Notre Dame protests Obama

[SurferGirl]

http://www.wndu.com/localnews/headlines/42503317.html
ND students protest President Obama's upcoming commencement visit Save Email Print


Posted: 7:00 PM Apr 5, 2009
Last Updated: 11:57 PM Apr 5, 2009

172 comments

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ND students protest President Obama's upcoming commencement visit



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The controversy continues over Notre Dame's decision to invite President Obama to speak at its 2009 commencement.

On Sunday afternoon, the University's student-formed coalition "ND Response" held a rally on the steps of the Golden Dome.

The students say they are protesting the University's decision to invite President Obama because of his views on abortion.

They are also asking the administration to rescind the offer to give the President an honorary law degree.


The main speaker at Sunday's rally was nationally recognized pro-life attorney Harold Cassidy.

"It is with the profoundly misguided assumption that abortion does not negatively impact the liberty, rights, interests, and health of women that we have taken issue," he explained. "Abortion is anti-women precisely because it is an institution that destroys their rights, their interests, their health."

Students also had a chance to sign letters that they are asking Notre Dame President Fr. Jenkins to give to President Obama.

Following the rally, the students held a procession to the grotto for prayers.

[atprm]

the Bishop and Arch-Bishop have already stated they will not be attending the ceremony -- a first for this in the history of the college.

But...

Notre Dame is Catholic IN NAME ONLY and has more liberals than conservatives now.

It's a shame really -- but I see their point...

if I were paying bouco bucks for a Big 10 school like the Catholic Notre Dame and whomever the chosen speaker was, I would hope that the dean would choose the appropriate speaker...

[speedygirl]

My DS graduated from Boston College which is a Catholic Jesuit University and people who don't follow Catholic Doctrine aren't invited as commencement speakers.
I have to agree with Notre Dame. It would be contradictory.
From a personal standpoint, I'd be honored to have a president speak at my commencement BUT I'd honor the mission of my school first.

[atprm]

that's what I always thought too -- we have Sienna Heights College (private 4 year univ), which is Catholic as well, and if you don't follow the same missions that the school follows you aren't welcome to speak.

I completely understand the perspective from the Parents (paying for this education for a Big 10 school) and the Arch-Diocese stance.

I think the school administration is wrong and should renig their invite.

[jeanea33]

I think Obama should decline their invitation. Too much controversy involved. Last thing he needs is more negative attention.

[mikej]

The majority of Catholics voted for Obama.

Democrats support choice. The GOP support the death penalty and the slaughter of innocents through war.

I guess Catholics should never vote.

[pepperpot]

The majority of Catholics voted for Obama.

Democrats support choice. The GOP support the death penalty and the slaughter of innocents through war.

I guess Catholics should never vote.

Got backup links on those stats?

[hesnothere]

Got backup links on those stats?

Yep, from the catholicnewsUSA, first paragraph.

http://www.cathnewsusa.com/article.aspx?aeid=12514

http://www.catholicsinpubliclife.org/page2/page25/page19/files/665968c92f3532a205f0dbda5aad7573-51.html

http://catholicism.org/54-of-catholic-voters-voted-for-obama.html

[atprm]

True Catholics would never vote for someone who doesn't uphold the Catholic Doctrine or Christian doctrines -- abortion being a key issue.

Now, if you are Catholic in name only, then you flip to whomever looks good... and there are a lot of bad Catholics -- you know the ones... the ones that only go to church on Christmas and Easter.

[atprm]

10 Holy Cross priests object to Obama invitation

By KEN KUSMER – 4 hours ago

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Ten priests from the order that founded the University of Notre Dame say the school risks its "true soul" and could distance itself from the Roman Catholic Church by inviting President Barack Obama to campus next month.

The members of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, which helps run the university, asked the Rev. John Jenkins, the Holy Cross priest who is Notre Dame's president, and the university's board of fellows to reconsider the invitation to Obama because he supports abortion rights.

"Failure to do so will damage the integrity of the institution," said the letter published Wednesday in Notre Dame Observer.

Notre Dame announced last month that Obama would deliver the university's May 17 commencement address and receive an honorary degree. The decision by the nation's best-known Catholic university sparked widespread anger among many Catholics who said Notre Dame should not honor someone whose policies on abortion and embryonic stem-cell research clash with core church teachings on human life.

Hundreds of abortion opponents protested on campus Sunday, and the priests said the invitation has opened a "fissure" between Notre Dame and many bishops. More than a dozen bishops have denounced Obama's appearance, including Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Jenkins has said the university does not condone all of Obama's policies, and spokesman Dennis Brown has said Notre Dame does not plan to rescind the invitation.

