I can’t even remember all the bat-shit crazy right-winger things she has done, but this isn’t good kids;
Heather Wilson, a Republican former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico, is the new president for the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
No doubt that Wilson has a ‘science’ resume. But her ‘political’ resume reads like a mob hitman’s;
In the lead up to that primary, Wilson suffered a series of public relations blows for her role in the U.S. attorneys’ scandal, improperly politicized firings of U.S. prosecutors by the Bush administration, which Democrats spent months investigating in 2007 and 2008. A lot of information about Wilson’s role wasn’t ever really scrutinized to the extent it could have been because she lost her first Senate bid.
Wilson always had a close race to keep her House seat, and the 2006 election was no different. At the beginning of the U.S. attorneys scandal, former New Mexico U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, a Republican, accused Wilson of contacting him in mid-October 2006 while he was still in office to pressure him to take action on a political corruption case, which Wilson was using as political fodder against her opponent Patricia Madrid. Anti-intimidation rules prohibit elected officials from contacting U.S. attorneys to inquire about progress on a case.
After the Wilson call, Iglesias said her mentor, Domenici, then called him and angrily hung up when Iglesias objected and told him the call was inappropriate. Wilson has long refuted Iglesias’ account, arguing the calls were aimed at checking on the status of the investigation, not influencing it.
Here is a longer version of the same story.
And I guess if you like GW Cronies running our state universities, you will like this;
On key votes in 2003 (as defined by the organizations themselves), Wilson voted the position of the Christian Coalition 76% of the time (92% of the time in 2002); 62% of the time shared the position of the Eagle Forum (73% in 2002); and 72% of the time for the positions of American Conservative Union (73% in 2002).She routinely receives scores of 0 from the American Civil Liberties Union, Peace Action, and the Human Rights Campaign. In 2002 she received a 9% score from the League of Conservation Voters.
Wilson opposed anti-bullying laws, comparing anti-gay bullying to mere “teasing.†Earlier this year, she outlined her opposition to SB 555, the Student Non-Discrimination Act, explaining that “with respect to this particular agenda we have to recognize as parents that children tease each other.†Wilson mocked the bill — which would merely provide LGBT students with similar civil rights protections against bullying to those already granted to students bullied based on race and gender — dismissing it as “so broad it would actually punish children and say that it’s prohibited to express an opinion with respect to homosexuality in the schools†[Josh Israel, “Better Know An Anti-LGBT Senate Candidate: Former Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM),” Think Progress, 2012.09.05].
State funded ALEC trips and hiring an extremist to run one of our state universities. Some days, South Dakota makes me so proud 🙁
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So we hire a Karl Rove – Koch Brothers operative to work against the people of South Dakota. She will bring money to Mines if South Dakota endorses Keystone XL? What else will she do for the out of state interests? Look at her history of ethics violations in New Mexico and Washington to see what she is sent to South Dakota to accomplish. They would not have her here if she could not get the corporatist agenda accomplished.
The first story would be better characterized as plain old corruption than extremism or bigotry.
Interesting that the Regents left out the part about serving (6 terms) in Congress:
http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/regents-to-name-new-president-at-sdsmt/?id=147113.
In many respects, she may be over-qualified for this job: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_Wilson.
When people refuse to understand the significance of history, we are condemned to repeat it.
I think Testor is on to something. I felt she was overqualified to. There is a hidden political agenda here, and XL could be it. If a private college wanted to hire her, who cares. But a public university hiring a political-hack like this? Somethings up.
Like Jim Abbott of USD….
CH, how does her arrival compare to Jim Abbott?
And then Heather Wilson tried to hide records about her husband’s problem, but an Albuquerque TV station got the story. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/10/19/259465/-Repub-Rep-Healther-Wilson-NM-1-Hid-Hubby-s-Sex-Case
And another little thing, http://www.nativeamericannetroots.net/diary/154/
McCain/Heather Wilson tied to latest Abramoff Indictment
Not a fan of Wilson’s. I can’t imagine why she was hired by the School of Mines. Perhaps she fits in well with Pierre politics.
