By David R. Kazak

Graduate and Professional Student Council President Bill Karrow has found himself smack in the middle of a political controversy Monday.

The Washington Post, as well as several networks, have reported that Karrow was blacklisted by the White House because he was not allowed to be a part of Clinton’s roundtable discussion.

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Clinton met with 11 students from different colleges and universities before his speech on campus Monday to discuss financial aid issues.

The Post reported that U.S. Rep. Jerry Weller, R-Ill, tried to create controversy by saying Karrow should be commended for refusing to be a stage prop for the Clinton White House. Instead, Weller was reported to have said Karrow was rejected for his political views.

Karrow said although he is a Republican and does have questions about Clinton’s financial aid agenda, he denies wanting to cause trouble. He said when answering a question posed by White House officials about direct lending and graduate loan interest exemptions, he was concerned that the exemptions were taking a back seat to direct lending.

This is the one question, Karrow said. Direct lending is good, but if we have to give up our interest exemptions, I would be against it. He said after learning interest exemptions for graduate students were discussed at the roundtable that he was pleased the subject was brought up.

I guess there was some miscommunication between the White House and myself, he said. I’m glad there were grad students there to bring up the issue.

Karrow also said if there is a way to save both direct lending and the interest exemptions, he would be in support of it. But Karrow downplayed the assumption that Republicans were using his exemption from the discussion for their own purposes.

I guess the Republicans are using me, but the Democrats are using the other students (in the roundtable, Karrow said. If the president wanted a group of people around to just praise his programs, he should have stayed at the White House where people get paid to do that.

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Karrow did say he felt his involvement in this controversy was beyond him.

I couch my political views as a student leader, Karrow said. I think I’m just way over my head in this.

The Post reported White House Spokesman Mike McCurry said dozens of students were interviewed for the discussion and Karrow didn’t cut the mustard.