LEFTIST PROFESSORS TAKE HEED
There have been a series of articles during the last week (there are a couple featured on the main page today) that focus on a controversial organization founded by former UCLA College Republican
leader Andrew Jones’ efforts to target liberal professors at his alma-mater. Prominent advisory board members, such as esteemed former GOP Congressman Jim Rogan (a Bruin alumnus), have dropped off of Jones’ advisory board. What would be so outrageous as to cause this kind of controversy?
If you are a student these days, it really isn’t hard to find out a lot of ‘intel’ to help guide your choices or class preparation. Websites about where students upload their opinions of teachers, their grading techniques, how much homework they assign, whether they are strict about attendance, and more.
Jones simply is trying to put another factor out there for perspective students to look at when they are considering a course, or preparing for one — is their professor a total left-wing nut? Does he preach his beliefs in class like the gospel (boy, we’ve ALL had that happen)?
The controversy is that Jones, though some ‘roll up your sleeves’ fundraising, has put together some funds and is offering a ‘bounty’ to students as UCLA who report instances were professors spew forth their liberal dogma, so that they can be exposed!
I really don’t see why this is so controversial. Some have called it "spying" on professors. I don’t see it that way at all — people sell their notes they take in class now. As I said above, the ‘marketplace of ideas’ already includes profiles on faculty members relative to other factors of how they teach.
I wish this kind of service was available to me. Frankly, knowing that a professor was more focused on bashing "Bush’s war" than teaching me about the battle of 1812 would have been a bigger factor for me choosing a different class than how tough he was on grading exams.
No one is saying that professors don’t enjoy free speech rights (although trying to brainwash students who don’t have a choice to get up and leave seems oppressive), but students also have a right to do something about it. And if they can make a buck while lodging their complaint, well, good for them. Andrew – keep up the good work!
POMBO OPPONENT BACKED KERRY OVER BUSH
Pete McCloskey, the former Republican Congressman from 1967-1983 representing the San Francisco Peninsula, is now in his 70’s. But decades ago he had his moment of fame as being 
one of the most liberal Republicans in Congress. And that was by the standards back then, when the GOP isn’t as conservative, as a party, as it is today. McCloskey has decided to launch what I would characterize as a ‘gadfly’ primary challenge.
McCloskey has a lot of issues with Richard Pombo, and has decided to come out of retirement and run against Pombo in the June primary. Although, it would appear that his biggest problem with Pombo is one that he shares with Republicans in general — which is that he thinks Republicans these days just aren’t very Republican.
I don’t want to spend a bunch of time talking about this crazy-left former GOP Congressman, but I will draw your attention to one thing, that I think makes my point — and in his own words. On September 10, 2004, McCloskey wrote a guest column for the San Jose Mercury News in which he endorsed John Kerry over George Bush. If that isn’t telling of where this guy is coming from, I don’t know what is.
COMMENTING SYSTEM DUE TOMORROW!
If all goes well this afternoon, tomorrow we will finally be unveiling our comment system, where you, as a reader of the FlashReport, will be able to register at this site, and then be able to post your own comments to either this daily commentary, or to any of the posts on the blog. We’ll also be posting any original columns on this site over at the blog, too, which will allow you to comment on those, too! This should be a lot of fun! :)
Enjoy your day!
Jon