"We respect the opinions of members of the Holy Cross community and others," Brown said.

Obama would be the ninth U.S. president to receive an honorary degree from Notre Dame and sixth sitting president to address graduates. Other commencement speakers have included Dwight Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush.

Cecilia Prinster, president of the Notre Dame Alumni Association, noted in a column also published in the campus newspaper that Obama's policies in areas such as health care reform, economic security and environmental stewardship are in line with Catholic social teaching.

"Although we disagree with Mr. Obama on some core issues, we must not condemn," Prinster wrote.

Four days before his Notre Dame speech, Obama is set to deliver a much less controversial commencement address at Arizona State University. But the public school in Tempe is denying the president something he's getting at South Bend: an honorary degree.

"It's our practice to recognize an individual for his body of work, somebody who's been in their position for a long time," Sharon Keeler, an ASU spokeswoman, told The Associated Press. "His body of work is yet to come. That's why we're not recognizing him with a degree at the beginning of his presidency."

Recent recipients of honorary degrees at ASU include J. Craig Venter, an internationally known scientist credited for developing high-volume genome sequencing, and Wu Qidi, vice minister of education of the People's Republic of China.

The university's policy is different from the one at Notre Dame, where Brown said it's customary to confer a degree on every guest speaker.

Associated Press Writer Terry Tang in Phoenix contributed to this report.

[YankeeMary]

True Catholics would never vote for someone who doesn't uphold the Catholic Doctrine or Christian doctrines -- abortion being a key issue.

Now, if you are Catholic in name only, then you flip to whomever looks good... and there are a lot of bad Catholics -- you know the ones... the ones that only go to church on Christmas and Easter.

Just because someone doesn't go to church/mass every week or whatever doesn't make them bad. And just because you go at every chance you can, doesn't make you good.

[atprm]

not according to the church doctrine. :)

[YankeeMary]

not according to the church doctrine. :)

So you can be a crappy horrible person and go to mass and all is well? I think there is more to it then just attendance.

[atprm]

if all you go by is church doctrine, then yes, you can be a crappy horrible person.

I agree with what you are saying YM, but I am adding what the Church doctrine states.

I think that is for any religion -- you can be a bible belt baptist and follow church doctrine but not be true on the inside... or you can be true on the inside and not follow the religious protocol to the letter.

;)

[Jolie Rouge]

... and there are a lot of bad Catholics -- you know the ones... the ones that only go to church on Christmas and Easter.


Just because someone doesn't go to church/mass every week or whatever doesn't make them bad. And just because you go at every chance you can, doesn't make you good.

I don't think she means it makes you a "bad person" but it would make you a "bad Catholic" in that it is a tenet of faith that you attend Mass every weekend and Holy days. If you are not doing so - with exceptions for health or circumstance ect ect for which a priest can give absolution - then you are not doing your best to be a "Good Catholic".

Reminds me of my niece who claims to be a vegan - unless it is crawfish ... or my mom's chicken pasta ... or a really good steak. Not a very "good" vegaterian, right ?

[SurferGirl]

I think it's just common sense that someone with Obama's radical views on abortion should not be invited. Obama is for late term abortion and his voting record while in the IL senate suggests that he is for infanticide. I think it's a disgrace and I'm not Catholic. However, my beliefs are very similar to the Catholics on this and many other things.

[speedygirl]

Confession...I'm a bad Catholic, lol. I suppose I could use my health as an excuse and they'd believe me but I'd be lying. To be honest (don't scold me, lol) I just don't want to go and really don't identify with them as I did when I was a kid.

[atprm]

I don't go every Sunday -- but I do go.

and I don't go on Holy Days if they are during the week -- it's just not economical with gasoline prices and such.

I think when doctrine was written way back when, people had neighborhood churches -- it's not like that here... now you HAVE to have a car to get to church (well at least up here).

The only part of the doctrine (it's actually the bylaws of the individual churches put out by the council members) that I do not believe in is: you have to pay $$$$$ in order to be considered a parishoner. I hate that -- I think it detracts from the faith in general. I don't believe that someone who is true in heart and poor is any different than someone who is true in heart and has money!

[Jolie Rouge]

Confession...I'm a bad Catholic, lol. I suppose I could use my health as an excuse and they'd believe me but I'd be lying. To be honest (don't scold me, lol) I just don't want to go and really don't identify with them as I did when I was a kid.

No scolding here ... if you don't feel comfortable with the Catholic church, then look at some of the others that are local to you and find one that feels like "home". Who cares what others think ? The important thing is to be happy with your faith and that is in your heart, and is between you and your God.

