Posted on 10/25/2007 7:51:31 AM PDT by 300magnum
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - A politically conservative student armed with a video camera and a Web site is trying to force a Democratic congressional candidate out of his teaching job at Central Michigan University.
Dennis Lennox, a 23-year-old junior, has posted videos on YouTube of himself questioning assistant professor Gary Peters about campaigning for office while holding a prestigious position at the university.
Some say Lennox is persistent. Others accuse him of pandering for attention.
"What I'm doing isn't about getting media attention," said Lennox, a political science major. "I'm speaking for the hundreds of students, alumni, taxpayers and even legislators who have complained because Gary Peters won't pick between Congress and campus."
In one video Lennox posted online, Peters is seen walking to his car while Lennox asks him several questions, including whether he is angry about his campaign not getting "positive press." Peters doesn't respond.
Peters said in an interview this week with The Associated Press that his university position is part-time and privately funded.
"The bottom line is that people who run for public office still need to pay the bills and still need to work," he said. He drives 130 miles from a Detroit suburb to Mount Pleasant to teach class once a week.
Peters, 48, is seeking the Democratic nomination to face Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg in Oakland County, one of the top congressional targets for Democrats nationally in 2008.
"If I was running for Congress in a seat where I had no chance of winning, I probably wouldn't have any attention put on me at all," said Peters, a former state senator who lost a close race for Michigan attorney general in 2002.
He acknowledges it would be difficult to keep his $65,000-a-year job at the university if he gets elected to Congress, but says he will worry about that if he wins. Peters holds the Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government — named for a former Republican U.S. senator and Michigan Supreme Court justice.
Lennox helped start the group Students Against Gary Peters and created a Web site for what he calls "Petersgate." He insists that he isn't targeting Peters because he's a Democrat.
But some see it differently.
"Basically, he's just an extreme partisan. Anybody that's a Democrat, he's going to try to get at," said fellow political science major Eric Schulz.
Lennox's anti-Peters campaign shows no sign of slowing down, though his tactics have generated complaints.
Both Lennox and college Dean Pamela Gates filed police complaints against each other after Lennox requested Peters' e-mails under the Freedom of Information Act. At one point in the brief video, also posted online, Gates it seen gesturing into the camera at close range, and it then goes out of focus, as if it has been struck.
Lennox is heard saying, "Don't touch my camera," suggesting that Peters either touched it or attempted to.
Lennox said he started videotaping Gates after she refused to take the request and ordered him out of her office.
"She accosted, assaulted and battered me," Lennox said. "Whether you're a liberal or conservative, we all have to live and play by the same rules. I seemed to learn something in first grade that you keep your hands to yourself."
No charges have been filed and the university is investigating the incident. But spokesman Steve Smith said that "people get very uncomfortable when a camera is shoved in their face. Employees and students have a reasonable expectation to privacy."
When the school told Lennox he couldn't record employees or students without their permission, he filed a censorship complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union, which is reviewing it.
Peters says requiring permission before filming is reasonable when it involves students' privacy, though he stops short of saying it should apply to public figures such as himself.
"When you run for public office, you've got to have a thick skin," he said.
Peters says somewhat ruefully that he has fulfilled his job description of bringing practical politics to campus.
"Students are definitely seeing what happens when somebody runs for public office in a high-profile race, the types of things they have to confront," he said.
When it is a conservative student...”it’s hounding”....when it is a lib student the press uses a term more sympathetic to the student like “takes on” or “protests”...etc...
nope...no biased there...uh uh...nope...
This kid sounds obnoxious.
someone should hound the student in the exact same way. I wonder how long it would take him before he pushed the camera away.
...
He acknowledges it would be difficult to keep his $65,000-a-year job at the university
$2,167/hour, assuming classes meet 30 weeks per year. Nice. Hey, didn't Michigan just raise taxes?
Very nice to see the tables turned. The rat can give it but he can’t take. Stalk on!
“someone should hound the student in the exact same way.”
Is the student running for public office?
It seems the professor is taking it in stride. It's that crotchety old Dean who flipped out.
Jeez. I went to college with Peters. He was in my fraternity.
What the hell happened that he should want to be a Marxist?
>>Very nice to see the tables turned. The rat can give it but he can’t take. Stalk on!<<
Do we really want to see people forced out of their jobs because they run for office?
Not to mention the kid is 23 and still a junior but he’s got time to spend trying to keep people he doesn’t like from participating in politics?
Something is wrong here.
Endowed Chair monies come from philanthropic foundations (usually). Wish I could get a job that pays $65K for working one day a week, tho.
