Posted on 09/24/2007 10:14:15 AM PDT by radar101
Duncan Hunter, the Congressman from California, joined other Republican Presidential candidates over the weekend in condemning the upcoming address to Columbia University by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
But Hunter went a step further by pledging that if the speech goes forth he will introduce legislation in Congress to cut off federal assistance from the University. All federal assistance. This would presumably include research and scientific grants for the sciences and medical school.
"If the left-wingers of academia will not support our troops, they, in the very least, should not support our adversaries," Hunter said in a statement accompanying a warning letter he wrote to Lee Bollinger, the president of Columbia.
Bollinger has tried to meet the mounting criticism from Republican politicians head-on.
In a statement on the school's website on September 19th, Bollinger announced that he would introduce the Iranian President with a rebuke to Iran's treatment of women and its stance toward Israel and Ahmadinejad's denial of the Holocaust.
Bollinter went on to say in the statement that hearing all ideas, no matter how "odious" is one of the basic tenets of a full education.
"I would also like to invoke a major theme in the development of freedom of speech as a central value in our society," Bollinger wrote. "It should never be thought that merely to listen to ideas we deplore in any way implies our endorsement of those ideas, or the weakness of our resolve to resist those ideas or our naiveté about the very real dangers inherent in such ideas. It is a critical premise of freedom of speech that we do not honor the dishonorable when we open the public forum to their voices. To hold otherwise would make vigorous debate impossible."
The threat of cutting off federal funds is something the government and Congress have used before when law schools tried to keep JAG lawyers from recruiting on campuses because the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy discriminates against gays, violating university nondiscrimination policies.
The government won the argument in March 2005, when the Supreme Court upheld the so-called Solomon Amendment, a 1996 measure that allowed the government to tie federal funding to military and ROTC recruiting. It is unclear if that law would be applicable in the case of the Ahmadinejad speech, which has nothing to do with military recruiting.
Hunter says the speech and the recent "General Betrayus" Moveon.org ad are emblematic of the emergence of the "extreme left wing."
"Columbia University's hosting of Ahmadinejad is a slap in the face of every one of the 165,000 U.S. troops serving in Iraq. As he speaks, his agents will be moving roadside bombs onto the battlefield to be used against America's military men and women," Hunter wrote
“He’s got a streak of reagan in him. Unfortunately, he has a streak of Cindy Sheehan and Harry Brown as well. He’s confused.”
He is addled. A bit of senility setting in. Too bad, I think he once would have made a fine candidate.
>I met Hunter and spent some time with him. I have to tell you all, he is a tough guy. I am not kidding. He commands respect.
There is no doubt that he is not one of the “yogurt men” in Washington, he is very respected man. America needs him as President now more than ever.<
That was well worth repeating. I understand from others who have met him, that he is very amiable, and upbeat, though he also has a mind like a steel trap. Rep. Henry Hyde endorsed Rep. Hunter early in the campaign, as has Gen. Chuck Yeager, both highly thought of gentlemen.
Rep. Hunter has no enemies on either side of the aisle.
He is, indeed, the very man we need to lead us.
And both Henry Hyde and Chuck Yeager are like Duncan Hunter, more principled than political.
And of course we always are told he is a strict constitutionalist, never wanting to spend a dime on things not directly addressed in it.....like nutritional therapy:
H.R.1582 : To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to authorize expansion of Medicare coverage of medical nutrition therapy services.
And college construction:
H.R.1548 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for collegiate housing and infrastructure grants.
And firearms testing...
H.R.1603 : To require the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to make video recordings of the examination and testing of firearms and ammunition, and for other purposes.
and pharmaceuticals....
H.R.1671 : To ensure and foster continued patient safety and quality of care by making the antitrust laws apply to negotiations between groups of independent pharmacies and health plans and health insurance issuers in the same manner as such laws apply to collective bargaining by labor organizations under the National Labor Relations Act.
and disaster relief....
H.R.1870 : To expedite payments of certain Federal emergency assistance authorized pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, and to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to exercise certain authority provided under such Act.
and work conditions...
H.R.623 : To allow an operator of a commercial motor vehicle breaks in a daily tour of duty.
and ‘young farmers’...
H.R.651 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make improvements to assist young farmers and ranchers.
and internet service...
H.R.1582 : To equitably distribute universal service support throughout rural America, and for other purposes.
and employee owned businesses...
H.R.1778 : To establish a commission on employee ownership.
and Asthma....
H.R.2023 : To give a preference regarding States that require schools to allow students to self-administer medication to treat that student’s asthma or anaphylaxis, and for other purposes.
and private pensions....
H.R.2719 : To provide special funding requirements for certain pension plans maintained by commercial passenger air carriers.
Pesticides...
H.R.3319 : To amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to permit the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to register a Canadian pesticide.
>And both Henry Hyde and Chuck Yeager are like Duncan Hunter, more principled than political.<
AMEN!
Rast’a man, I know
Nah, he’s been a pacifist as long as I can remember.
Okay, the only info I have is what I have read on this site.
At one time, there seemed to be a lot of support for Ron Paul here. I was never interested enough to learn anymore about him than that.
When it comes to certain policies, Paul is excellent. When it comes to other critical policies, he’s abysmal.
Thank you. Far too short!
I'm not going to atttempt to explain these votes.To me they're unimportant. here are some you left out.For me,these alone make Paul the only candidate worth listening to.
H.J.RES.23 : Proposing an amendment the Constitution of the United States relative to abolishing personal income, estate, and gift taxes and prohibiting the United States Government from engaging in business in competition with its citizens. Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 2/7/2007) Cosponsors (2)
Any of the other myriad bills he has introduced to "reform" the IRS are secondary to this.
13. H.R.300 : To limit the jurisdiction of the Federal courts, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 1/5/2007) Cosponsors (2)
24. H.R.1096 : To restore the second amendment rights of all Americans. Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 2/15/2007) Cosponsors (None)
25. H.R.1146 : To end membership of the United States in the United Nations. Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 2/16/2007) Cosponsors (2)
This(1146) is a big one for me too.
38. H.R.2755 : To abolish the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal reserve banks, to repeal the Federal Reserve Act, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 6/15/2007) Cosponsors (None) Another big one for me(2755).
51. H.R.3601 : To restore to taxpayers awareness of the true cost of government by eliminating the withholding of income taxes by employers and requiring individuals to pay income taxes in monthly installments, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 9/19/2007) Cosponsors (None)
Besides the obvious fact that many Americans would be short come April 15th under this plan,thereby focussing more attention on the government's spending ways,this would also eliminate the unpaid,unwilling role as tax collector for employers all over the country.A very good way to attack the IRS.
I'm sure there are votes that Paul has made with which I do not agree,but they would pale in comparison to these issues just cited.Paul wants to return to constitutional government.Hunter just talks the same old tired stuff.
Hey, I’m with Paul on many of his ideas, especially abolishing our participation in the UN. I’d cut the federal gov’t even more than he would. But I just don’t like it when people claim he is a purist. Every politician has some warts.
Who cares. We already missed a golden opportunity. We should have shot down his plane over the Atlantic while simultaneously launching massive airstrikes against all Iranian military and naval assets as well Iran’s nuclear facilities; while simulatneously doing the same to Syria.
No invasions. Hitler-binLaden-Nut Job. They’re all the same. Stop them now or pay later with your children’s blood!
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