Ed Henry Would Like To See Obama's College Transcripts, For Some Reason

With Romney's GOP rivals now loudly calling for him to release his tax returns, the logical push-back against President Barack Obama is for the White House to finally release his long-form birth certificate. What's that? he already did that? And he's even making jokes about it to Betty White? That's right, it must have slipped my mind.

So, uhm...how about college transcripts? Yeah, we'll go with college transcripts, which Ed Henry brought up at today's White House press briefing with Jay Carney:

HENRY: I don't know how many years, maybe you do, George Romney released of his college transcripts, but Republicans like to complain that the president has not released his college transcripts. What is the stated reason for that?

CARNEY: I would refer you to the campaign...I think we've answered this a bunch. The tradition of releasing income tax records for serious potential nominees, and nominees of the two parties is well established. It's not a law. But it's well established. It's one this president abided by when he was a senator. It's one numerous Republicans and Democrats have abided by and we think it's a good idea.

I think we're past the point where it's unreasonable to consider a candidate's college transcripts out of bounds. Rick Perry's grades gave good chortle, so I don't begrudge anyone the chance to experience the mirth that comes from the college records of any of the other candidates. (I got a "C" in child psychology myself -- by all means, point and laugh!) But it's something of an apples-and-oranges comparison: we're not going to learn about any potential conflicts of interest by looking at Obama's grade in Freshman Comp.

That said, "I would refer you to the campaign" is kind of silly! I guess this means that the White House isn't planning some big news conference reveal, like they did with the birth certificate.

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Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[justlw]

05:34 PM on 04/16/2012

Jay Carney didn't respond to Ed Henry's question:

"HENRY: I don't know how many years, maybe you do, George Romney released of his college transcripts,"

That answer would be "zero."

[El Jefe]

07:48 PM on 03/27/2012

Problem is the birth certificate he released was fake. He's laughing at everyone who bought it

[naofick54]

01:33 PM on 01/24/2012

As an Employer, if someone did this much shuffeling about there records would you hire him??
Or ask more questions?? After all just to be fair. Or would Employers just show you the door??

[naofick54]

01:15 PM on 01/24/2012

When we apply for a job or a home loan or anything important we have to provide different information. For different reasons. I feel someone who is going to be our president should be more than transparent. As long as there is a dought and there is he should provide all the information to remove all dought. If he is not our President legally anyone who help hide the information is just as guilty.

[dutt]

07:58 AM on 03/03/2012

I think you meant "dowt"!

[AustinMike45]

12:12 PM on 04/05/2012

I think you meant "doubt"

[Doyle McCurley]

07:24 PM on 01/23/2012

Ed Henry should realize that brocko bama was an affirmative action recipient and his grades were not that good. He was a law professor not because of grades but by virtue of being half black and alwways saying he is black and forgettiong that he is indeed half white. Affirmative action works in mysterious ways. Before I forget baracks college GPA..........2.8

[bill555]

01:17 PM on 03/15/2012

You left out the part about him graduating magna cum laude, second in his class from Harvard. Oops.

[Doyle McCurley]

02:09 PM on 03/30/2012

Big deal Harvard. Harvard only gives grades of A B or C. Just so you know bill555 the worst GPA you can get at Harvard is a 2.0. They do not give grades of D or F. This is called grade inflation and it is done to protect the schools rankings in the U.S. college system. You get a guaranteed diploma at Harvard. Most universities make you earn your grades. Not Harvard. That magna cum laude is just what it sounds like. OOPS.

[Doyle McCurley]

02:14 PM on 03/30/2012

You must remember that Harvard practices grade inflation and is one of only a few to do that. Harvard does not give grades of D or F so everone is guaranteed a diploma. The worst GPA you can get is 2.0. If Harvard did what real universities did they would no longer be Harvard so they have to do this "grade inflation" to remain one of the so called top Universities. A mixture of grade inflation and affirmative action can carry you a long way. His grades at Occidental were far worse....................maybe because at Occidental..............one must study. OOPS.

[Marilyn Olsen Scheffler]

12:03 AM on 04/20/2012

And YOU know this HOW???? I would like to know exactly how you did it so that I can do it as well!!

[Juan Fortharoad]

02:34 PM on 01/20/2012

why does everyone stick up for the President when questions arise and nobody holds him accountable to his actions or past? If my guy has a questionable past, I want to know what the truth is so I can decide if I still support him. Why is that so hard?

[reggiemalmiller]

06:57 PM on 01/20/2012

Because he is protected by the main stream media, Hollywood, most of print media. Personally I would like to see all of the candidates release their college records....it will speak volumes!

