Left wing intolerance and Condoleezza Rice

Condoleezza Rice declines Rutgers University commencement invite after controversy on campus

This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," May 5, 2014. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

Watch "The O'Reilly Factor" weeknights at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET!

INGRAHAM: In the "Personal Story" segment tonight, left wing intolerance and Condoleezza Rice. Over the weekend, the former secretary of state backed out of giving this year's commencement address at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Some students and professors had waged a fierce campaign to get her speech canceled, citing her role in the Bush administration and the Iraq war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHANTING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE RUTGERS UNIVERSITY STUDENT: When you think of a commencement speaker, you think of someone who you can look up to. This woman has committed so many crimes.

You know, she has not even been put to trial. So, how can we look up to someone who is responsible for the death of so many.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: In a statement announcing her withdrawal, Rice said, quote, "I understand and embrace the purpose of the commencement ceremony and I'm simply unwilling to detract from it in any way.

Joining us now from New York is Carmelo Cintron. He's a Rutgers University senior and a spokesperson for the No Rice campaign.

So, Carmelo, are you celebrating today. You got like party favors and six pack of Diet Coke or how are you celebrating.

CARMELO CINTRON, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY GRADUATING SENIOR: No, not really. We're not celebrating.

Actually, we're regrouping and re-concentrating our efforts to keep on educating the community about why this issue arose and how everything came to be and why this has happened this way.

Also, before we continue, I'd like to make a little bit of a declaration. We're not a left wing group. We are non-partisan political group. We have left, right wing.

We have a lot of ethnicity. We are a very diverse group. And it's not just a left wing group.

INGRAHAM: So, there are a lot of right wing students who were opposing Condoleezza Rice's speaking on campus. And who are those people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CINTRON: Well, there are a quite a few even though, of course, I have to admit and say that, let's say, maybe the main right wing group, the college Republicans, are in favor of her speaking in college.

INGRAHAM: Again, yes, they were in favor of her speaking.

CINTRON: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: But, look, you represent a small minority of students. And you have a right to speak out and make any point of view you want on any issue.

And I celebrate the First Amendment. I have this crazy idea that commencements, right -- I had so sit through tons of liberal commencement speakers, you know, friends' graduations, my own graduation from Dartmouth going to law school.

I mean, it's just mostly liberal speakers at college commencements or people who are not political. It's very rare to have a really staunch conservative speaker, certainly Tea Party people like social conservatives, pro-life people, pro-traditional marriage.

They are just not going to speak at most college campuses. So, I think it's just -- it's OK, you know, I listen to people I disagree with and I listen.

And maybe I learn something. Maybe I'm kind of, "Wow, OK, I didn't think of an issue that way."

And I don't think there's a big threat to my personhood or to any other principle of understanding because a person speaks with whom I disagree.

In fact, that's what I think university settings are supposed to be all about. Your response.

CINTRON: I completely agree with you in that sense, Laura. And I am completely in favor of people from every side of -- from every political wing to speak at commencements and to present their point of view.

That's what we are protesting. What we are against is not her free speech. We are not against her gender. We are not against her race. We are not against her free speech.

We are against her actions. It's different to be a conservative.

INGRAHAM: So, write an op ed. Why do you have to -- why do you have to stop her from speaking. I mean, she graciously withdrew --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

-- because she cared more about the students at the university not having - - I guess, I guess I screaming. I don't know. What would you have done when she spoke. Would you have screamed.

CINTRON: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Would you have worn blood on your --

CINTRON: No, no, no, no, no. Not at all. Not at all.

INGRAHAM: -- commencement gown. I mean, what would you have done.

CINTRON: First of all, that's great that she was doing it in such a gracious way. And I think that's a great, you know, political way to do it.

INGRAHAM: Oh, you think she's a war criminal. You think she's a war criminal.

CINTRON: No, yes, I do. But I do think that --

INGRAHAM: Now, now.

CINTRON: -- she could have done -- she could have done this differently. And she did it in a very nice way.

And we are grateful for that, too. We, of course, as a group, we're already discussing actions for commencement. And nothing involves anything, anything.

We're discarding anything that involves --

INGRAHAM: What -- uh-hmm.

CINTRON: -- breaking, you know, our silence. It was just going to be something silent with --

INGRAHAM: What about Barack Obama. Would you be OK with Barack Obama --

CINTRON: Oh, no.

INGRAHAM: -- coming in --

CINTRON: Oh, no.

INGRAHAM: -- giving a speech.

CINTRON: Not at all. We just came up -- this came up in our meetings.

INGRAHAM: OK.

CINTRON: Barack Obama, because we knew that people would try to bring it on up as backlash. But under Barack Obama, we have more drone attacks than we had under the Bush administration that all being authorized.

INGRAHAM: OK, I'm just going to go down the list. How about Al Sharpton. Would he be OK to speak.

CINTRON: Listen, I'm here in representation of a whole group with a lot of ideas. And one thing that we have been stressing on and focusing on is not putting out names of who we would like or who we wouldn't like because --

INGRAHAM: But, well, you're acting as the judge, jury and executioner. Executioner, meaning, take to take the, you know, the honor of getting the, you know, the honorary degree and being the commencement speaker away from someone.

And, you know, look, you said, someone with a tainted record as a public servant shouldn't speak. Well, tainted according to whom.

She has never been brought to trial as a war criminal. That's patently absurd. That's your point of view.

CINTRON: That's just --

INGRAHAM: But you're actually judging her in a way that has not been done in accordance to any international law. You're just making a pronouncement.

That's fine, that's within your right. But then, you deprive the entire student body, Carmelo, of an opportunity to hear someone who is really accomplished, a really nice woman.

And someone who is actually, by the -- in the scope of things, not all that conservative. I mean, she's kind of a middle-of-the-road conservative. Go ahead. Close it out.

CINTRON: What we're presently trying to do here is to start holding accountable a lot of people from different administrations --

INGRAHAM: Rutgers?

CINTRON: -- from not being held accountable before. And this part of it. This is part of the reason why she has never been on trial.

That's part of the reason why. She clearly violated international war conventions, --

INGRAHAM: No.

CINTRON: -- clearly was one to authorize torture and enhanced interrogation in Iraq, --

INGRAHAM: Well, I say --

CINTRON: -- and all of that. But a lot of that's not only to Iraqis but also to American people.

INGRAHAM: I think what torture is hearing really bad graduation speakers. And she probably would have been a really, really good one. So, it's sad for the students at Rutgers.

CINTRON: Maybe yes. But a war criminal cannot receive honors and money from our college.

INGRAHAM: I appreciate it, Carmelo. I'd like to see who makes that list.

Content and Programming Copyright 2012 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2012 CQ-Roll Call, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of CQ-Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.