www.yawn.com

This guy is trying to become the next "Al Sharpton" (albeit crazier) at the price of keeping race relations stagnant in this country. What a tool.

Lame defense.

Any commencement speaker worth having will be controversial at some level and will have views that will piss of some of the attendees, undermining the "celebratory character" of the event.

Way to go Northwestern.

This piece of garbage should be completely ostricized.

Al SharpTTTon only remains "Al SharpTTTon" at the price of keeping race relations stagnant in this country. What a tool.

Possible legal theories for Wright v. Northwestern University:

-- Breach of contract?

-- Or, if no contract, a related doctrine -- promissory estoppel? Quantum meruit? Unjust enrichment?

-- Violation of his civil rights?

Northwestern = NYU = TTT

Maybe if he was to receive an honorarium, he could sue the media for interference with contractual relations...

Another thinly veiled anti-Obama story from Lat. When was the last time you reported on something remotely negative about Hillary. How about a legal update on Paul v. Clinton -- http://www.paulvclinton.com/ (doubt we will see that anytime soon)

So now we won’t honor people who speak freely? Irrespective of his views, he should be able to express himself and not be honored..Simply because fox news, you know, the "fair and balanced" fox news, have undertaken a media war against him where it uses half-quotes and half truths as a weapons should not be a reason to preclude him from receiving a previously extended honorary degree.

Why have we not shunned Fox news and the like for lying about the evidence/motives for the war and manufacturing consent? Last I checked, the comments by the Rev. did not cost us trillions of dollars and over 4,000 lives of our loved ones.

9:51 - How is this anti-Obama? It reads as balanced to me. Lat isn't taking any stands in this.

Is any mention of Rev. Wright per se anti-Obama?

@ 9:55 - Of course he's able to express himself ... he's uninvited from Northwestern, not locked in a gulag.

He is free to express himself, and Northwestern is free to consider him bat-shit crazy and decide not to give him an honorary degree.

9:55 (both posts) Just because someone speaks freely does not mean we have to honor them or want to listen to what they say. White supremacists often speak freely, but we don't honor them, nor do
There is no information here about why Northwestern was honoring Dr. Wright, but if his recent behavior contradicted why Northwestern wanted to honor him, then they are justified in uninviting him.

This is just a part of NW's plan to put a gap in Wright's calendar so that they can get him to replace Springer as graduation speaker.

I assume the descriptor "retiring" was meant to refer to Wright's job status and not the former Obama-advisor's personality--which is anything but.

I'm glad Northwestern can realize that having someone like Wright is "beyond the pale" in terms of what is acceptable.

Yet the hypocrites still have Jerry Springer, a massive tool and loser. So they still have egg on their face till this gunk gets uninvited.

Um, maybe Northwestern should have vetted him a bit more carefully before extending the offer in the first instance.

Hey Lat,

A little early to start campaigning for McCain, no?

I agree with 11:02, it wasn't like he was making these ridiculously offensive speeches in secret nasement meetings. He taped them and sold them in the Church gift shop - Northwestern dropped the ball.

That being said, they made a mess by inviting him and now they need to clean it up by disinviting him. Since its a private university there is no such thing as "free speech." It's called "you're free to leave speech".

I'm a Clinton supporter and I still think this is a bit much. Surely Northwestern has given honorary degrees to controversial figures before.

I wish Reverend Wright was captured and put in an Afghani prison so he could yell God Damn America all day while they shock his nuts with a car battery.

Re: causes of action, I don't see a defamation case.

Northwestern just expressed the (non-actionable) opinion that Wright would undermine the "celebratory character" of their graduation ceremonies.

@9:25 -
I predict Wright's legal theory against Northwestern will be something along the lines of "God DAMN Northwestern!"

He may bring additional causes of action for Northwestern's role in creating the AIDS virus.

And also for beaming messages into his brain that cause him to spout rubbish.

11:05 - so I suppose Obama's relationship with Rev. Wright is actually a fabrication by the right-wing media. Or perhaps a planted story by Hillary supporters. Or perhaps Mr. Obama has had a personal relationship with a hate monger for over 20 years and has only now decided to disavow someone he could no sooner disavow than his own grandmother. Yeah, probably that last one. Sorry kids, this is not a conspiracy. This problem is all Obama's own making.

