Boston College refuses to honor Mukasey.
The Boston Globe reports Boston College Law School will not award its highest honor to Attorney General Michael Mukasey when he speaks at its May commencement, “amid sharp criticism from students, faculty, and alumni over his invitation.” Mukasey’s appearance has been criticized for his position on torture:
Dan Roth, a 2004 Law School graduate, said that while he was pleased by yesterday’s announcement, he believes that the school should have rescinded Mukasey’s invitation altogether, because his position on waterboarding conflicts with the university’s Jesuit mission.
“It’s not the time to give someone who has taken that position the platform and the honor,” Roth said.
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Congratulations to the folks at Boston College!
The more this type of thing happens, the more our stupid politicians will realize this is unacceptable.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:57 amAwesome.
No wonder the regressives hate academia. People who think are dangerous to their agenda.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:02 amAwesome!
You get what you deserve, stupid old bag of bones.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:03 amNot to worry. GDumbya will be giving him a Medal of Freedom award and a full pardon in January 2009.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:03 amJudge Mukasey has been a severe disappointment. Based on his unwillingness to pursue the cases on Miers and Bolton, it is clear that Mukasey is not an unbiased player when it comes to the law. Groundhog day! He is in good company with Alberto Gonazales. Both are political animals who play with the law to make it work for certain people…powerful people, further enriching themselves. It’s obscene. If he can’t handle his job he should get out. If he cannot abide the rule of law, vis a vis approving of torture (can you believe!), disbar him. I pray that the college gives strong consideration to canceling Mukasey’s commencement visit and speech. How could a Jesuit University allow a lawyer who approves of torture of all things, to set foot on its grounds.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:05 amJust another first for this administration. How many other administrations have had so many current and former officials shunned for awards and commencement speeches? One would have to go back to the Vietnam War era and now there seems to be more incidences. Goes along with the first for number indicted of crimes or resigning under a cloud of suspicion, number involved in pedophilia and other such great accomplishments.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:05 am“…no one expects the student inquisition…”
March 5th, 2008 at 10:07 amBoston College Law School Students Unite!
If you can’t get Mukasey’s appearance cancelled by raising a stink, raise one when he’s there. Bigtime protests are in order for this sorry BushCo enabler.
Think I hear those Furies that are pursuing Gonzo, Rove, et al. speedin’ & a-shriekin’ toward Mike Mukasey:
http://www.in2greece.com/ english/ historymyth/ mythology/ names/ furies.htm
March 5th, 2008 at 10:12 amBC is my alma mater.
Way to go BC!
March 5th, 2008 at 10:17 amF@CK Mukasey !!!
Universities SHOULDNT honor war criminals.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:19 amYes BC, we need revolution in any form to show what real Americans believe about this administration. You don’t need to be raucous but some display of disgust at the ceremony will be appreciated.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:28 amWere Chuckie & Di-Fi scheduled to appear & hand out the award?
Mufakesy is a Bushlicker first, AG second.
Congrats, BC!
Maybe KKKarl & Gonzo will have some speaking events canceled now.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:30 amI can understand a law college inviting the top lawyer of the land to speak at commencement — that seems logical. But shouldn’t they have a back-up plan in case the “top lawyer” embodies values not in line with the teachings of the college?
I’m disappointed that Mukasey got asked at all, but somewhat gratified that he won’t get additional honors.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:31 amThe average Joe could not care less about waterboarding members of al-Qaeda, so let’s not lose focus. America’s Human Rights record remains unblemished. There are other fights to fight. This one’s just lame and only serves to embellish the image of progressives as weak-keed Casper Milqtoasts.
On a positive note, great wins by Hillary last night.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:36 amBC is my alma mater.
Way to go BC!
Comment by Kay — March 5, 2008 @ 10:17 am
It was my mom’s as well. I am sure that she is smiling from above right now.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:39 amUniversities SHOULDNT honor war criminals.
Comment by overlap — March 5, 2008 @ 10:19 am
Especially Catholic universities.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:45 amThis dude was a judge. Think about how the cases he presided over were decided. Do you think he was fair and impartial? Do you think justice was served during his tenure? Do you think anyone suffered injustice as a result of his judgments?
