Cleary president's response blames bloggers for Coulter fuss

by: kjbas58

Sun Apr 22, 2007 at 14:49:09 PM EDT

Sullivan claims the goal of the series is to:

"enrich the community by hosting speakers who can share a broad spectrum of business, social, political, intellectual, and cultural experiences."
Since that time, a wonderful array of 10 diverse speakers shared insightful stories of success, leadership, and personal reflection. Their invitation to speak did not include an endorsement of any of their messages, but rather recognition that a community is strengthened by encouraging diversity of thought and conversation."

Again, how is Coulter's appearance enriching anyone but her own pocketbook? However, if the school wants to make money on the LEC series that's fine, but they can make more money by inviting a speaker with a positive message, with more appeal and at a less expensive price. We have provided them a list of many to choose from at the same place they booked Coulter from.

I also fail to see the broad spectrum of diverse speakers. Other than the Mayor of the largest city in our state, all of the speakers have had a conservative bent. How can anything Coulter has ever said or done meet the goal of "insightful stories of success, leadership, and personal reflection." Her success is from making hateful, racist remarks, and why would anyone want to emulate that? A less hateful remark than Coulter's numerous racist remarks cost Don Imus his job, but Cleary hired and is paying 30 grand for Coulter's remarks. Paying someone $30,000 to speak sounds like an endorsement to me, Mr. Sullivan.

Rogers on Coulter: "I don't think we should shy away from that"

by: LiberalLucy

Thu Apr 19, 2007 at 10:07:54 AM EDT

Wednesday Coffee Talk/Open Thread

by: BZP

Wed Apr 18, 2007 at 06:07:25 AM EDT

• WOOD TV : House Democrats advance own budget-balancing plan. WOOD has the details on the House Dems' budget plan, which they started voting on last night.
• DFP: Arts advocates to protest moratorium today. Today's rally at the capitol gets a nice write-up in the Free Press.
• MEDC: Business Expansions, Community Redevelopments to Create, Retain 4,237 Jobs. More news like this, please.
• Stone Soup Musings: Taxation is a moral issue. "Polls here in Michigan show most of us want these same things, but few of us are willing to pay for them. We all want something for nothing these days, but that's just not realistic. We have to change our way of looking at taxes, and we also have to change the way we tax people, especially here in Michigan." Bravo, Kathy!
• Conservative Media: Blogosphere was buzzing about the queen of hate’s appearance. The Comm Guru has a nice summary of all the blog buzz this whole Ann Coulter thing has generated over the last few days. Of course, let's not forget that he's the one who has been relentlessly following this story for several weeks now. Keep up the great work, Guru!
• LSJ: Judge throws out charges against Michigan lawmaker. Mike Cox, take a bow: "'I don't think the attorney general has come close to proving guilty knowledge ... on the part of this defendant,' said Ingham County Circuit Judge James Giddings."
• Among the Trees: Too stupid to survive. Another thoughtful post from Eric about the state of the environmental movement. Definitely worth a read.
• Battle Creek Enquirer: Granholm's statement on Virginia Tech shootings. Pretty self-explanatory.
• State News: Poison at the root. Be sure to check out Mike Ramsey's column about Michigan State's YAF chapter from today's paper. He's got more about the Spartan Spectator over on his blog.

The $30K Question: Ann Coulter or a Job?

by: LiberalLucy

Tue Apr 17, 2007 at 11:02:00 AM EDT

Update: Since posting this, I just received an email informing me that the Livingston Economic Development Council is no longer a member of the LEC, despite being listed on the LEC's website. See below for the email text.

In Michigan, the Livingston Economic Club (LEC) is going to pay Angry Ann Coulter over $30,000 to come and speak at Cleary University this fall. Wow, with that kind of cash, business must be pretty good in Livingston County.

Too bad that's far from the case. The fact is, one of the LEC's own sponsors, the Livingston Economic Development Council is struggling to stay afloat. According to the Livingston Co. Press and Argus after having to let staff go - the agency is really hoping its donors will step up contributions to help keep the lights on.

(Livingston Co. Administrator Bob) Block said having (LEDC Director Fred) Dillingham provide economic development services is a cost-effective way for the county to attract and retain businesses.

"It's a legitimate and meaningful activity to promote economic development within your jurisdiction," he said.

In such a poor economy, "clearly an effort to retain the existing employee base and seek out the next generation is maybe more important," Block added.

Bill Rogers, county board chairman and member of the EDC board, agreed.

"Right now, if anything these folks are more critical to help existing businesses stay existing, and to help bring in new businesses," he said.

