The Conservative Blog Cafe

Churchill: Eating his "own"

2005-05-23T10:32:00.000-06:00

It just gets better doesn't it? Remember how I claimed Churchill would at some point turn on his accusers? Well, here's an interesting spin on that:

The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that Churchill is now attacking the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, who last week revoked his honoray membership in their organization.

Churchill claims their decision to ban him is "categorically untrue"...interesting.

Also, at one point Churchill made a claim that his MOTHER was part of this tribe (see link above). Churchill, in speeches around the country, typically opens with the words, "I bring you greetings from the elders of the Keetoowah Band of Cherokee, my mother's people."

Here's the best part:

In an escalating war of words between the professor and the Tahlequah, Okla.-based Cherokee band, to whom he has long staked his status as an American Indian, Churchill said the tribe has the right "to disenroll me. . . . What it does not have a right to do is falsify history at its own convenience."

Yeah, only Churchill has the right to falsify history at his own convenience as he has done in the past. Shame on anyone else getting involved in his exclusive racket.

Churchill's response to the Rocky Mountain News: And as for any challenges to his tribal membership, he wrote, "Go ahead, make my day."

Churchill: Glutton for punishment, I guess. Let's see what the Rocky does with this threat...

Churchill: Was batting .75, now .5

2005-05-18T11:55:00.000-06:00

Yesterday's post was about Churchill's response to the CU investigative committee, and in one portion of his response, he claimed Indian Heritage on 3 of 4 federally recognized statutes (the one that still throws me is just because you can "claim" heritage, you automatically ARE an Indian...go figure that one out...)

Turns out one of his claims is being challenged. In today's Rocky, a tribe is calling his membership fraudulent.

Seems that the Keetoowah band (tribe) is challenging his claim to be a "member"...

"The United Keetoowah Band would like to make it clear that Mr. Churchill IS NOT a member of the Keetoowah Band and was only given an honorary 'associate membership' in the early 1990s because he could not prove any Cherokee ancestry."

The tribe said that all of Churchill's "past, present and future claims or assertions of Keetoowah 'enrollment,' written or spoken, including but not limited to; biographies, curriculum vitae, lectures, applications for employment, or any other reference not listed herein, are deemed fraudulent by the United Keetoowah Band."

Churchill could not be reached Tuesday, and his attorney, David Lane, did not respond to calls for comment.

News of the tribe's firm disavowal of Churchill, an ethnic studies professor at the University of Colorado, comes on the heels of Lane's assertion that Churchill included "conclusive proof" of his American Indian status - including his tribal membership card and a videotape of his induction ceremony - in his 50-page response to a CU investigation.

The university is examining whether Churchill misrepresented himself as an American Indian in order to gain employment-related benefits or to add credibility or gain public acceptance for his scholarship. It is also looking into charges of plagiarism, fabrication or misuse of others' work.

Churchill has variously described himself as 1/16 or 3/16 Cherokee but has pinned his American Indian identity most firmly on the associate membership granted to him in 1994 by the United Keetoowah Band, based in Tahlequah, Okla.

The 1/16 or 3/16 assertion has also been debunked by the Rocky as well as 850 KOA and other media organizations that have investigated his past. The most accurate number so far is 0/16.

Churchill's ivory tower continues to crumble - but don't be surprised if he drags down others with him - I have a sneaking suspicion, since he's a dyed in the wool liberal, that he'll have an aggressive counterattack to go after the character of his accusers. Nothing "noble" about his coming downfall - which, as I have been told, being "noble" and having "character" is part and parcel of Native American Heritage.

Churchill: Response filed

2005-05-17T10:19:00.000-06:00

The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that Ward Churchill has sent a 50 page, single-space response to the investigative committee at CU.

Single spaced. Doubt he has that standard for his students.

The funniest portion is how he can claim to still be an Indian on 3 of 4 legitimate grounds. None of these however, have anything to do with blood relation - being an actual Indian (that's the 4th ground).

Check this out:

Churchill took "an interesting position," Lane said, on whether he has fabricated an American Indian heritage to gain greater acceptance and credibility for his writings on Indian issues.

"He thinks it would be equally offensive for them (the faculty committee) to certify him as an Indian, as it would be to say he's not an Indian - but he showed conclusive proof to say he is Native American; but he is telling them it's none of their business. And I don't see it as constitutionally their place, to prove his pedigree."

Lane said that federal law provides four points on which American Indian status can be legally claimed, and that Churchill can satisfy at least three.

One, Lane said, is how a person self-identifies. Churchill has identified himself as an Indian - by at least one recent account - since he was 10.

A second method is through community acceptance and recognition. Churchill points to the passionate rally around him by American Indians, including actor/activist Russell Means, during his speaking engagement on the CU campus Feb. 8, as evidence of meeting that test.

Enrollment in a tribe is a third qualification Churchill cites to CU - the "smoking gun" in Lane's words. Specifically, Churchill points to the associate membership awarded him in 1994 by the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Tahlequah, Okla.

Churchill and Lane insist that associate membership is more significant than the "honorary" membership the same tribe once gave President Clinton. Several tribal members, however, say there is no difference between the two.

The committee has until late June to vote on whether to begin a full investigation or not. Until then, Churchill will continue to receive his in-excess of $90,000 a year salary, which IS partially subsidized by Colorado taxpayers.

Newsweak's Fatal Mistake

2005-05-17T09:08:00.000-06:00

Wow. What a firestorm, literally, that Newsweak has ignited.

First was "the scoop": that interrogators in Gitmo had desecrated the "Holy" Koran during interrogations. This came from an "unimpeachable" government source.

Strong suggestion to the Newsweak staff: before you claim "unimpeachable" sources, please feel free to consult Dan Rather, FORMERLY of CBS (or, as I still like to call it...."See B S").

Second came the riots. Tailor made. Anti-American riots, just like the anti-Bush MSM wanted. Innocents killed during the riots.

I can only imagine the visions of Pulitzer's dancing in Newsweak's mind.

Until. A road-bump. Turns out the unimpeachable source has been impeached after all.

After the road bump....the end of the road. The riot that Newsweak so desired, ended up in their own lobby. The White House, and all of OBJECTIVE newsmedia (meaning exclude Newsweak, CBS, CNN, and especially it appears to be MSNBC this time)....found out the truth.

The funniest thing of all after Newsweak's story went off the road was their spokesman's feeble attempt at damage control....they couldn't retract the story "until we know the facts?"

"Until we know the facts" - that is the excuse to NOT retract a story, but it sure wasn't anything that got in the way of the story being published IN THE FIRST PLACE. Evidently attending a credible journalism school (even by correspondence) is secondary to being Anti-Bush in the hiring pool these days.

The funniest thing of all? Someone saw this coming LAST WEEK. I heard it first on his radio show, but, Dennis Prager has expounded upon those thoughts here.

To wit:

As I said on my radio show days before Newsweek revealed that its report was baseless, even if the report were true, the magazine was highly irresponsible when it published the report. It could have only one effect: inflaming the wrath of hundreds of millions of Muslims against America.

If an American interrogator of Japanese prisoners desecrated the most sacred Japanese symbols during World War II, it is inconceivable that any American media would have published this information. While American news media were just as interested in scoops in 1944 as they are now, they also had a belief that when America was at war, publishing information injurious to America and especially to its troops was unthinkable.

Such a value is not only not honored by today's news media, the opposite is more likely the case. The mainstream media oppose the war in Iraq and loathe the Bush administration. Whatever weakens the war effort and embarrasses the president raises a news source's prestige among its domestic, and especially foreign, peers.

