Earlham student hits Neocon Pundit with Pie

RICHMOND, Ind. -- A pie in the face didn't silence conservative pundit William Kristol during a speech at Earlham College.

A man who later was identified as a student at the private Quaker college jumped onto the stage and splattered Kristol with the pie Tuesday night about 30 minutes into a speech about U.S. foreign policy.

Members of the audience jeered the student as he walked off the stage, then applauded as Kristol wiped the goo off his face with a paper towel and said, "Just let me finish this point," the Palladium-Item reported.

The student was suspended and could face expulsion following a disciplinary review, Earlham Provost Len Clark said today. . . . Kristol, the editor of The Weekly Standard in Washington who was chief of staff to Vice President Dan Quayle, finished his speech after he was hit by the pie and then took questions from the audience before spending 30 minutes talking with students and others who gathered at the edge of the stage.

Earlham is a liberal arts college of about 1,200 students that is well-known for its peace studies program.

Source: Associated Press March 30, 2005.

Attempting to disrupt a speech in such a manner is usually a good indication that you lack the knowledge and ability to best your opponent in a debate. Had Kristol's liberal critic to engage him during the Q&A session, he might have actually accomplished something.

Congrats to Bill, for finishing his speech with dignity, thus depriving the prankster of his goal and winning the respect of the audience. Not an easy task for a neocon speaking at a Quaker institution!

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Further Commentary from Ruth Holladay ("Pie Hit Conservative Speaker but Missed Mark" IndyStar April 3, 2005)

Medlin and his small band of student supporters, meanwhile, are left with egg on their face. They've come off looking like spoiled and yes, silly, babies unwilling to tolerate a perspective different from theirs -- and this at a Quaker school founded on the Friends' tradition of inclusiveness and "respect for the consciousness of others."

The circumstances behind Kristol's presence at the eastern Indiana liberal arts school make this incident worthy of reflection. Kristol wears several hats, but the one that upsets Medlin, according to a statement he released Friday -- "Why I Threw the Pie" -- is Kristol's role as co-founder and chairman of the Project for the New American Century. The nonprofit promotes America's role as a world leader backed with a strong military. . . .

According to the account, Newell Pledger-Shinn, 24, an Earlham College graduate and assistant to Earlham President Doug Bennett, had proposed the idea of inviting Kristol with the hope that "On campus, where our mission is committed to truth wherever that will lead, I wanted us to model serious, respectful, challenging dialogue about things that matter." The pie-throwing incident seems to have subverted any impression that liberals are capable of intelligent debate:

Pledger-Shinn was "shocked and horrified" by the pie-throwing. "We had invited Kristol, hoping that Earlham students, being passionate, idealistic and articulate as they are, would give him a run for his money." But not a physical attack.

The college leadership concurs. Earlham issued a statement condemning the pie-throwing, although some faculty have asked for tolerance for Medlin -- who has been suspended indefinitely. Others on the faculty questioned why a pacifist school would welcome Kristol.

Still, a noon pro-pie-throwing rally Friday drew only a half-dozen or so of Medlin's supporters from among the 1,200 students. Despite Medlin's statement, saying he wanted to answer questions, he did not return phone calls Friday from his home in Lynn.

But the fact that another student at a Michigan college Thursday smeared conservative Pat Buchanan with salad oil, and cited Earlham, shows Medlin has had an impact. Sadly, it's about as substantial as cream pie.

One of my readers -- wow, I actually have readers? -- disputes the account, claiming:

Uhh..dude? Not only does the AP account NOT say that other students jeered the pietosser, but they didn't. They LAUGHED, because it was funny. Earlham students throw pies and fruit and all sorts of stuff at Ann Coulter, Bill Kristol, or whatever chickenshit neocon comes to speak. Ann Coulter was so scared her knees were shaking. I ahppen to know, as I was THERE.

Several observations:

1. The quote was directly lifted from the AP Press. I see the original link no longer works, so so here's another: "Members of the audience jeered the student, then applauded as Kristol wiped the pie from his face and said, "Just let me finish this point," the Palladium-Item reported. Of course, I wasn't there either, so we'll leave this as a case of "he said, she said."

2. More importantly, nice going, assaulting a woman. Regardless of whether she's Ann Coulter -- and I'm no more a fan of her than I assume you are -- your crude and immature behavior toward her is a real credit to the liberal cause.

3. I'm amused the by the subsequent salad-dressing dousing of Pat Buchanan at Western Michigan University. Pat Buchanan is a paleoconservative -- and as such, happens to be a bitter critic of the Bush Administration AND William Kristol, in short, the furthest thing from a neocon. The pranksters should have given him a hero's welcome for his unwavering criticism of the war.