Businesses in Livingston aren't the only ones suffering, in the village of Pinckney (pop. 2000) "scores of teachers" are being offered buyouts to counter the district's $1.5 million budget deficit.

According to an employee with the Michigan Works! Livingston Service Center, the Center is seeing 1800-2000 new clients a month who are looking for a job, which is 21,600 to 24,000 people a year looking for a regular paycheck.

Livingston County, like the rest of the state, is economically suffering. So why would the Livingston Economic Council opt to spend $30,000+ to bring a hate-monger like Ann Coulter to town rather than providing a member of their community with the means for employment? In Michigan, $30,000 is more than enough to put a roof over someone's head and food on the table.

Exactly where are the priorities of the Livingston Economic Council? On promoting hate and intolerance and bleeding their area dry or on improving the economic situation of their area? What kind of investment from the LEC do you think the residents of Livingston County would prefer - one more job, or a visit from Coulter?

*If you haven't already, please contact the LEC Founders and tell them to invest their money in jobs, not Ann Coulter. Visit yesterday's post for the list of names and contact information.

Update cont: Email from Fred Dillingham, Director of the Livingston Economic Development Council -

We were series sponsors in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Due to budget shortfalls, the EDC is not a sponsor for this year's series. The EDC did not participate in either the selection of speakers or the solicitation of sponsors for the 2007 series.

They fire Imus, we hire Coulter: A Call to Action

by: LiberalLucy

Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 11:13:05 AM EDT

In the wake of the Don Imus disaster, one would think that Corporate America would be highly sensitive to the promotion of hate speech, if not for morality's sake, for their profit's sake. For our sake, it's time to fight back and simply say 'No' to Coulter and her hate-mongering.

Unfortunately that's not true in one community in Michigan, already branded with a decades-old racist reputation and where, even today, its children are publicly being called racists just for living there.

There's still a chance to stop Coulter's Tour of Hate and Intolerance from coming to Michigan and making a hefty $30,000 while she's at it. But we need your help! (Action Alert Below)

Howell, Michigan - home of the Livingston County seat, the Michigan Ballonfest Challenge, the Howell Melon Festival, Cleary University, former KKK stronghold, a 95.97% white population and one of the next stops on Ann Coulter's tour of Hate and Intolerance.

Sadly, the Livingston Economic Club (LEC) has opted to pay Coulter $30,000 + travel expenses to preach hate and intolerance to a crowd of 200+ at Cleary University in October. Even worse, Coulter kicks off the Cleary University Founders Week Celebration. According to the Cleary Website -

Through special programs and events, Cleary University attempts to increase it awareness to the community, our alumni, faculty, staff, and current students by highlighting achievements, activities, projects, and future goals. 

We at Cleary University have a strong past and proud tradition as a specialized business university and we remain committed to the enhancement of society through the many successes of our alumni and their employers.

*emphasis added*

  An advisory committee to the Livingston Economic Club decided recently not to rescind the offer to Coulter, said university President Tom Sullivan, despite the furor she caused by using a derogatory term for homosexuals when discussing Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards earlier this year.

Yet, the eight-member executive committee will meet on Thursday, he said, and will conduct a routine review of the economic club's speaker series.

Sullivan said the panel will be told about calls the school has received, either objecting to or supporting Coulter's appearance. The tally of those calls: 33 against Coulter and 35 in favor.

"We're not recommending to them that they take any action," Sullivan said.

He said 200 tickets have been sold.

Monday Coffee Talk/Open Thread

by: BZP

Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 06:03:06 AM EDT

• AP: Lawmakers explore tax idea for community colleges. "Republicans are moving to quash the idea, saying government should focus on reduced spending rather than tax increase proposals while trying to balance the budget." We've heard this one before, but as Gov. Pingree reminded us yesterday, the anti-tax drones are finally on the run.
• DFP: Potholes can place a hit on your wallet. Here's another one for the anti-tax crowd: "So when you hit that big pothole, unless you've got a justifiable reason it wasn't your fault, you'll be stuck with the repair bill minus deductibles that generally range from $250 to $1000, Cain said." One way or another, Michigan residents are paying for our crumbling roads.
• Stone Soup Musings: No help with your shut-off notice? Thank a Republican. Good catch by Kathy: Emergency aid for utility bills is almost gone.
• Observer & Eccentric: Cox gym scrapped. Maybe they finally figured out that there's a YMCA four blocks from Cox's office.
• Conservative Media: Cleary University continues to defend racist remarks. The Guru makes a great point here: "With the recent firing of Don Imus for an alleged racist remark, it also seems unbelievable that Cleary continues to defend Coulter and she's not being held to the same standard, whose racist and hateful remarks in the past make Imus pale in comparison." And look who's defending Ann Coulter now... why, it's our good ol' pal, Mike Rogers!
• No on Joe: Where Did Knollenberg's PAC Contributions Really come from? The No on Joe folks paw through Knollenberg's Q1 Campaign Finance statement.
• Walberg Watch: Walberg 1Q Fundraising. Same thing for Walberg.
• Walberg Watch: Skubick on Joe Schwarz. Fitzy combs through Tim Skubick's column about Joe Schwarz from last Friday. I agree with Fitzy here... I'd be shocked if Schwarz pulled a switcheroo, but it's the only way the guy would have a prayer at winning his old seat back.

