Oh No, The Sting Of Your Public Rebuke Is Much Too Much, And Causes This Beautiful Wreath To Wither!

Politicians snag cheap and easy low-hanging fruit by rebuking (publicly, no less!) Columbia’s decision to invite Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to campus:

The speaker of the City Council, Christine Quinn, today urged Columbia’s president, Lee Bollinger, to withdraw the university’s invitation.

“The idea of Ahmadinejad as an honored guest anywhere in our city is offensive to all New Yorkers,” Ms. Quinn said in a statement. “He can say whatever he wants on any street corner, but should not be given center stage at one of New York’s most prestigious centers of higher education.”

. . .

“A man who is directing the maiming and killing of American troops should not be given an invitation to speak at an American university,” [Senator John] McCain said in a statement. “Rather than rolling out the red carpet for the leader of a terrorist-sponsoring regime, Columbia should be welcoming the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps back on campus to honor the men and women who put their lives on the line every day defending our freedom.”

“Cheap and easy” because who exactly would they offend? People at Columbia? Nah — they only care about one thing anyway:

All 600 tickets to see Mr. Ahmadinejad speak were distributed online in less than an hour to students and faculty yesterday on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Some immediately started selling their tickets on Craigslist.org.

“It’s the president’s only speaking engagement in America (outside the UN General Assembly)!” said one posting on the Web site. Bidding would start at $100, and the winner would be notified Sunday morning, the post said.