Protest sparks Bush support at Furman

GREENVILLE -- More than 500 members of the Furman University community are asking that administrators refuse to allow faculty members to skip graduation ceremonies in protest of President George W. Bush's visit.

The letter released today by Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow was signed by nearly 350 students. It also asks that the university remove a petition opposing the visit from its Web site.

Bush is scheduled to give Furman's graduation speech May 31.

Earlier this month, more than 200 Furman students and faculty members signed and posted on the school's Web site a statement titled "We Object," criticizing the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war and environmental issues.