The American University College Republicans chose to cancel their kickoff speaker, syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin, last week due to her controversial book about the Japanese internment.
Malkin, who wrote "In Defense of Internment: The Case for 'Racial Profiling' in World War II and the War on Terror," was set to speak on AU's campus today. According to Mike Inganamort, president of the College Republicans, Malkin was set to speak about illegal immigration issues and immigration reform.
"We received no such notice about Ms. Malkin's book release.... We found out about her feelings on Japanese internment through our own research," said Inganamort.
Malkin, who first contacted the College Republicans in October 2003, agreed to speak for free on immigration issues.
"Later we found out that a Japanese organization in D.C. wanted to debate and [Malkin] agreed," Inganamort said. "The AU CRs have no role in hosting an event on Japanese internment.... It's irrelevant to our goal of re-electing President Bush."
When asked if she would speak about the broader issue of immigration, Malkin flatly refused, according to Inganamort.
In an e-mail to The Washington Post, Malkin explained that she wanted to speak about "how the Bush administration continues to employ Norm Mineta, whose misunderstanding of World War II history is the reason why grandmas and infants get groped at the airport under the guise of fighting terror." According to Malkin, she would have also attacked Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy and top Bush adviser Karl Rove for "coddling the illegal alien lobby and the anti-profiling activists at the expense of national security."
According to Inganamort, Malkin tried to make the situation seem like the AU administration pressured the College Republicans into cancelling the speech. "That's outrageous," Inganamort said. "No one bullied us into anything.... It was entirely the AUCR executive board's decision."
Malkin also wrote about her speech at AU in her Web blog.
"My American University speech, which was scheduled for Monday, September 13, has been cancelled. My host, the AU College Republicans, informed me yesterday that 'because of the issue of Japanese internment, our club is taking a lot of flack from the Administration here at American University. In so many words or less, our future funding is in serious jeopardy (sic),'" Malkin's blog says. "In a subsequent e-mail sent early this morning, my host stated that 'staff members for the Bush campaign itself have frowned on us for having an event centered on the internment of Japanese Americans.' I offered to change the event from a speech to a debate, but apparently some folks at AU and/or the Bush campaign share [Seattle Times columnist] Danny Westneat's view that internment ought not even be debated, let alone defended in a stand-alone speech."
However, yesterday's Washington Post said that Inganamort's reference to the Bush campaign was based on information from an intern, not a higher official.
"Malkin is trying to create controversy by making it seem like we were pressured into cancelling," Inganamort said. "Controversy sells books." He also pointed out that when he informed Malkin of the group's decision, he received an e-mail saying "I understand."
Inganamort said he stands firmly behind his decision. He believes that Malkin did not contribute to the club's election-year goal.
"Although we have chosen not to hold another event Monday in place of Ms. Malkin's speech, we will be hosting many more speakers, events and debates throughout this semester," Inganamort said.