[Jolie Rouge]

Mary Ann Glendon Turns Down Honor At Notre Dame Commencement
Todd Zywicki
April 28, 2009

Paul Mirengoff has the story on Mary Ann Glendon's decision to turn down the prestigious Laetare Medal that she was to receive at Notre Dame's commencement this year: http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/04/023436.php


When you informed me in December 2008 that I had been selected to receive Notre Dame's Laetare Medal, I was profoundly moved. I treasure the memory of receiving an honorary degree from Notre Dame in 1996, and I have always felt honored that the commencement speech I gave that year was included in the anthology of Notre Dame's most memorable commencement speeches. So I immediately began working on an acceptance speech that I hoped would be worthy of the occasion, of the honor of the medal, and of your students and faculty.

Last month, when you called to tell me that the commencement speech was to be given by President Obama, I mentioned to you that I would have to rewrite my speech. Over the ensuing weeks, the task that once seemed so delightful has been complicated by a number of factors.

First, as a longtime consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree. This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops' express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions "should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles" and that such persons "should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions." That request, which in no way seeks to control or interfere with an institution's freedom to invite and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes, seems to me so reasonable that I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it.

Then I learned that "talking points" issued by Notre Dame in response to widespread criticism of its decision included two statements implying that my acceptance speech would somehow balance the event:

• "President Obama won't be doing all the talking. Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, will be speaking as the recipient of the Laetare Medal."

• "We think having the president come to Notre Dame, see our graduates, meet our leaders, and hear a talk from Mary Ann Glendon is a good thing for the president and for the causes we care about."

A commencement, however, is supposed to be a joyous day for the graduates and their families. It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame's decision--in disregard of the settled position of the U.S. bishops--to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church's position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice.

Finally, with recent news reports that other Catholic schools are similarly choosing to disregard the bishops' guidelines, I am concerned that Notre Dame's example could have an unfortunate ripple effect.

It is with great sadness, therefore, that I have concluded that I cannot accept the Laetare Medal or participate in the May 17 graduation ceremony.

In order to avoid the inevitable speculation about the reasons for my decision, I will release this letter to the press, but I do not plan to make any further comment on the matter at this time.

The Bishop of South Bend has aleady said he will not attend Norte Dame's commencement, the first one he has missed in 25 yeras. The Bishop suggested that, by inviting Obama, Notre Dame had placed "prestige" over "truth." Mary Ann Glendon has demonstrated that, by contrast, she places the fundamental truths of her religion above prestige.



I see that an effort has arisen for Notre Dame alumni who want to withhold contributions from the Notre Dame general fund as a result of the Obama invitation. Importantly for Domers, the website stresses:


Alumni or other supporters who would like to withhold their donations from Notre Dame’s General Fund to express their feelings to the University are still encouraged to support campus pro-life organizations. These contributions will NOT go to Notre Dame’s General Fund, but will go directly to these worthy organizations. According Notre Dame’s website, these donations ARE credited to alumni’s eligibility for the football lottery.

There's got to be a joke in there about the Notre Dame football teaming showing some life, but I'll let you supply your own joke.

Notre Dame, obviously, is a mission-oriented school. And there is a clear difference between inviting a speaker to campus to give a speech and inviting a speaker to campus to be honored with an honorary degree and given a high-profile speaking platform before a captive audience. If Obama were merely being invited to speak at Notre Dame by a student group or a faculty member as part of an academic dialogue or conference, then the reaction would be wholly out of line. But those, such as Professor Glendon, who see the current invite as improper seem to me to be on completely sound ground.

This distinction between a mission-oriented university honoring a man whose views and actions have supported what the university considers to be the profoundest moral evils and giving him an honored platform from which to speak to a captive audience strikes me as the confusion in Jeff Immelt's recent contribution on the subject. Obviously there is some merit in Immelt's point that Notre Dame should feel honored to have the President speak at the university. And that should be enough to carry the day at most any university in America. But Obama's actions during his time as state legislator, Senator, President, and in his judicial appointments have also all advanced the cause of what the Catholic Church sees as nothing less than the most profound evil. Immelt seems to believe that this is just another speech in just another forum at just another university by just another person. In fact, it is none of the above. Immelt's argument that Notre Dame should feel lucky to have Obama just misses the point.

And I will confess that I burst out laughing when Immelt (my colleague on the Dartmouth Board on the rare occasions where he has actually shown up for meetings) writes, "Part of growing as a leader is to open the doors to divergent opinions, to let critics into the boardroom, and to engage diverse viewpoints and perceptions."

Do as a say, Notre Dame, not as I do.

