Pat Dollard | Young Americans

CNSNews.com

Princeton, New Jersey – CBS News Anchor Katie Couric told Princeton’s graduating seniors last week that they should avoid “nastiness” and then mocked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Miss California Carrie Prejean, while praising Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, First Lady Michelle Obama and Judge Sonia Sotomayor. The latter two are Princeton graduates.

Couric was speaking at Princeton’s “Class Day,” an annual event held by the school’s seniors the day before they graduate. She was chosen to speak by a vote of the graduating class itself.

As she started her address to the Class of 2009, Couric told the students, “Coming here was a real no brainer! After all, I can see New Jersey from my house!”

The anchor was referring to an interview Palin gave to ABC News during last year’s presidential campaign, in which Palin had said of Russia, “They’re our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.”

On “Saturday Night Live” comic Tina Fey, who impersonated Palin, mocked that remark by changing it to: “And I can see Russia from my house!”

Couric also took a swipe at traditional-marriage-defending Miss California Carrie Prejean in the same passage that she praised Judge Sotomayor and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In this instance, Couric likened Prejean to Anita Bryant, a popular singer from the 1950s through the 1970s, who led a successful campaign in Miami to repeal a pro-homosexual ordinance.

[I]t’s been quite a year for women,” said Couric. “After all, a Latina has just been nominated to the Supreme Court … only the third woman in history. And I heard she graduated summa cum laude from a little school in New Jersey! Hillary Clinton was the first serious female presidential candidate and made 18 million cracks in the ultimate glass ceiling. And then of course, there’s Carrie Prejean, Miss California. No one has done more to motivate gay rights activists since Anita Bryant. (Your parents know who she is.)”

During the final questions of the Miss USA pageant in April 2009, Prejean was asked whether she thought same-sex marriage should be approved nationwide and she replied, “You know what, in my country, in my family, I do believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, no offense to anybody out there. But that’s how I was raised and I believe that it should be between a man and a woman.”

By contrast, Couric had high praise for First Lady Michelle Obama.
“But as you head out into this daunting job market, at least you have many illustrious alumni lighting the way,” said Couric. “Like The First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama. She was class of 1985, and now she’s wowing them in Washington.”

Couric also took swipes at conservatives Rush Limbaugh, the talk radio host, and Donald Rumsfeld, the former secretary of defense.

She then advised the Princeton grads that they must guard against “nastiness.”

“Next, don’t be a hater,” said Couric. “Princeton has taught you to think critically, to approach things with a healthy dose of skepticism … and that’s a good thing, as Martha Stewart would say. But you really must guard against the cynicism and nastiness that are so pervasive today, particularly on the internet. It can be a wonderful, powerful and equalizing tool, but it’s also populated by haters and trolls. People think they can say or do anything online under the cloak of anonymity. Don’t get sucked in.”

“Rise above the collegial nastiness and instead….celebrate excellence,” said Couric.

The CBS News anchoer posted her remarks from Princeton’s Class Day on the liberal Huffington Post.