Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:
Shown the Door
The chairman of the philosophy department at Marquette University has removed a posted quote from humorist Dave Barry, from the office door of a Ph.D. student. It said, “as Americans we must always remember that we all have a common enemy, an enemy that is dangerous, powerful and relentless. I refer of course to the federal government.”
But Professor James South says he received several complaints about the quote — which he called “patently offensive” — so he took it down. South wrote in an e-mail: “While I am a strong supporter of academic freedom, I’m afraid that hallways and office doors are not ‘free-speech zones.'”
Video Violence?
A cameraman for Reuters has been thrown in prison to await trial for allegedly encouraging and directing rioters to throw large chunks of rock at Israeli vehicles in the West Bank village of Bil’in.
Israelnationalnews.com reports the photographer can be heard on tape shouting at rioters to throw the rocks in such a way to cause maximum damage.
Shootdown Threat?
Meanwhile Israel’s defense minister says French officials serving in the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon have threatened to open fire on Israeli warplanes if they continue to violate Lebanese airspace. Israel patrols the area looking for violations of its cease-fire with Hezbollah.
A spokesman for the U.N. force tells Lebanon’s Daily Star that he is not aware of any such threat by officers with the peacekeepers. France last week condemned the over-flights and said it was working with the U.N. on a response.
The Money Trail
The Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper is running a series of stories alleging Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell often crafts legislation to benefit wealthy contributors. It turns out the series was funded not by the newspaper — but by the Center for Investigative Reporting — which McConnell’s staff discovered got its money from the Liberal Deer Creek Foundation.
The owners of the Herald-Leader say they will return the $37,500 grant they took. But when the paper did a story about the funding, the director of the Deer Creek Foundation refused to be interviewed — issuing only a series of faxed statements challenging Senator McConnell’s right to protest the series.
You’re Not It
The latest effort to protect school children from the unchecked violence of life comes in Massachusetts city of Attleboro — and in the form of a ban on — the game of tag.
The Associated Press reports tag — along with touch football and any other unsupervised chase game — has been banned from recess at Willett Elementary School. The principal there says that’s because recess is “a time when accidents can happen.” Administrators also apparently are afraid of being held liable if a child is injured. Tag now goes the way of dodgeball — which several schools in Attleboro banned years ago — saying it was exclusionary and dangerous.
—FOX News Channel’s Aaron Bruns contributed to this report.
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