Brace yourselves folks, cause we’re in for a series of first with this President.  Being the first African American President is just the beginning of first being established. People are pulling excuses out of the air to justify decisions that simply don’t add up.

In the case of Notre Dame, the University is being consistent in inviting the President of the United States to deliver their commencement address and bestowing a honorary doctorate degree despite the opposition of Bishop John Darcy in whose diocese Notre Dame’s resides.

Arizona State University has just made themselves the proverbial laughing stock of the world by inviting the President of the United States to give the commencement address and refusing to award him the customary honorary degree. If the refusal was considered dumb the reasoning offered was no improvement.

ASU spokeswoman Sharon Keeler told The Associated Press: "It's our practice to recognize an individual for his body of work, somebody who's been in their position for a long time.  His body of work is yet to come.  That's why we're not recognizing him with a degree at the beginning of his presidency."

On the University of Arizona website was the following statement. The UA confers honorary degrees in order to recognize significant achievements within the academic environment and in the world at large. These degrees provide the University with an opportunity to honor individuals for their contribution to the UA, the state, the nation or the world.

Being the first African American editor of the Harvard Law Review, writing two best-sellers, defying all odds running against and defeating the vaunted Clinton machine, developing one of the largest grassroots organizations in the world, and finally, winning the Presidency of the United States, pales against the gigantic accomplishments of other ASU honorary doctorate recipients.

Barry Goldwater received his honorary degree in May 1961, three years before his Republican nomination for president and only eight years into his three decades as a U.S. senator. Sandra Day O'Connor was similarly recognized just three years in her 25 years on the U.S. Supreme Court.

The ASU Honorary Degree Committee is made up of six members from across the campuses and is chaired by Dr. Laurie Chassin, a psychology professor.  The statements regarding not awarding the honorary degree by Ms. Keeler were increasingly brainless she said Obama was not even considered by the committee for an honorary degree and may not have even been nominated. According to university procedures, nominations may be submitted

by members of the university family (including its 60,000+ students or even alumni) at any time during the academic year.
An interesting twist to this whole scenario is that while there are protestors against the Presidents appearance at  Notre Dame where he will be awarded an honorary degree, the students at ASU are scalping their tickets as reported by CNN Some graduating ASU students -- allowed by the school to invite up to six guests -- apparently are selling their guest tickets to the May 13 commencement at Sun Devil Stadium. Sellers generally are asking $60 to $100 apiece on craigslist.org, and they're auctioning tickets on eBay. Others are selling by word of mouth.