PoliticsElizabeth WarrenRick Snydergabby giffords

Politicians' Commencement Speeches In 2013

Politicians Giving Commencement Speeches In 2013
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Commencement season is upon us, and some lucky college graduates will hear from some big names on their special day.

President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney are all slated to give commencement addresses this spring. Former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, will deliver speeches too, as will new Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Baldwin.

However, like all things political, plenty of controversy attends the choice of a speaker.

Conservative favorite Ben Carson said he's willing to step down as Johns Hopkins University's commencement speaker after students protested his selection when he made controversial comments about same-sex marriage. Students are petitioning to keep Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett (R) from speaking at Millersville University due to his push for large budget cuts to higher education.

In Michigan, students at Grand Valley State University aren't happy about having Gov. Rick Snyder (R) at their graduation ceremony, due to several of his decisions in the executive office. Snyder received boos when he spoke at Michigan State University back in December at the winter graduation.

At this point, it's unlikely that any of these colleges will scrap the high-profile politicians in their lineups. So check out the slideshow below to see which officials will, for better or worse, try to inspire graduates this spring:

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Before You Go

Politicians Giving Commencement Speeches In 2013
Gabby Giffords, Mark Kelly(01 of15)
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The husband-and-wife team will speak at Bard College.Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, listen to President Barack Obama deliver his State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress on Feb. 12, 2013, at the Capitol in Washington. (credit:AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN/Getty Images)
Mitt Romney(02 of15)
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Speaking at Southern Virginia University in Buena Vista, Va. Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney delivers the commencement address at the Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., May 12, 2012. (credit:AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)(03 of15)
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Elizabeth Warren will speak at Framingham State University in Massachusetts.In this March 7, 2013 file photo, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pauses while questioning a witness at Senate Banking Committee hearing on anti-money laundering on Capitol Hill in Washington. (credit:AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Steven Chu(04 of15)
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Steven Chu, former Obama administration Energy Secretary, will speak at his alma mater, the University of Rochester.In this Nov. 17, 2011 file photo, Energy Secretary Steven Chu testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. Chu will return to Stanford University after he steps down this year. Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, will rejoin Stanford's faculty, where he taught physics and applied physics from 1987 to 2008. (credit:AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
President Barack Obama(05 of15)
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President Barack Obama will speak at Ohio State University and Morehouse College. (credit:Alamy)
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.)(06 of15)
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Sen. Saxby Chambliss will speak at the University of Georgia.In this April 21, 2010 file photo, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. (credit:AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
Vice President Joe Biden(07 of15)
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Joe Biden will speak at the University of Pennsylvania.Vice President Joe Biden speaks at press conference with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and families from Newtown, Conn., to discuss the need for federal gun laws March 21, 2013 at City Hall in New York. (credit:AFP PHOTO/Stan Honda/Getty Images)
Former President Bill Clinton(08 of15)
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Speaking at Howard University in Washington, D.C.Former President Bill Clinton, speaks during the annual ThisDay awards ceremony, in Abeokuta, Nigeria, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. (credit:AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg(09 of15)
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Mayor Michael Bloomberg will speak at Cooper Union in New York City.In this Dec. 28, 2012 file photo, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, left, and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly speak to the media after a Police Academy graduation ceremony in New York. (credit:AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.)(10 of15)
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Speaking at Beloit College in Wisconsin.Vice President Joe Biden administers the Senate Oath to Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) during a mock swearing in ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, as the 113th Congress officially began. (credit:AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Newark, NJ, Mayor Cory Booker(11 of15)
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Cory Booker is speaking at Cornell University in New York.Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker congratulates parents graduating from the Nestlé/Newark Now! program at a luncheon held at the Newark Club, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013 in Newark, N.J. (credit:Jason DeCrow/AP Images for Nestlé)
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett (R)(12 of15)
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Gov. Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania will speak at Millersville University.National Governors Associations Economic, Development and Commerce Committee Chairman Gov. Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania listens to discussions about state and federal tax reform, during the committees meeting at the NGA 2013 Winter Meeting in Washington on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. (credit:AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Erskine Bowles(13 of15)
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Erskine Bowles will speak at William Peace University in Raleigh, N.C.Debt Commission co-chairmen Erskine Bowles, left, and former Wyoming Sen. Alan Simpson, speak to the media after a meeting of the commission on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010. (credit:AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.)(14 of15)
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Former funny man and current Sen. Al Franken is speaking at the University of Minnesota-Morris.Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) heads to a Senate Democratic caucus meeting in the U.S. Capitol Feb. 14, 2013, in Washington, D.C. (credit:Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder(15 of15)
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Speaking at Grand Valley State University's business school.Gov. Rick Snyder speaks in Detroit, Thursday March 28, 2013. (credit:AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
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