when people in POTUS GWBush's administration are "Asked" to be speakers at their commencement speeches.
She's right, it should be a memorable, happy time. Having a buzzkill like her speak would suck any joy out of the venue.