Newsweek is directly responsible for the deaths of innocents and for damaging America. As a typical member of the American news media, Newsweek's primary loyalties are to profits and to its political/social agenda.

The obvious liberal bias of the MSM continues. First, CBS was a casualty of their own blinders to reach an agenda. Now, it's Newsweak's turn. Next, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, who apparently went off the deep end in trying to defend the "government source" behind the original story....ummmmmm, I thought the source was "an anonymous and UNIMPEACHABLE" source...does Keith have insider information with his liberally slanted buddies at Newsweak?

Also, speaking of the media bias and how it's still there...check out this gem from Hugh Hewitt's blog today:

My cross-country trip last night was on JetBlue, which meant I got to watch all of the talking heads chew on the Newsweek fiasco. One common theme is that Isikoff is a talented investigative reporter without a similar screw-up in his past. Chris Matthews was praising him to the sky, which struck me as about as appropriate as praising a NASCAR drivers record of wins in the aftermath of vehicular manslaughter involving a street crash with a teenage driver who may have been partly to blame. There aren't any mulligans in American law when negligence leads to the death of innocents. (spelling error fixed here...c'mon Hugh!)

Finally, on a lighter note...it's been a while since I've commented on the Ward Churchill saga. Apparently he hasn't been in the headlines until recently....

Well, apparently he has resurfaced (HT to Michigan Bowhunter at Free Republic and NewsMax)...and it looks like he was at the protests over the weekend.

You be the judge:

Funny how anytime someone protests the U.S., he shows up, isn't it?

Churchill: Lawsuits start to fly

2005-04-29T11:30:00.000-06:00

(HT Charlie Brennan of Free Republic)

Seems that Dan Caplis, legal eagle from 850 KOA, has been forced to file a defamation lawsuit against a Churchill supporter, as reported in today's Rocky Mountain News.

Seems that Caplis has sued Churchill supporter Glenn Spagnuolo over remarks Spagnuolo made recently about a alleged assault against a pregnant "woman of color" (seems the Libs never tire of using the race card at every convenient opportunity).

Of course, you need to remember that Spagnuolo, who made the accusation supposedly eight years after it allegedly occured, is the same Longmont city employee under investigation for using a city cell phone to call into a talk show about the Churchill incident (I believe it was Caplis' show as well, but cannot recall for sure, and callers wait a long time (read: burn minutes) to get on his show), as well as using the cell phone for political activism.

So, there you have the liberals again - caught in a ethical issue, what do they do? Address it head on? Nooooooo. They learned from the master, Bill Clinton: ATTACK the messenger - attack the accuser - attack - attack - attack until the real issue gets lost in the spin.

Business as usual for the libs in Colorado.

Columbia U: Whitewash

2005-03-31T13:21:00.000-07:00

(Hat tip to Little Green Footballs and in turn to davesax): Columbia U released it's report into the antisemitism charges students had leveled against faculty members of the Middle Eastern Studies department.

Although they acknowledge shortcomings in grievance procedures, it looks like nothing...nothing will happen to the faculty members in question. It also appears to be the ultimate whitewash, and the committee must have realized it had shortcomings, for they refused to show it to the very students that had leveled the complaints in the first place, telling them it was "for their own good".

Disgusting. After being pressured, they did release it to the students, who found only three of dozens of complaints were actually investigated.

It took four MONTHS to investigate only three incidents, and NOT come up with any punitive actions? That is known as a whitewash.

Churchill: Not quite the martyr he wanted to be

2005-03-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

Breaking recent news from CU's review of Ward Churchill.

While they have concluded that his reprehensible remarks about 9/11 are in fact "protected speech" - meaning, IF he is fired, it won't be about the controversy he WANTED it to be about.

Instead, and more troubling for Ward, the university will begin a committee review into charges of academic fraud and fraudulent claims about his American Indian ancestry.

From the article:

He said a faculty committee would review allegations that Churchill plagiarized the work of other researchers and claims that he falsely claimed to be an American Indian.

Churchill has repeatedly denied both allegations and has said he would sue the university if he is fired.

"We have concluded that the allegations of research misconduct, related to plagiarism, misuse of others' work and fabrication, have sufficient merit to warrant further inquiry," said DiStefano.

He said that review could take up to nine months.

So, another nine months drawing from his $90,000 plus salary, that should be proven he doesn't have the right to draw from. No wonder government employment is so lucrative - you can't really be fired...not in the way most of us might be used to. You have months of pay coming while an investigation is done, and then, MAYBE...you can be fired. But there is also an appeals process, where you can STILL be paid while that takes place.

No wonder taxpayers in Colorado are frustrated.

UPDATE: I received the following email this evening from the chancellor at CU:

SUBJECT: CHANCELLOR'S EMAIL TO PREVIOUS WRITERS

FROM: Office of the Chancellor

SENDER: Collect@Colorado.edu

DATE: March 24, 2005

Dear Friend:

You were one of many citizens who wrote or called the University of Colorado at
Boulder concerning the controversial essay about 9/11 written by Professor Ward
Churchill. Because of your interest, I am writing to share with you the
outcome of our review of allegations concerning Professor Churchill's conduct
and scholarship.

In short, our review team found that Professor Churchill's controversial essay
on 9/11 and other public comments are protected by the First Amendment, but
that other allegations of plagiarism, misuse of others' work and fabrication
may constitute research misconduct.

The report also points to possible research misconduct related to allegations
that Churchill misrepresented his ethnicity to gain credibility and attract an
audience for his scholarship. Research misconduct, if proven, is subject to
university sanctions.

We take these allegations very seriously and will address them through
established university procedures that require due process. I have determined
that the allegations of research misconduct should be referred to the campus's
Standing Committee on Research Misconduct for thorough investigation.
Appropriate action will be taken upon completion of the committee's work.

More information and a copy of the full report are available on the campus web
site at www.colorado.edu/news.

Thank you for your continuing interest in the University of Colorado at
Boulder.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Phil DiStefano

Churchill: Deny, Deny, Deny

2005-03-17T09:59:00.000-07:00

The Rocky Mountain News spoke to Ward recently. Not surprisingly, although he is NOT backing off his controversial comments that started it all (the little Eichmann's comments, etc), but, he is standing at the bottom of the mountain, as the avalanche approaches, denying there is an avalanche.

The avalanche is composed of his comments, his past, his threats, his plagiarism, everything that still continues to boil up as the investigation continues.

He is standing firm, hoping for a "Pyrrhic" victory once all is said and done. In other words, he has no problem bleeding CU dry - using taxpayer dollars. These are the same taxpayer dollars he wants used to defend him, that he denies he receives as salary in the first place.

So once again, Ward, denial is not just a river in Egypt. However, this time, it's an avalanche of epic proportions. Keep standing still - it's close to overtaking you anyways. The show continues to be entertaining.

Churchill: "Peaceful" Ward made more threats

2005-03-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

This time, he's caught on tape.

According to 9News, a new tape has surfaced with Mr. Churchill threatening a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) 12 years ago.

Here's the transcript of his comments:

"You siphoned a half million ripped off from Gadhafi.

How many other thousand dollars have you taken from the native people's struggles?

You keep it up and I won't just stand and look at you next time.

You understand what I'm saying fat boy turned skinny?

You decrepit old (expletive)"

Remember how his supporters said Ward was "peaceful" when this whole story started breaking? Remember how he admitted to training the Weather Underground in how to make explosives? Remember the picture of Ward, in combat fatigues, holding an AK-47? Remember in his writings that he ADVOCATES VIOLENCE against our government?

Again, Mr. Churchill, there is a word for your behavior: HYPOCRITE.

Like I said, something else was coming - here it is.

What's next? We anxiously await the next breaking scandal.

