Posted on 02/08/2008 2:53:38 AM PST by iowamark
Knowing that bringing such a prominent conservative figure to liberal Iowa City would spark controversy, the UI Lecture Committee withheld its announcement that Karl Rove will speak on campus about his years as the "architect" of the Bush administration until Thursday.
Rove is set to visit the UI campus on Feb. 17 for an on-stageinterview with UI journalism Associate Professor Frank Durham.
The lecture, "Reflections from the Architect," is part of the 2007-08 UI Lecture Series and will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 17 in the IMU Main Lounge. The onstage interview will be followed by an audience question-and-answersession.
Sharon Benzoni, the chairwoman of the UI Lecture Committee, said the group will bring Rove, the former deputy chief of staff and senior adviser to President Bush, to the UI campus for severalreasons.
"Over the years, the Lecture Committee has received a lot of requests that all political views be represented through lectures," Benzoni said, noting that previous lecturers this year have been predominantly liberal.
Rove will be "very interesting to the community but fulfill that call for that viewpoint," she said, noting that Iowa City's "liberal community can ask the tough questions" of Rove.
"We felt that since the Bush administration is just coming to an end, this is a good time to reflect on its significance," Benzoni said. "[Rove] is in a really good position to help us understand what the Bush White House wanted to accomplish and what its legacy will be."
Anytime a lecture is potentially controversial, the UI Lecture Committee selects a tenured faculty member to serve as an on-stage moderator to ensure a healthy flow of discussion without generating too much controversy, Benzoni said. When the committee considered conducting the lecture in an interview format, they chose Durham to play both the interviewer and moderator roles.
"Frank Durham will bring a really objective view and do a good job of asking the tough questions on the mind of the audience," she said.
Durham said he hopes to solicit questions from faculty and staff at the UI but hopes to hear about Rove's careers, his plans for the future, and his approach to the national press corps. He said he plans to remain as neutral as possible during the interview.
"That's why I think I'll have to script questions - I'm not unbiased," he said. "Yes, I'm a professional - I'll be representing the University of Iowa, not myself."
Durham said the interview format is to help best represent the interests of the audience.
"This is a lecture that is likely to cause people to comment; there is likely to be critical commentary," he said. "If we can have an interview that approaches subjects that would otherwise cause people to shout questions, then maybe we can have a more successful event."
Benzoni said she expects a high turnout for the event.
"This is a community that is so politically active and does have a lot of really strong opinions about the Bush White House, and who would be interested to see what he'd like to say," she said. "We're just asking him for a reflection."
E-mail DI reporter Brian Stewart at: brian-stewart@uiowa.edu
The U of I will pay Rove $40,000, which includes his speaking fee and some expenses, such as air fare, from the F. Wendell Miller Fund, the U of I reported. The University Lecture Committee will pay Rove's on-the-ground expenses.
welcome to liberal intolerance in Iowa City Mr Rove!
I’ll be there to witness the open mindedness
“…Rove will speak on campus about his years as the “architect”…
Yes, he was the final wrecking ball of the Republican Party.
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