VT Convocation on MSNBC and CNN right now n/t

[Whoa_Nelly]

[kerry-is-my-prez]

1. Let us know how it goes. I can't stomach listening to the shrub.

or to anyone who might go on and on about how he is bringing the country together, etc., etc.

[Whoa_Nelly]

2. Don't see him on the stage

Maybe he will be making the big SS Grand PooBah entrance at some point :shrug:

[DURHAM D]

25. My guess is that they did not have him on the stage

for security reasons. He was in the audience - easier to hide him.

[nitpicker]

6. Kaine up first

Talking about the VT spirit and community, saying resources are available and to not let the bad news wreck the community.

[nitpicker]

12. **** remarks

A day of mourning for VT, expressing sympathy, people all over this country are thinking about you.

[nitpicker]

16. more ****

You have resources, you have your faith, people are praying for the fallen, a real power in prayers (more religious sayings), end of speech.

[nitpicker]

18. The rector of the VT board of visitors is up.

Shocked at unfathomable tragedy, but we are part of the national community of education and this could have happened anywhere. We must move forward, begin the healing process. 4 leaders of religious community are here, a Muslim, a Jew, a Lutheran, and a -----, thanks for their help and guidance.

[nitpicker]

20. Now the speeches from the religious leaders.

etc etc etc.

[nitpicker]

36. The VT provost is on now.

Talking about the classroom sanctuary being violated, but they will move forward.

[nitpicker]

39. Now a couple of admin types

Talking about help resources available, will assign liaisons to the families of all the (direct) victims. No classes until Monday, will make plans for moving the academics forward and get back on track. Telling students to go find help during the next few days. Talking about websites and toll-free numbers. The counseling center head said everyone at VT has been traumatized, and cautioned the students to take care of themselves and to contact the counseling center if needed, as offers of help have come in from community resources.

[nitpicker]

40. And now some closing remarks

From an English professor.

[DURHAM D]

3. Hate to bring this up (sort of) but Steger donated $2,000 to

Bush/ Cheney in 2004 and donated to Senator Allen's race in 2006. No wonder he was happy to give Bush a forum.

[Norquist Nemesis]

4. Not suprised. It was odd when he answered he'd talked to Bush

and then plugged Gonzo as giving him a call, too.

[DURHAM D]

5. Actually - it was those comments and his

interview with Sawyer this am when he said he would not resign that it came into my head that he was acting like a typical ahole repug.

Finally remember to look up his donations a few minutes ago on Newsmeat.

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. In my limited experience, college/university administrators

have been of the Con persuasion. But that's just limited to my area, not the broad brush of all of them.

[partylessinOhio]

7. This governor is disturbing. Why is he smiling constanty?

I thought he was a republican but my screen says he a democrat.

This is so phony I don't know if I can sit through to the end.

Are they going to recognize the victims or are they going to rah, rah, rah VT to the end?

[bigwillq]

11. Didn't Kaine give the Democratic

response at the SOTU? :shrug: Maybe I am wrong.

[elcondor]

That was Senator Webb (he's a VA senator though) n/t

[bigwillq]

26. No, I think this was like two years ago

when he was newly elected.




~snip~
As Governor, he is a member of the National Governors Association, the Southern Governors' Association, and the Democratic Governors Association. On January 31, 2006, he gave the Democratic response to President Bush's 2006 State of the Union address. In his response, he decried the Republicans' lack of bipartisanship in Washington, and proclaimed, "There is a better way." He condemned Bush's spending and tax cuts as "reckless". Despite his personal opposition to capital punishment, he has so far overseen three executions as governor as of August 2006.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Kaine

[elcondor]

37. Ah, cool ... thanks for the info n/t

[bigwillq]

38. No prob

:hi:

[etherealtruth]

24. I'm going to cut the guy a little slack ...

I think he had, pretty much, just arrived in Tokyo when he received news of the tragedy ... so, he had to come right back ... that's a difficult trip ...to turn around (not to mention in a time of tragedy) and come right back must have been beyond exhausting.

