Huge WTF? via Pharyngula
See, a University of Minnesota Professor sent out an e-mail to a number of people asking them to help out with Al Franken's campaign.
Cue the hue and cry. Those damn liberal intellectual elites wasting tax-payer money on behalf of a liberal candidate!
I mean really, do you know how much it COSTS to send an e-mail?
Furthermore, it might look bad, like an endorsement of a party by someone who holds a public trust, which would be a BIG no-no.
David Schultz, an ethics expert at Hamline University, said "what's bad about it is that it lends credence to the perception that academics and professors are all liberal and using college resources to help Democrats. ... You shouldn't use your e-mail or your title or your position to leverage help for particular candidates."
Absolutely!!! I mean, it's not like Senators endorse other candidates, or do fund raising, or distribute the proceeds from extortion and money laundering in exchange for political leverage to boost key members of their party, and thus earn a nickname like "the hammer". You don't see George Bush leveraging HIS position of public trust to promote candidates HE favors. It's not like he flies into a town, spends half-an-hour on a flash visit to a grade school or a meat-packing plant or whatever so he can ride Air Force One to a $1000 a plate fundraiser for one of his pet legislators.
College professors should be held to AT LEAST that high of a standard when it comes to their e-mail accounts. From now on, the good professor should be sure to put, at the top of her e-mails "Reminder: My office hours are 1:00PM-3:00PM. Anyone needing to consult with me on their academic work should contact me at that time. Oh, and by the way, if you want to help Franken out, give me a call."
I mean , who does she think she is?
Hangin's too good for her. Burnin's to good for her. She should be torn into itty-bitty little pieces, and buried alive. (Ten brownie points to the first person to correctly identify the source of the preceding passage).