Daily Nonsense

At least at Pomona College in Southern California. Student leaders had been considering inviting Alberto ‘I Don’t Recall’ Gonzales to speak on campus, but decided against it based on a combination of price and student interest.

Kelly Schwartz, class of 2010, Associated Students of Pomona College Communications Commissioner and chairperson of the Speakers Committee stated that ‘Berto’s fee would have been a deeply discounted $35,000. You might remember that he charged $40,000 for appearing at the University of Florida last month. (In a few months you might be able to get Al on the dollar menu at Burger King)

One Professor at the college put the matter sharply into focus:

Pomona Professor of Politics Heather Williams, for one, reacted positively to the news. Williams, who last week wrote an opinions article in The Student Life against bringing Gonzales to campus, said that it was never the right decision for the school.

“Even if the point was to invite Gonzales to campus to answer for his actions as Attorney General, let’s face it, he’s not on the lecture circuit to disclose hitherto unknown information and apologize to the public for his conduct,” she wrote in an email. “Honesty was not his m.o. when he assumed office and he stumbled and dodged through one Senate hearing after another, and it’s certainly not going to be his meal ticket now. Call me old fashioned, but I think there’s something really gross about a celebrity lecture circuit that rewards people for misconduct, scandal, and even felony crimes.”

[Thanks, The Student Life]