According to multiple news sources, Georgetown University covered over the letters “IHS” on one of its signs when President Barack Obama spoke at the university on Tuesday.

When President Obama gave his economics speech at Georgetown University on Tuesday, several folks noticed something was missing.That “something” was an ancient monogram — the letters IHS — that symbolizes the name of Jesus. It was missing from a wooden archway above the dais in Gaston Hall where the president delivered his 45-minute speech.

The gold-lettered monogram appeared near a painting of three female figures — symbolizing morality, faith and patriotism — and decorative edging along the wall that spelled out the Jesuit motto “Ad majorem Dei gloriam”–”To the greater glory of God.” Georgetown was founded by the Jesuits.

According to Georgetown, the president asked them to cover up the Christian symbolism for his speech. Naturally, that gutless bunch agreed. What is wrong with them? I mean, really: What the freak is wrong with them? 

Caesar wants you to cover up the Christian symbolism in your, ahem, Christian university before he speaks there, you tell Caesar to go find somewhere else to speak. D’uh.  

Yes, I understand that making a background generic is pretty standard for speeches.  Yes, an invited speaker should have some input into the staging.  But going to a Jesuit university and asking them to cover up all symbols other than “flags, pipe and drape” is kind of like going to a Buddhist temple and asking them to cover up all those gold statues of that Asian guy.   If the president had a problem with Christian symbols in the backdrop of his speech, then perhaps he should have given his speech at a non-Christian university.

Take 6 minutes and listen to Susan Boyle, another surprising contestant in the Britain’s Got Talent competition:

I came across an excellent article by The Herald’s Colette Douglas Home that sums up just why that performance was such a triumph — and what we should learn from the woman who gave it.

Susan Boyle’s story is a parable of our age. She is a singer of enormous talent, who cared for her widowed mother until she died two years ago. Susan’s is a combination of ability and virtue that deserves congratulation.

So how come she was treated as a laughing stock when she walked on stage for the opening heat of Britain’s Got Talent 2009 on Saturday night? . . .

The answer is that only the pretty are expected to achieve. Not only do you have to be physically appealing to deserve fame; it seems you now have to be good-looking to merit everyday common respect. If, like Susan (and like millions more), you are plump, middle-aged and too poor or too unworldly to follow fashion or have a good hairdresser, you are a non-person. . . .

Susan is a reminder that it’s time we all looked a little deeper. She has lived an obscure but important life. She has been a companionable and caring daughter. It’s people like her who are the unseen glue in society; the ones who day in and day out put themselves last. They make this country civilised and they deserve acknowledgement and respect.

Two years ago, the US Federal deficit for the entire year of 2007 was $162 billion. Note carefully that 2007 was the last year for which the US Federal budget was set by a Republican-controlled Congress; the Democrats took over starting with the 2008 budget. Now the US Federal deficit just for the month of March 2009 is $192 billion. Yeah, blame that on Bush.