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Lou Dobbs to Cal Poly President: “bureaucratic moron”

March 14, 2009

CNN’s Lou Dobbs recently called out California Polytechnic State University President Warren Baker for squelching diversity and free speech.

“Let me say this to Cal Poly’s president, you, sir, are a coward and a fool and as far as I’m concerned, just this side of a fascist,” Dobbs said on CNN.

A few years ago, Baker attempted to stop a student from hanging posters announcing a speaker coming to campus to talk about his book. The student was vindicated in federal court, at taxpayers’ expense, under a condition from Cal Poly that they would never apologize or admit any wrongdoing.

Check out the five-minute CNN segment at http://www.rogerfreberg.com/blog/?p=990

Or try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9Thgt7dEVw  

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By: R.Hodin on 3/17/09

Much worse than any claims that the CPSU administration is leaning left or right (ultimately a straw man argument), is the fact that it is institutionally risk-averse, to the detriment of the very ideals that higher education is supposed to inculcate. That is how they can parse the fringes of the expression of individual fundamental rights as threats to somnambulism the Cal Poly experience, instead of as the exercises of liberty that they are.


It's unfortunate that this important topic is introduced by the moronic Dobbs, but we'll take it where we get it.


Thanks for posting the links, Roger.


By: crunch on 3/16/09

Hurray for Lou Dobbs, also for Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and all other who speak truth to a disfunctional liberal population. Don't you think its interesting that liberal talk show hosts can't keep an audience or a decent rating? Dave Congalton claims to be a republican, but like Schwartzeneger, he is a democrat in conservative clothing. Freedom of speech is for all ideas, not just the ones we like. Its ok for hispanic students to yell Viva los Chicanos! at graduation and fly the Mexican flag, but others may not display posters of speakers who aren't politically correct in a leftist or socialist environment??? We chastize the student for deliberately looking for trouble like we can read his mind or intentions – Come ON!

By: George on 3/15/09

SensitiveGuy, you can call a person liberal without slurring developmentally disabled people or name calling .

By: rogerfreberg on 3/15/09

Well, well… who's been drinking 'no-place-like-slo' company coolaid?


Read the case first… http://www.thefire.org/index.php/case/14.html … then decide WHO really are the bad guys.


The real issue here is Cal Poly and their aging President Warren Baker making real world life and death decisions on the lives and careers of the innocent based on some sort of arbitrary standard. This is why we have laws in this country and not allow folks like Warren to make them up on the fly… it may be more fun… but it's wrong.


Ideologues may not like messing their hands in what's right… but most thinking liberals and conservatives agree that using the power of institutions to attempt to destroy someone is wrong.


I know Steve Hinkle was and is no racist, however, if he had not found the courage to fight the injustice being done to him by Cal Poly… he would have been branded forever.


It's an old tactic to attack the messenger and not the message… but like it or not Cal Poly is not the place YOU think it is… and not the place they calm it to be.


I gave more links to other interesting stuff farther down.


Roger


By: mccdave on 3/15/09

Lou Dobbs isn't the best defender of free speech one could find — just another cable news jackass. The New Yorker profiled him a couple of years ago and like most broadcasters he lacks self-awareness:

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/12/04/06120…


Baker does seem to epitomize the sad cowardliness of universities on these matters. Cal Poly may be highly rated, but in many ways it's the dullest large campus in the state and Baker seems determined to keep it that way. The only serious protest I can recall there was an invasion of the Campus Bottle Shop during the Poly Royal riots, which crystallizes the ethos of most Poly kids.


Incendiary speech is a real test, and the ultimate example may be a ban on neo-Nazi speech in Germany (recently extended to websites in some German states). The arguments for such a ban are self-evident, but the Economist magazine made a good case that it just drives such views into the shadows when it would be better for such groups to clearly identify themselves. In the U.S., most racists are smart enough to conceal their views and thus a lot of racism is insidious.

By: northcountyresident on 3/15/09

It's good to see some in the media will call out this kind of campus fascism.


