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 — Following protests from students, former presidential adviser Karl Rove has withdrawn as this year's commencement speaker at a prestigious prep school, the school's headmaster said Monday.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

[Wilburrr]

Imagine... a bunch of high school kids with more common sense and wisdom than the U.S. Congress.

[musselmanm]

Rove is a snake rat bastard. I hope that at some point it all falls in on him and someone rats him out. He can go to the real joint and have his cavity checked every day.

[dax49]

both rove and shanahan missed the point, no body wants his fat criminal ass on campus

[robertlockwoodmills]

Karl Rove's c.v.:

1) Fired by Bush 41.
2) Nicknamed "Turd Blossom" by Bush 43.
3) Helped expose a C.I.A. operative (admitted).
4) Demoted by Chief of Staff Bolten.
5) Fired by Bush 43.
6) Commencement address canceled by Choate.

Yet Rove's opinions are still sought by media.

[Lisette]

Rove is NOT gracious. He has no choice but to accept the inevitable!

[frug]

Psychiatrist/author F. Scott Peck said that a normal person's reaction to evil is confusion. In his book People Of The Lie, published in 1983, he set out to discover, largely through his practice, whether there was such a thing as an ontologically evil person. He concluded that yes, there may be a handful. The two things he found that they have in common is: they're incredibly strong willed, and incorrigibly dedicated liars.

Confusion is said to be the devil's habitual currency. Karl (the Democrats made the president invade Iraq) Rove has done more to foster the same, corrupting language, degrading discourse, blatantly and shamelessly bringing spin to a breathtaking new dimension. He has done more to make lying not only acceptable, but the go-to mode for a shocking amount of the political conversation, and now spilling out into many others. It may be decades, if ever, before our culture recovers from what this man has wrought.

[bushmocker]

I am just amazed that anyone....I mean anyone,in the whole world would pay this jerk to talk to them.

[bushmocker]

As the smell of sulphur permeated the room....Karl was asked to leave,no... he was asked to depart....what did they mean?

[mikebythesun]

Good thing he retired from the White House. If he can't stand up to a bunch of liberal hippies on a college campus, how can he stand up to Al Qaeda?

Doh! Oh, that sword cuts both ways, doesn't it?

Rove: One Large Pussy

[gogocat]

Rove didn't even graduate from college!

[VOTER]

Kudos to the Students!

They were brave enough to do what we, Americans,

have not done enough of during the past 7 1/2 years.

PROTEST AND DEMAND WHAT IS RIGHT!

[Patrician]

I think people know that Karl Rove is a man who worked overtime trying to divide this nation. In government, he did his best to turn it into a one party country by politicizing every branch. If there was any accountability in this administration, he would probably not be available for a speech at graduation. I think he would be prosecuted.

[speakingtruth2power]

These ass holes actually think that they can go

around the country and make big money giving

speeches? Not in my back yard fucking fascists!

[WWJD2]

Karl--you're just sooooooo gracious.
I applaud the students for taking a stand against someone who epitomizes evil and the worst of humanity.

[HereNow]

The former president bush was the speaker at a trade show luncheon i attended. When he took the popium, i stood, turned and walked from the room.
I would find pooh to fling for rove