Churchill: Practitioner of Cultural Genocide?

2005-03-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

Town Hall's Rich Lowry reports today on the Churchill controversy, and the growing phenomenon of other "fake Indian" descendants.

It's a good read, and also points out a larger problem for Ward Churchill. He refuses to discuss his family history, which, if he didn't have anything to hide, he should disclose, and put the matter to rest. Instead, he follows an all-to-predictable path of what we see in liberals: attack the accuser - ad-hominem the accuser without addressing their arguments. Hurt enough people's feelings, and they go away.

So he's having to try and defend without proof his claims to Indian ancestry. The Rocky Mountain News and several Denver radio stations all researched his ancestry and could find no Native Americans in his family tree.

To compound the issue, the Town Hall reports about the "cultural genocide" being committed by those who are "fake Indians". To quote one of those concerned about cultural genocide: "Miller quotes a writer who calls this 'cultural genocide,' scoring the fakers for their 'misrepresentation and appropriation of indigenous spirituality.'" Cultural genocide is basically stealing the identity of those of REAL ascendency - and taking it as their own for personal profit.

What's the real ironic twist in all this? The person that made the "misrepresentation and appropriation of indegenous spirituality" statement as a concerned person that Native Americans were having their culture hijacked? None other than Ward Churchill himself.

Churchill: Buyout idea stampeded by Buffalo's (Regents)

2005-03-14T13:04:00.000-07:00

Seems the buyout idea for Ward Churchill to leave CU has ended like I predicted in my previous post. The issue of potential plagiarism fatally wounded the idea. Now the Rocky Mountain News is confirming that CU's Regents are rejecting the buyout idea.

Here's one of the Regent's quotes from the article - that she is switching from supporting to opposing the buyout:

"At this point, I've changed my mind," said Regent Pat Hayes. "Originally, I thought that a settlement would get him (Churchill) off the campus. But as this has gone through all its iterations, I decided last week that I couldn't support it any longer.

"The more I heard about, the more I wondered what else is out there. And when push came to shove, I just could not support giving him a nickel."

Something even bigger is coming, more than likely. The report on his academic research review is coming next week, and could be the final nail in the coffin.

Of course, Ward Churchill (via his attorney) is all too happy about the buyout going away, at least publicly. Look at the increased threat to CU's credibility Churchill's attorney makes:

David Lane, a lawyer representing Churchill, said Sunday the demise of any buyout proposal means his client will be continuing as a professor at CU for quite some time.

"I guess they (the regents) better get used to having Professor Churchill around," Lane said. "The issue is not should they fire him or buy him out. The issue is can they fire him."

If CU administrators seek Churchill's dismissal, that will start a lengthy process that includes a faculty review of the case. Lane noted that 200 CU faculty members have signed a petition defending Churchill's rights to free speech.

"Ward Churchill likes his job, and he would be happy to keep it until he decides to retire," Lane added.

Retirement may come sooner than he thinks. As out-of-state interest in CU continues in free-fall, sooner or later budget cuts will loom - and I would hope the "Ethnic Studies" Department is high on that list right now.

Churchill: Plagiarism charges leveled

2005-03-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

The Rocky Mountain News is now reporting that Ward Churchill, in addition to all the other charges (Anti-American, hate-spewing at taxpayers expense, falsifying evidence, etc), is now claiming Ward had plagiarized material, and threatened the original author about her claims.

Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse. Not only could he not accurately report "facts" about a supposed biological warfare tactic against "his ancestors" American Indians, now, he copies someone elses work, specifically against the wishes of the original author.

I only hope this kills any chance of the multi-million dollar buyout offer that was reported earlier.

Churchill: Cashing in?

2005-03-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Pirate Ballerina who posted today that CU is looking at buying out Churchill's contract in an effort to make this saga simply go away. There is more information from the Denver Post here.

Meanwhile, CU's President fell on her own sword and resigned, partly due to the ongoing Churchill saga, but also to the sports recruiting and other campus issues.

Finally, according to Pirate Ballerina and other sources, another CU professor is losing his job, not due to his politics, not due to his teaching (in fact he has the highest instructor rating at CU - an A), but because he is simply a Christian.

CU is coming apart at the seams recently. True, President Hoffman has had to endure more controversy in her few years that most University Presidents see in a lifetime. Hoffman's departure is damage control. But the damage to CU's credibility in the academic and political realms (thanks to Churchill), sports (thanks to the football team), and wild campus climate (thanks to the national high rankings as a "party school" and the Chi Psi pledges death) is going to continue for years to come. In a previous posting, I linked an article about how out of state recruiting is suffering, and, will probably only get worse in the short term.

It's too bad that Colorado's "premier" higher education institution is suffering so much. It's all part and a parcel of a larger problem, which is that of Boulder itself. The city council seat race is showing how outrageously liberal and out of touch this city has become. They are continuing their long-standing position of not allowing any growth in Boulder proper (due to the green zones the environmentalists will never surrender). As a result, most "big box" retailers are setting up shop just outside of Boulder - making it convenient for Boulder residents to go and shop, but, at the cost of the city losing the lucrative tax revenues the other towns in Boulder county can only proudly say "thank you" to the Boulder city council for gift-wrapping to them. The cost of living in Boulder county is outrageous, but even more so in Boulder proper. Look for increase in sales taxes (for those willing to stay in business in Boulder) and for massive property tax increases to stop the bleeding. Boulder is quickly living up to it's reputation as the Berkeley of the Rockies, at the expense of her residents. If Ward Churchill is given the multi-million dollar buyout that is being reported, he may well become the only citizen that can afford to live there. Almost ironic.

Finally...really finally - we get to say farewell to Dan Rather at CBS's evening news...only a decade or two too late.

Churchill: More and more lies exposed

2005-02-23T12:49:00.000-07:00

Now it appears that several other Denver media personalities have joined in the fray against Ward Churchill. Now it appears that his entire military record is under scrutiny, and his claims to be a LRRP Paratrooper and infantry point main are, like most of his academic record, lies and deceits.

Using his own sources and calling upon the investigative skills of FOX News Channel’s Rita Cosby, Mr. Newman was able to verify that Professor Churchill, despite his public claim (in a 1987 Denver Post interview) of having been a paratrooper (Airborne qualified) who conducted long-range reconnaissance patrols (LRRPs; extremely dangerous missions conducted by some of the most elite soldiers in the US Army) hunting North Vietnamese in Vietnam during and after the Tet Offensive of 1968, and despite his claim that he was a point man in an infantry combat unit, was in fact trained only as a jeep driver and projectionist (he was trained to operate film-strip machines and movie projectors), according to official documentation from the National Personnel Records Center, the US repository for military records.

It seems that the old liberal ideology of spreading lies often enough until they are accepted as truth are now the chickens coming home to roost on Ward's head.

To whatever credit he has left, it seems he was honest with the resume submitted to CU:

Denver attorneys Dan Caplis and Craig Silverman, both colleagues of Mr. Newman at Clear Channel Colorado, then acquired Professor Churchill’s original resume that resulted in his being hired by the University of Colorado. That resume matched exactly the resume Gunny Bob had acquired from his confidential source. On that resume, Professor Churchill cited no combat experience whatsoever, no Airborne training, no infantry training or experience and no winning of the Combat Infantry Badge. Instead, it said his experience in Vietnam consisted of his duties as a “Public Information Specialist,” as which he “wrote and edited the battalion newsletter and wrote news releases.”

He has gotten away with his claims for years, and apparently, he believed that would continue. No more, Mr. Churchill. Your public statements, offensive as they are, seem to be a "you reap what you sow" critique of US foreign policy. Looks to me as though you are about to learn that lesson in a very personal way. Need any boxes to pack up your office?

