Having lived in at least four very different places here in the U.S. (I have also lived in two other countries), I can say with all sincerity that Lake County in Northwest Indiana trumps them all when it comes to Comical Politics.
And there is no place or institution in Northwest Indiana that is not susceptible to the disease that plagues the Democratic Party here, "Politico Corrupticus Syndrome." Even the hallowed halls of academe are infected.
What was my first clue that "Politico Corrupticus Syndrome" infected one of our local universities? Let me start with a story from late 2004 into 2005.
After winning election as Mayor of Hammond, Tom McDermott Jr. decided that he was not at all happy with the free speech I was exercising. So, he talked to Chancellor Cohen at Purdue Calumet, my employer (in true NWI strong-arm fashion), and sent him an official Mayor of Hammond letter with attachments (mcdermott_letter.mht). (Of course, I was not aware of this letter until recently through a freedom of information request.) Now, the Mayor's letter to Cohen would be irrelevant if it were not for the fact that the next column I published on January 31, 2005, which was critical of Mayor McDermott Jr., resulted in my receipt of an "offiicial" Purdue Calumet letter from the Chancellor's office (cohen response and column.mht).
I always thought it was odd that Chancellor Cohen thought my criticism of McDermott was "personal." Now it is clear to me; McDermott had told Cohen that my criticism of him was personal, and Cohen took it as unadulterated truth. And I always thought it odd that Cohen would intervene on behalf of McDermott. After all, I spent considerable time criticizing Pastrick. But Cohen did not send a letter to me on behalf of Pastrick. No, for some reason, only due to the "Politico Corrupticus Syndrome" of McDermott did Cohn intervene.
As many of my readers know, I am a vocal critic of our many politicians who exhibit clear signs of "Politico Corrupticus Syndrome." Call me crazy, but I just hate it when my, or anyone else's, tax dollars are stolen, misused, and abused. Unfortunately, this happens a lot in Northwest Indiana. Many of the local officials I criticized have been indicted and convicted. One even fled to Greece to avoid serving jail time.
Some of you, particularly those who do not like me for attacking "your guy," may think that Cohen did what he should have done. He was "in the right" and I "had it coming." But there is a fundamental and, thank goodness constitutionally protected, problem with that view.
Freedom of speech is an individual right and is meant to protect the individual from governmental suppression. Freedom of speech is not a mechanism meant to protect the government or governmental speech from unwanted taxpayer criticism. When Cohen, as Chancellor of Purdue Calumet, a state-funded institution, steps in as a State employee and supervisor to put a "chill on" or "a stop to" criticism of an elected Democrat, he is acting as a state (read: government) official and that means that the state (read: government) is attempting to control taxpayer speech.
For all you Democrats, you inherently understand this principle. Just substitute different names in a similar story. I'll substitute a ficticious Professor AntiAmericanus as a PUC professor. Imagine Professor AntiAmericanus writing a column viciously critical of President George W. Bush, equating Bush with Hitler. Imagine for a moment that this so upsets President Bush that he calls Chancellor Cohen, tells him of the offense, and then faxes a letter on official Presidential White House stationary to Chancellor Cohen asking for Cohen's attention to the matter. Then, imagine Chancellor Cohen acting on behalf of President Bush and sending Professor AntiAmericanus an official Purdue Calumet letter from the Chancellor's office, criticizing Professor AntiAmericanus for a "personal" attack on the President. You all get it; such an action would be an outrage.
It is no different just because the government official that Cohen is acting on behalf of just happens to be a locally elected Democratic Mayor.
Now, some of you are thinking that since I too make my paycheck from a state-funded institution, then the same applies to me. Not so. I am not an official representative of Purdue University Calumet. I do not speak on behalf of the University (just ask Cohen). That is why tenured professors such as Prof. Mike Adams can write regular columns for political websites, such as Townhall.com, but you will not find any University chancellor doing the same (probably because it would be illegal in most States).
In a couple of days, the storm died down. Little did I know that this was just the opening act of a two-year (and running) performance.
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