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."

[Teetop]

Thank you for the link! I just LOVE this quote from some liberal moron posting on the board! LMFAO!

"If not, this is not what America was founded on, this is just another Baghdad, Afghanistan."

[Faith]

I have come to believe that everything the Clinton's do is carefully calculated, planned and staged even though they want any signs of public approval to appear spontaneous and genuine. All it takes is one willing plant to begin a standing ovation.

[linn37]

Hey them youngsters are pretty damn smart,guess some parents still know how to raise em!

[TC Rider]

"I came looking for liberals,"

Phil obviously thought he was in the Peoples Republic of Chapel Hill at the University of North Carolina.

[hellinahandcart]

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

Oh dear...a certain UMD grad I know is going to be very unhappy when he gets home...

[Bedford Forrest]

"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."

Thank the Lord and how sweet it is. If I had been there Justice Thomas would have received TEN standing ovations. What a brave and godly man he is.

[RJayneJ]

Quote of the Day by by ladyinred

[Howlin]

Did he REALLY say this?

"when the world is in the terrible shape its in and the people are running around to and fro in the streets and markets for a measly 16 cent magpie at johnny's deli on 3rd and main and the president is sitting in his oval office a thousand miles away in on capitol hill where they sit and they make the laws that are felt not only nationwide but worldwide causing mass hysteria and (continuous run-on sentence droning.)"

[Howlin]

I loved this one:

That wasnt the place for him to make his own personal opinion on shit known. i wish more people had walked out on him. He had a ********** open mic without any opposition, something **** heads like him live for because its the only place they can make their points.

[Howlin]

I am furious about this.......I can't believe that SOB got an honorary degree from the school where MY daddy played basketball!

[Rebelbase]

The link at #16 is a "Wolf web" message board thread that is worth reading.

[Howlin]

I just read it.......I just went downstairs and told my mother this: she is FURIOUS that he was there.

There are several great remarks over there that cannot be posted on FR!

[Rebelbase]

Those kids posting over there give me hope that some of the youth today have their heads screwed on straight.

[fat city]

"Only Congress can declare war,and not just one man, the president."

Thanks for Viet Nam, JFK and Lyndon Johnson

unions give workers a deserved place at the bargaining table."

Yeah, like auto workers putting an oil plug in the oil pan all day for $100,000/year need a place "at the bargaining table". Let them take a Dixie Chick to lunch.

[jwalburg]

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

Have a Dixie Chick for lunch.

[TC Rider]

Just saw the news on WNCN, they dumped on him and fully reported the booing and people walking out.

[Husker24]

Phil should have spoken at a Berkley graduation, he would have gotten spontanious orgasms from the crowd.

[mykdsmom]

You need to see this.

[FreedomAvatar]

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.

So liberals don't believe is speech codes, executing the unborn, or union violence, right Phil?

[MightyMouseToSaveThe Day]

"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"

What agricultural industry does NY state have? NY wines come to mind,and maybe some upstate cheese, but that's about it. Anybody know what ag industry hillary is talking about?