Churchill: Free speech for me, not for you, or I'll kill you

2005-02-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not.

Ward Churchill said of a 1994 political cartoonist's work "Churchill was saying, 'I'm not saying this (execution, dismemberment, and cremation) should happen to Grant - but if it did, it could be a good thing,' " Crowell alleged. The story about this cartoon is at the link in the previous sentence, and the cartoon is here for your review.

Funny that this story came from 1994 - at the University of Hawaii, where Churchill was sent - all expenses paid (except he waived his speaking fee this time), to speak again.

Some 20 students, including members of the Hawaii College Republicans, protested outside the campus auditorium before the speech. One held a poster with photos of the terrorists who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks over the label "Churchill's Gallant Combat Team." Kimberly Craven, a spokeswoman for the Hawaii College Republicans, a 12-member club that formed last week, said she was outraged that the university was welcoming Churchill to speak.

"It's not a matter of free speech; it's a matter of common sense," the UH senior said. "We're in a war on terror, and you shouldn't bring a supporter of terrorists here."

State Sen. Fred Hemmings also criticized Churchill's appearance. "I think it's awfully sad Hawaii has to host a person such as this," Hemmings said.

Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, of Vermont, who was vacationing in Hawaii, was among those who attended. "I support and welcome free speech, but those are my friends (firefighters, police office and other victims) Churchill was referring to," Dubie said.

About two dozen campus groups and departments expressed support for Churchill's appearance, including the Center for Hawaiian Studies and the William S. Richardson School of Law.

Hawaiian Studies professor Haunani-Kay Trask has called the University of Colorado's investigation into Churchill's teaching credentials a "witch hunt" and likened the probe to House Un-American Activities Committee hearings and Communist fears propagated by Sen. Joe McCarthy about 50 years ago.

"I am urging public support of Professor Churchill's struggle as if it were our own, that is to say the native people of Hawaii," said Trask, also an outspoken Hawaiian activist.

I wonder if this means we will be seeing Churchill claiming to be of Hawaiian heritage in addition to his fraudulent Native American heritage claims too?

Remember that Churchill's supporters say they are all about "peaceful" free speech. Apparently that only applies to those that believe as Churchill believes. Churchill has trained the Weatherman Underground in using explosives and bombs, and don't forget the very publicized picture of Churchill holding the AK-47, and his supporters at the CU Regents meeting disobeying and taking swings at police officers trying to keep order in the meeting.

Churchill only wants things to go his way - that only HE deserves to be free from the consequences of his views. When others have gone against his views, well, in his own words, actions, and photographs, he believes violence is justified.

Don't forget that. Churchill is a hypocrit of the highest order, and his ilk are complicit in the firestorm he has created.

More and more of his questionable academic work is coming to light. His Master's thesis cannot be located. It should not be a hard decision to make in releasing him from his faculty position when all has been reviewed. Then, he can really practice his free speech - free from taxpayer's subsidizing, that is.

Ward Churchill's Supporters Worldview

Churchill: Completes a CU Hat Trick

2005-02-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

OK, bad timing with a hockey analogy (RIP NHL - we'll never recognize the game IF it returns), but, it seems that the sports recruiting scandal, the greek system issues, and now Ward Churchill's anti-American comments have led to a significant decrease in out-of-state applicants wanting to attend CU next year.

Surely, Ward alone doesn't deserve all the credit, though I would imagine he has some impact - the controversy broke to recently to have a substantial impact on current numbers. But still, the fact remains, and CU is seeing it more and more: Ward Churchill is detriminetal to the financial success of CU Boulder.

Churchill: Just an empty (Native American) suit

2005-02-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

Turns out the Rocky Mountain News is still finding the true story of Ward Churchill's bizarre rise to tenured power at CU.

In several recent articles, the Rocky has found, again, no actual link to Native Americans in Mr. Churchill's family line.

So how does Ward respond to these questions? He follows liberal attack-dog policy: deny, deny, deny, and attack the questioner. For example, from the above article:

In a prior interview with the News, Churchill bristled when asked about those who question his lineage.

"Suzan Harjo is no more entitled to interrogate me on that score than your average fellow bureaucrat," Churchill said. "And my non-responsiveness to her specific questions, when she tries to conduct her inquisitions, has been basically 'Kiss my ---.' It's a typical ad hominem attack. And the question is, what has it got to do with anything?"

Just who is leveling the ad hominem attacks? Notice the spin, the NON-answer - the REFUSAL to answer the questions. The name calling is in Ward's OWN words - the pejorative term "bureaucrat" - you know, an official of the government Ward has gone ON RECORD as HATING.

The article, and others, also are going after his academic credentials. Why the sudden rise to tenure, dramatically short circuited from the normal process most professors must undergo? Simply because of Ward's claim to Native American Heritage.

Ward Churchill received tenure without the usual scrutiny at a time when the University of Colorado was anxious to add minority teachers, one player in his hiring said Thursday.

And, just like liberals, you repeat a lie often enough, to a large enough audience (read: the CU faculty for Communications and later Ethnic Studies), sooner or later it becomes the truth.

The storm is raging, and has apparently been building for some time. Since he is refusing to answer his critics, we can only assume he has something to hide. He is like the idiots we see during hurricanes - hanging out on the beach...not realizing the danger until it is too late. The storm surge is coming, and he'll be carried "out to sea" as a result of his deception and stonewalling.

There will be no sympathy from me.

Churchill: Soldier of Fortune Author?

2005-02-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

That's right...peaceful activist Ward Churchill once wrote for SOF!

Not only that, he openly admits in this old Denver Post article from 1987, to helping train the Weather Underground in guns and explosives.

It's an interesting read. He also claims at least back in 1987 to being part Creek Indian, but, hasn't his claim changed over time to other tribes? Remember, The Rocky Mountain News, other TV channel and cable news channels have all examined his ancestry and can find NO Native American heritage. Like I said, you tell people a lie long enough, sooner or later people begin to believe it.

So, he's peaceful? Remember what this supporter said? "The people in support of Ward Churchill will, of course, be peaceful because that's what we're all about," (Dustin) Craun said.

Too bad those brainwashed on the left are willing to believe anything they hear, instead of investigating his past activities to see the violent, anti-American, marxist revolutionary he really is.

I certainly hope the Board of Regents uses this article among his own writings in their investigation.

I also hope the Denver Post/Rocky Mountain News are kind and send him complimentary want ads after he is terminated.

Then again, I haven't seen many want ads for revolutionaries lately.

Perhaps he should try Berkeley, Ithaca, or Columbia for future employment: he'd be welcome with open arms!

Ascendancy of the Blogs over MSM (Easongate et al)

2005-02-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

Hugh Hewitt (who else?) has a great new Weekly Standard column about the rise of blogs, and how the MSM is more and more being left in their turbulant wake.

Of course, the blog story of the year, thus far, has to be the Eason Jordan in Davos controversy (see also Instapundit), where the claim was made by Mr. Jordan that the U.S. Military has intentionally targeted journalists. Funny that this claim was even videotaped, and witnesses including Barney Frank verified the claim was made. Hugh Hewitt was also on CNBC's (for which we DO forgive him!) Kudlow and Cramer, and a transcript is at Radio Blogger, of blogs and the Davos story was nicely covered. (By the way Hugh, I hope you're feeling better. Zinc, baby, zinc!)

But now Davos (no doubt under CNN's influence) is squelching release of the videotape. Their main claim is this was an "off the record" session. Hmmmm...videotaping a session that is supposedly "off the record?"

