The Associated Press reports that George Mason University canceled plans to have "Fahrenheit 9/11" director Michael Moore speak on campus five days before the presidential election.
The decision came after a Republican state legislator wrote a letter to university President Alan G. Merten protesting the Fairfax school's plans to pay the filmmaker $35,000 to speak on Oct. 28.
"We just felt it wasn't the most appropriate use of (public) funds, so we decided the best thing to do was cancel," school spokesman Daniel Walsch said.
Moore told the Washington Post he will still go to George Mason:
Moore, in a telephone interview last night from his home in Flint, Mich., said he intends to speak at George Mason anyway. "I'm going to show up in support of free speech and free expression," he said.
That should be more like he would show up in support of libel and slander.
George Mason is the second public university to cancel a Moore appearance recently. KESQ-TV reports that last month California State University-San Marcos, near San Diego, canceled a $37,000 campus appearance by Moore.
Why is it ok for GMU, my alma mater, to pay both Colin Powell and Dick "Blood for Oil" Cheney thousands of dollars to speak partisanly in an election year, but turn down Michael Moore, who last I checked, is a filmmaker instead of a politician. Oh yeah, they had to cow down to the GOP (Gestapo Oldguy Party), who controls the purse strings that is the GMU budget. Now does that become a partisan effort by Virginia lawmakers to curb free speech? How revolting, Myria
Posted by: steve | Friday, October 15, 2004 at 10:09 PM
Myria, I don't have the answer, but it's truly disturbing that some will pay him with public or tuition money.
Posted by: California Yankee | Friday, October 01, 2004 at 09:26 PM
Dumb question, but why would anyone pay Moore to speak? Hell, I'd pay the guy $35K to shut the hell up if I thought he would for more than two seconds.
Myria
Posted by: Myria | Friday, October 01, 2004 at 05:31 PM