And the same to you!

The offal-eating maggots at the Ward Churchill Solidarity Network wish you a Happy New Year:

We hope 2008 finds each of you healthy and in good spirits, ready for a new round of struggles for a just and sustainable world.

A quick update: In addition to teaching a weekly voluntary class organized by students at the University of Colorado, Ward Churchill had a full fall of speaking engagements across the U.S. Most recently, he spoke on Zionism and Manifest Destiny to an overflow crowd at the University of California at Davis. Despite the usual threats of disruption, the event went smoothly and was well received, illustrating, as Ward’s talks consistently do, that when people actually get to hear a “controversial” speaker, they find themselves challenged by and appreciative of new ideas. In addition to engagements in Canada, from Toronto to Vancouver, Prof. Churchill was also a featured speaker at the National Book Fair in Caracas, Venezuela, in early November.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we were all challenged and appreciative. But what's new in Wart's World?

Ward Churchill filed suit in July against the University of Colorado, charging CU with having fired him in retaliation for speech protected by the First Amendment, and having used the bogus “investigation” of his scholarship as a pretext. That case is now in the “discovery” phase, in which each side will be taking depositions, posing/answering written interrogatories, and producing documents pertaining to the underlying facts. It will probably get to trial before a Denver jury in late summer or fall of 2008.

Oh, I hope CU's lawyers are ready for this. And, the pitch:

In the meantime, we have many expenses. We received generous donations from many folks, but still need to raise approximately $30,000 for court reporters, transcripts, copies, airfare and expenses of witnesses, and the hiring of experts.

All funds raised will go directly to attorney David Lane, to be used to cover these costs. Please consider planning a fundraiser, or sending a donation to: David Lane, Esq. c/o WCSN PO Box 20035 Boulder, CO 80308.

A fundraiser, eh?

The network also mentions the Modern Language Association's decidedly lukewarm resolution on Ward's case--though, of course, not calling it "decidedly lukewarm."

Update: CU president Hank Brown named "Citizen of the West":

Hank Brown accepted a job in 2005 that could hardly have been more undesirable.

To be genteel about it, the University of Colorado was navigating choppy waters. The athletic department had run amuck, fund-raising was in a tailspin, the football team was embroiled in a rape/prostitution/recruiting scandal and loudmouth warrior Ward Churchill was getting nightly national television exposure for his nasty rants and sloppy scholarship. . . .

Since then, he has helped calm the waters at CU. Ever the statesman, he won over faculty with his dedication to academics. He pulled well-heeled donors back into the silver and gold tent. Last year, CU broke its all-time fundraising record by collecting $133 million.

That's great. What about Wart?

He settled the high-profile rape case by agreeing to pay the alleged victim $2.5 million. But it was his humanity that helped make the case go away. Brown met with the accuser privately, and later said he regretted that she "underwent a very traumatic experience while a member of our university community."

How touching. What about Wart?

Even his football team has rebounded. Finishing the regular season 6-6 under a new coach, CU played in its first bowl game since 2005.

The PetroSun Bowl! I bet Brown drew up some plays. But, what about Wart?

For all of this, and his previous long record of service, Brown has earned the Citizen of the West award — a prestigious, well-deserved honor handed out each year by the National Western Stock Show.

But, but--what about Wart?

Update II: PB notes the slobidarity network's latest effusion too, and, sadly for the prospects of critical thinking, is even less respectful.