Sorry, it's ON the record. Thank the blogs for breaking this story. A senior US elected official, among others, verify the statement publicly? Seems "off the record" is just an excuse to keep the egg on Jordan's face from becoming more visible.

In fact, the Wall Street Journal's Bret Stephen's gives his first hand account of the Easongate saga. Yet another voice from one who was there. The non-CNN journalists as well as just about anyone else with journalistic integrity seem to be coming out of the woodworks with their fighter pilot's "there I was" story about this. It's a good read.

CNN touts itself as "the most trusted name in news." This, after Jordan's confession that certain stories from Iraq (prior to Iraqi Freedom) were surpressed or modified to show Iraq, Saddam especially, in a "positive light" to avoid being kicked out of the country.

This is also the CNN I distinctly remember back in 1992, on Election Night. I remember the commentators starting to talk about the first election returns between "Mr. Bush" and "PRESIDENT Clinton" (before even the first state of the night was called for either candidate!) They were biased then, and they are biased now. The difference is, now, everyone can see the bias even through their protestations, and we have the blogs such as Hewitt (one of the main drumbeaters of this story) among legions of others.

MSM (CNN especially) are going to try to do what they have always done. Duck the story for as long as possible, in hopes that it will go away quietly. In the 1990's and before, that may have been possible, but not with today's communication technology.

The blogs have learned quickly the power they have to report news, and to a certain extent, influence opinion. The Strom Thurmond birthday party that cost Trent Lott his chairman position was one of the first the blogs can take credit for influencing. Swift boat vets are another. So is the ongoing CBS "memogate" saga. Without the blogs, these stories would have been squelched from the start.

For decades, the networks, CNN, and the newsprint (NY Times, LA Times) had THE monopoly of monopolies: information dissemenation allowable only under the auspices of "objective" reporting, but it is clear that the majority of their stories, especially since the 1980's, had a distinct bias to favor the liberal establishment.

However, the internet, talk radio, Fox News, and more and more the blogosphere are changing the dynamics of "news" in the world. And it's becoming clearer that's what a majority of Americans prefer: the sagging ratings of CNN, CBS, etc....as well as elections of 2000, 2002, and 2004 show a significant shift to the right in many areas. Worst of all for the MSM, is the apparent ignorance, willingly or otherwise, to acknowledge the existence of blogs - how they tried to smear the bloggers during memogate (for which many of us proudly declare our Pajama Warrior status!). Also evidence by Hugh Hewitt: Chris Matthews totally unaware of Davos, as was CNN's own Judy Woodruff!

And speaking of bias, here is something right out of the horse's mouth at CBS on that very topic. Some good points to ponder here, but the fact remains bias exists. In most cases, those with the bias may not even be aware of it, that's human nature to have your own beliefs creep their way, sometimes unconsciously, into the "facts" you are trying to report. There are those that are biased, and don't care about their particular views intruding into news. Most often, these journalists are known as columnists, and that's where "opinion and editorials" come from. Dick Meyer at the end of the column does make a good point about the difference between "bias" and "prejudice." I would only hope others in the MSM notice the difference as well.

I would imagine Al Gore's invention of the internet to be his greatest regret, given the current state of affairs.

GOP extends a hand to minorities

2005-02-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

Ken Mehlman, GOP committee chairman, extended a hand towards minorities, letting an audience know that it wasn't the minorities fault, but that the GOP had walked away from them, pledging favor of increasing home ownership in minority communities, supporting minority business initiatives and repealing taxes the GOP believed drained money from the community.

It's about time! Minorities need to realize that the GOP truly is the home for them. In decades past, minorities were outright owned by the democrats, but, they also took them for granted.

Think about it this way: what kind of role models do the GOP and DNC offer TODAY?

Jesse Jackson or Condoleeza Rice?

Al Sharpton or Colin Powell?

True, Al and Jesse have contributed significantly in the past towards civil rights issues, but, they have followed the footsteps of the DNC committee on issues: Point out the faults to retain ownership, but offer no real solutions to them.

Enter the GOP, with solutions to Social Security, prescription medicines, education, etc....and the real key to winning over lower-income minorities: support of charter schools, which the DNC vehemently has to deny, given the teachers' unions support dragging down their back pockets.

Churchill: Owens can Kiss my A$$, but don't forget my paycheck!

2005-02-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

Surrounded by his "American Indian" brothers and supporters, Ward Churchill had a defiant and at times venomous response to his critics at CU last night.

He just doesn't get it.

"I'm not backing up an inch. I owe no one an apology," said Churchill to applause.

There were also some critics in the audience who challenged him. "Where do you get the gall to call the people who died in 911 technocrats when you sit around and get a $90,000 paycheck from the government you purport to hate?" asked one man in the crowd.

Churchill said he does not work for the taxpayers of Colorado nor the governor, who has called for his resignation. He said he works for the students at CU and takes that role very seriously.

Mr. Churchill certainly needs to take a look at how CU is funded...both by students and by the government...in other words, the taxpayers!

But notice also his response to this question, from the article:

Someone else asked whether Churchill felt sorrow for the victims of 911.

"The answer is 'of course,' for the firefighters and for food service workers, for broom pushers, for the random passers-by, yeah, I do. It is absolute," said Churchill. "But it's not one whip less significant as the mourning and sorrow I experienced for every single one of the Iraqi children."

Notice, not sorrow for ALL victims of 9/11 - he still maintains his anti and blame-America first mindset. Make no mistake, he firmly believes that deaths on 9/11 were justified.

There is a word for that, Mr. Churchill: hypocrisy. Treason would be another.

Only one thing missing from this:

I'm Ward Churchill, and I APPROVED this message.

Churchill's Standing Eight Count

2005-02-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

OK, so maybe Mr. Churchill isn't quite out yet.

After his event tonight being cancelled due to "security concerns" (READ: "Loss of alumni donations threatened"), he finally took action.

When Hamilton college cancelled, he did nothing. When the college in Washington cancelled, he did nothing. When at least one other college cancelled, he did nothing. Everytime a college has cancelled an appearance citing "security concerns", he did nothing. Until now.

ENTER THE ACLU and Mr. Churchill's attorney.

Mr. Churchill's attorney has filed suit for a restraining order or temporary injunction, to allow tonight's event to go as planned. The hearing is at 4pm, the event is 7pm. Doubtful that enough time will be alloted for CU to provide the security they deem necessary.

If Mr. Churchill is REALLY that indignant, if he REALLY feels strongly about being able to speak at CU tonight, I'd love to hear the following commitment: Mr. Churchill refuses to receive ANY CU money (READ: OUR tax dollars), and pays for all security needs from his own pocket, and will hold CU faultless should anything actually occur.

Of course, I'm not holding my breath.

The ACLU weighed in as well, threatening the Governor and all critics to withhold their attacks. You know the ACLU - where First Amendment Rights belong only to the Left...

BREAKING HARD: Denver News 4 reporting that Mr. Churchill will speak no matter what CU has to say about it. ("Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead?").

No matter what happens in court, supporters say, Churchill will speak tonight outside the University Memorial Center at 7 p.m.

"They can expect to hear what I actually said, and the implications of how the media's been spinning it," Churchill said, referring to the content of his speech.

What specifically is that Mr. Churchill? You invention of "facts" for articles? Your lack of credentials? Your lack of Native American heritage (that you claim you have anyway?

Should be interesting.

3:10PM Breaking: Gee, here's a shock - seems the students that complained they had been threatened with violence, that led to the cancelling of the event, have retracted their statements and the "Ward Churchill Show" will go on as planned after all tonight.

Churchill's Strike Back Strikes OUT

2005-02-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

Seems CU has followed the example by other colleges that "Dr." Churchill's public appearance has been cancelled, citing "security concerns."

