Karl Rove Drops Prep School Speech

WALLINGFORD, Conn. — Following protests from students, former presidential adviser Karl Rove has withdrawn as this year's commencement speaker at a prestigious prep school, the school's headmaster said Monday.

The choice of Rove as speaker for the June commencement at Choate Rosemary Hall had led some students to plan to walk out of the ceremony. Others had sought to bring comedian Stephen Colbert to campus for an alternate speech.

Instead of commencement, Rove now will speak at the school on Feb. 11, headmaster Edward J. Shanahan said. Shanahan said he will deliver the commencement address at the school, the alma mater of John F. Kennedy and Adlai Stevenson.

Shanahan said he had asked seniors for their opinions on the proposed commencement speech and many said they wanted to hear from Rove _ but at some time other than commencement.

He said they also were concerned that outsiders might disrupt graduation if Rove appeared in June.

In an e-mail to students and staff Monday, Shanahan quoted Rove as saying: "I would not want 12 minutes of remarks to be used as an excuse by a small group to mar what should be a wonderful day of celebration for the members of the 2008 graduating class and their families, so I am delighted to instead accept Choate's invitation to speak on campus Feb. 11."

"He was more than understanding," Shanahan wrote to the students. "He was gracious and generous in his thinking about you and 'your day.'"

Rove, one of President Bush's most influential advisers, left the administration last year.

Comments

[nattymarge50]

I am amazed at some of the comments on this board. There are some gross misperceptions here. First and foremost, the students at Choate are not spoiled rich brats, but that's the perception of many. Are there some children of wealth that attend the school? Certainly, but they are in the minority. Fact: approx 70% of the of the students recieve some level of financial aid, and many are attended under full scholarship. So this is not a group that is made up of the rich and elite, rather the middle class. Secondly, folks are missing the point all together why the kids protested. Their protest had nothing to do with being conservative or liberal and EVERYTHING to do with moral fiber. School's motto: Fidelity and Integrity. These students had every right to voice their opinions and concerns. In the end they were heard. They never stated that Mr. Rove was not welcomed on campus, they stated they did not want him as a commencement speaker.
Mr. Shanahan took great care in calling a meeting with the senior class. He listened to their concerns, he saw first hand the angst created by this whole mess. Then Mr. Shanahan took action. I applaud these students for speaking up, because their voice in mass, created change. I applaud Mr. Shanahan for taking action to ease the angst.
I am a parent of one of these hard working students, so I understand first hand the situation. Take your liberal verses conservative arguments elsewhere.

[realpolitic]

The real reason Rove pulled out of the speech was that he wanted immunity to speak at the school and school administrators said they did not have authority to give it to him.

[JohnKemp]

WOW!

College rich kids & their actions.

Really front-page stuff.

I can only imagine that they crawled home & cried to their rich daddies about "the inhumanity of it all."

Imagine, having to listen to someone with whom you disagree.

Why don't they go & buy a pair of Birkenstocks instead?

[realpolitic]

Rove and Rush Limbaugh have a strong resemblance. Is it possible, they are the same person?

I think one good thing about the Bush presidency is that now any child thinks he or she can grow up to be president. If someone as dumb as Bush could make it, then anyone can.

[Tankan]

Karl only looks stupid!

He's really very intelligent, in an twisted sorta way!

[KansasKowboy]

The school was probably locked into paying him whether he showed up or not. So they decided to have him talk, just not at graduation.

[weddedgay]

In a way I am almost sad to see this. I had already imagined various ways the students could protest Rove's speach: silently standing and turning their backs on the evil before them, or perhaps all of them standing and reciting the Pledge of Alegence starting in a whisper and growing into a shout etc.

Interesting that Rove and the headmaster see the idea of a protest as spoiling the ceremony, and I see a protest as making the ceremony meaningful.

[Mike169]

Rove - not welcome in the halls of the elite? Maybe he can go share some fried squirrel with Huckabee as he galvanizes the Christo-fascists at Bob Jones High School.

[rbspickles]

And people are saying our kids don't have a clue. WAY TO GO YOUNG CHOATITES!!!! You have given me my hope back. Thank you!!! You make me proud, once again, to be an American!

[Rog49Thomas]

Am I reading this right?

The rich and privileged of Choate don't want Rove.

What a pleasantly happy day!

[tumblewind]

Why anyone in their right mind would pay money to hear from Rove only leaves one to wonder how elite this Prep School really is?????? The man is a political hack of the worst kind! One who should be ignored by the intelligent of this country!

[Joeblue]

Why isn't this piece of shit in jail.

[LeonBNJ]

I salute the student who apparently had more brains than the school's adminstration and their parents to tell Rove to get lost from their grad ceremony. Clearly Rove knew he was wanted like the plague there. By having him speak on another date is ok to some extent, so long as they also have other speakers over the semester that express views opposite of Rove and discuss the terrible harm he has done.

[RushLimbaughsPutz]

Just look at that physique! He is an inspiration to all the Young Republicans out there. Now that's what I call a real American. Do you think he would like to meet an older man who happens to be a drug-addicted radio host? I wonder what makes him tick? Does anyone have any dope for me today? Thanks--Rush L

[gcallaghan]

Nobody is interested in what this asshole has to say unless it comes after he puts his hand on a courtroom bible raises his right hand and says "I do" first.