[Jolie Rouge]

Obama’s Notre Dame commencement robe:
Will there be another ‘cover-up’ at the highest level?
By Doug Powers • April 28, 2009 03:02 PM


Ever since the announcement that President Obama would deliver the commencement address at Notre Dame, and the subsequent “Georgetown/Jesus cover-up,” people have been been asking, “Will he, or won’t he?”

As of today, he will:


President Barack Obama is expected to wear the traditional doctoral robe featuring the cross and prayer of the Virgin Mary when he speaks at the University of Notre Dame next month, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told CNSNews.com on Monday.

I have no doubt Obama will wear the robe.

What he’ll have on over it is anybody’s guess.

The commencement will be in the Joyce Center. The plan was to have it in the football stadium, but replacing “Touchdown Jesus” with “Touchdown Teleprompter” would have proven to be too daunting an engineering task:


http://michellemalkin.com/2009/04/28/obamas-notre-dame-commencement-robe/

[Jolie Rouge]

Anti-abortion protestors arrested at Notre Dame
2 hrs 1 min ago

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Former Republican presidential hopeful Alan Keyes and 17 others have been arrested after marching to the University of Notre Dame to protest President Barack Obama's commencement speech Sunday.

About 35 people were standing outside the school's front gate Friday when a group of about 40 people led by Keyes and anti-abortion activist Randall Terry marched up.

The marchers stopped briefly to say some prayers and hear Keyes speak, then a smaller group walked on to the campus. They made it about 100 yards before they were stopped by security officers.

It was the second time in eight days Keyes was arrested for trespassing at Notre Dame in response to Obama's support of abortion rights and embryonic stem-cell research.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090515/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_notre_dame;_ylt=Amd.6yKKfq7NTFvOCLMCOKOs0 NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTJsbGtiYW1vBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwNTE1L 3VzX29iYW1hX25vdHJlX2RhbWUEY3BvcwM3BHBvcwMxNARzZWM DeW5fdG9wX3N0b3J5BHNsawNhbnRpLWFib3J0aW8-

[Jolie Rouge]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090515/ap_on_re_us/us_abortion_poll

[Bahet]

Truly being pro life is about a lot more than just being anti abortion.

[hotwheelstx]

Just because someone doesn't go to church/mass every week or whatever doesn't make them bad. And just because you go at every chance you can, doesn't make you good.


Thank you, Mary.

[Jolie Rouge]

Showdown at Notre Dame
By Michelle Malkin • May 15, 2009 06:47 PM
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/05/15/showdown-at-notre-dame/

An estimated 20,000 protesters are expected this weekend to oppose Catholic Notre Dame’s embrace of abortion militant Barack Obama.

Eighteen were arrested today at the gates of the university.

More than 360,000 have signed a protest petition.

The White House is pooh-poohing the controversy:


The White House has responded to opposition to President Obama’s appearance at the University of Notre Dame, claiming that only “one group” is organizing a boycott and pointing to other groups who support the president’s commencement speech and reception of an honorary degree.

“I think there’s one group organizing a boycott and, as best I can understand it, there are 23 groups that have formed in support of the president’s invitation,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said, according to ABC.

The “one group,” ND Response, is a coalition of 11 pro-life groups including Notre Dame Right to Life, the Notre Dame Law St. Thomas More Society and the Notre Dame College Republicans.

…Gibbs claimed that 97 percent of the students supported the decision. However, ABC reported that this claim misstated an Associated Press story which said that of the 95 Notre Dame seniors who wrote to the student newspaper The Observer, 97 percent were positive.

Gibbs also cited a Pew poll reporting that 50 percent of Catholics supported Notre Dame’s invitation to Obama, while only 28 percent opposed it. However, that poll also reported that 45 percent of those who attend Mass at least weekly disapproved of the decision, while 37 percent approved.

Meantime: More Americans “pro-life” than “pro-choice” since Gallup first started asking the question.


***

Gibbs said today that Obama will “make mention of” the controversy in his commencement address:


“I think the president will obviously make mention of the debate that’s been had,” Gibbs said. “I think the president is somebody who has taught in a university setting, would understand that this is exactly the type of give and take that’s had on college campuses all over the country.”

Obama’s support for abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research puts him at odds with the Catholic Church’s teachings. His invitation to Notre Dame has sparked criticism from at least 74 Catholic bishops and protests which led to arrests Friday, including that of former Republican presidential hopeful Alan Keyes.

While the president will address how his positions on abortion and stem cell research differ from that of the Church, Gibbs noted the president will focus his remarks on the graduates.

“I think you’ll hear him address it, but I think you’ll also have a president and commencement speaker that’s quite cognizant of the fact that this is a commencement ceremony. This is a special occasion for families to celebrate the conferring of degrees in this ceremony and that the president will understand that’s the most important aspect of the day.”