The more and more schools cite the same "security concerns" as the reason to cancel, the more convinced I am it's a grand spin of a smokescreen.

Next time you see an article citing "security concerns" -replace that phrase with "loss of alumni donations" - sure, it affects security, financial security, but you'll never get a college to admit it.

Think about it. CU hosted Hillary Clinton in the past - you don't think HER security needs weren't vast given Hillary's very public position?

In February, Salman Rushdie is going to visit CU, and given his Satanic Verses, which contain supposed insults toward Muslims, and still a lingering hatred of him, even though the fatwah or other decree that he should be put to death expired in 1998, doesn't he also have a high degree of security concerns?

It looks like Colleges and Universities are getting the message from their alumni supporters that America-hating or Blame-America-First faculties can have a negative impact on the bottom line. You bet this is a security concern for schools, and I only hope more alumni at more campuses pick up on the power they do have, even beyond the sports booster power.

Churchill wants an uprising by the people. Well, as far as I'm concerned, it looks like that is actually happening, but exactly the opposite type of uprising he wanted.

Alumni Power. Who knew?

It gets even better: Turns out the Rocky Mountain News is continuing to answer the Ethnic Studies Department challenge to check our "Dr." Churchill's writing and credentials - remember that?

Well, the Rocky has turned up another BOMBSHELL about "Dr" Churchill. He is just "MR" Churchill. He does NOT have a PhD after all, NOR is he the American Indian he claims. In consecutive paragraphs we find:

Churchill has said at various times that he is either one-sixteenth or three-sixteenths Cherokee, yet genealogical reporting by the Rocky Mountain News and others has failed to turn up any Cherokee ancestors - or any other Native Americans - in Churchill's family tree.

Why should we care one way or another? We should care because Churchill has used his supposed Indian heritage to bully his way into academia. Indeed Churchill lacks what are normally considered the minimum requirements for a tenure-track job at a research university: he never earned a doctorate, and his only degrees are a bachelor's and a master's from a then-obscure Illinois college.

Even more condemning is the research into the writings of Mr. Churchill - you know - doing exactly what the Ethnic Studies Department told the media to do to defend his credibility? Well, what credibility he may have had has tanked.

Thomas Brown, a professor of sociology at Lamar University, has written a paper that outlines what looks like a more conventional form of academic fraud on Churchill's part. According to Brown, Churchill fabricated a story about the U.S. Army intentionally creating a smallpox epidemic among the Mandan tribe in 1837, by simply inventing almost all of the story's most crucial facts, and then attributing these "facts" to sources that say nothing of the kind.

"One has only to read the sources that Churchill cites to realize the magnitude of his fraudulent claims for them," Brown writes. "We are not dealing with a few minor errors here. We are dealing with a story that Churchill has fabricated almost entirely from scratch. The lack of rationality on Churchill's part is mind-boggling." (Brown's essay can be read here: http://hal.lamar.edu/~browntf/Churchill1.htm.)

Similar charges have been leveled against Churchill by University of New Mexico law professor John Lavelle, a Native American scholar who has documented what appear to be equally fraudulent claims on Churchill's part regarding the General Allotment Act, one of the most important federal laws dealing with Indian lands. (Lavelle also accuses Churchill of plagiarism).

Isn't it the old adage of liberalism as put forth by many of their critics that "if you tell a lie often enough to a large enough audience, it becomes the 'truth'?" Looks like the Rocky has burst that bubble.

Their conclusion says all we need to know about CU Ethnic Studies Department hiring practices, and Mr. Churchill as well:

Of course some people believe they're Napoleon. But that's not a good reason for giving them professorships in French history.

I think the most charitable thing critics and supporters of Mr. Churchill could do at this point would be to give the Rocky Wanted ads to him. Looks like he'll need them. Soon.

Churchill Strikes Back - With YOUR Tax Dollars

2005-02-07T15:25:00.000-07:00

Seems embattled "Dr." Churchill is going to hold an event tomorrow at CU Boulder. Details are here, and immediately some questions come to mind....

The event should be peaceful even though organizers have received hate mail from Churchill's detractors, said CU student Dustin Craun. Craun is one of about 100 members of the event's organizing group, "CU Students, Faculty and Staff in Support of Ward Churchill."

Craun was one of two people arrested when the CU regents held a special meeting about Churchill on Thursday in Aurora. University officials said he was arrested for disrupting a public meeting.

Hmmm...he couldn't remain peaceful himself (check the videos available on the net of this meeting)...Mr. Craun and his "peaceful" cohorts took swings at the police monitoring the meeting!

"The people in support of Ward Churchill will, of course, be peaceful because that's what we're all about," Craun said. "Security will be steep. Nothing's going to happen. I won't be surprised if there are interruptions. Those people will be escorted out."

Again, Freedom of speech for "Dr." Churchill, but his detractors can, well, drop dead, apparently. Not only that, his supporters need to start actually READING his writings, where he ADVOCATES the use of violence...

The event is free. Malmsbury said the organizers received $1,200 from the Arts and Sciences Student Government, which gets funding from mandatory student fees, to sponsor the event. The money will defray the costs of security and setting up chairs.

Funny, I never thought use (or in my opinion in this case, abuse) of MY tax dollars and student fees is considered FREE?

Churchill is expected to lecture for 60 to 90 minutes. A question-and-answer period will follow.

Well, unless you disagree - get ready for a question-and-get-yanked-out session instead.

"People are excited about it," Craun said. "We've been at parties and whatever else all weekend and it's the talk of the campus."

OK, so what is "whatever?" I highly doubt "Dr" Churchill's speaking is the #1 concern of students binge drinking over the weekend, either that, or night life in Boulder has REALLY gone downhill recently.

"The people in support of Ward Churchill will, of course, be peaceful because that's what we're all about", Craun said.

...Craun was one of two people arrested when the CU regents held a special meeting about Churchill on Thursday in Aurora. University officials said he was arrested for disrupting a public meeting.

More Democratic Woes - No Good News for a Long Time, Not Even a Silver Lining

2005-02-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

Noemie Emery from The Weekly Standard has a brillian synopsis of the current state of the Democratic Party's mind. She comes up with the "perfect storm" that accosted the Democrat Party in the last couple of weeks:
Boxer and Byrd gang up on Condi Rice
Ted Kennedy calling Iraq another Vietnam
Evan Bayh jumping into the fray
John Kerry on Meet the Press (aka Meet the Cuomo Aide for Hugh Hewitt fans)

But, she did miss what could perhaps be the coup-de-grace for the Democratic Party:

Howard Dean is on the brink of becoming the new DNC chairman. Even the Los Angeles Times - The LA Times! calls this a suicidal selection. True, there aren't many readers if any left that actually READ the LA Times anymore, but, wow - one of the loudest liberal leaning cheerleader rags even sees the catastrophe to come.

Even better, here is Democracy Corps synopsis and analysis of recent polling, where Democrats aren't supporting Democrats anymore! James Carville again sees his once "proud" (I would say Arrogant) party's poll numbers slipping. Here are some key tidbits from the analysis (bold emphasis mine):

As voters compare the parties, they see a Democratic Party without purpose and defining ideas; a party not at all strong (weak politically, without strong leaders and direction); not the go-to party on protecting the country; ambivalent on basic values, like right and wrong and responsibility; and only marginally ahead on advocacy for people, being on their side.

