Which high school will get Obama as graduation speaker

Pretty weird since I've seen a couple places (can't remember where) that he's headed out to Kalamazoo for this. Guess we'll wait and see. Update- See, it is Kalamazoo.

(CNN) - Students at one high school will learn Tuesday if the president will be their commencement speaker.

The White House asked Americans to help pick a winning high school from a list of six finalists. The list was cut to three recently, the White House said.

"The race was neck and neck all the way to the end with all six schools within half a point of each other," a White House statement said. "Thank you to the more than 170,00 people who weighed in and rated the six finalist schools."

The top three schools in the White House's annual initiative, the High School Commencement Challenge were:

· Clark Montessori Junior High and High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)
· Kalamazoo Central High School (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
· Denver School of Science and Technology (Denver, Colorado)

President Barack Obama will choose the winner from these schools.

VIDEO: President Obama’s commencement speech at University of Michigan

By GottaLaff

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IMHO: Killer speech.

Glenn Beck to Give Commencment Speech at Liberty University

By GottaLaff

Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match...

What could be more perfect:

Jerry Falwell Jr., chancellor of Liberty University, announced Friday that Fox News commentator Glenn Beck, will deliver the commencement address at the Lynchburg campus’s May 15 graduation, the News & Advance reports.

“Beck is one of the few courageous voices in the national media standing up for the principles upon which this nation was founded,” Falwell said in a news release.

Everything Baby Falwell said is true.... if by "principles upon which this nation is founded" he means gasbaggy, bellowing hate-filled, lying spew by an alcoholic drug abuser bordering on insanity. And isn't that what conservative Christians value most?

I hope ClusterFox catches his tearful, self-indulgent, blathery blubbering on camera so they can run an endless loop of it all the livelong day.

I almost feel sorry for the grads, because his bloaty little redfaced image will be etched into their memories forever.

How ironic that most of them have twice the intelligence he could ever hope to have in his itsy bitsy hollow little pea brain. I said intelligence, not judgment. After a stint at Falwell U, that still remains to be seen.

Video- Obama issues challenge to high school seniors

Isn't competition the American Way? Not exactly "a foreign ideological vision" that Rep Issa claims Obama lurves.

Washington (CNN) – One lucky high school class will get President Obama to speak at their graduation this year, the White House announced Friday.

The first annual "Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge" competition invites public high schools across the country to show the White House what sets them apart from other schools in academic excellence and college preparedness. Obama will address the commencement of the winning school.

"Public schools that encourage systemic reform and embrace effective approaches to teaching and learning help prepare America's students to graduate ready for college and a career, and enable them to out-compete any worker, anywhere on the world," Obama said in a video released on the White House Web site Friday. "This is your opportunity to show me why your school exemplifies the best that our education system has to offer."

Schools must fill out an application form available through the White House Web site by March 15. Six finalists will then be featured on the White House Web site where the public will have an opportunity to vote for the three schools they think best meet Obama's goals. An ultimate winner will then be selected. The six finalists will be selected by the White House and the Department of Education according to a statement from the White House.

Video- President Obama's Speech at the New Economic School in Moscow

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Text as prepared here.

Video- At Graduation Ceremony, First Lady Tells Students They Are Ready to Achieve

VIDEO: The Comedy of Rahm Emanuel

By GottaLaff



But I wanna tell ya...

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel takes some cracks at both himself and Congress in a commencement speech Friday at his alma mater, Sarah Lawrence College.

Try the mortarboard, and don't forget to tip your Dean.

Video- President Obama delivers Navy graduation address

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Video Live Streaming: President Obama delivers commencement address at U.S. Naval Academy

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Video Live Streaming: President Obama delivers commencement address at U.S. Naval Academy

The Daily Show- Fetalmania

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Fetalmania
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor

I snorted.

VIDEO: President Obama's Notre Dame Speech, Entrance, Part 1, 2, 3

By GottaLaff

Please note: I've added videos, changed the blog title. Sorry about the commercials in the vids, I have no control over that.

PhotObama: Notre Dame Commencement Speech edition

By GottaLaff

Via TwitPics, Mark Knoller:

President Obama speaks at Notre Dame: Liveblog

By GottaLaff

Here are a few highlights, updating regularly:

"These honorary degrees are pretty hard to come by, I'm only one for 2 as president".. HUGE APPLAUSE

He gets heckled, the heckler gets booed. Obama says, "That's alright... We're not gonna shy away from things that are uncomfortable sometimes." [Applause]

Heckler: "Stop killing our children." Obama continued on: "We must learn to live together as one human family": Huge applause.

Applause for support of stem cell research while acknowledging those against. "How do we engage in vigorous debate? How do we remain firm in our principles w/o denying those with just as strong convictions on the other side?"

