UT history prof on national magazine Web site
Depending on your political preferences, you may or may not have seen a recent blog posting at the The Nation.
As part if its Most Valuable Progressives of 2008 list published today, Dr. Peter Linebaugh, professor of history at UT, is listed for the “Most Valuable Book.” Titled, “The Magna Carta Manifesto. Liberties and Commons for All,” Linebaugh looks back at the history of one of the original documents asserting individual liberties to make modern points regarding his view of the Bush administration’s attitude toward and treatment of the Constitution.
And in other Toledo news, the site also names Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo) “Most Valuable House [of Representatives] Member”.
So Toledo has fans today at The Nation – which probably gives you one of three reactions: 1. Good 2. Bad 3. What’s The Nation and what’s for lunch?
Update – Jan. 7, 2009: Dr. Barden took the time to forward an e-mail sent today providing additional evidence Jon’s admittedly lame (see comment below) jokes about The Nation magazine may be unfounded…
From: Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director, ProgressOhio
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 4:15 PM
To: Barden, Thomas E.
Subject: Congratulations to Marcy Kaptur: The Nation’s Most Valuable House MemberIn its 2008 “Most Valuable Progressives” awards, The Nation named Ohio’s own Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur as “Most Valuable House Member.”
Click here to send a message of congratulations to Rep. Marcy Kaptur
From The Nation:
“[Representative Kaptur's] record on economic issues–especially trade and agricultural policy–is one of consistently being right when just about everyone else was wrong. To a greater extent than anyone else in the House, she has defined the distinction between Main Street and Wall Street as something more than a slogan; and she is one of the few Democrats who actually understands that the only economic “fix” for America will be the one that begins on Main Street.”
Kaptur also has a solid progressive voting record on the Iraq war, veterans’ issues, healthcare, and many more issues that are important to Ohio’s progressive community. She is the longest serving woman in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Help ProgressOhio send a big congratulatory message to Representative Marcy Kaptur – The Nation’s Most Valuable House Member!
Click here to send a message of congratulations to Rep. Marcy Kaptur
Brian Rothenberg
Executive Director
ProgressOhio.org
The point I tried, and evidently failed to make before: those who lean left will tend to like The Nation’s viewpoint, those who lean right will like it less and, as it is an erudite magazine, there may be some unfamiliar with it in non-political communities.
Jon Strunk is UT’s media relations manager, a graduate of UT’s College of Arts and Sciences, a student in its College of Business Administration and a man constantly wary of his cell phone ringing. With the media having only so much space and so much time to tell a story, Jon has reserved this space on the World Wide Web to highlight, analyze, complain, lobby, beg, apologize and comment on media coverage of UT, higher education and, from time to time, his half-hearted quest to replace his ’96 Mercury Sable.
January 3rd, 2009at 9:20 am
Jeez, Jonathan,
Did you have to disrespect one of our best professors and Rep. Kaptur and show your ignorance to boot with your gratuitous slap at The Nation in your last line. This makes us look as stupid as Fox News.
Tom
January 3rd, 2009at 3:27 pm
Dr. Barden,
Thanks for taking the time to respond.
Disrespect toward anyone was certainly not my intention. Indeed, I’ve met with Dr. Linebaugh and briefly discussed his book and the Magna Carta and its place as an intellectual foundation for our own Constitution is something I find fascinating as my person library (bookshelf) has many, many books relating to the founding of our nation.
My last statement was an effort at humor acknowledging that The Nation is unapologetically to the left of the ideological spectrum. I was trying to make a joke for all the National Review, Weekly Standard or politically apathetic folks out there, not to anger Ms. vanden Heuvel.
Not the first or the last time such an effort ends up being unsuccessful I’m afraid. Thanks for reading.
January 7th, 2009at 8:50 pm
Mr. Strunk,
Blogs are no place for levity. Blogging is a staid and thoughtful medium that has a storied tradition of tact and professionalism. We, as learned men, must take the blogosphere seriously, or risk a future where blogs are merely a quick and convenient dumping ground of disposable news and teenage auto-biography. I don’t know about you, but I would not want to live in such a world.
D. D.