If he truly understood that, he would have turned down the invite.

After Obama speaks on Sunday, he’ll get busy raking in the dough for Dems:


Obama will make two stops in Indiana on Sunday.

He will be in South Bend to deliver the commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame. The second stop will be at the Westin Hotel in Indianapolis for a fundraiser.

At the Westin, he first will headline a Keep Indiana Blue event. Tickets to that event range from $250 to $5,000 and benefit four of Indiana’s five Democratic congressmen: Ellsworth and Reps. Baron Hill, Andre Carson and Joe Donnelly.

The fifth, Rep. Pete Visclosky, is not expected to attend.

Obama then will attend a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee, also at the Westin. Tickets to that event are $15,000 per couple

[SurferGirl]

this is a link to a site with a petition
http://www.stopobamanotredame.com/
http://www.stopobamanotredame.com/petition.htm
PETITION TO FELLOWS OF THE UNIVERSITY

WHEREAS,

the main responsibility entrusted to a “Fellow of the University” is to ensure that the University maintains its essential character as a Catholic institution of higher learning;

WHEREAS,

Archbishop Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Vatican’s highest court, the Apostolic Signatura, sharply criticized the University of Notre Dame for its planned honor of pro-abortion President Barack Obama and defined one of the features of “essential character” as acting as “an uncompromising witness” to the dignity of life;


WHEREAS,

Archbishop Burke rightfully declared that the “proposed granting of an honorary doctorate at Notre Dame University to our president, who is so aggressively advancing an anti-life and anti-family agenda, is rightly the source of the greatest scandal”


WHEREAS,

President Barack Obama has flagrantly rejected the God-ordained mandate of the sanctity of life by:

Violating the rights of conscience guaranteed by our Constitution in coercing pro-abortion "medical" practices under Federal law;
Legalizing the ghoulish use of aborted fetal persons as spare parts in the name of "science";
Supporting extremist abortion practices including even the unspeakably barbaric Partial Birth Abortion procedure;
Opposing legislation to protect with life-saving care infants born alive during botched abortions;
Expanding Federal funding for abortions both nationally and world-wide; and
Advocating for unrestricted access to abortions

WHEREAS,

Your collective decision to allow an Honorary Degree from Notre Dame to be bestowed upon President Barack Obama will be an affront and profound scandal to the parents, families, and students who have worked and sacrificed so diligently to obtain their degree from Notre Dame, a premier Catholic institution

THEREFORE,

I provide sincere and heartfelt petition to the “Fellows of the University” exhorting them to assert their authority and immediately cancel this address. Additionally, I call for the immediate removal of Father Jenkins as an act of contrition for fomenting this scandal.


To sign the petition, get started here!
Email:

[gmyers]

Either they believe in abortion or not. Its strange when they can't come together on what they believe. But it sends a confusing message to their fellow Catholics. You don't want people to have abortions but you welcome someone that thinks they're alright to speak at your graduation ceremony. Talk about sending mixed messages to people. It seems like they ought to stick by their beliefs but thats just me.

[Jolie Rouge]

lthough protesters were present, Barack Obama was given a courteous welcome at the Notre Dame commencement and he encouraged Americans to learn to disagree respectfully:


“Understand – I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. No matter how much we may want to fudge it – indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory – the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable. Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature.

Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words.”

Obama shared an anecdote about correspondence he received during the Presidential campaign from a doctor who opposed abortion. Instead of asking Obama to change his position on abortion, the doctor encouraged Obama to approach the issue in a fair-minded way. Obama said he prayed he would extend the same presumption of good faith to others that the doctor had given him.

Obama also called on Americans to “make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded in clear ethics and sound science, as well as respect for the equality of women.”

Pre-speech media has focused on abortion but Obama also addressed the need for world peace and to find a way to “live together as one human family.” And in a light-hearted moment, he offered his services at next year’s Notre Dame basketball tournament that he described as the largest outdoor 5-on-5 basketball tournament in the world.

http://patterico.com/2009/05/17/obama-at-notre-dame/


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When jerkoffs on the left interrupt conservative speakers, it is correctly labeled a form a fascism. What is it called when jerkoffs on the right try to shut down speakers they disagree with?

It was lame when the left did it to the right, and it is lame when the right does it to the left.