The Gauntlet Has Been Thrown!!

by: leftfielder

Sat Apr 14, 2007 at 03:05:26 AM EDT

Cross-posted at Farleftfield

Resistance to hatemonger is building

by: kjbas58

Tue Apr 10, 2007 at 00:19:20 AM EDT

Apparently, the Executive Board of Trustees for the University is meeting later this month to talk about her appearance.

Ann Coulter is a hatemonger. Her invitation to the 2007 Livingston Economic Club Speakers Luncheon Series is an affront to all who seek peace and justice. Here are only a couple of her outrageous pronouncements:
"We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That's war. And this is war."

"Whether they are defending the Soviet Union or bleating for Saddam Hussein, liberals are always against America. They are either traitors or idiots, and on the matter of America's self-preservation, the difference is irrelevant."

Please reconsider the invitation offered to Ann Coulter to speak in Livingston County based on the above.

The acceptance of similar hate speech paved the way for Hitler's rise in the 1930's and must not be repeated.

Robert L. Henderson

Mason
 

Coulter makes jokes about rape, murder, starvation and genocide

by: kjbas58

Sun Apr 08, 2007 at 18:54:39 PM EDT

In her latest column Coulter pokes fun at rape, murder, starvation and genocide. Boy, she's worth every single penny of the more than $30,000 they are paying her. Making jokes about the genocide in Darfur is sooo funny. That will be good lunchtime entertainment. She is just hilllllarious.

In her latest column, the queen of hate had this to say about the funny going ons in Western Sudan:

"These people can't even wrap up genocide," Coulter writes. "We've been hearing about this slaughter in Darfur forever -- and they still haven't finished.
The aggressors are moving like termites across that country. It's like
genocide by committee. Who's running this holocaust in Darfur, FEMA?"

To quote a famous American entertainer, "funny, funny stuff." Here, she is saying that the brutal rape, murder and genocide of Africans in Darfur is not happening fast enough for her. How funny it that? I guess that's why nine newspapers in the last month have agreed to drop her column, including the Oakland Press here in Michigan.

In case you didn't know, since 2003, Darfur, in Western Sudan, has been embroiled in a deadly conflict. Several hundred thousand people have been killed or seriously injured. More than two million people have been displaced and live in displaced-persons camps in Sudan or in refugee camps in Chad; more than 3.5 million people are reliant on international aid for survival.

That is most definitely the fodder for jokes.

Maybe Cleary University President Tom Sullivan or Janet Flip, who booked Coulter, will appreciate this funny joke. Contact them and let them know.

President Tom Sullivan
Cleary University
3750 Cleary Drive
Howell, MI 48843
jfilip@cleary.edu
tsullivan@cleary.edu
Phone: 517.548.3670

Coulter-wannabe pushes anti-Muslim agenda

by: kjbas58

Sun Apr 08, 2007 at 14:09:44 PM EDT

That has spawned people like Coulter wannabe Michelle Malkin, and she has learned the lesson well. I'm sure anyone who has ever had the misfortune of watching her on the faux "news" channel or read her column in the conservative Detroit News has come in contact with her brand of hatemongering.

Her latest column in the increasingly right-wing Detroit News takes some pot shots at the Muskegon Intermediate School District and says we should really hate Muslims more here in the U.S. The Muskegon incident in question took place in 2004, and the school district conducted a lock-down drill that are common and mandated by state law using a scenario that said an "attack by a fictitious radical group called Wackos Against Schools and Education who believe everyone should be homeschooled" was in progress.

To their credit, the Superintendent and the Muskegon County Emergency Services director apologized, but that is not enough for Malkin. In Malkin's quest to be like her big sister, Ann, Malkin also points out New Jersey's Burlington Township High School also used a similar scenario last month.