We’re going to have to purge the judiciary(ies) as well as the legislature(s) if we want to regain our Constitutional government. I don’t know how this can be achieved, other than by direct Petition from the People for redress of grievances.
The Powers-that-be have very slickly and very slowly disenfranchised the people of the United States by the administrative invalidation of our Constitution (Bushco being the most blatant example). From the Gold Standard (like it or not, it’s in there) to our Right to Petition, the Constitution has been slowly eroded - without the required amendment process. Ralph Nader might not be a good candidate for POTUS, but only a fool would listen to his message and not understand the peril he points out.
It would seem that blogs like this, using the specific right to petition the government via the awesome power of the Internet, and with help of some committed attorneys, could force the government’s hand - outside of the electoral process. If only half of the people in the 70-some-odd percent of Americans who oppose the war in Iraq were to petition the government directly, the proverbial s would hit the proverbial f pretty quickly.
How does a Government of the People get its rights back? It does not ask for them. It gives short notice and then takes them back.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:47 amThis is one reason why colleges and universities are the hallmark of our nation. I’m honored to be studying at one, and would hope that someday, after a stint in public service, to enter the professorate, and ultimately, a deanship and a presidency.
Even with the mindless aura our representatives have displayed over the years, I’m proud we still have central places to think!
March 5th, 2008 at 10:53 amPer #14- These intel milktoasts composed & sent a protest letter to the SJC during Mukasey’s nom hearing last November urging the committee not to confirm him w/out his clarification of waterboarding as torture.
Among them are these famous intel no-nothings whose opinion I guess Nettles would discount- Valerie Plame, Joe Wilson, Coleen Rowley, Ray McGovern, Larry Johnson, & Col. Pat Lang:
http://noquarterusa.net/ blog/ 2007/ 11/ 05/ urgent-letter-from-intelligence-military-diplomatic-and-law-enforcement-professionals/
March 5th, 2008 at 10:53 amIt would seem that blogs like this, using the specific right to petition the government via the awesome power of the Internet…
Which is why net neutrality is one of the mot important issues facing us today.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:53 amThe average Joe could not care less about waterboarding members of al-Qaeda, so let’s not lose focus. America’s Human Rights record remains unblemished. There are other fights to fight. This one’s just lame and only serves to embellish the image of progressives as weak-keed Casper Milqtoasts.
On a positive note, great wins by Hillary last night.
Comment by Nettles — March 5, 2008 @ 10:36 am
Unblemished?
The United States of America, the land of the free, has admitted to torturing people. This is inexcusable in the 21st Century. It doesn’t matter what they’re suspected of doing. We’ve violated international human rights law and turned ourselves into utter hypocrites.
The fight for human rights is never lame. It is at the heart of the progressive movement. It’s a fight for the very soul of our country. If we rfall so far that we regard torture as acceptable, then the United States of America is dead.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:56 amThe “average Joe” being you, of course.
Unblemished? You must mean other than the syphlitic facial sores caused by Bushco’s hard-on for torture, dissapearences, and unjust war against a civilian population (how very Chilean of us, no?).
Milqtoasts? We know a punk and a bit(h like you when we see one. You freekin’ poorly disguised toll.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:58 amComment by Nettles — March 5, 2008 @ 10:36 am
This one is a parody, right?
Who is it? Frank M? Gin? I say Frank M.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:00 amBoston College Law School deserves to be applauded for having the courage to stand up for its principles by refusing to honor Mukasey due to his position regarding waterboarding. Presenting him with an award would have been a betrayal of its own ethics both as a law school and as a Jesuit school.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:01 amComment by Nettles — March 5, 2008 @ 10:36 am
This one is a parody, right?
Who is it? Frank M? Gin? I say Frank M.
Comment by The Republic of Stupidity — March 5, 2008 @ 11:00 am
The tone is Frank M’s, but this one is much more loquacious. Perhaps the performance artist behind Frank is creating a new “character” and we’re witnessing its birth.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:03 amNettles is just a piece of corn in my poop.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:05 am“Awesome.
No wonder the regressives hate academia. People who think are dangerous to their agenda.