People should stop trying to shut down free speech they disagree with. It is a fascist move.
http://www.foundingbloggers.com/wordpress/2009/05/obama-interrupted-at-notre-dame/

Here's the video: http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/05/obama-interrupted-at-notre-dame.html


Photo of the day: Standing with a President vs. standing with the unborn
http://sistertoldjah.com/archives/2009/05/17/photo-of-the-day-standing-with-a-president-vs-standing-with-the-unborn/
http://sistertoldjah.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/notredamegraduates.jpg
A University of Notre Dame graduate displays on her mortar board her membership in the ND Response Pro-Life group, bottom right, and another graduate with a Barack Obama campaign emblem on their mortar board, top left, participate in commencement ceremonies in South Bend, Ind., Sunday, May 17, 2009.(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)


In his speech to the Notre Dame graduates, President Obama called for “common ground” on the issue of abortion. But we all know Obama’s extremist position on the issue, as evidenced by his testy responses on the subject of late term abortions last year. So, exactly what “common ground” can be found with someone who doesn’t believe that a “non-viable” infant born alive after an attempted late term abortion should receive medical care - a position he said he took because he believed the law was a “back door” attempt by those who oppose abortion to chip away at Roe v. Wade “protections” - a reason that FactCheck essentially found to be bogus when they examined Obama’s voting record and statements on the issue closely?

If he is truly desiring of having the American people - a slim majority of who now identify themselves as “pro-life” - to find “common ground” on this issue, then he should lead by example and move away from the far left on this issue. Until then, his calls for “common ground” will continue to look like nothing more than “just words.”


Pithiest summation of Obama’s abortion remarks at Notre Dame


“He might have called for toning down the rhetoric but his abortion policies are tuned up on steroids.”

– Greg Mueller
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090517/pl_politico/22611


-----

Michelle Obama's graduation advice

The First Lady urged graduates of UC Merced “to give something back:” http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5holiY32_dc0tZzIMloj3qrbL8dQAD987MQMG0


First lady Michelle Obama praised graduating students at California’s smallest, youngest public university for their determination to succeed, urging them to give back to their communities with the same fervor they showed to bring her to campus.

In her debut as a commencement speaker on Saturday, Mrs. Obama evoked the struggles of California’s founders — settlers and former slaves, trailblazers and immigrants — to encourage the 493 members of the school’s senior class to use their newfound skills to lift up those around them.

“Many of you may be considering leaving town with your diploma in hand, and it wouldn’t be unreasonable,” Mrs. Obama said before a crowd of 12,000 wilting in the blazing afternoon sun. “By using what you’ve learned here you can shorten the path perhaps for kids who may not see a path at all. I was once one of those kids.”

Clothed in a long black robe and academic regalia, Mrs. Obama spoke of her own drive to get ahead despite the odds, recounting the challenges her working-class family faced on Chicago’s South Side.

“You will face tough times. You will certainly have doubts, and let me tell you because I know I did when I was your age,” she said. “Remember that you are blessed. Remember that in exchange for those blessings, you must give something back. You must reach back and pull someone up. You must bend down and let someone else stand on your shoulders so that they can see a brighter future.”

Give as she says, not as she gives, grads.

Flashback: Obamas Donated Less Than 1% of Their 2000-2004 Income


Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and his wife Michelle gave $10,772 of the $1.2 million they earned from 2000 through 2004 to charities, or less than 1 percent, according to tax returns for those years released today by his campaign…

[speedygirl]

Give as she says, not as she gives, grads.

Flashback: Obamas Donated Less Than 1% of Their 2000-2004 Income


My DD graduated from university today as well and her commencement speaker also talked about giving back to the community. You can give back in so many ways without having to spend exorbitant amounts of money. The gift of time is just as valuable in some cases.

[krisharry]

My DD graduated from university today as well and her commencement speaker also talked about giving back to the community. You can give back in so many ways without having to spend exorbitant amounts of money. The gift of time is just as valuable in some cases.

Congrats to DD and to you too Mom!

[Jolie Rouge]

Cost of UC Merced graduation soars to $700,000
By SCOTT JASON

UC Merced's commencement budget has ballooned from $100,000 to $700,000 after first lady Michelle Obama accepted the invitation to give the keynote address.

Campus leaders, busy simply planning the large-scale event that's only 15 days away, have yet to secure all funding streams, spokeswoman Tonya Luiz said Thursday.

The budget estimate represents the most costly situation, and organizers are pursuing ways to defray the bill. "We have her first public address," Luiz said. "It's our obligation to make Merced look good."

Campus planners are trying to be as careful with cash and hope the bills won't be as high as projected. Nevertheless, they want the university to shine May 16 when Obama steps to the lectern to inspire the graduating class. The city's downtown festival will cost about $30,000, which leaders believe will entirely be covered by sponsorships.

AT&T, the Educational Employees Credit Union and Kaiser Permanente have collectively committed to donate $80,000 to the university's ceremony, Luiz said. Even though it's Obama's first major speech since the election, lining up financial support from major companies has proved tough. "It's the end of the fiscal year. There's not a whole lot of extra money in their budgets," she said.

