We're Not Worthy! Obama Headlines ASU Graduation with Alice Cooper

Snake dancing, stage blood-covered shock rocker turned Republican golfer Alice Cooper will open for President Barack Obama at Arizona State University's graduation ceremony May 13.

Cooper who's shared the stage with the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Groucho Marx and Johnny Carson, says:

Of all the people I've ever shared a stage with, Obama is the biggest rock star. And I'd like to thank him, in advance, for changing the national anthem to 'Schools Out.'

It's all come full circle:

In 1983 Arizona's own John McCain voted against establishing a national holiday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and in 1987 supported Arizona Republican Governor Evan Mecham's rescinding of the state holiday in honor of King created by the Democratic predecessor. In the face of overwhelming public disgust for this position, McCain eventually backed down and encouraged state recognition of the holiday.

Mecham's infamy continued to grow: He got a triple kick as the first United States governor

to simultaneously face removal from office through impeachment, a scheduled recall election, and a felony indictment

and became the first Arizona governor to be impeached. So it's kinda really extra huge to have Obama there. Except:

ASU officials declined to give President Obama the usual honorary degree, . Instead, they greatly expanded the university's

most important financial aid program and renaming it the President Barack Obama Scholars Program).

The program will now serve triple the number of students, providing funding for direct costs to all academically qualified Arizona freshmen from families that earn less than $60,000, up form $25,000. Which is great, but it's still a diss to not give an honorary degree.

Lisa Derrick is La Figa at Firedoglake.com

Comments

[rejoiceinit]

Yawn. Their loss.

[Johnagain]

D@mn. Alice Cooper is another Detroit Rocker who I listened to in my youth, along with Ted Nugent, who has gone down the right wing, born-again nutbag path. Such a shame when a creative mind rots before your eyes.

[Bilboo]

I don't think calling him Alice a Republican is appropriate. He's a Christian but appears to be ambivalent politically.

[Lisa Derrick - Huffpost Blogger]

Actually, Alice is in fact a Republican; it's not a word I toss around lightly, and certainly I don't assume all Christians are Republicans any more than I think all pagans are Democrats! I did a little research before I wrote this piece

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27098-2004Aug23.html
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40127
"Cooper, whose real name is Vincent Damon Furnier, is reportedly a strong Republican who joins Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., at NBA games in Phoenix. "

[Bilboo]

Actually, I researched it some too.

This is from last October:

"Often quoted in the media as a supporter of the Republican Party, Cooper sets the record straight for the first time. "I'll be honest, I go from Democrat to Republican. I vote for the person, not the party. [As for Sarah Palin], I think she's totally a breath of fresh air. When they say she has no experience, maybe that's what Washington needs. I still don't know who I'm going to vote for. But in a shooting war, I want a pit bull, not a poodle. I'm going to go for the hawk."

http://www.ottawaxpress.ca/music/music.aspx?iIDArticle=15770

You're fair to question his dubious judgment, and to point out that he's a born-again Christian who has a history of backing right-wingers, but it's a step too far to say categorically that he's a Republican. And that's my entire point.

[SeanGardner]

"but it's still a diss to not give an honorary degree"

Yes it is. There is no way to get around that.

[JohnFromCensornati]

"Of all the people I've ever shared a stage with, Obama is the biggest rock star."

It seems the Republicans are still calling BHO a celebrity.