Life Lessons from Local Pols

» House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told University of Maryland grads on Sunday night that then-Vice President Lyndon Johnson spoke at his graduation in 1963. “But to be honest,” he said, “I couldn’t remember a single word to share with you tonight. So I did what any great-grandfather in 2007 would do. I Googled it. Thank you Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google and member of the Maryland Class of 1993.”

» Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., speaking to Eastern Connecticut State on Sunday, told the class that “in the spirit of full disclosure, I should share with you that after I finished school, I went and got a job as a go-go dancer. Growing up I wanted to be a tapdancer, and so, this seemed like an appropriate, exciting next step.”

» With his mother in the audience at Tufts University on Sunday, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg implored graduates to call their mothers every day. Meanwhile, ABC News’ Bob Woodruff, who was injured by an explosive in Iraq, reminded grads of Colgate on Sunday to “wear a helmet.”

» Former Sen. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., told the graduates of the Charleston School of Law that lawyers are among the greatest Americans. “People are ready, willing and able to sacrifice,” he said. “But we need, in their wake, the graduating class of 2007 lawyers to give her a steady hand.”

» At Southern Methodist on Friday, PBS’ Bill Moyers said that he tore up his original speech after the Virginia Tech shootings and instead told the graduates that “the world needs fixing.”

» Sen. Barbara Mikulski closed her speech at Coppin State on Sunday with this: “God bless you and may the force be with you!”

» In his first commencement address, Defense Secretary Robert Gates paraphrased Lincoln in telling William & Mary grads: “I have no doubt that you will little note or long remember what is said here.” In the same vein, Sen. Jim Webb, at Virginia Commonwealth on Saturday, had the sense to state the obvious: “Today is not a day for long speeches.”

President Clinton’s speeches may or may not be long, but they are plentiful. The 42nd president had six commencement speaking engagements booked, more than anyone else we could find in a list compiled by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

In addition to a joint address with George H.W. Bush at the University of New Hampshire on Saturday, Clinton already has spoken to the University of Michigan in late April. And coming up, he’s got speeches booked at the Rochester Institute of Technology on Friday, Middlebury College on Sunday, Knox College on June 2 and Ohio State on June 10.