Malkin claims we should really be using a scenario that has bomb-vest-donning jihadists shouting "Allahu Akbar." Red bandana-wearing martyrs with visions of 72 virgins dancing in their evil heads. America-hating plotters enraged by the existence of Israel or driven to establish a worldwide caliphate. Want she really wants to do is rewrite history like she tried to do with her book that claims the internment of Japanese Americans in WW II was justified, just like her hero Coulter wants to rewrite history that Sen. Joseph McCarthy was a misunderstood hero.

Can you point out one school shooting or attack on a school in the U.S. that was carried out by Muslim terrorists? I could be wrong, but I believe the answer is none.

All of the attacks in schools were carried out by kids who were picked on, felt like outcasts and were bullied. Now, I don't believe any home-schooled kids ever carried out any school shootings, but I'm sure some felt like and have been treated like the kids who actually did the shootings. The scenario Malkin is rallying against is more likely to occur than a Muslim terrorist attack. With all that evidence for why kids commit the shootings it also makes you wonder why the Michigan House Republicans recently opposed anti-bullying legislation. I'm against any kid being bullied for their faith or their sexual orientation.

Malkin attempts to say it's wrong to use scenarios where right-wing views are the culprit, but the largest terrorist attack in the U.S. prior to 9/11 was conducted by a person in Oklahoma City who had rightwing views.

I think a scenario is a scenario, and they should be varied. But they should also be plausible. A lone or a few disenfranchised kids are more likely to do the shooting than a Muslim terrorist. Why even use a scenario? Who cares why a person is in a school with a gun firing on students.

Just a quick look at the actual cases proves that the scenario Malkin is up in arms against is more plausible than Islamic terrorists.

Richland High School in Tennessee, 1995. One student and a teacher were killed, and another teacher was seriously wounded by a shot to the head by a 17 year-old student.
Frontier Junior High in Washington, 1996. A 14-year-old student killed a teacher and two students.
Pearl High School Mississippi, 1997. A 16-year-old student kills two students and wounded seven others.
Unfortunately, the list goes on, and includes Heath High School in Kentucky; Jonesboro, Arkansas; Columbine High School; Santana High School in Santee, CA.; Red Lake High School, Minnesota; and Platte Canyon High School Colorado.

See any Islamic terrorist shootings in that list?

Coulter pales in comparison to other available speakers

by: kjbas58

Sat Apr 07, 2007 at 22:35:39 PM EDT

The real staggering thing is why the school would book such a controversial and hateful person like Coulter when they had so many quality people to choose from for less money, at half the price in some cases. After seeing the list I would like to ask Janet Filip - the Cleary employee who booked Coulter and the wife of Alan Filip, chairman of the Livingston County Republican Party - why choose Coulter and embrace her racist and discriminatory ways when we have so many others to choose from? She has posted here before, so that should not be a problem for her to address the question.

The web site lists literally hundreds of speakers, broken down into categories and sub categories like Motivational speakers, Politics & Contemporary Issues Speakers or Business Issues, that are available.

Mr. Filip wrote on the blog back on March 7 "The advisory board agreed that we needed to spruce up the speaker selection in order to continue to grow the series. Attendance has declined some over the past few years."

Well, how about bringing in Sparky Anderson at cost of half of what you are paying Coulter at $15,500. I guarantee you this: Sparky will fill any venue you choose to hold the event at. Or how about a class guy like Art Linkletter or Mort Crim?

If you want right-wingers, how about Michael Medved or Ben Stein? If you like hatemongers how about Sean Hannity or Michael Reagan? You could even have a couple of convicted felons in G. Gordon Liddy or Oliver North. All of these people don't rely strictly on hate speech and saying the mot outrageous thing possible just to get attention. All of the people on the list below have actually accomplished things.

Listed below are just a few suggestions of people I have actually heard of who are available, and some actually list the cost of bringing them in and I listed it after their name. All are better choices than Coulter.

Politics & Contemporary Issues Speakers: Jim Abbott, Ellen Goodman ($20,000), David Hunt ($10,000), Jeff Kemp ($6,500), Michael Medved ($10,000), Rusty Wallace, Linda Chavez, Eleanor Clift ($8,000), Sean Hannity, Ed Koch, convicted felon G. Gordon Liddy, Deborah Norville, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Neil Cavuto, Bob Costas, Catherine Crier ($23,000), Lisa Myers, convicted felon Oliver North, Forrest Sawyer, Ben Stein, Dave Barry, Neal Boortz ($10,000), Anderson Cooper, Al Franken, Bryant Gumbel, J. D. Hayworth, Laura Ingraham ($28,000), Dick Morris, Michael Reagan ($20,000), William Safire, Joe Scarborough, Helen Thomas, Art Linkletter ($15,000), Alan Osmond ($12,500), Sarah Ferguson, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, David Hunt ($10,000), F. Lee Bailey ($12,500), Dick Armey ($25,000), Geraldine Ferraro ($20,000), Alexander Haig ($25,000), Norman Ornstein ($12,500), Brent Scowcroft, David Limbaugh ($7,500) or William Safire.

