The Democratic Train Wreck

Barack Obama is planning on declaring victory on May 20, win or lose.

Hillary Clinton is in West Virginia claiming she has more white support than Obama and thus is more electable in November. Of course, we’ve all seen this quote by now:

“I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on that found how Sen. Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me.”

Welcome to the Democratic Party train wreck. In a year where the Democrats were all but given the White House on a silver plater, a long worn out primary process has placed what should’ve been a blown out victory for the blue team into a legitimate race in which Republican John McCain now has a serious chance of winning come November.

And the longer Clinton stays in the race the more it helps McCain.

Here’s why.

Obama has to contend with Clinton, just as McCain had to contend with Mike Huckabee. This prevents Obama from turning financial resources to the November race and concentrating his efforts on McCain.

Also, the Democratic Party has to go through some sort of healing process, similar to what the Republicans had to go through when it accepted McCain as the nominee. The difference is that the Democrats have to be unified well before November. In my estimation, it takes a good month to two months to heal a party divide. Assuming Clinton takes the race all the way to June 3, which she is allowed to do, it would mean the party won’t be unified before its convention. That’s never a good thing.

The longer Clinton remains in the race the more attention is placed on the fact that votes in Michigan and Florida did not count in the primary process. Clinton believes the votes should count. I’m sure the voters in Michigan and Florida do as well. Not seating any delegates to both of these states is a huge slap in the face that will come back into play come November.

Clinton is not going anywhere. It’s not in the Clinton DNA to quit, but in the process they have broken the unity of the Democratic Party as evidence by exit polls Tuesday saying many Clinton supporters will not support Obama.

This race is a long way from being over. It should’ve been over Tuesday and really it was. But as long as Clinton is in the race, the game continues. There just may not be anyone in attendance except for herself much longer.

Editorial Tells Faculty to Move On

I’m fairly fond of The Register-Herald in Beckley, W.Va. It’s where I received my start as a writer working part time in the sports department. I learned a lot about what you can and cannot do as a writer working for that newspaper.

However, an editorial published in today’s paper might be the worst that I have read. Not because it tells faculty and others at WVU to move on and that WVU President Mike Garrison is not going anywhere. It is poorly written in that the argumentative style is not one you would expect to find in an editorial, but more like a heated discussion in which the one writing feels as if he has to defend himself for his views.

Take for instance this statement,

Hopefully, Monday’s session made those members of the faculty feel better. They got up in front of their colleagues and the media spotlight, many denounced Garrison and referred to the academic crime that was perpetrated and that WVU’s image would be tarnished until the president stepped down. They can keep on with the criticism as long as they want, but they better get out the silver polish to rub out the stains because all of their verbalization still isn’t going to change the name on the desk plate at Stewart Hall.

It’s uncalled for to claim that faculty used the meeting Monday only to seek the media spotlight. It shows a complete lack of understanding of higher education and faculty. For faculty, academic integrity is the most important thing for an institution. I cannot disagree. (Sorry, college athletics are not everything on a college campus.) Faculty had every right to make the moves that it did, regardless of how it voted. What has been wrong is the treatment faculty at WVU have received from the state’s political leaders and in this editorial.

A black eye, sure, but black eyes heal.

This is more than a black eye. Institutional situations like these force faculty to leave. Sure, you may argue that faculty are easy to replace and who wouldn’t want to teach at WVU in the mountains of West Virginia. What many learn when they make those statements is that some professors are hard and if not impossible to replace, as my own master’s degree institution has learned.

Perhaps in time the faculty and alums will move on. However, media in West Virginia must understand and begin to understand that this is a serious charge that was levied against WVU and its academic leaders. It’s reputation is soiled and it may take years for it to recover in the eyes of its peers. And that’s just not something you can “spit out the bad taste and move on” about easily.

Faculty: No Confidence

West Virginia University’s faculty Monday voted overwhelmingly on a motion that calls for WVU President Mike Garrison to resign in the wake of the Heather Bresch scandal that has rocked the academic integrity of the institution.

The vote was 77-19 in favor of seeking Garrison’s resignation and declared no confidence in the new president. A vote of this magnitude, while true it holds no official barring on Garrison’s future, puts to vote the fact that Garrison has lost the respect and the trust of his faculty.

It’s hard to recover politically from a vote to that degree. But, Garrison thinks he can. He has told media outlets following the vote that he has no intention of resigning. Garrison quotes the support of W.Va. Governor Joe Manchin, Bresch’s father, and the Board of Governors as the reason he will not resign.