I didn’t see that he was a “Marxist.” He is a democrat - which may or may not put him on a socialist bent. The other thing to know is that the “Chair” that he holds is in honor of a former Republican state sentator/judge if I recall correctly.
I think the student sounds obnoxious! Here is a guy running for office - you DO have to pay the bills. If you can get a gig where you get 65K a year for one day a week - all the more power to you - and it isn’t on the government tab, but rather a gifted professorship! I likely don’t care for the man’s politics - but he has EVERY right to run for office.
I didn’t see that he was a “Marxist.”
You lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas.
http://petersreport.blogspot.com/
go here for dennis lennox blog... here is one of his first entries from August 6... This gives the story a little context...
Peters buys campaign website
August 6 — State Lottery Commissioner and soon-to-be Central Michigan University professor Gary Peters has been preparing his congressional campaign by purchasing websites at a time when students are taking out loans to cover a 21 percent increase in tuition.
Peters, who will resign as lottery commissioner later this week, has been setting up a campaign against Congressman Joe Knollenberg since being named the next Griffin chairman in American government on Good Friday. He will earn $65,000 and taxpayer-funded benefits for teaching once a week.
Peters purchased “petersforcongress.com” after being hired by CMU. The website is registered to his Bloomfield Hills residence.
Students are struggling to pay tuition and CMU is giving Gary Peters a $65,000 campaign donation instead of spending the money on scholarships. This money is being spent on someone who won’t commit to educating and not running for Congress.
Poor kid is in college and he is unable to do research or come up with a valid point.
“And find out who is willing to pony up $65,000/yr. for this “faculty member”. Especially if it’s somebody (or groups) that will benefit greatly if Peters gets elected.”
I can tell what the case probably is without doing any research at all.
The GRIFFIN Endowed Chair would have been endowed by somebody named Griffin or somebody honoring somebody named Griffin. They put up a lump sum of money sufficient to pay $65,000 per year (or whatever amount) in perpetuity. Probably donated somewhere around $1.25 million. The university then names somebody they think deserves it to the chair. I don’t know how long this chair has been around, but Peters could be but one of a line of people who have held it.
It’s not a plot. And the student sounds like an idiot going after somebody paid with private foundation funds.
$65,000-a-year for teaching one class one day a week???????????????????????????
What a whiner. The professor’s probably a jerk, but position is privately funded. Between the crying about tuition assistance and stalking people you’d think this kid was with Code Pink.
Wasn’t Phil Gramm was still teaching at A&M when he ran against Bentsen in ‘76?
gondramB:
Do we really want to see people forced out of their jobs because they run for office?
I don't see why he should have to give up his job to run for office. Do we only want professional politicians running? Phil Gramm was an economics professor at Texas A&M the first two times he ran for office. The first time he ran in the 1976 Democrat primary against Lloyd Bentsen and lost; the second time he ran against the long time incumbent congressman from College Station in the 1978 Democrat primary and won a seat in the US House. He only quit his job after he won his House seat. Four years later he switched parties and announced his candidacy for the US Senate to replace the retiring John Tower. In 1984 he won the first of three terms for US Senator from Texas. He might not have been able to run ever if he had had to forfeit his job to run for office, because unlike his first opponent he wasn't a multimillionaire who inherited over $100 million (in todays money).
“Students are struggling to pay tuition and CMU is giving Gary Peters a $65,000 campaign donation instead of spending the money on scholarships.”
Just a slight technical point — the money almost certainly CANNOT be spent on scholarships. It was donated to set up a chair to hire a government professor.
I wonder if the student has responded to the fact that the school isn't paying his salary after all. I mean, this seems to be the source of all his outrage, and it turns out to be false.
Yes! Read my comment directly below yours.
One has to be in order to run as a Democrat. Even those who run as “conservatives,” like Casey of Pennsylvania, must toe the line on issues.
“$65,000-a-year for teaching one class one day a week???????????????????????????”
That does sound extreme, but at most places I know of, $65,000 does not get you a full-time professor.
If I read this correctly... Mr. Peters resigned his position in the state government to run for congress... the week after he resigns from the lottery commision, he was hired to teach once a week at CMU, with “private” funds at a state run university... Hmmmm... It may comply with the letter of the law... but one must wonder where the money is really coming from and did he receive some sort of preferential treatment from the university board to get this once a week teaching position... I think that is what Mr. Lennox might be thinking...
Hey, it might be a 3 hour class, then it is only $700/hour.
This kid is obnoxious and a bit strange. I live up in this area and the only mainstream press this got was to show how odd the kid was and what a predator he is. He isn’t doing anyone-especially himself- any good.