The starting point for all else is the Republicans’ 28-point advantage (55 to 27 percent) on “knowing what they stand for.” In focus groups, participants talk about “there are too many gray issues for Democrats” and “they've got to start standing for something. You can't be all things to all people.” That is re-enforced by a sense that John Kerry was a “flip-flopper,” underscoring the lack of clear direction. “Kerry one day was over here, and then he was over there. Yeah I do think that’s right and no, I didn’t say that,” said one participant. Another said, “He’s the guy that holds up the line at McDonald's.” The collective impression is that Democrats have no strength of conviction or clarity of direction.

Democrats must do well on security, but it is not at all clear that the issue is blocking them from getting a hearing with the public.

Values may be such an impediment. The Republicans have significant advantages on respecting religious faith, on responsibility and knowing right from wrong. As we saw earlier, the biggest worries about the Democrats center on the cultural issues.

No Silver Lining for the Dems, folks. Which in a way is a shame, because they can be so entertaining to watch on TV with their self-destructive rhetoric. Again and again we see the true aim of democrats: Don't solve anything, just find problems, and own the problems with a lot of hot air (Social Security, Education, Iraq, Confirmation of Judges, and on...and on....and on....). Can anyone point to an actual plan from the DNC to fix ANY of these problems? You can find endless speeches and statements and TV appearances where the DNC has a good fix on addressing the problems, but, where are SOLUTIONS?

They don't have any....never have....never will.

The Republicans have one very simple strategy to implement to help the DNC complete their journey to complete irrelevance:

STAY OUT OF THEIR WAY.

What's the old saying? "Never shoot someone trying to commit suicide"...whoever said it had today's DNC in mind.

Churchill: Going....going....

2005-02-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

Well, at least the CU Regents did SOMETHING. They took the first steps in getting rid of "Dr." and "American Indian" Ward Churchill.

Of course, defender's of Churchill's comments showed up in force, and also showed the effect his words have on society. Several turned violent, one actually attempted to assault a police office, and a few were also arrested.

Now, I put American Indian in quotes because it seems he's not a native American after all, despite his claims in the past of being a descendant.

Dr. is in quotes because his conduct is not at all respectfully reflecting on what credentialed professors should be. Of course this is just my opinion, but, there is something known as honor and respect: it is earned, not just by paper, but by reputation. Churchill has definitely failed on the second criteria.

Churchill's Chickens coming home to roost

2005-02-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

It seems a impassioned plea was made by the CU Ethnic Studies Department yesterday at a rally in support of "Dr." Ward Churchill (Former) Chair of the department. They implored the media to read his writings, to supposedly not get caught up in the "spin" of his detractors.

Well, the Rocky Mountain News took their advice, but, I highly doubt the Ethnic Studies Department will like their opinion very much.

In a scathing call to ask for CU to force him out, the piece concludes as follows:

Churchill bet wrong that he could salute the terrorists of 9/11 and no one would push back. Now a career marked by repeated celebration of the virtue of armed struggle is on the line. Though he resigned under pressure Monday as chair of the university's department of ethnic studies, the regents ought to initiate a process that pushes him out the door.

The article also outlines his history of calling on the left to take up armed resistance for their agenda, among other things, including his repeated attempts to squelch others First Amendment Rights at Denver's Columbus Day parade.

See, in Ward Churchill's eyes, HIS First Amendments Rights are paramount, but he doesn't believe in giving others the opportunity to exercise their rights. Perhaps it's because he's one of the "smarter than everyone else" intellectuals, or perhaps it had something to do with 1960's activities that may have killed all the brain cells in his head that deal with common sense. Whatever the cause, his hypocrisy has been laid bare, and his chickens have come home to roost.

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for his exercising his rights, but, free speech has a price. He can say anything he wants, but I don't want him exercising his rights at my taxpaying expense.

Thank you Ethnic Studies Department for challenging the media. They responded. And for once, they were not on your side.

But, it gets better...even though Republicans in Colorado are still reeling in losing majority status in both the House and Senate, the State Legislature also weighed in today on the contoversy by calling his remarks "evil and inflammatory." I for one am shocked that there are liberals out there that recognize evil that isn't of a conservative creation! But I've got to hand it to them this time. They did do something right.

The Intransigent Churchill

2005-02-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

Here he is...(former) Ethnic Studies Chair, "Professor" Ward Churchill of CU

Poor Winston - having his honorable name be co-opted by one of the most radical left's Hate-America-and-blame-her-for-everything figureheads in recent memory!

It seems that "Professor" Ward Churchill at the University of Colorado has felt the heat and has resigned his chairmanship of his department.

It sounds almost voluntary, though I would believe a lot more pressure from the powers-that-be had a lot to do with this, although in "Dr." Churchill's worldview, it doesn't seem that way. For, in his view:

"The truth is, I never wanted the job in the first place and was sort of drafted into it," he said. "I'm not especially reluctant to do this, because it kind of gets in the way of my work.

"I welcome the opportunity to get back to being a faculty member, and doing my research and writing. That has all suffered, as a result of the demands of the chair's position, so there's no real regrets."

So, two and a half years into the three year post, NOW...after all the controversy, all the protests, and the revealing of his warped view of the United States...NOW he decides that teaching is more important? A CU professor?

Can anyone else tell me with an honest face that you would be happy to get out of a position you felt "drafted" into, AND take the accompanying $18,000 a year paycut as well?

I didn't think so.

Truth is, he opened his liberal "I know more than anyone else" mouth to spew his hatred of all things American (and apparently anything NOT associated with the 1960's, based on his appearance) and got caught. A pious liberal professor brought down by the mere peasants. How fitting. His condesending tone in the article is very telling about his view of the situation.

Even as controversial as it is, Hamilton College is still having him speak this Thursday. True, we all have First Amendment rights to speak out mind, but, keep in mind that any intended or unintended audience also has rights...to disagree with you, and to force issues back in your face. (UPDATE: Hamilton college has cancelled the event due to "security" concerns ("security" in this case = loss of alumni donations?))

I would imagine Hamilton is going to find a sudden drop in alumni donations, not to mention the pressure the CU College Republicans are bringing to bear to have Churchill terminated. Free speech is not without consequences.

Rudderless SS Democrat

2005-01-31T10:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I made this observation:

No vision, no plan, and no leadership, yet they still fail to comprehend those are the reasons so many voters turned their backs on the left in November.

Seems to be I was right, even in the eyes of (GASP) James Carville, of all people to agree with!

In this Christian Science Monitor article. When referring to the DNC's apparent new tactic of attacking the Republicans at every legislative turn (this is new?), the article states:

"The party certainly runs the risk of turning voters off if it persists with such tactics. As party insider James Carville said last week: "The Democratic Party acts more like an accumulation of interest groups than a national party." Instead of pushing a "narrative" of solutions, it pushes a "litany" of complaints, he suggested."

I've heard that time and again, but, normally, from the right end of the spectrum - Limbaugh, Hannity, et al have this pegged. As long as the Democrats can keep an issue alive with complaints, not solutions - they feel as though they "own" said issue. The Republicans have been getting better, but still have a long ways to go, to actually start solving issues, to keep pulling them into their realm of control.

What's interesting about the CSM article, however, is just the next paragraph down in the article, it states this:

"They point to a new poll by Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg that found voters don't generally endorse Republican views on domestic issues but voted for George Bush because they didn't want to switch presidents in the middle of a war. And that same poll found that Democrats have a slight edge as having "new ideas for addressing the country's problems.""

So where one of their chief strategists claims they have nothing but "a litany of complaints" to offer, this poll suggests they have the "new ideas." I would put this poll deep into the "suspicious sampling" column. Greenberg is a democratic pollster after all, and I would assume the overwhelming majority of respondents are DNC loyalists. You ask the right question in the right way, and you'll get the results you are looking for.

