Why is smugness so often a feature of so-called conservative commentary? Try some honesty instead. Like, for example, the "translation" of a simple declarative sentence, "The senator does not reflect the ideals upon which this university was founded," to "Anyone who deviates from my core political views should not be allowed at the New School." If you're considering a career move to translator or metaphor-interpreter, keep your day job. What Rohe said is perfectly plain: that there are certain tenets on which the university was founded, and that the speaker doesn't hew to them. It does NOT ask that he be banned, or be denied the opportunity to speak. To take a remark from Chomsky, can you at least *pretend* to be serious?

Hey "puss" (or is that "puss-say") her statment just goes to show that all thumb-sucking lefties have no class at all-just a rude bunch of cowardly nerds. Stick that up your "puss"

All the Puss is lacking is some explanation of to which principles the Senator does not hew.

Lacking some clear explanation, one can only assume these lofty "principles" are just the standard trendy-lefty garbage spewed wholesale on American campuses these days.

They certainly cannot be things like honor, duty, patriotism, courage, self-sacrifice, self-examination, or contrition - qualities McCain inarguably exhibits, no matter how incorrect his policy choices may often be.

So, I have to wonder just WHAT "principles" the New School was founded upon, if any.

To quote a previous hatemonger's wisdom:
"After all, nothing demonstrates your independent cast of mind quite like advertising the fact that you have the exact same political beliefs as all your friends."
I always believed that academic freedom was the willingness to listen to different ideas. To believe that 20+ year old students are the repository of all wisdom is absurd.

Oh, they're all about listening to other ideas, so long as they precisely match their own.

It almost seems like they believe that any idea they're exposed to must be immediately incorporated into their worldview toolbox without hesitation, analysis or question. The concept that it's possible to listen to an idea, evaluate it, and THEN decide whether to incorporate it is apparently lacking.

The follow up was sadly predictable:

http://thepoliticker.observer.com/john_mccain/

The catcalls and self-sure ridicule given from the stage and audience are tried and true tactics from the books of Fascist and Communist revolutionaries. Look at the comments left after Politicker's posts. Its John Kerry and the Winter Soldier atmosphere all over again.

It was a graduation, not a debate.

Why shouldn't students be able to expect a commencement speaker that's actually a part of their celebration? Are you really shocked that a student body

might express some unhappiness with the disingenuousness of a having a Republican apologist preach reactionary dogma at their graduation?

Anyone with a clue could have seen it coming. John McCain is a fool if he actually believed he could pander to an extremist like Falwell one week, and

expect mainstream Americans to dutifully absorb his rhetoric the next.

Puss,
I feel the reason Sara Jane is being disparaged is her short statement is more of postulate than anything else.(A postulate is a statement of "ground rules in a mathematical proof.It is a stand alone,requiring nothing else.)
Perhaps SJ could have amplified on trhe principles Sen . Mc cain didn't exemplify: "A stitch in time saves 9?"
"A rolling stone gathers no moss?"
" Neither a borrower nor lender be?"
Truth,Justice and the American Way?"Sorry,that was a bit of cheap shot.
You see to me it looks like cheap posturing,if she can't won't make a coherent argument as to what disturbs her .I will admit to,frankly being appalled by anyone who would play a folk song(dear God,don't let it be 'Where Have All the Flowers Gone?') at something like that.It practically screams:"I'm a humanities major with an IQ of ninety something,but I don't even know I'm stupid"
Puss,you and SJ should remember:The universe doesn't like fools

Strange how people on the left want us to listen to their propaganda but then refuse to let our people speak.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander, no?

If the student was thunderously applauded, then one would assume that they would show the utmost of respect to someone representing a different perspective.

Cleve

Does that mean if Noam Chomsky is booed off the stage at his next commencement address you'll be just as "tolerant" of snot-nosed intolerance?

meshugga

I'm amazed at how uncivilized behavior that would get one ejected from a family restaurant is actually celebrated by the self-proclaimed members of the Party of Tolerance (kinda like the Religion of Peace)

Darlene

If Noam Chomsky got booed at a Bob Jones commencement, I wouldn't be so ridiculous as to spin it as an attempt to suppress diversity. Just bad judgement by whoever selected him.

And yes it is being rude. But you know how kids these days are; when their peers are dying and their countrys future is darkening, sometimes they forget to be polite to the politicians that they think are causing it. Amazes me too.

Cleve

But you know how kids these days are; when their peers are dying and their countrys future is darkening

Oh for PITY'S sake! When did today's university students start an America First movement? Or the new German American Bund?

I'm no fan of McCain...his partnering with the excreble Feingold to slam through the anti-free-speech Incumbent Protection Act has him permanently on my shit list.

But the idea that these little whiney babies gave thought ONE to the contemporary threat of Islamism is to almost have me spew soda across my laptop.

You made the #1 assinine statement I've run across today.

I was at that graduation ceremony and I can tell you the thing that annoyed a lot of the students was that he was delivering the same damn speech he'd already delivered to Liberty University and Columbia University the week before. One graduate was heard to huff before getting up and turning her back was, "We at least deserve another speech!" The New School isn't Libertu U. He should've recognized that.

Also, the speech sucked. He never said why he supported the war. He never gave a good argument for it.

"...when their peers are dying and their countrys future is darkening, sometimes they forget to be polite to the politicians that they think are causing it."

What do you mean their "peers" are dying? They are not their peers...not by any measure. On one hand you have someone going to college...4 years of relative bliss compared to someone putting their life on the line in the desert.

Many students and members of faculties have grown increasingly tired with the prone, servile invitations and awards of degrees to representatives of the Bush administration.

But the reason for this is very simple: they have done much to not deserve respect. They have lied, they have supported an illegal war based on false pretenses. And this would be enough, but many others were the disasters. I am not going to list them here.

Jean Rohe had enough courage to speak up and say what she felt right to say, instead of joining the armies of those who are too scared to talk and to point out wrongs. Or who think that "loyalty" to the power should entail turning one eye blind, or both, and accepting deceit, lies, illegal wars, squandering of human and economical resources, corruption.

Another person would agree and respect her for speaking up. Let me quote him:

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatrotic and servile, but is morally treasonous to the American public." Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States

"They have lied, they have supported an illegal war based on false pretenses."

Do you have any evidence for these claims?