Teach an undergraduate course
The course will focus on current U.S. government policy issues affecting Michigan. It will give students firsthand exposure to complex political issues and feature guest speakers from government and industry.
Conduct a series of political issues
The forums will be of relevance to Michigan, culminating with an annual symposium on Michigan politics. Key experts from government, business, academia and elsewhere will be invited to participate in the forums, which will be televised on Central Michigan Public Television.
Supervise development of a Michigan political journal
The journal will cover current and historical issues in Michigan government. The journal will encourage dissemination of political research to Michigan lawmakers, government and opinion leaders, and it will feature articles by political professionals researchers and others.
Oversee collection of Michigan political material
The collection will include research, data, campaign memorabilia and much more. These materials will supplement the Clarke Historical Library holdings, which already include 410 boxes of Griffin's U.S. government papers. The long-term goal calls for establishment of a center for Michigan politics, which will serve as a central source for scholarly and public research.
The Griffin Chair states: The endowment funds the salary and associated costs of a U.S. and Michigan government and political expert to serve as a faculty member in Central Michigan’s political science department. The Griffin Endowed Chair leads Central Michigan’s effort to elevate political awareness and activity among students, faculty and citizens.
Considering I only passed college physics because of my prof’s political aspirations, I can’t really comment.
sounds corrupt. You can ignore campaign contribution limits by paying someone to lecture an hour a week.
So therefore, anyone who hold a political office or is employed by a law firm, a corporation, a school district or fire department is corrupt if they choose to seek political office?
I realize these things can be used politically, and maybe that happened here, but he does look decently qualified:
Peters received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Alma College, a Master of Business Administration in finance from the University of Detroit Mercy, a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School and is currently a doctoral candidate in political philosophy at Michigan State University. He also has held teaching positions at Michigan State, Wayne State and Oakland University.
Peters’ public service experience includes serving as a member of the Michigan Senate and the Rochester Hills City Council. His business experience includes positions as vice president of investments for UBS PaineWebber Inc. and assistant vice president at Merrill Lynch Inc., both in Rochester Hills. Peters also has served on arbitration panels for the National Association of Securities Dealers and the New York Stock Exchange. Peters served as a lieutenant commander and Seabee combat warfare specialist in the U.S. Navy Reserve.
As lottery commissioner, Peters serves as the bureau’s CEO and is responsible for the overall management and operation of the lottery. The Michigan Lottery is a $2 billion-plus business, which last year generated a record $688 million for the state School Aid Fund. Under Peters’ leadership, the lottery has set new records for three consecutive years.
Previous two men who have held this position had previously worked in Republican state/federal administrations:
Former Griffin Endowed Chairs in American Government
Craig Ruff
William S. Ballenger
“sounds corrupt. You can ignore campaign contribution limits by paying someone to lecture an hour a week.”
Same anywhere. There are plenty of politicians who “work” for a firm or company but you rarely see them in the office.
The university where I work has an administrative employee who is also a Republican delegate in the General Assembly, and I’m sure the university administration is glad to have him there. As far as I know no student has hounded him with a camera.
“Previous two men who have held this position had previously worked in Republican state/federal administrations:
Former Griffin Endowed Chairs in American Government
Craig Ruff
William S. Ballenger”
You’re ruining the fun. This thread is no good without a conspiracy.
Ooops...sorry. That's my bad. I think that I misplaced my tinfoil hat a few years ago. ;-)
His homepage conveniently was set to his personal political campaign.
I didn’t want to, but had to.
I asked if that was a web page for his personal political campaign. He said it was, with that optimistic smile that his little plan was working and that he’d get to stump for himself at the expense of my professional time and my company’s cost.
I told him that he ought not be using our time and our companies’ time and money to campaign for himself or anyone else.
Sometimes (usually) you have to risk being seen as a jackass to shut these people down. We all need to do it far more aggressively.
Yeah, it's the benefits that are being overlooked.
My question is if this is a public university and Michigan FOIA covers email, why won't they give it to him?
We need more of this ‘obnoxious’ type who have the spine to stand up against these Leftists...even at the risk of being called ‘obnoxious’ by those who allegedly support their views.
This media story has a two-fold implication for Mr. Peters...
1) His $65K job could be at risk...
2) Bad PR...
I think both are vital to him... what he needs to do is make sure he is doing the right thing, then come out and defend it... by ignoring it and not defending his actions, you begin to wonder why...
but I mean something like signing Fred Thompson to a $200,000 deal to do a bit part for a day while he is on the campaign trail. wouldn't that be suspicious?
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