Opposing perspectives on the Iraq Election

2005-01-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

Late last night, I was watching Fox News for the start of the Iraq elections.

All I had heard earlier in the evening was that blasts were heard in Baghdad, that the election would be nothing but chaos...you know, the usual blathering from the left.

But, then, there is Geraldo Rivera. I know, I know...Al Capone's vault opening fiasco and all...but he was giddy...absolutely giddy in his reporting from wherever in Iraq he was. The video of people from all over the village walking to go vote was just overwhelming to him, and to me. I think expectations of turnout have been exceeded even beyond many pundits wildest dreams. I read or saw somewhere that turnout was around 72%...72% which would be incredible even here!

Then of course, there is the looney left, out in all their liberal glory, and still in Sore Loser mode. Still smarting from his 4 million vote spanking in November, here is John Kerry's take:

Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, who lost the November presidential election against Republican President George W. Bush, described the Iraqi elections as "significant" and "important" but said they should not be "overhyped."

"It is significant that there is a vote in Iraq," Kerry said in an interview with NBC television's Meet the Press. "But ... no one in the United States should try to overhype this election.

"This election is a sort of demarcation point, and what really counts now is the effort to have a legitimate political reconciliation," Kerry said. "And it's going to take a massive diplomatic effort and a much more significant outreach to the international community than this administration has been willing to engage in.

Legitmate political reconcilation? THIS coming from a democrat? The left trying to tell us to reconcile, after watching their deplorable conduct in regards to the Condoleeza Rice, and Alberto Gonzalez hearings? After their shameless, tasteless, and tactless display in Congress over Ohio's electoral votes?

Kerry and the left talk of reconciling, but, let's be honest: the real definition of reconciling to the left in this country is "We want to be in power, and to have the Right Wing Wacko's admit they always cheat to get their way."

Give me a break. The democrats are still reeling from the fact they lost the November elections - not only Kerry, but House and Senate seats as well. Now, with their only canard left being rapidly stripped away - their hype about the "fiasco" that was to be the Iraqi election, has also fallen by the wayside. No vision, no plan, and no leadership, yet they still fail to comprehend those are the reasons so many voters turned their backs on the left in November. (Perhaps I shouldn't have written this - maybe they will finally "get it" and start to try to lead with vision versus criticism for a change - oh, nevermind - Byrd, Boxer, Feinstein are all still there, and will continue to be for some time, so I guess the Right is safe for several more election cycles.)

Update from yesterday (Media Bias)

2005-01-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Mr. Stanton - becoming the first true replier to one of my posts. Finally, a web presence that is recognized!

Anyways, Instapundit has picked up on the Churchill article from "Dr." Churchill at CU Boulder ("Berkeley of the Rockies").

Glenn nails it:

"The same kind of guys, looking the same way, were saying the same kinds of things when I was younger than my daughter is now. When will Left catch up with the times?"

The clock stopped ticking for fashion, ideas, and in some cases, hygiene in the mid to late 1960's for what seems to be an increasing majority of those to the far-left of the spectrum. Which makes it nice to be easy to spot them (it's easier though not so pleasant downwind) from a distance.

Follow Up to Yesterday (more on Media Bias)

2005-01-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

I don't normally find much good coming out of the liberal brainwashing institutions, commonly referred to as Universities these days, but a student (who is also a hapless Cleveland Indians fan - hat tip to Hugh Hewitt) at The University of Arizona, weighs in on the media bias problem, with a nice humorous spin. (If that link doesn't work, try this one )

While it is indeed worth a few moments to read, his conclusion leaves much to be desired:

"But where can information be located without going to the big media companies? Try getting news from an alternative media source. PBS is a good place to start -- they are by far the least commercialized major news source, and they engage in informed debates about political and foreign policy issues -- plus, you are already paying for it with your tax dollars."

PBS? "Informed" debates? It was so good up to this point. PBS maintains just as much left-wing bias as the major networks, CNN, and MSNBC. Need proof? Watch the debate between Algore and Bush from 2000 moderated by PBS's own Jim Lehrer...his NON verbals say it all. If he could have said something to help Gore, believe me, he would have.

However, heavy doses of his suggested "Dismiss-icilin" are overdue in many newsrooms across the country. I would suggest starting with the managing editor of the Greeley Tribune, but that's a story and reason for another day.

And, poor CBS...now that Rathergate seems to be slowly fading in the memory banks of most Americans (OK, it faded a mere few seconds after the story broke about the final report, to be honest), along comes this new scandal - and surprise, Dan Rather is involved with this one too. It also appears to show that 60 Minutes II had yet again fallen for forgeries for a story....not letters this time, but videotapes "acquired" by a convicted felon.

It's almost enough to make one feel sorry for CBS, Dan, and 60 Minutes II. Almost. Ok, no...not really. They have been insulated from accountability for perhaps DECADES. Oh how the mighty have fallen. In the eyes and minds of many Americans, we won't be satisfied until we happen to see static in the place of the CBS evening news.

First ever blog posting - a little about me. More later. Media Bias.

2005-01-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

A little about me and my blog.

Hat tip to Hugh Hewitt, who inspired me to start my very own little internet blog presence. Find out more about Hugh: here.

On the web I can often be found here, as NorCoGOP; and here as LXAALUM. Conservative politics and fraternal organizations are a passion.

Today's main topic, a consistent sore spot for me: Media bias - using Thomas Sowell's Baltimore Sun Op/Ed piece . Another useful analogy to look at is the recent FINE showing by the USC Trojan's over the severly overrated Oklahoma Sooners (sorry, Hugh!). Media bias might show a headline indicating "USC gives up 10 points in National Championship Game." True, reading the article might reveal the true whuppin' given to the Sooners, but, first glance, which is the most important consideration for Headlines, gives a false impression that all is not well. We are a fast-fact gathering society...unfortunately, we "search," and don't "REsearch" as we should to find the truth.

Or think about this one...Iraq. No media bias here, right? We hear day in and day out about all the terrorist activity, and the death and destruction they live for. Make no mistake, the terrorists have but one aim...to kill - Americans if possible, innocents to add to the carnage, but the body count is their barometer of success. What we don't hear of course are all the successes we are having, and how many terrorists we are eradicating. Consider this article, from the UK no less, to put it in perspective. How many candidates are running for office in Iraq for this Sunday's elections? I read 80,000 plus somewhere. A handful have been attacked, fewer still actually killed. YOU do the math. A majority of reporting for a tenth of a thousandth of a percent of those that are actually being affected? Yes, if it bleeds, it leads is the mantra, but come on...you'd think the media could get SOMETHING right - 99.99125% of all candidates have NOT been harmed to this point.

The main problem with Media Bias is the in-your-face whitewashing that occurs all too often - refer to the CBS "Memo-gate" scanda. How the so-called "investigation" failed to find any proof of political partisanship being the motivating factor is beyond me. A quick search anywhere on the net can show you how deep into the DNC and liberal left many of the CBS employees were. I was hoping the cover of the investigative report would show the three proverbial monkeys (seeing no evil, hearing no evil, saying no evil) as the photo du jour....alas too much to hope for.

Then there is this outrageous article, from the "Berkeley of the Rockies", the University of Colorado. You'd think the adminstration in Boulder had enough on their hands what with the football scandal the past year, and the greek system in turmoil. But NOooo...here we have a tenured professor calling the 3,000 victims of 9/11 "little Eichmann's"? I guess some people just live for attention...positive or negative (he definitely prefers the latter). Poor Winston must be spinning in his grave that this "man" sharing the name Churchill is getting attention for writing this drivel, not to mention his many attempts to disrupt Columbus Day parades in Denver, as a means of getting his name out.