I’m putting on an event for Left of Center on Tuesday night that I want to make sure to invite y’all to, “The ACLU on Attorney General Cuccinelli, UVA, and ‘Climategate’.” Kent Willis, the longtime executive director of the Virginia ACLU (and a guy who has saved my bacon three times, including last year), will be our speaker. He’s going to explain what the nut of this dispute is, what Cuccinelli’s argument is, what UVA’s argument is, what case law has to say about this, and what the outcome is likely to be. Obviously, this is an important case for academic freedom, for university independence, for state power, and for the future of publicly funded research in Virginia. I’ve followed this pretty closely, but there’s still a lot that I don’t understand about it, and I’m really looking forward to getting an explanation about what’s going on here.
Here’s the promotional blurb:
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has demanded that UVA turn over years of private correspondence between climate researchers. The University is fighting back, arguing that Cuccinelli doesn’t have the right to do that, and that the subpoena amounts to a partisan witch hunt. The outcome of this battle between Cuccinelli and UVA will establish what academic freedom really amounts to in Virginia—and how safe any employee of the University is from this sort of partisan investigation.
Virginia ACLU Executive Director, Kent Willis, will explain what’s really going on here—the process that the Attorney General is using, what UVA’s position is in fighting back, and what the outcome is likely to be.
Free appetizers and socializing (with a cash bar) from 7 to 7:30 p.m. precedes the discussion and question and answer session. Please come join us!
RSVP on Facebook, if you’re into that, or just show up at Rapture, have a drink or two, meet some new people, and learn what the deal is with this whole Cuccinelli subpoena business.
Great event. I hope you’ll write on this. I haven’t found much of what’s be written to be very helpful.
At Rapture?
Waldo, the day before the primary, do you have any comments on the Republican nomination race in the 5th District?
Jeez, I can’t believe I forgot that detail. :) Yes, at Rapture!
Yes—I’ll support whomever can get CenturyLink to run a telephone line/DSL to my new house, or even just expand GSM coverage, so that I can have internet access from home. ;)
Seriously, lacking internet access, I can’t write anything useful or thoughtful about this, but I can summarize over lunch at my desk: please, anybody but Robert Hurt. He’s the only Republican who can win this race (given the current set of facts, etc, etc). Feda Morton I would love—she’s definitely my preferred candidate, because I think she symbolizes the collective hubris of Virginia Republicans. This race remains Perriello’s to lose, as is inherent for an incumbent congressman.
Good on ya mate! I heard of this story on NPR and had a feeling you’d be closely involved – I didn’t realize how closely!
Proof positive that Republicans are all about Big Government when it suits their purposes.
Ugh, proof positive that being several states away + bar review stinks. I’d have liked to go–was it recorded, Waldo?
Yup! Sean Tubbs recorded it for the Charlottesville Podcasting Network.
Thanks!