Donahue gets cheers, boos at N.C. State commencement

The Associated Press ^ | May 17, 2003 | The Associated Press

[jern]

Saturday, May 17, 2003 5:45PM EDT

Donahue gets cheers, boos at N.C. State commencement

The Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Talk show pioneer Phil Donahue got catcalls and cheers Saturday for a politically tinged commencement address at North Carolina State University. A handful of the nearly 4,000 new N.C. State graduates walked out of the ceremony at the RBC Center when Donahue began listing "what liberals believe." Donahue said constitutional rights and privileges have been eroded and he made a backhanded reference to the war in Iraq.

"Only Congress can declare war," he said to some cheers and boos, "and not just one man, the president."

The basic liberties of citizens are being undermined by the war on drugs, Donahue said, and by a "trend toward to the sword rather than a trend toward civility."

What liberals believe, he said, "is that no one in authority should tell you to 'shush;' that executing retarded teenagers is wrong, and that unions give workers a deserved place at the bargaining table."

Donahue, 67, whose most recent talk show on MSNBC was canceled in February after six months, urged the graduates to help renew basic American constitutional values of free speech, separation of church and state, and respect for the rights of minorities.

"Your mission is to challenge your public servants and bring America back to basic constitutional values," he told the students.

He urged political conservatives to be tolerant of those with differing views.

"Take a liberal to lunch," he said. "Take a Dixie Chick to lunch."

Donahue is a nine-time Daytime Emmy winner for his syndicated talk show, which began in 1967 and aired nationally from 1970 to 1996, paving the way for dozens of such shows to follow.

He was invited to speak in part because he and an N.C. State professor both attended the University of Notre Dame. He got loud applause by noting that N.C. State beat Notre Dame in this year's Gator Bowl.

"I came looking for liberals," he said, "and here at N.C. State I found friends."

[Hildy]

Even liberals have to cringe when he opens his mouth.

[jackbill]

As a proud fan of the Maryland Terrapins (especially now that we have a Republican governor), I find no inconsistency in NC State inviting this imbecile to be their commencement speaker. Can you spell retarded?

[xrp]

Yep

EEEEEEEEEK!!!

[A-teamMom]

As an ND alumna, I want you to know that any self-respecting Catholic wouldn't claim him. Phil is a pig and proud to support abortion on demand, at any time, for any reason.

[Boxsford]

Our niece was graduating at NC State today and told us about this. She said some faculty left as well and that people yelled out, "We know why you don't have a job!" She said she felt like she was on a "Phil Donahue show" and that he was apparently enjoying the controversy he was creating.

[anncoulteriscool]

I can't help but to notice that at no point in this article was Phil Donahue referred to as the "controversial Phil Donahue". Today, Clarence Thomas spoke at the Univ of Georgia Law school grads and the tv station covering it called him "controversial". Go figure!

[Future Snake Eater]

I had a few friends there who were graduating. According to them, somewhere around 200 people walked out on him. Yes, my friends did, too.

[Libloather]

"I came looking for liberals," he said...

Time to close the borders...

[A-teamMom]

So true. Phil has a radical social agenda and he is given a free pass. Clarence Thomas is a self-made man, so many in the African American community calls him an "Uncle Tom."

[Savage Beast]

Donahue is irrelevant. "Liberalism" is decadence. It has nothing to do with liberalism.

[EllaMinnow]

My son was there this morning, at the UGA law school graduation. He said that Justice Thomas got two standing ovations, and that the planned protests were nowhere to be found.

Why are we stuck with media that consider a Supreme Court justice speaking at a law school graduation in his own home state controversial?

Rhetorical question...

[Stay the course]

Clinton encourages students to advance New York agriculture

May 17, 2003, 4:32 PM EDT
The Associated Press

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. -- New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on Saturday encouraged graduates of the State University of New York at Morrisville to use their knowledge to advance the state's agricultural industry.

"Technology, entrepreneurship and agricultural technology are needed in central New York to keep up with the global economy," she told about 400 graduates at the school's 92nd commencement ceremony, held on the school's football field.

She also encouraged the development of more windmill "farms."

"Think of what it would feel like in a few years if we didn't have to worry about oil as an energy source thousands of miles away," she said in her half-hour speech.

The Democratic senator twice received a standing ovation from the crowd of students, parents and professors.

At SUNY Cortland earlier Saturday, Clinton focused on the value of teaching. She announced plans to introduce legislation that would provide grants to teachers and schools for programs dealing with students with behavioral and emotional problems.

[Savage Beast]

Peace is the prerogative of the powerful--not the weak. Phil is too blind to see this.

[jern]

NC State is a pretty conservative university compared to Md.

[jern]

Here is a thread from the NC State Student message board
77 replies (warning for language)
http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=107190

[Homer1]

"Only Congress can declare war," he said to some cheers and boos, "and not just one man, the president."

If that's true , Phil, just what the #()(% were we doing in the Balkans, you #()(%ing moron!

[jern]

[jackbill]

NC State is a pretty conservative university compared to Md.

And they invite a liberal weeney like Donahue to be their commencement speaker???? Why didn't they get Jerry Springer? Was he already booked?

[jern]

Note the photo above. Really, you are a UMD. grad. A school where the students act like complete jackasses after wins and losses.