Churchill morning session

Go to the Boulder Camera blog for a sketchy account of the testimony of Paul Lombardo, an "expert" in eugenics and eugenics law, and the first witness this morning. I accidently erased my notes, but got it on tape, so I'll have more on him this evening when I can get to it (Look, ma, I'm a reporter!)

Alan Jones, a supposed expert on the much-maligned (by Churchillians) American Council of Trustees and Alumni, was disqualified on an objection by O'Rourke from offering expert opinion on same because he'd never actually written about ACTA--or at least, hadn't listed such writings on his CV. Goodbye, Al.

Mimi Wesson was up next. Lane tried to tie her to the regents' apology "to the entire United States" for Churchill's 9/11 essay, and asked her if she'd requested that she be made chairperson of the investigative committee. She denied it, but Lane impeached her by playing her depo, in which she says she did ask to be made chair. After first blaming the stenographer (it was on tape, Mimi) she said she misspoke, and had never asked to be made chairperson.

Wesson looked quite uncomfortable, and several times said her memory was vague on certain events.

Lane asked rhetorically (of course) if Wesson agreed that one of the hallmarks of due process was an unbiased judge. Of course, Wesson said. Here came the e-mail in which Wesson, long before being named chair of the committee, dissed Churchill. Lane went right to her comparison of the Churchill case to those of OJ, MJ, and BC, asking her if that was a "negative" comparison. Wesson said the comparison was about those who "rallied around" them, and expected others to do the same.

Lane brought up her mention of Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione as another person comparable to Ward. Wesson answered that what she meant was that both exercised First Amendment rights (which they were entitled to) on subjects they'd have been better off to leave alone, because they didn't bring a "more peaceful, better world." Lane returned to the comparison Wesson drew between Churchill and other malefactors:

Lane: Your point is that people are rallying around these dirtbags . . .

Wesson: I didn't use that language . . .

Lane: How would you characterize O.J. Simpson?

Wesson: Hems and haws. Says she wasn't referring to O.J. per se, but to those who jumped on his bandwagon.

Lane: Last question: Did you ever disclose this e-mail to Ward Churchill or me prior to sitting on this committee?

Wesson: No.

Rehab by O'Rourke this afternoon. I will say that O'Rourke seems somewhat more aggressive in his questioning and objections than he'd been thus far. Gotta go.

Update: Oh, Lane brought up Wesson's use of quotation marks around the words "academic freedom" in her e-mail, asking her what they meant. She said in effect that they were meant to be ironic.

Lane: So quotation marks can mean different things to different people?

Wesson: Yes.

This of course is part of Lane's continuing attempt to minimize Ward's use of quotes around words like "blood quantum," "one-half blood" and the like as if they appeared in the General Allotment Act of 1887.