Motivation & Inspiration Speakers: Mario Andretti, Robert Ballard, Johnny Bench, Terry Bowden ($7,500), Ken Carter ($20,000), Dennis Conner ($15,000) Jim Craig, Len Dawson, Mike Ditka, Bill Bates ($10,000), Bobby Bowden, James Brown, Larry Csonka ($25,000), Larry Dierker, Hugh Downs, Linda Ellerbee, Julius W. Erving,  Jeff Fisher, Jack Hanna, Wally Schirra, Lance Armstrong, Dave Dravecky, Don Shula, Wally Amos ($11,000), Billy Donovan, Jimmy Johnson and Mort Crim ($7,500)

Sports Speakers: Sparky Anderson ($15,500), Dusty Baker, John Calipari, Steve Garvey ($15,500), Mike Golic, AC Green ($10,000), Mia Hamm, Phil Jackson, Bela Karolyi ($12,000), Archie Manning, Mark Moseley ($6,000), Jim Palmer ($25,000), Rick Reilly, Ozzie Smith, Mark Spitz, Mike Eruzione, Roy Firestone ($20,000), Rowdy Gaines ($10,000), Greg Gumbel ($15,000), Orel Hershiser, Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, Meadowlark Lemon ($25,000), Curly Neal ($6,000), Gale Sayers ($20,000), John Smoltz, Gene Stallings ($10,000), Bruce Jenner, Anthony Munoz, Rocky Bleier ($12,500), Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Bob Love, John Naber ($8,000), Rudy Ruettiger ($20,000), Byron Scott, Joe Torre,  John Kruk or Kenny Mayne.

Personal Growth Speakers: Spencer Christian ($25,500), Jack LaLanne, Bruce Jenner, Tony Perkins ($7,500) or Stedman Graham.

New weekly feature: Coulter outrageous quote of the week

by: kjbas58

Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 17:44:47 PM EDT

The goal of this campaign is to save Cleary University more than $30,000 and the embarrassment of embracing this woman's discriminatory positions. Her appearance will also reinforce the general perception that Livingston County is a safe haven for racists and bigots of all ilks, like Coulter. To quote a friend of mine about Coulter's appearance, "While I fully endorse the concept that the University should be a marketplace of ideas, I maintain that racism and bigotry are not products worthy of barter in that marketplace."

We will also be staring a campaign to pressure the sponsors, as well as the university, not to embrace and promote her racist and discriminatory views. We would no more invite the Klan here to speak, so why are we inviting Coulter and paying her 30 grand to do it? Toward than end we will also be posting contacts of the groups and people sponsoring her appearance.

The Coulter quote of the week:
  "Oh, and I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards. But it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word "faggot," so I'm -- so I'm kind of at an impasse, can't really talk about Edwards. So I think I'll just conclude here and take your questions." March 2, 2007, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

If you want to contact Cleary University and tell them this is unacceptable here's how:

President Tom Sullivan
Cleary University
3750 Cleary Drive
Howell, MI 48843
tsullivan@cleary.edu
Phone: 517.548.3670

ACTION: Lobby Oakland Press to Replace Ann Coulter with Amy Goodman

by: bfealk

Tue Mar 06, 2007 at 06:20:16 AM EST

Allan P. Adler
Editorial Page Editor
248-745-4626
allan.adler@oakpress.com

Here's a sampling of the columns that have appeared in newspapers so far:

Clinton to Antiwar Voters: Bring it on
Wolf as Underdog
Bang Pots and Pans for Molly Ivins
Lt. Watada leads U.S. out of Iraq
Up to Democrats to investigate torture
King's Message: Stop the war, Help the Poor
Global Warring, Global Warming, Global Warning
Prosecuting Nixon Would Have Elevated the Nation
Shooting the Messenger is a War Crime
Ask Kissinger About Pinochet
It's Bigotry that Should Be Silenced
The Art of War and Deception
Rumsfeld's Mount Misery
Bush has a chance to hold terrorists accountable
New Vermont senator not standard fare
Death in Oaxaca
Beyond the Nine Second Soundbite
 

Oakland Press Kicks Ann Coulter to the Curb

by: bfealk

Mon Mar 05, 2007 at 14:19:53 PM EST

This morning I received an e-mail from the Editorial Editor saying that the Oakalnd Press would no longer carry her columns.

Hip, Hip, Hooray.