Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels To Be The Next President of Purdue University

 

Picture from Thinq

Something about this seems a little odd.  One might say, ass backwards.  From Balloon Juice, here's why:

Purdue University’s Board of Trustees has just voted unanimously to install Governor Mitch Daniels as the new president. As a doctoral student at the university, there’s a lot to say about this, and I intend to, but for now it’s enough to point out that while in office Governor Daniels pushed to cut funding to Indiana’s public universities again and again. I simply cannot fathom extending an invitation to lead an organization to a man who had worked tirelessly to defund that organization; it simply would not be countenanced in other contexts. In addition, Governor Daniels’s administration has repeatedly attacked public education and public teachers,  pushing for privatization schemes like private school vouchers and ascribing broad educational failures to Indiana’s schoolteachers, without providing responsible evidence. The man is an enemy of public education in Indiana who has now been selected to run one of our public universities. Internal opposition to that selection is the purest, more rational self-interest regardless of the political views of the individuals so opposed. Our media, of course, will regard any protest as a sign of liberal bias, no matter what kinds of complaints are voiced against Daniels.

This reminds me of when George W. Bush appointed John Bolton to be the American Ambassador to the United Nation.  Another thing to keep an eye out for, although I am sure almost no one in the mainstream media will pick it up, is when Freddie deBour is saying about students taking pictures outside the Board of Trustees meeting:

Today, I’ve heard repeated stories of intimidation by security at the Board of Trustees meeting, including signs that forbid protests that were not in keeping with “accepted social behavior” and the like. I’m also hearing that students who took pictures of that signage and of security were followed and searched by security, unlike other attendees. Many described the meeting as unlike any event they had ever attended at Purdue in terms of the amount and aggression of security. I’m still trying to get all the facts, but as soon as I know enough and have pictures to share, I will report back to you guys.

 Also, is there not a law in Indiana that says active Governors cannot be appointed to the Board of Trustees of a state college; let alone, become the President of a state college?  I guess not.