No Regrets, Just Lessons

We note that former Bush-the-Lesser Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has given her regrets to Rutgers University to give the commencement speech following protests from both faculty and students:

 “Commencement should be a time of joyous celebration for the graduates and their families,” Rice said. “Rutgers’ invitation to me to speak has become a distraction for the university community at this very special time.”…

In her statement, Rice defended her record, saying that she was honored to serve her country and that she had “defended America’s belief in free speech and the exchange of ideas.” But she said she didn’t want to detract from the spirit of the commencement ceremony.

Which of course was graciously accepted by the University, but not by the right-wing punditry who are insisting in ways large and small that this is outrageous, and those damn liberals… but as is often the case, Wingnuttia was confusing Cause with Effect.

• Awful School Is Awfully Intolerant: Condi Rice Backs Out Of Rutgers Speech Amid Protests
  
• Black, Female, Conservative Condi Rice Backs Out of Rutgers Commencement After Protests from Irate Liberals
• College campuses essentially run on mob rule at this point

And of course the brain trust at Twitchy weighed in with their usual charm, with claims that Ms. Rice’s freedom of speech was being oppressed, and so much for diversity and tolerance of opinion at campuses and so on.

So riddle me this Batman: how would there be an open debate on Ms. Rice and her record if she were given the podium at commencement?

Answer: The commencement address was the prize, not the debate.

Sorry Twitchy, the debate already happened. Rutgers’ students and faculty won.

By: Tengrain

Fully caffeinated with twice the sugar, unabashedly liberal. Award-winning Americans United blogger, blogs at Mock Paper Scissors, and sometimes at Crooks and Liars.

You can follow @Tengrain on Twitter, or you might see him enjoying coffee somewhere in Seattle at any given moment of the day.