Hundreds boo former Bush chief of staff at University of Massachusetts commencement ceremony

In video, booing is at 1:52 remaining in the video

Andrew Card, President George W. Bush’s former Chief of Staff, was showered with a chorus of boos and catcalls from students and faculty of the University of Massachusetts while receiving an honorary degree Friday. Protesters, who caught the embarrassing scene on video, attached anti-Card signs to their robes and drowned out Provost Charlena Seymour’s remarks about Card’s “public service.” Even faculty sitting on stage joined in on the action, screaming their disapproval while holding signs that read “Card: No Honor, No Degree.”

Card, obviously shaken by the commotion, managed a slight grin while Seymour spoke. He later raised his hand in recognition but sat down without speaking at any length.

After the ceremony, he refused to acknowledge the protests, only saying, “It was a great honor and a privilege to be here.”

The university community was upset with the school’s decision to award Card an honorary degree, given his involvement in spinning intelligence in the lead up to the war in Iraq. Even before the ceremony began, 100 faculty members and students sang anti-war songs, handed out leaflets and waved signs outside the arena where commencement was held.

A graduate of the University of South Carolina, Card was a supporter of UMass in his days as a Massachusetts lawmaker. He served as Bush’s chief of staff from the president’s first inauguration through 2006.

The video below was created by the protesters.

It’s a relief when we see that students and faculty are able to stand up to a decision at a major University and not suffer any punishment. However, the fact that Andrew Card was still given the degree is a bit sick.

Is there any way that he could walk away feeling good about that honorary degree? I would have refused it! The students and faculty made it clear that they did not want him to have that degree, and they are the meat of any University not the administration who make these boneheaded decisions.

One more semi-victory for the good guys.

Source: Raw Story 

Giuliani to Paul: ‘Take back’ 9/11 comments

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Why did terrorists attack the U.S. on 9/11?

According to Texas Congressman Ron Paul, “They attack us because we’ve been over there. We’ve been bombing Iraq for 10 years. We’ve been in the Middle East.”

Restrained, but clearly angry, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani jumped in, calling Paul’s statement “extraordinary.”

“As someone who lived through the attack of September 11 — that we invited the attack because we were attacking Iraq — I don’t think I’ve ever heard that before, and I’ve heard some pretty absurd explanations for September 11th,” he said.

Giuliani’s fiery response prompted applause and the following demand from the former mayor: “I would ask the congressman to withdraw that comment and tell us that he didn’t really mean that.”

In response, Paul stood by his comments and said that “if we think that we can do what we want around the world and not incite hatred, then we have a problem … They come and they attack us because we’re over there.”

Giuliani isn’t grounded in reality.

Source: CNN 

Storm in US over chocolate Jesus

A New York gallery has angered a US Catholic group with its decision to exhibit a milk chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ. The six-foot (1.8m) sculpture, entitled “My Sweet Lord”, depicts Jesus Christ naked on the cross.

Catholic League head Bill Donohue called it “one of the worst assaults on Christian sensibilities ever”.

The sculpture, by artist Cosimo Cavallaro, will be displayed from Monday at Manhattan’s Lab Gallery.

I think the best part is the people who are causing an uproar about this probably bashed the Muslim  community for getting in an uproar about the Mohammad cartoons.

I f someone can explain the next point to me, I’d be very glad:

The Catholic League, which describes itself as the nation’s largest Catholic civil rights organisation, also criticised the timing of the exhibition.

“The fact that they chose Holy Week shows this is calculated, and the timing is deliberate,” Mr Donohue said.

He called for a boycott of the gallery and the hotel which houses it.

Why does there need to be a Catholic civil rights organization? More importantly why does there need to be more than one! I have a feeling they focus less on “Catholic civil rights” and more on preventing the religion from looking bad or from people “offending” it in anyway. The day a group with those goals can be called a civil rights organization is the day logic dies.

‘Overwhelming response’

The gallery’s creative director, Matt Semler, said the gallery was considering its options in the wake of angry e-mails and telephone calls.

“We’re obviously surprised by the overwhelming response and offence people have taken,” he said. “We are certainly in the process of trying to figure out what we’re going to do next.”

Mr Semler said the timing of the exhibition was coincidental.

Mr Cavallaro, the Canadian-born artist, is known for using food ingredients in his art, on one occasion painting a hotel room in mozzarella cheese.

He used 200 pounds (90 kg) of chocolate to make the sculpture which, unusually, depicts Jesus without a loincloth.

It sounds like an impressive piece of art, and something that would be breathtaking to see. Molding something that large out of chocolate is an awesome feat.

That is, unless you are catholic… then your civil rights have been violated.

Source: BBC News