Comment by ralph the wonder llama ”
The neo-cons hate anything that they can’t be part of and if they throw money at it or use neo-con ranking and the folks still don’t fold over they get even more pissy.
They always want control.
Real Conservatives IMHO on the other hand seem to know their place. course we haven’t seen to many of those around lately.
Anybody see a real conservative, please point one out.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:09 amComment by Marcus Aurelius — March 5, 2008 @ 10:47 am
A recent list of cases presided over by the former Judge Mukasey:
Jose Padilla: He said Padilla, an American citizen, could be held as an enemy combatant (indefinitely), but was entitled to see his lawyer.
Larry Silverstein v. the insurance companies: Larry got richer when his World Trade Center got knocked down.
And, he reversed his own ruling in a case where plaintiffs had sued an Italian insurance company for damages for nonpayment of proceeds to beneficiaries of Holocaust victims, giving deference to the executive branch policy of voluntary resolution of Holocaust era policies.
No worries, he’ll get his medal…
March 5th, 2008 at 11:20 amI always thought that a great speaker would be from the other side of the aisle giving good testimony to students that those around you need better lawyers than the Government.
Perhaps Laurence Tribe or Gerry Spence, then you can give them the a letter in frame, a new car, the hope diamond, and know that your students heard the rite thing.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:23 amMukasey is just another criminal stooge put in place to protect Bush from going to jail.
Any college that would even let this scum bag soil their ground is not worth the powder to blow them to hell.
Bush/Cheney
March 5th, 2008 at 11:55 amHague Trials ‘09
…he believes that the school should have rescinded Mukasey’s invitation altogether, because his position on waterboarding conflicts with the university’s Jesuit mission.
How about removing the “mission” part and replacing the whole concept with his position on enabling the shredding of our constitution.
As a law student, you would think that that mattered. But, apparently not.
Shame that.
March 5th, 2008 at 12:25 pmBoston College i, and always has been, a class act.
how can Catholics go against the directives of their Pope and support torture and this war? Benedict has repeated time and again that the war in Iraq is morally wrong.
Catholics are quick to call abortion murder, yet overwhelmingly support capital punishment, which goes against Benedict’s pronouncements. Catholics are in favor of waterboarding. how would they have felt if Jesus had been waterboarded by the Romans.
and whatever happened to the doctrine of Papal infallibility? is your Pope wrong? or are YOU wrong. both of you cant be right.
Boston College is to be commended.
March 5th, 2008 at 12:55 pmGood for them. It’s nice to see that there are still people out there who care about the constitution and the rule of law.
March 5th, 2008 at 12:57 pmThe average Joe could not care less about waterboarding members of al-Qaeda, so let’s not lose focus. America’s Human Rights record remains unblemished.
Comment by Nettles
Sorry troll, you are wrong on both points. Here’s the proof:
http://www.cnn.com/ 2007/ POLITICS/ 11/ 06/ waterboard.poll/
http://www.opportunityagenda.org/site/c.mwL5KkN0LvH/b.3743851/
March 5th, 2008 at 1:07 pmI’m a Boston College alum, A&S class of 2005. I love my school very much, and it pleases me to see them taking a small step in the right direction. I had a fantastic speaker at my commencement, Dr. Paul Farmer, founder of Partners in Health and a remarkable person.
The speaker for the undergrad class of 2006, however, was the one and only Condoleezza Rice. Many protested and some even quit over it. John Gibson at Fox News was even kind enough to write about it. I was shocked by it. I’m very passionate about social justice because of my Jesuit education, and I couldn’t believe they had invited one of the architects of the socially unjust Iraq war to speak at my school. I’m still angry about it.
Now they have Mukasey speaking to the law school, an AG with contempt for the rule of law. I know that high profile speakers bring a lot of attention to the school, but does Boston College want that to be associated with that kind of profile? They shoud have rescinded the invitation, but at least this is something.
March 5th, 2008 at 2:25 pmWelcome to the club, BC.
March 5th, 2008 at 3:15 pmI believed I couldn’t have been more proud than the day my niece graduated BC a couple of years ago ; I happily stand corrected …………
March 5th, 2008 at 3:44 pmOh NOW Catholics are against torture!
j/k ;)
March 5th, 2008 at 10:49 pm