Obama is taking on abortion head on. A doctor said to him, "Speak about this issue in FAIR MINDED WORDS". His response was: I didn't change my position... just the words on my website.

This decision is not made casually, so let's work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions.... numbers of unintended pregnancy.

Somebody is playing a tape of a baby in the audience. Correction: Per Mark Knoller, parents carried a crying baby out of the audience.

“Maybe we won’t agree on abortion, but we can still agree that this is a heart-wrenching decision for any woman..."

I'm inspired by the responsibility and civility with which this class is [dealing] with the subject at hand. [paraphrased]

Views on abortion may be irreconcilable but: "surely we can (discuss) w/o reducing those with differing views to caricature."

Be wary of too much self-righteousness.

"Hold firm to your faith and allow it to guide you on your journey. Stand as a lighthouse."

Learn from one another and all things are possible.

Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. Community service "breaks down walls, fosters cooperation."

"We're all fishermen."

A standing and thunderous ovation for Obama from the grads as he concludes his comencement address.

Out. Of. The. Park.

Coming up: Watch Live video of President Obama’s commencement address at Notre Dame Sun., May 17, 2009

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Laffy update, via a Tweeter:

- I see there's a real diversity gap in the Notre Dame faculty makeup

VIDEO- On Hannity, Randall Terry revisits comparison between Obama and Nazi leaders

I really hope I see this f'r tomorrow.

VIDEO Countdown- Dr Patrick Walen on the Obama commencement "controversy"

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I've seen this guy out and about (even on Fox) and he's good. Measured and sober, a big difference from some of the stone crazies advocating for the other side. Here is their site.

Alan Keyes, six others, to spend the weekend in jail for protesting at Notre Dame

Dammit, at least Terry is still free. I was really hoping to get a little camera time with Keyes tomorrow. Sounds like they're trucking in the crazies though, should be fun!

As Notre Dame prepares for President Obama's commencement visit this weekend, a vocal group of pro-life protesters continues to make their presence known outside the gates of campus.

Led by two men dragging crosses, the group features many familiar faces -- Randall Terry, Alan Keyes, and many others from across the country who have joined the protest.

Slightly after noon, the men and women stepped onto Notre Dame's campus.

Police were there to meet them.

"It's very important for you to understand this message: this is private property," explained an officer.

Alan Keyes was the first to address the onlookers.

"I call on all Christian people to come and bear witness to this betrayal of our faith," he announced.

(snip)

Those arrested for their first offence will be able to bail out today.

But St. Joseph County judges recently instituted a local rule that affects those that have been arrested once already.

If today was their second arrest, they will spend the weekend in jail until they can go before a judge Monday morning.

As a result, Alan Keyes, along with six others, will spend the weekend behind bars.

Wasilla High Abstains

By GottaLaff

Wise choice:

We learned that the senior class advisors, representing the student body, invited Gov. Palin to speak to the graduating class. All signs indicate that she accepted the invitation, but the school’s administration then decided against it, presumably because they did not want a politician speaking at the ceremony. The school’s administration denied any knowledge of this in an email reply to C4P, but the students are sticking by the story as well as our sources in Wasilla.

Even more troubling is the news that Gov. Palin will not be invited on the stage to shake students’ hands when they receive their diploma, which is a traditional practice whenever a governor is in attendance.”

[...]

Despite the fact that Wasilla High School has dared to commit this horrible atrocity, this unforgivable sin in the eyes of Palinbots, (they imagine the principal of WH taking a white leather glove and slapping the governor across the face) it seems life will go on. Palin mouthpiece Meg Stapleton had this to say:

At the end of the day, the Governor is excited to sit back and enjoy this graduation with no pressure on the stage and in the spotlight. She will relish the moment with the family.

OK, so when Meg Stapleton is the most level-headed rational voice in the room, you know the others concerned have gone just a wee bit over the edge.

Much more here at Mudflats, the blog of record on all things Palinesque.

’09 Notre Dame grads choose President Jenkins as Senior Class Fellow

Yeah, 'cause there's so much (contrived) controversy over Obama's commencement speech...

SOUTH BEND — Graduating seniors at the University of Notre Dame have chosen the Rev. John I. Jenkins, university president, as this year’s Senior Class Fellow.

Voted on by seniors, the award is an "accolade traditionally given to a member of the Notre Dame community who has had a significant impact on the graduating class," according to W. Joseph Brown, senior class president.

Jenkins has been under fire for weeks by anti-abortion activists, many Catholic leaders and conservatives for inviting President Barack Obama, who is pro-choice on abortion, to be Sunday’s commencement speaker. Some critics have called for Jenkins to be fired.

President Obama's Complete Commencement Speech At ASU 5/13/09

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Up doing stuff so I thought I'd pop this up for you.