Threatening Literature?

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

An Ohio State University librarian is being investigated for "sexual harassment" after he suggested four conservative books for a freshmen reading program. After several English professors at the university's Mansfield campus recommended books by Jimmy Carter, among others, for the program, Scott Savage suggested adding David Kupelian's "The Marketing of Evil" — a book that, among other things, denounces homosexuality.

But faculty members voted unanimously to file sexual harassment charges against Savage after two openly gay professors complained they felt "threatened" by the proposal and one formally notified school officials that he no longer felt safe doing his job because of Savage's action. The university says it takes the charges seriously.

Cultural Critic

The Pulitzer Prize for criticism this year went to Washington Post fashion commentator Robin Givhan for what the judges called her "witty, closely observed essays that transform fashion criticism into cultural criticism." Givhan is probably best remembered for ridiculing then-Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris' appearance during the 2000 election recount. She also commented at some length on the candidate's hair in the 2004 presidential race.

Related

President Bush, she said, has an "unremarkable dull gray thatch" that "never seems to glisten even ... in direct sunlight" and Dick Cheney's few strands "are so lacking in body and bounce that... they don't even register as wisps."

As for John Edwards, well, Givhan wrote of his "beautiful shade of chocolate brown with honey-colored highlights," which she said "looks so healthy and buoyant and practically cries out to be tousled." And of John Kerry's full head of hair Givhan wrote "What man wouldn't gloat, just a little?"

Espionage Evidence?

The family of late Washington columnist Jack Anderson donated some 200 boxes of archives to George Washington University after his death in December, but the university won't get the first look at their contents if the FBI has its way. Federal law enforcement agents say the boxes — full of notes on years of Washington scandals — could contain documents pertaining to their investigation into two American lobbyists suspected of spying for Israel.

But Anderson's family — and GW archivists — are fighting the FBI's request on principle and note that while the spy case arose in the late 1990's, nearly all of Anderson's investigative work ended in the late 1980's.

Admission of Guilt

Former University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian — who called himself a martyr and a victim of anti-Muslim sentiment after he was acquitted on terrorism charges in December — now admits he helped fund the Palestinian terror group Islamic Jihad.

Al-Arian pled guilty to raising money for the group, and conspiring to hide the identities of its members... and despite previous testimony, admitted to knowing that his contributions could be used for acts of violence. The Tampa Tribune reports that Al-Arian will be deported to an unknown destination, after serving a short jail sentence.

— FOX News' Aaron Bruns contributed to this report.

See Political Grapevine Archive

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