Interesting story about how the typical rightwing loons like Bill O'Reilly and David Horowitz jump into a situation of 'political correctness' run amok. They rush to the defense of an Army veteran who won the Silver-Star but who is now denied tenure by 'left-leaning professors' all because they obviously hate America.
Truth comes out about professor's background "William C. Bradford has resigned as an associate professor at Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis, effective Jan. 1. He was featured in this space June 26, when he claimed that a faculty committee had voted against him for tenure. Bradford, 39, maintained that two left-leaning professors were leading the charge for political reasons. They disliked him because he was an Army veteran who supported the war, he said. One of Bradford's allies, Professor Henry C. Karlson, pointed out that Bradford was the real deal -- awarded the Silver Star and a major in the Special Forces. Bradford said he was in the infantry and military intelligence. He fought in Desert Storm and Bosnia, he said. On the law school's Web site and its Viewbook, Bradford was profiled as being in the Army infantry from 1990 to 2001. He wore a Silver Star lapel pin around campus. He had a major's gold-leaf insignia plate on his vehicle. After my column ran portraying Bradford as a victim of a politically correct agenda, I was contacted by retired Army Lt. Col. Keith R. Donnelly, a recent law school graduate, West Point graduate and Gulf War veteran. Donnelly had long been suspicious of Bradford's background, he said. What really piqued his attention was the Silver Star claim -- "it is a pretty high award for valor, and not many were awarded in Desert Storm." Independently, Donnelly and I requested Bradford's service record from the Army. It showed he was in the Army Reserve from Sept. 30, 1995, to Oct 23, 2001. He was discharged as a second lieutenant. He had no active duty. He was in military intelligence, not infantry. He received no awards. Meanwhile, Bradford promoted himself. He blogged on the law school's student Web site. He did radio interviews. He went national on "The O'Reilly Factor." David Horowitz, a champion for conservatives, took up his cause. When I asked Bradford in late summer about the discrepancy between his record and his claims, he responded with a story that he said could not be made public. In September, Bradford admitted on the law school blog that he had been assuming names and posting comments in support of himself. Then The Chronicle for Higher Education, in a long article, reported that Bradford said he received no military decorations. He maintained that he was a major, however. Meanwhile, law school bloggers hammered away at Bradford's credibility. Bradford, formerly a vigorous participant, shut up. His resignation came as no surprise. I asked him Wednesday what he would do. He said he had a deal in the works and could discuss it after Dec. 15. "This is all very sad," said Karlson, who considers himself Bradford's friend. Karlson believes the votes against Bradford had nothing to do with his record. Everyone believed he was a decorated vet. He also confirmed what others in academia have told me: Universities don't check every detail in resumes. "I don't think that anyone comes off looking very good in this," he said. That includes me. Ruth Holladay"I wonder if O'Reilly or Horowitz will do a follow-up to their original stories? Don't bet on it.