XL is small potatoes. This “hiring” gives us insight into the unaccountable cronyism of the board of regents. It’s amazing the regents whip-sawed from the highly regarded, beloved Dr. Wharton to this wilson.
It’s likely Wilson will run for senate in 2014 or 2020 now that she’s “picked” voters who are redder than those in New Mexico, with a lavishly uninquizitive, compliant media.
It’s worth reflecting on the Powell memo. http://reclaimdemocracy.org/powell_memo_lewis/
This hiring is more than a “coincidence”.
XL is a small part of the Koch agenda, but an important one. To put put a regressive wholely owned by the Koch / ALEC combines in charge of preparing our next generation is scary. We have a school changing it’s research from peer review level to quackery fake sciemce by who gives out research grants.
He was and is a political hack
Kathy Boudin teaches at Columbia. Ya’ll going to whine about that?
NPO, pulling the old Boudin out of the scary hat… Somehow a teacher is again scarier than the person running the institution. The leader of the college making insider deals, firing at will and giving preferential treatments. I remember taking a college political science class from an avowed communist, it was one of the most interesting classes taken. It was amazing how many thought barriers fell to open up the discussions to all points of view.
I have less to fear from a teacher than an out of control agenda driven administrator on the payroll of hidden corporatist forces.
Wrong Testor, the teacher has more control than the leader in this setting. I’m glad you learned from a communist, now I know, sorry we know how you think…
and, woul’d you have have more to fear from an out of control communist administrator on the the payroll? Cuz that’s what we’ve got. Maybe not from this lady but from plenty in power.
NPO you seem to incorrectly think communists are the same as socialists or some mystical being. To bad you never studied philosophy or comparative political systems.
There is a difference between National Socialism, Leninist / Stalinist communism and what was pure communism as dreamed up by Marx. I am very glad I studied the difference so when incorrect statements are made comparing today’s political atmosphere to the 1920-1940’s I at least have reference points to build perspective on.
I will proudly admit my political base also includes knowing Walter Judd (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Judd) to George McGovern. Each had fascinating stories to tell. Each had an understanding of their political base deep in their own beings.
There was a time in my life I wandered through Europe with a backpack trying to grasp the fundamental roots / differences of the governmental and economic systems of socialist – communist Europe.
I was in a relationship with someone who sat at the feet of Ayn Rand. It was through her I was actually shown the weaknesses of Rand-isms. I like many in the 1970’s and 80’s were cherry picking the lessons of Rand we wanted to believe.
I am also proud of the wide range of instructors who each taught from their points of view. Ignorance had no place in their classrooms. My instructors were avowed communist, socialist, libertarian, populist plus middle of the road Democratic / Republican. To get to know each of these was important to me. I stayed friends after college with many of them and bouncing the issues of the day against their belief systems.
I still remember the mime of the Nixon years. Agnew making Radical – Liberal statements. A grammatical and philosophical impossibility. A true radical-liberal would have made a very mixed up middle of the roader. Think about it.
So I have studied and lived differences. I also know the importance of having a leader of an organization who is willing to sellout. Heather Wilson should have gone to prison for what she did for her husband, Karl Rove and George Bush but instead she is going to lead an institution of higher education in the state of South Dakota. What lessons will she teach to her charges? What lessons will her life experiences imprint on the students? Will her cheating and abusing the system imprint as a method of getting ahead?
Thank You for taking Heather Wilson from the State of New Mexico. I feel sorry for South Dakota. I remember seeing her on the News when she was with CYFD covering up her Husbands problem. Right in front of the Camera when she thought no one was looking, she took the files that the TV News had on her. Also that news clip disappeared. She is very sneaky. Albuquerque is truly a better place without her. New Mexico Government is very corrupt. It looks like our Governor Martinez is going to try and get on the presidential ticket with Chris Christie. I like him and hope he is smart enough to stay away from any politician in this state.
Wilson is a disgrace to SDSMT. She needs to be fired.