Lack of Honorary Degree for Obama Stirs Death Threats

President Obama will be speaking at the Arizona State University commencement, but the local paper discovered that he will not be receiving an honorary degree:

ASU will not award President Barack Obama an honorary degree when he speaks at the commencement ceremony on May 13.

University spokeswoman Sharon Keeler said Tuesday that the University awards honorary degrees to recognize individuals for their work and accomplishments spanning their lifetime.

“Because President Obama’s body of work is yet to come, it’s inappropriate to recognize him at this time,” Keeler said.

Once that word got out some folks were so outraged death threats were made against the staff members involved in planning the commencement activities:

TEMPE, ARIZONA - Arizona State University President Michael Crow is saying that ASU will "honor President Obama in every way" just two days after student journalist Adam Sneed broke the story that Arizona State University (ASU) would not be conferring the customary honorary degree on President Barack Obama when he gives the commencement speech in May.

Universities typically confer an honorary degree on commencement speakers (critics say the process resembles a racket). When Sneed heard through the grapevine that ASU did not intend to bestow that honor on the President of the United States, he knew he had a story. He just didn't know how big. He says university staff were very helpful when he went looking for details, adding, "I just don't think any of us anticipated it getting this much attention!"

Faculty and staff at ASU have taken a lot of heat over this issue. Laurie Chassin co-chairs the ASU Honorary Degree Committee along with Christine Wilkinson, but she is on sabbatical this year and is not involved in this year's evaluations. According to a source within the administration, she reportedly received death threats after this story hit national news on Thursday. An ASU spokesperson said they started receiving hate-email within minutes after the story was published on Huffington Post. Crow's office was barraged with so many calls that many went straight to voice mail.

Not to worry, lefties. The school is quickly backtracking and will establish the "Barack Obama Scholars Program". I'm guessing he'll get the degree too, before it's all over.