This is hubris at the extreme level.

In a written statement, Garrison said he received a “clear message,” but another one from the obvious clear message from faculty members that believe it is time for Garrison to resign. He said,

The essence of all the motions presented in the Senate today contains a clear message: we at WVU must work to create an environment that assures everyone that this will never happen again.

Garrison has no choice but to resign. His administration cannot be trusted to restore the academic integrity of a great institution. It was his administration that awarded an MBA to a politically connected student when she did not earn the degree. How can the faculty, alumni, or anyone else trust Garrison to rebuild the academic standing in that situation?

Should West Virginia University ever recover it must do so with a new president, one that is committed to academic integrity and honesty in governance. That will not happen under Garrison’s watch.

That Was an Amazing Experience

I grew up wanting to be a sports writer, maybe even take a stab at politics, or even - as my mother will tell you - be a game show host. (Hey, I enjoyed it when USA would air game shows from 8 a.m. to noon just about every day. Those were the good days.)

Never did the thought of being a pastor - or even someone who gives sermons occasionally when the pastor is on vacation - ever cross my mind. It just wasn’t something that I consider.

Now, there is no doubt in my mind that this journey that I’ve been on for the last few years is the right one for me. If I had any doubts, any at all, they were all wiped away yesterday after delivering my first sermon. I’m still awestruck and humbled by what took place yesterday. It felt natural. I was comfortable. And I felt as though this is what God has been preparing me for.

Sure, there were some awkward moments at first. Reading without notes is not something I’m prepared to do right now. But, it went smooth, shockingly smooth.

And yes, the congregation had nice words to say to me as they were walking out. But what means the most to me is what my grandfather said to me. My grandfather is not one to say things of praise. It’s usually through his actions that you can see that he is proud of you. He’s very old school in that. But, yesterday he looked at me as he was walking out and said that I did good and you could tell he was proud of me.

For someone who never met his father and has looked up to his grandfather in that role his entire life, that meant the world to me.

I’m sure that between now and the time I graduate in nearly three years I’ll have more opportunities like this. I think the church that I grew up in wants me to come preach in the fall, but I’m not sure if that will change now that there is a pastor switch.

Yesterday was a good day. It is a day I’ll never forget. As I mentioned before, was a full circle day. I think one story of my life ended and I think another one began yesterday. I think I’m more excited now about being in seminary than I had been before. Which is good, since I need that extra juice of excitement to get me through the last bit of the semester.

With this sermon behind me, I can really get to work on preparing for the summer and Bayou La Batre, Alabama.

Now, where did I put that sunscreen.

WVU Faculty to Vote Today

Faculty at West Virginia University will have their voice heard today regarding the on-going controversy surrounding the awarding of a MBA degree to a well-connected alum.

Members of the school’s Faculty Senate will meet in special session today with three motions on the table for consideration. Two of the motions would seek to place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the school’s administration, while a third would seek to put measures in place to insure academic integrity.

One of the motions would censure WVU President Mike Garrison for his and his administration’s involvement in awarding an MBA degree, last year, to Heather Bresch, an employee at Mylan, Inc., and daughter to W.Va. Governor Joe Manchin. Mylan, Inc., and its co-founder Milan Puskar, are among WVU’s top financial backers.

Another would out right call for Garrison, who took over for David Hardesty, to resign.

Should the censure motion pass, Garrison would have all but lost the support of his faculty, something that is important for an institution’s leader to maintain. Passage of the third motion would likely mean that Garrison will remain on the job and will be able to withstand the pressures to resign.

Needless to say today’s Faculty Senate meeting is important and could go a long way in determining the leadership fate at West Virginia University.

Time To Get in the Game

Here is the transcript of my first sermon that I delivered this morning at Junction City UMC in Junction City, Kentucky. I serve at the church as its youth pastor.

The title of the sermon is “Time to Get in the Game.”

Coming Full Circle in Life

I want to take a pause from the WVU Scandal - trust me, we will return to in short time - to talk about something personal for a moment.

Today, is a very special day in my life, the life of my family, and the life of my friends. In a few short hours, I’ll stand at the pulpit and deliver my first sermon (I may post my transcript later in the day for the North Carolina Clique) and I’m going through all the emotions as I prepare for the day. I’m excited. I’m nervous. I’m cautious. And I’m overwhelmed.

