AMHERST, Mass. (AP) -- President Bush's former chief of staff Andrew Card was loudly booed by hundreds of students and faculty members as he rose to accept an honorary degree at the University of Massachusetts on Friday.
The boos and catcalls - including those from faculty members who stood onstage with Card - drowned out Provost Charlena Seymour's remarks as she awarded the honorary doctorate in public service. Protesters claim Card lied to the American people in the early days of the Iraq war and should not have been honored at the graduate student commencement.
Card smiled slightly while Seymour spoke and raised his hand in thanks, then sat down without speaking.
While he turned one hundred shades of red...
The protests were mainly contained to an area in the back of the campus arena, though many of the faculty members onstage joined the three- to four- minute outburst.
One faculty member onstage held a sign: "Card - no honor, no degree." Another sign said, "War criminals go home."
Chancellor John Lombardi declined to comment on the protests or Card's honorary degree.
Before the commencement ceremony, about 100 faculty members and students sang anti-war songs, handed out leaflets and waved signs outside the arena.
It's excellent that so many faculty members were involved. Takes the "it's just angry kids" meme away from the right-wing apologists.
Why Massachussians... Massacitizens... Massachusettsians... whatever... ever elected Republican automaton Mitt Romney for Governor, is beyond me. They have since come to their senses though.
Kudos to the UMass crowd for relegating Card to the dark dustbin of history where he and his fellow war criminals belong.
Update: Bonus video of the ceremony (h/t Marie)
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