Sponsors will get their logos on the JumboTrons and on the gift bags given to graduates. However, there won't be any one-on-one time with the first lady, she said.

The top cost is an estimated $300,000 for an audio/visual firm to broadcast the event on site and provide a live feed for media outlets. "If the entire world has its eye on UC Merced, we want to make sure (the signal is) crystal clear and not crashing," Luiz added.

One hope is that a major television network will offer to handle that task. University officials may approach the UC Office of the President to see if it's willing to help foot the bill. Campus officials have been hammering out the logistics for their special guest. They ordered six 10-stall restroom trailers, which will probably cost about $15,000.

Security, which likely will be handled by officers from within the University of California system, is projected to be $90,000. Metal detectors, if needed, could cost up to $5,000.

While students' friends and family watch Obama, many local residents are expected to be downtown for the city's first Cap & Town festival. Televisions will be tuned to the speech.

The event was a long-term goal that got fast-tracked when Obama announced her visit. The Bob Hart Square festival has a $30,000 budget, city spokesman Mike Conway said.

Merced leaders have already received commitments from two local banks to pay for the Cap & Town festival downtown.

Rabobank will donate $10,000 to the event. Westamerica will give $5,000 and send some of its employees as volunteers.

AMS.NET of Livermore has donated $5,000 in telecommunications equipment to get the live television feed downtown.

Sponsors will display their logos on banners and fliers. Top-tier sponsors will be recognized at a City Council meeting, Conway said.

Other businesses approached haven't yet made a decision, he said. The city is prepared to tap the Downtown Improvement District, a fund of special taxes downtown shops pay on their business license, if the event goes over budget.

No general fund money will go toward the festival, he noted. There'll be minimal overtime because anyone working on Saturday will take a different day off. The only exception may be public works employees who have to pick up trash after the celebration.

With the university's expansion plans given the green light, Luiz said it's likely a road along the commencement site will be paved. "We're looking at making long-term investments to the campus," she said. "All eyes are on Merced right now."

http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/story/821888.html


Holy cow!! That is unbelievable that in the midst of their budget crisis there in the “Golden” state, they would blow such an astronomical sum of money for this woman to come speak. But, seeing how the state is bankrupt, I guess they’ll just never pay their bill. Spending money they don’t have . . .

What better way to honor Michelle Obama than to emulate her husband Barack by monsterously overspending to the absurd degree on her visit. Now, she is gone. And everyone can close their eyes and dream of the magnificence of her presence. Then, they can open their eyes and see the bills. Congratulations Merced! Outstanding work! A college spent half a mill’ to get a lecture about GIVING???

Someone needs a little refresher course in economics.

[Jolie Rouge]

Notre Dame: Obama’s Remarks Don’t Match His Policies
By Christian Newswire Monday, May 18, 2009

In response to yesterday’s Commencement address by President Obama at the University of Notre Dame, Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser offered the following statement:


"At Notre Dame, President Obama spoke of respecting the consciences of those Americans who are morally opposed to the tragedy of abortion. Yet his most recent budget proposal to Congress fails to respect the consciences of taxpayers who are morally opposed to funding the destruction of human life,” said Dannenfelser. “Further, in working and advocating to fully fund abortions, the President undermines his own purported goal of reducing the ‘need’ for abortion.”

“America deserves authentic leadership on the abortion issue - someone who will help find common ground through civil discourse. Yet there is no evidence of an open mind in President Obama’s recommendation that Congress fund abortion on- demand with taxpayer dollars. No true leader on a ‘heart-wrenching,’ ‘complex issue’ would seek to set it aside publicly while advancing quietly to achieve his own goals, all the while positing that the two sides are irreconcilable. True common ground exists. He is just not standing on it.”

During his commencement address at Notre Dame, the President called for policies that “honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion.” In contrast, President Obama’s budget recommendations to Congress call for the repeal of the Dornan Amendment, a longstanding law that has respected the will of Americans by preventing taxpayer- funded abortion in the District of Columbia.

“President Obama and the pro-abortion majority in Congress are on a collision course with public opinion on abortion policy,” said Dannenfelser. “As Congress drafts the next budget, it would do well to respect the consciences of taxpayers and stop the agenda that amounts to an abortion industry bailout.”

The President’s speech came on the heels of recent polling from Gallup that showed that for the first time since 1995 the majority of Americans (51%) identify themselves as pro-life. Gallup proposed that the shift could be due to President Obama’s overreach on the issue. They posit: “It is possible that, through his abortion policies, Obama has pushed the public’s understanding of what it means to be ‘pro-choice’ slightly to the left, politically. While Democrats may support that, as they generally support everything Obama is doing as president, it may be driving others in the opposite direction.”

