If someone compared me to Ward Churchill I'd drop out of the (human) race too

Bizarre:

University of Colorado Regent Paul Schauer said a flyer comparing him to fired professor Ward Churchill had nothing to do with his decision to pull out of a quest for reelection.

Schauer, a 6th Congressional District Republican, said that he wanted more personal time and that an unpaid regent post made it hard to “move on to something new.”

His announcement to pull from the race came only a few days after a flyer went out to some households in Aurora and Centennial comparing him to ethnic studies professor Churchill, who was fired from the university last summer for sloppy scholarship.

“What do Ward Churchill and Paul Schauer have in common?” the flyer reads, with a picture of an angry-looking Churchill next to a sunny picture of Schauer in a suit and tie. “They both take issue with Western Civilization,” the inside reads.

The ad harkens back to a debate the nine elected regents had during the winter of 2006. Regent Tom Lucero proposed starting a department of Western civilization on the Boulder campus, which would offer classes in American history and the classics.

After some debate, however, the regents decided unanimously to table the motion, which was eventually withdrawn.

The flyer was paid for by “Coloradoans for Reform in Higher Education,” a 527 political action group formed by Mike Ciletti, who works for Republican political operative Sean Tonner.

Probably says that on his business cards: "Republican political operative Sean Tonner."

“I fully expected this,” Schauer said. “This group (Coloradoans for Reform in Higher Education) is a shield for people who don’t want to be identified. I knew the sorts of things they do, this is the quality of the work they put out.”

Ciletti didn’t return calls for comment.

CU President Bruce Benson, who, in his former life, was involved in a political 527 himself, told Schauer in November – before he knew he’d be a finalist for the top job at the university – that if Schauer ran for re-election, he’d face political battles.

Benson said Friday he supports Schauer and that he no longer is involved with politics.

Well okay then!

Schauer was running against Republican Dr. Jim Geddes and Democrat AJ Clemmons for the seat.

Regent Michael Carrigan, a Democrat who represents Denver, called the flyer a “swift boat attack on an honorable public servent.”

Servent?

“I think it’s ironic that people who claim to support intellectual diversity attack Paul Schauer because he dared to think for himself.”

Regent Chairwoman Patricia Hayes, a Republican, said the entire ordeal is “frightening” for CU.

“I think we should be making decisions on what’s best for the university, not what’s best for our own well-being,” she said.

Huh?