I do have to add that it is entirely possible that the guy may frequently have an inappropriate affect ... I'm not aware of that, though

[Norquist Nemesis]

28. Interesting...In not "politicizing", the MSM notes party designation?

WTF? *sigh*

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

9. Is it me, or does a memorial service like this seem so early? Wouldn't it

have been more appropriate for the Governor and even Shrub, just visit the campus with less fanfare?

[DURHAM D]

15. My thought - too early. Actually they are calling it a convocation.

When first announced they were referring to it as a memorial service but I think someone must have pointed out that if the names of the victims have not been released you can not really have a memorial service if you don't know who you are memorializing.

This whole thing is about Bush's numbers and a naked effort to raise them. I wonder if at the time they made the decision to prematurely have the event today and decided on the time the Senate had yet delayed Alberto's testimony until Thursday?

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

21. I have my own dark thoughts about this, but placing those aside, I really think

that what they are doing right now is not with perfect timing.

[partylessinOhio]

22. I feel it is very inappropriate especially since the victims have not been

identified and therefore cannot be named.

This is publicity stunt.

The candlelight vigil at 8 will be more appropriate. They should have just skipped this campaign event.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

32. It's good to know that I'm not alone and yes, the candlelight vigil is iof course appropriate. eom

[ElizabethDC]

10. You can watch it live on cnn.com n/t

[nitpicker]

13. And on the free MSM

NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS, Spanish-language stations...

[ElizabethDC]

17. cnn.com is broadcasting it for free n/t

[Cameron27]

14. I'm sorry, I can't listen to George today.

I have to change the channel.

[Horse with no Name]

19. I'm sorry

and this is nothing against the people who have lost someone at Virginia Tech.
I simply CANNOT attach more to their lives than I can our soldiers who die, innocent Iraqis that die, victims of Katrina or the Red Lake students that died in a similar fashion.
The sheer number--whether is is 3,000 or 300 or 3...simplifies to ONE death for ONE family.
My sincere condolences to the families affected in all the tragedies. The rest of it is just breathless fodder for the journalists to spew endlessly.

[Cameron27]

23. I don't attach more value to the students lives than our troops,

but soldiers know that in a war, they're going to be shot at...students usually go to college with the expectation that they won't get shot at.

[Horse with no Name]

27. Yet some of these soldiers

didn't plan on being stop-lossed over and over.
Many enlisted when we had a sane President.
I can honestly say that I doubt ANY of these soldiers would have signed up for a war based on lies.

[Cameron27]

31. I agree with you completely.

Thousands of lives lost because of lies.

[nitpicker]

30. It's a man bites dog story.

The Ts get lucky and shoot down a helicopter in Iraq- that is terribly sad but a known risk.
A relative becomes obese and suddenly dies- that is also a known risk.

A campus massacre? So rare that that risk is not thought about.

But the media coverage of the memorial, and the presence of the politicians, is somewhat over the top.

[Horse with no Name]

33. I really am sorry for the families. Extremely.

Every child lost before their time should invoke feelings of sadness at the potential of that child in all of us. How many potential scientists or teachers or nurses or doctors have died? The person who holds the cure to cancer might have been one of those children.
However, EVERYONE'S child should be mourned equally.
The Red Lake shootings didn't even register on the POTUS agenda.
Did they expect to be massacred that morning?

[joshcryer]

29. I'm watching it on a WashingtonPost.com feed here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2005/04/12/VI2005041201139.html

[DURHAM D]

34. What just happened? I was on the phone and had the sound off.

Students down near the front got up and went behind the stage.

Also, anyone else notice that (at least on MSNBC) they keep showing an asian female over and over again.

[johnfunk]

35. Yeggh. "Amazing Grace."

Words cannot describe my primal loahting of that hymn of arrogance and self-satisfaction. Worst. Three. Chord. Music. Ever.