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By: R.Hodin on 3/17/09

Much worse than any claims that the CPSU administration is leaning left or right (ultimately a straw man argument), is the fact that it is institutionally risk-averse, to the detriment of the very ideals that higher education is supposed to inculcate. That is how they can parse the fringes of the expression of individual fundamental rights as threats to somnambulism the Cal Poly experience, instead of as the exercises of liberty that they are.


It's unfortunate that this important topic is introduced by the moronic Dobbs, but we'll take it where we get it.


Thanks for posting the links, Roger.


By: crunch on 3/16/09

Hurray for Lou Dobbs, also for Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and all other who speak truth to a disfunctional liberal population. Don't you think its interesting that liberal talk show hosts can't keep an audience or a decent rating? Dave Congalton claims to be a republican, but like Schwartzeneger, he is a democrat in conservative clothing. Freedom of speech is for all ideas, not just the ones we like. Its ok for hispanic students to yell Viva los Chicanos! at graduation and fly the Mexican flag, but others may not display posters of speakers who aren't politically correct in a leftist or socialist environment??? We chastize the student for deliberately looking for trouble like we can read his mind or intentions – Come ON!

By: George on 3/15/09

SensitiveGuy, you can call a person liberal without slurring developmentally disabled people or name calling .

By: rogerfreberg on 3/15/09

Well, well… who's been drinking 'no-place-like-slo' company coolaid?


Read the case first… http://www.thefire.org/index.php/case/14.html … then decide WHO really are the bad guys.


The real issue here is Cal Poly and their aging President Warren Baker making real world life and death decisions on the lives and careers of the innocent based on some sort of arbitrary standard. This is why we have laws in this country and not allow folks like Warren to make them up on the fly… it may be more fun… but it's wrong.


Ideologues may not like messing their hands in what's right… but most thinking liberals and conservatives agree that using the power of institutions to attempt to destroy someone is wrong.


I know Steve Hinkle was and is no racist, however, if he had not found the courage to fight the injustice being done to him by Cal Poly… he would have been branded forever.


It's an old tactic to attack the messenger and not the message… but like it or not Cal Poly is not the place YOU think it is… and not the place they calm it to be.


I gave more links to other interesting stuff farther down.


Roger


By: mccdave on 3/15/09

Lou Dobbs isn't the best defender of free speech one could find — just another cable news jackass. The New Yorker profiled him a couple of years ago and like most broadcasters he lacks self-awareness:

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/12/04/06120…


Baker does seem to epitomize the sad cowardliness of universities on these matters. Cal Poly may be highly rated, but in many ways it's the dullest large campus in the state and Baker seems determined to keep it that way. The only serious protest I can recall there was an invasion of the Campus Bottle Shop during the Poly Royal riots, which crystallizes the ethos of most Poly kids.


Incendiary speech is a real test, and the ultimate example may be a ban on neo-Nazi speech in Germany (recently extended to websites in some German states). The arguments for such a ban are self-evident, but the Economist magazine made a good case that it just drives such views into the shadows when it would be better for such groups to clearly identify themselves. In the U.S., most racists are smart enough to conceal their views and thus a lot of racism is insidious.

By: northcountyresident on 3/15/09

It's good to see some in the media will call out this kind of campus fascism.


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By: rogerfreberg on 3/15/09

First, let me say that I like Dave Congalton and have known him for many years and he is only right about one thing… there is far more to the story about Steve Hinkle and Cal Poly… Cal Poly was savaged in the national press for good reason… with the exception of the Tribune. here's a link to read all about the case:


http://www.thefire.org/index.php/case/14.html


Oh, by the way, I believe that Warren Baker is registered as 'declines to state' and is hardly a conservative. My impression and opinion is that he does what is best for him. Why would anyone including Dave Congalton defend the actions of this Bozo?


The African-American author Mason Weaver is certainly not the most controversial or 'extreme' speaker that has ever been on campus…. after all, I taught there myself for many years.


The Foundation for Individual Rights (FIRE) in Washington, D.C. is hardly some right wing organization… they are an amazing group.