President Obama’s budget recommendations to Congress call for the repeal of the Dornan Amendment, a longstanding law that has prevented taxpayer-funded abortion in the District of Columbia. Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress is mandated with annually appropriating the entire budget for the District of Columbia.

The Susan B. Anthony List is a nationwide network of Americans, over 157,000 residing in all 50 states, dedicated to mobilizing, advancing, and representing pro-life women in politics. Its connected Candidate Fund increases the percentage of pro-life women in the political process.

[Jolie Rouge]

The News That Didn't Happen
by Paul Greenberg
June 5, 2009

Sometimes what says most about a country, a society, and an age isn't what happens in the news but what doesn't. For example:

When the president of the United States spoke at Notre Dame the other Sunday, he didn't so much speak about abortion as around it. He finessed the whole troubling issue by saying he hoped we could all agree to find common ground between... what, exactly? Pro-choice and pro-life?
Abortion and opposition to it? Good and evil?

Barack Obama settled for suggesting that we all do the best we can, like supporting adoption and new mothers. Who would take issue with that? There's no way to disagree with a stand not taken. And yet what he said seemed to strike a chord. Never underestimate the power of the platitudinous.

People really don't want to be troubled by all that business anyway. When a president declines to take a stand on some great issue, it may come as a kind of relief. Especially if he can make moral neutrality sound elevated, statesmanlike, above-the-fray. Let's all just calm down and put this issue in perspective. It's only a matter of life and death.

Many a politician has had a highly successful career avoiding the basic issues in the most appealing, articulate way. Some manage to get by with it their whole lives, and are even acclaimed for it. Why not just put off the really tough questions forever? Maybe they'll go away.

Consider how long Stephen A. Douglas, the Little Giant of American politics in his time, managed to evade the moral ramifications of the slavery issue, which threatened to tear the Union apart (and eventually did). Sen. Douglas dodged the issue with verve and style year after year -- till events and an ungainly Whig lawyer out of Springfield, Ill., caught up with him. Some questions just will not be evaded forever.

But some politicians are very good at soft-pedaling the great questions of their time. Only after the applause had died away at Notre Dame and the president was on the way to his next photo-op might it have occurred to anyone to wonder why, if his speech there had been so effective, it left behind a vague sense of dissatisfaction. As if he hadn't really addressed the question. Indeed, that's the rhetorician's term for this technique: begging the question. And it can be done in style.

The president did the politic thing at Notre Dame. Side stepping the issue, he took refuge in Bill Clinton's smooth old formula about just wanting to make abortion safe, legal and rare. Even though that kind of passive acquiescence in abortion has resulted in its becoming anything but rare in this country. At least among poor black and Hispanic women. They tend to have abortions out of all proportion to their numbers. But that is not the kind of fact likely to excite the interest of the country's political elites; indeed, they may be all in favor of population control, at least for certain minorities.

Meanwhile, despite his outward neutrality on the issue, the president's actual policies encourage abortion by financing it under cover of popular euphemisms like Family Planning or Women's Health or, on the Chinese mainland, the One-Child Policy. Abortion's supporters have learned not to be too specific about what is actually going on.

Why go into the graphic details?

The president was anything but specific at Notre Dame, and -- at least politically -- his approach worked out well. There may have been a few protesters here and there, but most were politely tolerated rather than directly engaged. The casual observer might even have wondered what they were protesting. It wasn't as if the president were actually saying anything. If Lincoln was the Great Emancipator of his time, Barack Obama is proving the Great Equivocator of his.

The net result of the president's appearance at Notre Dame was to make him appear quite sensible -- and abortion quite acceptable, or at least no reason for alarm, or maybe even for concern. Can't we all just get along, or at least agree to avoid the hard questions? After all, if one of the country's leading Catholic universities can honor a president whose policies promote abortion, what could be so bad about taking innocent life?

Abortion now becomes just one more debatable question among so many in politics, like how much the government should spend or whether labor unions should be allowed to organize plants without a secret ballot. Why all the fuss?

If the American presidency really is what Teddy Roosevelt called it -- a bully pulpit -- it might as well have been empty last weekend. The church stilled its voice and the president said nothing at length with all due ceremony.

And everybody could be at ease in Zion.

The surest way to win acceptance for any morally or ethically dubious practice is to accustom people to think of it as no big deal, just politics.

Which is why the most significant aspect of the president's appearance at Notre Dame is that it had no moral significance at all. Beyond all the handshakes and nice gestures, nothing was happening. The moral numbness of American society remained undisturbed.

And that may have been the only real news.