From the diaries, by Erick

“Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.”  ~Saul Alinsky

The Left has its new target, and he is none other than University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) law professor and current candidate for Kansas Secretary of State, Kris Kobach.  Kobach, a constitutional scholar and former chief adviser and counsel to Attorney General, John Ashcroft, has come under fierce attack in recent days by those on the Left for his leading role in drafting the much-debated and highly controversial Arizona immigration law (SB1070).

Kobach is a regular guest on CNN and the Fox New Channel’s O’Reilly Factor, where he is routinely called upon to give expert commentary and opinion on the constitutional and immigration issues of the day.  Over the past few years, he has had a hand in drafting and/or legally arguing about some of the most important and sweeping immigration reform laws all across the country, including  in states such as Kansas, Pennsylvania, Texas, California, and most recently, Arizona.

Since being signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer on April 24th, Arizona’s SB1070 has drawn the ire of many, from hispanic groups to the ACLU to the “Reverand” Al Sharpton, and all the way up the ladder to our current President.  Just hours after being enacted, President Obama rushed to the microphones in order to criticize the law (and its drafters) as being “misguided” and ”irresponsible.”  Of course, given the Alinsky-like tactics of the Obama Administration over the past 15 months to isolate, malign, discredit and destroy any of its opponents with respect to any issue, the President’s remarks in this regard really came as no surprise.

What has been somewhat surprising, if not (eh-hmm) hypocritical, has been the reaction of some of Kobach’s colleagues and other “organizations” affiliated with UMKC, who now claim that “sanctions” should levied against Kobach for his work on the immigration legislation.  Consider this story from Kansas City’s local ABC-affiliate, KMBC 9 News, regarding the Kobach situation (watch this video – this is truly unbelievable).

So, Kris Kobach – a university law professor – works on this legislation on his own time (i.e. not the university’s), and because these groups don’t agree with him, he now needs to be “sanctioned” by the university?  What does that even mean?  Are these groups calling for his job?  And what ever happened to a professor’s sacred and hallowed right to “academic freedom,” the likes of which the Left constantly reminds us on a daily basis?

Well, apparently the concept of “academic freedom” does not apply when you are a conservative candidate for Kansas Secretary of State.  Perhaps it is time we expand the “BUYcott.”  Whatever Kris Kobach is selling right now, I’m buying:  http://www.kriskobach.org.

Cross-posted at http://BrentTeichman.wordpress.com