If you read the transcript and analysis, you will see that Cal Poly acted extremely inappropriately. Although Cal Poly paid a huge price for this and was forced to 'settle' as they almost always do… here's another recent example regarding a well publicized hanging of a troupe called smile and nod:


http://www.thefire.org/index.php/article/8681.htm…


By the way, every guy who wears an American Flag is not a right wing fanatic… CNN never hires those guys. However, on this occasion, Lou Dobbs did show some justifiable righteous indignation.


The original work on 'Indoctrinate U.' can be found on this site where Cal Poly is shown in all it's glory…


http://indoctrinate-u.com/pages/welcome.html.


Everyone should be appalled at how Cal Poly and Warren Baker acted… and in my opinion continues to act in it's relationship with students, the faculty and the community.


Roger Freberg


PS. If someone held a "Warren Baker Appreciation Day"… would anyone come?


By: George on 3/14/09

Baker a lefty? maybe left of Benito Mussolini.

By: DashRiprock on 3/14/09

Lou Dobbs is a laughing stock of most the mainstream media…hell, i barely graduated from montana state and i would debate him

By: pismoclam on 3/14/09

I will be happy when Baker leaves. He's been for Baker more than for the college. He's the biggest OINKER in the system, getting over 450k per year plus a bunch of spiffs. Another lefty that we don't need.There is no diversity at Cal Poly. Where are the tenured conservative professors? eh? eh?


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By: WiseGuy on 3/14/09

Lou Dobbs is a complete phony, a fanatic right wing propagandist of dubious moral character. Democracy Now's Amy Goodman busted him last year for running inflammatory, anti-liberal segments on his show that were proved to be based on completely false information.


If there are truly any ethical conservatives or Republicans, why do they continue to allow these shysters, con-men, hate-monger liars to continue to represent them in the media?


Look at these people: Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage, Dobbs, Dick Cheney, Rumsfeld, Karl Rove, Nixon. Do you see a pattern here? Would you trust ANY of them to sell you a used car? When are ethical conservatives going to get smart and disassociate themselves from these clowns, Nazis and con men?

By: InTheKnow on 3/14/09

As I recall, the speaker they were advertising was supporting anti-Arab rhetoric and wanted to make Israel a state.


Though I found his views appalling, I respect his right to have them. Campuses should be a bastion of free speech, whether one agrees or not.


Remember, Warren Baker also received an award from U.S. News and World Report for being the nation's university president that was the greatest advocate for a lack of freedom of speech.


Though Dobbs did get part of the story wrong. This was not a conservative voice being squelched by liberals, it was a conservative voice being squelched by conservatives.

By: xlswede on 3/14/09

Dave: I was actually starting to respect you after your comments on free speech and Rush Limbaugh (who walked the starboard plank long ago) a few weeks back. Now you flip-flop. This is EXACTLY the same situation! The minority, in this case YR, brought an extremist speaker to campus, advertised, and were censored. Those students who displayed the Confederate Flag, a stupid move for sure, were censored as well. College campuses have always been a forum for free speech, why not here? Youth need this expression in their 20's so they can grow a brain in their 30's, (heh, heh). Personally I'm looking forward to Baker leaving town so we can begin to dismantle the elitist infrastructure he assembled during his tenure.

By: congaltonkvec920 on 3/14/09

There is much more to this story than is being reported either here, or on Lou Dobbs. It's been a few years, but as I recall, this is much more than one student hanging a simple poster.


The Young Republicans at Cal Poly were bringing in a conservative black speaker, an extremist who was offensive in his points of view. I remember this because I had him call into my radio show, a man obviously looking to steer controversy.


Well, a member of Cal Poly YR took the poster over to the campus multi-cultural center and posted it inside. Obviously the students there were offended and upset by the poster and that's what led to the controversy.


Lou Dobbs is an idiot for not getting all the facts straight before shooting his mouth off. You can argue First Amendment here and have a healthy debate, but the student was deliberately looking for trouble and controversy in hanging that poster where he did.


I don't have any problem with how Cal Poly responded.


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