Any appearance by Wright at an event is bound to overshadow the event and turn the thing into a circus.

Moreover, NW would be giving a degree to a guy who just said last week (again) that the United States created aids to kill blacks, and who showed up at the Washington Press Club with entourage that included Nation of Islam body guards and officials as well as Marion Barry.

No telling who his entourage at North Western would have included. (Probably not the Obama’s though.)

Wait a second. Wait just one darn second. Does anyone see a huge problem with the fact that Jerry Springer is allowed to deliver commencement but the Rev cant even attend. Does anyone here seriously contest that Springer has done more to erode values, assault common decency, and support pervase dysfunctionalism in our society than the Rev. Lest we forget that Springer was the first to bring us such forgettable shows as “dysfunctional thanksgivings”, “im sleeping with my sister’s midget husband” and “I refuse to wear clothes” (all three sequels as well).

The bottom line is that Northwestern is willing to feature springer as a commencement speaker, despite his blatant record of encouraging and capitalizing of the deterioration of our societal values, yet refuse admission to commencement for a man preaching about contemporary issues that face us? They saw fit to invite him at one point....guess speaking out has its concequences.

Yet another anti-Obama post with absolutely no legal connection.

Lat, stick with legal gossip. You're great at legal chitchat, but you look like a chump when you try to talk politics.

11:34-

Your use of “perhaps” is atrocious. You use it once up front, then use “or” and “nor” to correlate it to the clauses that follow. You DO NOT keep repeating it.

Perhaps you attended a TTT. Perhaps you are stupid..perhaps..perhaps...perhaps....

I think Hillary is justified in vetting Reverend Wright now because the republicans certainly aren't going to give him any breaks this fall in the general.

12:15 - I don't think you know what correlate means. Perhaps you should seek a dictionary. You also don't use an ellipsis correctly. Perhaps you should seek out a blue book.

I think 12:22 is justified in vetting 12:15's grammar in preparation for the general election.

I'm voting for McCain

Northwestern seriously needs to get better press reps, and advisors...aside from the legal issues, does it really think that the "controversy" surrounding Wright given his outrageous comments is any different from the controversy that might arise from Springer's rep; due to his own outrageous statements and consistent behavior on his own show? So, let me get this straight....Springer can hide behind the First Amendment when it comes to providing a platform for "hillbillies" to scratch and claw over adulterous affairs with in-laws, but Wright can't get the same consideration for his (admittedly) crazy views on AIDS, etc.?
I realize we can't even get into viewpoint or content discrimination issues, given the fact that Northwestern is a private entity, but does the school have a clue how inconsistent it appears on this issue?

I'm voting for the candidate who has the best grammar and isn't a woman or a minority.

This ain't anti-Barry. It's anti-Northwestern. They're basically admitting that even though they were going to give the guy an honorary degree they'd never actually read anything he said or wrote.

Rev Wright hasn't changed any of his positions in 20 years. The people moving (away from him) are the Obamas and Northwestern.

But Rev Wright's just being himself, and it's pretty f-ed up that everyone thought he was cool enough to give an honorary degree to a couple of months ago and now, just 'cause the Republicans and Fox are all over him, they want to ostracize him as if he were a terror-bomber (like the Weathermen, two of whom will be at commencement ceremonies this month).

All Wright did was preach his conscience to his church, including Barry & Michelle, for 20 years. That's all he's doing now.

Seems kinda bullcrap. I don't agree with what the guy says, but it's not like he said anything new... he's just getting bad press now.

12:11 - Jerry Springer is a PATRIOT. You obviously are not.

9:55 - (1) Fox News has been found to be the most "fair and balanced" station by neutral groups. If you want me to pull up the studies, I'm happy to. Also, the demographics of the viewers of Fox and CNN aren't much different at all. Also happy to dig up if you'd like. That FNC is such a whipping boy for the MoveOn crowd is absurd.

(2) Yes, Fox News has conservative opinion shows--as do other channels--do not confuse this with their news programs.

(3) How, exactly, do you take "God damn America" out of context? How is that a half-quote? He's said horrible things, and he needs to be held accountable, as does Obama for listening to him (and supporting him with $50k+ over the past two FYs combined).

What a double standard! If anybody -- but Obama -- was caught in a church with such a racist and divisive pastor, this race would already be over. Rather, we have excuses and double talk because of all the "hope."