[Marilyn Olsen Scheffler]

12:08 AM on 04/20/2012

A person can be intelligent in many ways without having great grades in college when a person is still fairly young and has not developed firm opinions yet. I certainly have changed a great deal since my college days when I thought there were lots of other things I would rather do than study. That doesn't mean that my thoughts are still the same or my opinions or ideas either. I don't think releasing transcripts would mean much of anything when most people are between the ages of 18-22 when they attend college. Most of us have matured in many ways since then.

[OWSoros]

03:25 PM on 01/19/2012

Author Remnick suggests one explanation for how Obama got into Harvard and how he became an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Wrote Obama to the Harvard Law Record:

I must say, however, that as someone who has undoubtedly benefited from affirmative action programs during my academic career, and as someone who may have benefited from the Law Review’s affirmative action policy when I was selected to join the Review last year, I have not felt stigmatized within the broader law school community or as a staff member of the Review.

[justlw]

05:46 PM on 04/16/2012

Actually, if you read the entire letter, at http://hlrecord.org/?p=11263 , it goes into detail that affirmative action was not automatically applied in HLS editor selection, and that the primary criteria was each candidate's work and academic record.

Affirmative action standards were only applied in cases where there was "a pool of qualified candidates whose grades or writing competition scores do not significantly differ."

Presumably Harvard admissions standards would have followed the same rules.

[roostir1]

10:48 AM on 01/19/2012

The only grades we should be concerned with should relate to his performance as president. By this administration's own measure of success with the stimulus, "will keep unemployment below 8%" and by their own measure of economic recovery, "If I don't have this done in 3 years, then this is going to be a one term proposition", this administration is not making the grade.

[Marilyn Olsen Scheffler]

12:10 AM on 04/20/2012

Really??

[Zeflik84]

10:30 PM on 01/18/2012

He did not complain about both Bushes' college transcirpts, he did not want to see Clinton's college transcipts, he does not care about college transcripts of Republican candidates. So why such a concern with Obama's transcripts? Is it because Obama, unlike the aforementioned presidents and presidential candiadates happens to be black?

[OWSoros]

03:23 PM on 01/19/2012

More likely it's because he was marketed as some kind of genius and he's just now realizing he's an inept leader who's tanking the economy. It's less likely that Henry just enjoys picking onKenyans.

[MeanMachine]

11:49 PM on 01/21/2012

All Presidents do that. Didn't Lincoln do the exact same thing.

[Doyle McCurley]

07:28 PM on 01/23/2012

Obviously your not aware. brocko bama is half black and half white. Wow I cant believe he has been in office over 3 years and you still dont know that. I think he just wants to see his grades and see what the government spent its money on. The worst part is Harvard only gives A,B,and C grades due to grade inflation. No one ever fails at Harvard. There is no such grade as a D or F.

[Marilyn Olsen Scheffler]

12:16 AM on 04/20/2012

How many times are you going to make that statement??? I think you'd better check out your statement that no one ever fails at Harvard-----I would like to see proof of that please! And with your brilliance I'm sure you can come up with that information with NO problem. OR----just make it up---that's what most republicans do if they can't think of something intelligent to say. I'm glad I have never locked myself into having to vote for someone just because they are from a certain party!

[exclintonsupporter]

04:52 PM on 01/18/2012

I bet $10,000 that Eddie didn’t have very many friends when he was growing up!!!

[amd02148]

07:03 PM on 01/18/2012

exclintonsupporter, I wouldn't take you up on that bet. I don't have any money to lose :}

[James Painter]

03:51 PM on 01/19/2012

Do not despair. Obamarama will give you all the Obama cash you need to lose.

[theobserver4]

11:10 PM on 01/18/2012

I bet he still doesn't......those few who are close are probably seeking to get something from him.

[exclintonsupporter]

04:51 PM on 01/18/2012

Pathetic little Faux Noise Eddie Henry!!!

[foxynoise]

07:25 PM on 01/18/2012

Didn't Eddie flunk PE, math and English?

[OmniDude]

03:18 PM on 01/18/2012

Oh Eddy boy,
Where are the transcripts for the college you went to. I would like to see the scholl that allowed you to pass it's Journalism program.

And for good measure, do you have a copy of the receipt you gave to faux new when sold your soul to them?

[Doyle McCurley]

02:17 PM on 03/30/2012

Omni................I dont think he went to scholl. He probably doesnt even know what a scholl is. Hell.....................I dont even know what a scholl is. Please explain.

