Opinion

UMaine College Republicans engaging in questionable conduct

By Kyle Michaud

Posted on Jan. 24, 2008, at 12:00 a.m.

The students of this campus ought to know the exact reasons and motivations behind the University of Maine College Republicans’ (CR) actions last semester. In particular, the controversy surrounding their request to General Student Senate for funding for the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and the situation with Professor Paul Grossweiler. I want it to be understood that I was there at the group’s meetings – and I am no longer a member of the organization.

The first situation was their plea to the GSS for funding for CPAC. This was the first of two incidents which I believe were meant to deliberately sabotage UMaine’s reputation. CR chairwoman Danielle Palmer asked for $7,000 in funding for a total of 25 students to attend the CPAC event – a few days of activity.

I attended both the meeting at which we were told of GSS’ response and the meeting in which we “organized” the trip, at which we came up with a rough head count. Both meetings took place in the Coe Room and numbered less than 10 to 12 students. One could claim that Palmer asked for a figure exceeding our true needs, and expected it to be reduced. However, the group asked for double and proceeded to make the case that they were discriminated against when the figure was cut by $5,000.

When the group began its discussion of what to do about the situation, there was no mention of taking the appropriate steps to address the situation. If GSS’ denial of the funds was due to our political orthodoxy, wouldn’t one want to prove this unequivocally?

They felt it unnecessary. I suggested that we wait until GSS’ minutes were made public and then take action. Instead, the chair and other members proceeded to contact conservative individuals that donate to the university and, they claim, convinced them to halt their contributions. One “success” mentioned by Palmer was $10,000 that she managed to convince the donor to withhold. In addition, Palmer and Nathan Walton, the head of the Maine Chapter of the College Republicans, made a press release crying foul over the incident.

The second situation is the Grossweiler controversy, which came closer to the actual results they were seeking. The group’s treasurer, Rebekah McDade, aided by the Leadership Institute, had made public the “anti-American” remarks that Grossweiler later maintained were examples of how an individual can challenge free speech and hence obtain extra credit.

McDade discussed her invitation to “The Today Show,” and expressed her fear of appearing because she felt the show was too liberal. McDade backed away from doing the show and it is easy to understand why: if she was made out to be a raving conservative McCarthyist, her plan to pad her resume at the expense of UMaine’s reputation would backfire. If she was truly offended and impelled to speak out against the comments, at least she could have called in to the show and made her case. Fox News, the network the CR’s had hoped would contact McDade, remained silent and so did she.

It is important for me to share my belief that the CR’s are engaging in a forced and calculated attempt to sabotage the reputation of the school. If Palmer has only thwarted the one $10,000 donation then I consider this university lucky. However, this type of behavior impacts us all. If McDade had found her way onto a Fox News broadcast, Grossweiler’s life would have been made far more difficult.

The student bodyshould know of this behavior and be armed by this information with the necessary tools to protect our university.

Kyle Michaud is a former secretary of the UMaine College Republicans.

Campus Currents: College Republicans