What was Rev. Wright going to be getting an honorary degree in - medicine (for his pioneering work on virology) or peace (for building bridges of understanding that bring people together)? Regardless, the Universtiy should give him his degree.

While they are at it, they should also invite the Rev. Mike Huckabee to receive an honorary degree in astrophysics (for his seminal research on the age of the universe).

Then they can have the Master of Ceremonies, Dr. Jerry Springer (honored for his brilliant journalism, I assume), bring them both out onstage and introduce them to each other, and moderate the chair-throwing fight that will ensue.

What I want to know is, what did Dr. Phil do to get left out of this gathering of luminaries?

I second 1:50 - the only double standard here is the double standard by which Obama can continue as a viable candidate despite having a close personal association with a racist demagogue. I wonder what the media would say about HillDog if it turned out that a very close personal friend of hers was a virulently racist. I wonder if the entire media establishment would come to her defense in the same way they have come to Obama's assistance (while also wallowing in their own white guilt).

1:57, I actually think Jeremiah Wright should get a combined degree in anthropology, history and divinity for his discovery that Jesus, previously a Middle-Eastern Jew, was actually black (unlike those white Italian-Romans).

@2:13, you mean like HillDog's virulently racist close personal friend, Geraldine Ferraro? Haha, just kidding, I couldn't even type that without laughing.

You make a good point. Forget pastors and close friends with racist views - politicians have gotten in hot water merely for belonging to a country club that didn't have minority members, without any indication that the politician in question knew of, much less supported, any exclsionary membership policy.

1:57, good plot. Maybe next year.

2:13, exactly what you're saying was said over at CNN early in the day...RIGHT on the money....

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/05/beck.obamawright/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

4:08 - ahh, I see. Because conservative commentators have criticized Rev. Wright's words and relationship with Obama, it's a per se ideological attack to bring up any similar valid criticisms. What a crock.

just wanted to point out that jerry springer is a nw alum

Minorities and women get all the benefits of double standards! :*(

- Sad White Guy

11:30, that was hilarious.

As a Northwestern Law student, I feel obigated to point out that this is the UNDERGRADUATE university, not the law school. Any of you lucky enough to spend any appreciable time on the Northwestern Law campus (perhaps enjoying the institution's snazzy lake views, purple furniture, and work-experienced student body) might know that there is a pretty big disconnect between the undergratuate university in Evanston and the professional schools located downtown in Chicago. Fortunately, I don't think that Northwestern Law had anything to do with inviting (or univiting, for that matter) Rev. Wright (I wish I could say the same about the Springer invite).

My personal view on it is that Northwestern simply got caught up in the same Obama hoopla that makes me a bit warry of him as a candidate. I'm not saying that he's a bad candidate, but I somewhat question his appeal for some of his supporters. Several people in my social circle purport to be Obama die-hards, but at the same time they don't know anything about his platform. They know that he's from Chicago, he's the first black candidate with a legitimate shot at winning, he's a smooth public speaker, and I sense that the final factor is that they sense he is becoming something of a cultural phenomenon. Shouldn't voters be trying to vote for the best candidate on the issues (and if that's Obama, then that's great), not on the amount of buzz he's generating or because it helps the voter identify with a social group? I think a good analogy is the Harry Potter fad. A lot of people read Harry Potter and enjoy it greatly, but I think that most everyone over the age of 12 understands that there are better, more substantive books out there.

Sorry for the political tangent...but it's late and more exciting than exam study...

Disclosure: I had many, many, public disagreements with President Bienen as an undergrad at NU surround similar issues. In all of those experiences Bienen was always very supportive of the right to share ones views. See e.g., Aurthur Butz not being fired amongst numerous claims that his work was antisemitic. Bienen just did not allow these people to use the university as an inappropriate sounding stage. Id. This seems to be one of those cases.

NW needs to grow a pair. If you listen to what Reverend Wright actually said instead of listening to the right-wing media, you would actually notice that he hardly said anything that isn't true, or isn't justified given his experiences in this country. To paraphrase Chris Rock: A 75 year-old black guy who hates white people. Is there any other kind?

Northwestern would disinvite Springer as well if Springer were compromising Obama's electoral chances. That's all this is.