[Marilyn Olsen Scheffler]

12:19 AM on 04/20/2012

Oh Brilliant One! How like you to point out someones spelling errors when of course everything you do is so perfect. Just showing your thoughts on things is bad enough!

[surfinnonreality]

03:00 PM on 01/18/2012

Try googling obama harvard grades If you can find them post the link. Don't be fooled by the fake grades posted as a joke. Why does he hide them? Is it perhaps he doesn't deserve the reputation of smartest men to ever run for president? Maybe just maybe his followers are scared to find out he was in Harvard as an act of affirmative action? He never wrote anything for the Harvard law journals. Where are his papers from that position? There are none. they can be researched as can any paper written for the law journal. The more you dig into obama's past, the more he is looking like a fraud.

[TwinX]

03:17 PM on 01/18/2012

Why did all the 43 other President's 'hide' theirs?

Don't forget, President Bush did not give permission to release his grades, they were leaked.

[justlw]

03:49 PM on 01/18/2012

I want to thank TwinX yet again for posting the link to the excellent compendium of articles and other reminiscences of Obama's early life:

http://www.thefogbow.com/special-reports/people-remember-president-obama/

I've been going through several of the articles this morning: I highly recommend some of the stories from his grade school teachers; they're quite touching.

One of the things listed there is a story that assigns attribution of a Harvard Law Review article to Obama.

"they can be researched as can any paper written for the law journal. "

No, that's actually not true. HLR articles are traditionally intentionally unsigned; the policy is that the Review is considered a group work by its board of editors. The only articles that are signed are articles by non-staff.

[justlw]

03:59 PM on 01/18/2012

In case you think I'm making the last part up:

http://www.harvardlawreview.org/about.php

"All student writing is unsigned. This policy reflects the fact that many members of the Review, besides the author, make a contribution to each published piece."

[Marilyn Olsen Scheffler]

12:23 AM on 04/20/2012

I'm sure that Doyle Mccurly or whatever, will argue with you and you must realize that HE knows ALL!! I don't know that I've ever come across anyone that knows SO MUCH about all things!!

[WELLS35]

02:53 PM on 01/18/2012

In order to earn a Bachelor's degree in most colleges/universities, you must have a "C" average. Bush admitted to a C average. And seeing as how Obama was Editor of the Harvard Law School journal, likely he had a much higher average.

[theobserver4]

11:19 PM on 01/18/2012

He's on record as having graduated Magna Cum Laude

[James Painter]

03:56 PM on 01/19/2012

Then he has nothing to hide. If I had graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard I would post my grades in the NYT for the world to see.

[Doyle McCurley]

02:20 PM on 03/30/2012

Everyone at Harvard graduates. Harvard only gives grades of A B and C. Its called grade inflation and it is practiced at Harvard.

[Doyle McCurley]

07:47 PM on 04/05/2012

Harvard only gives grades of A,B, and C. The worst grade possible is a C. No one fails Harvard. It is called grade inflation and Harvard has been doing it since at least 1994.

[surfinnonreality]

02:51 PM on 01/18/2012

We deserve answers. And not dem obama at any cost answers.
http://www.wnd.com/2008/09/74877/
In the age of the Internet, the less said about a dubious credential the better, and Obama’s law presidency credential is dubious on any number of levels. For starters, Obama did not do nearly well enough at his previous stop, Columbia University, to justify admission to Harvard Law.

According to the New York Sun, university spokesman Brian Connolly confirmed that Obama graduated in 1983 with a major in political science but without honors. In the age of affirmative action and grade inflation, a minority in a relatively easy major like political science had to under-perform dramatically to avoid minimal honors. Obama apparently did just that. The specifics we may never know. As the New York Times concedes, Obama “declined repeated requests to talk about his New York years, release his Columbia transcript or identify even a single fellow student, co-worker, roommate or friend from those years.” Would that Bristol Palin could get off so easily!

[TwinX]

03:03 PM on 01/18/2012

"or identify even a single fellow student, co-worker, roommate or friend from those years"

Not to worry. Quite a few of them happily identified themselves.

http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/jan_feb09/alumni_corner

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/us/politics/30obama.html?pagewanted=2

http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2008/09/11/after-long-absence-obama-cc-83-speaks-alma-mater

http://www.factcheck.org/2010/02/factcheck-mailbag-week-of-feb-16-feb-22/

[surfinnonreality]

04:18 PM on 01/18/2012

The first three sound so familiar to each other they appear to have been giving talking points to use for their write up.

[King Joffe Joffer]

03:10 PM on 01/18/2012

If your going to jump out there and make the claims your making, perhaps you should get better facts than an article from a conspiracy theorist and quotes from an out of print newspaper.