And, I’ll admit, it’s an emotional day as well.

I think today marks the end of one journey in my life and the beginning of another. It’s the end of a four-year journey that took me to the depths of depression to a new hope and a new beginning through an improved relationship and walk with Christ. It’s been a long road and there are some things I would still like to get closer to God with. We are all work in progresses, as Alan Jackson would say. But, today I get to do something I never imagined possible nor did I ever dream for myself. I wanted to be a sports writer, a news hound, something with newspapers and communicating. Never in a million years did I imagine what I would end up being called to communicate was God’s word.

You want to talk about something that puts a smile on your face and humbles you that’s it.

Then a new journey begins. Monday I will begin the stretch run for a summer that will test me, excite me, energize me, and I hope challenge me. I think and honestly believe that this summer will be a test of my leadership and to see how I will be as a senior pastor somewhere someday. I’m excited and I can’t wait.

But today is a special day and I’m going to enjoy the butterflies. My family is en route from West Virginia as we type and some of my friends from school will be here as well. However, I’m not going to let it get to my head. This is about serving a gracious and loving Lord through proclamation of His word, not mine.  So while it is an awesome day and a great day, this is the Lord’s day.

So what’s the sermon topic for today? The title is Time to Get in the Game and it hopes to look at how we are to prepare ourselves before we witness to others.

WVU Faculty Making Moves

As would be the case at any institution of higher learning, faculty at West Virginia University are organizing themselves in groups regarding the Heather Bresch Scandal.

You have a group of faculty members that have drawn up resolutions seeking WVU President Mike Garrison’s resignation or termination over the school’s handling of giving an MBA to Bresch when she didn’t earn the degree. Bresch is an employee at Mylan, Inc., a top financial backer of West Virginia University, and is the daughter of W.Va. Governor Joe Manchin. Then there is the group of faculty members that are circulating and organizing support for the embattled new leader.

Manchin Doesn’t Understand Seriousness of WVU Scandal

West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin doesn’t understand.

For the past three years, Manchin has done an admirable job leading the Mountain State. However, when it comes to understanding the seriousness of the WVU-Heather Bresch Scandal, Manchin has left a lot to be desired. In fact, one has to wonder if he understands that this does not just affect the reputation of his daughter, Heather Bresch, but also the reputation of the school officials, West Virginia University, and higher education in West Virginia.

We can give Manchin a pass for wanting to protect his daughter and friend, WVU President Mike Garrison, from media scrutiny saying things like,

“I just think it’s wrong to go into this vigilante mode and throw everything out. If mistakes were made fix it.”

However, when comments like this next one are made we begin to question Manchin’s understanding of the seriousness of this scandal.

Why is it being driven by an out-of-state newspaper? What’s their purpose and reasoning? Why the out-of-state newspaper hasn’t printed all the FOIA information that’s now coming out and showing some facts.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is not the ones at the center of the scandal. The Pittsburgh newspaper just broke the story. Manchin here is attempting to use the old ploy of protectionism to deflect criticism of his administration and those he supports, attempting to place the blame on others.

This is typical play in the Manchin playbook. Remember, Manchin blames agents for Rich Rodriguez leaving West Virginia University for Michigan.

West Virginia University is in the midst of a serious scandal that attempts to damage the school’s academic reputation. This is not the time for silly comments placing the blame on the media. Mistakes were made. Favors were given to someone who is both politically connected and an employee of one of the institution’s top financial backers (Mylan, Inc.).

The scandal is already having financial impact at West Virginia University as donors are starting to pull back contributions to the institution.

If it was up to Manchin, he would just have you cancel your subscription to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Lang, Sears Out at WVU

Heads are starting to roll at WVU in the wake of the Heather Bresch Scandal.

Provost Gerald Lang and Business School Dean Stephen Sears will step down from their current positions on June 30. According to WSAZ, Lang and Sears will remain at WVU as professors, hopefully not teaching ethics.

Lang will receive a salary of less than $200,000, down from his $243,000 pay currently. Sears will receive $145,000, $55,000 less than his current salary of $200,000.

For those of you keeping score at home, Lang and Sears were in the wrong by granting Bresch a MBA she did not deserve and they get to remain at WVU, though in different capacities.

Sure, this makes sense to you, right?

In other news, Gov. Joe Manchin supports WVU President Mike Garrison.

Of course he does. Garrison and Manchin are friends, just as Garrison and Bresch are friends. So of course Manchin is going to support Garrison.