By , ,
Published May 15, 2015
Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:
Media Critic-in-Chief
President Obama told graduates over the weekend that in the current 24/7 media environment, information has become a distraction that is putting pressure on America's democracy. He told the audience at Hampton University's commencement: "With iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations — none of which I know how to work — information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment — rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation. It is putting new pressures on our country and on our democracy."
Mediaite blog called the comments a "weirdly out-of-touch moment for a president who fought to keep his BlackBerry."
Silenced
Spoken prayer before meals has been turned into a moment of silence at a senior citizens center in Georgia. Center officials say because they receive federal money, it would violate rules, and jeopardize funding for the seniors to pray aloud before meals. The mayor of Port Wentworth says he's outraged by the change, and has promised to find a solution.
Getting Schooled
And back to another graduation speech, a guest speaker in Florida violated rule number one of commencement speeches: get the name of the school right.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink learned that lesson speaking to graduates at the University of Central Florida. The Orlando Sentinel reports students booed when sink referred to UCF on at least two occasions as USF — as in University of South Florida.
At one point she acknowledged her mistake, joking she should "just get off the stage right now."
— Fox News Channel's Lanna Britt contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/story/president-obama-bemoans-modern-technology-in-a-commencement-speech