Someone saw this coming…
Posted by rogin16 on October 30, 2008
A friend passed a long an article about a fellow Brandeis alum Bryan Rudnick who is following in the steps of Jack Abramoff. I didn’t know Rudnick, but from what I heard as a cub reporter/editor at the Justice and later The Hoot people should not be surprised he was involved in something like that.
As a student, he (or more accurately the soon to be defunct publication he edited Freedom Magazine) was responsible bringing Charlton Heston to campus. From what I was told, this was a major disaster for the campus. Over 1000 students protested. Hundreds of people having no relation to the University flooded the campus and as a result many students were not allowed in to see his speech. Ridiculous security procedures had to be enacted to keep students safe and Rudnick, in my opinion, turned this into a political launch pad to ingratiate himself with right wing power brokers.
The security procedures and other “hurdles”–such as booking the right room–were turned by Rudnick as an us vs. the liberal college establishment battle which many eager right winger ate up. This article is one of many examples of the spin Rudnick was putting on this. Then again, it seems from what I read Rudnick was great at baiting people with outrageous comments and the playing the victim and getting PR for it. I’m not saying I agree with the Student Senate over reaction in that or any other case involving Rudnick, but I am saying he’s very experienced in making ourageous comments and the playing the victim (though luckily in the PA case, he can’t play the victim).
From what I can tell, Freedom Magazine, which after being defunded received off campus funding from right wing groups, eventually was forced to shut down for printing a student’s phone number and encouraging harassment of that student (i can’t verify this at the moment but recall vaguely hearing a story about it from a source who will go unnamed).
I forwarded the article to The Hoot with a brief back story. Maybe they can do some digging and write an interesting story.
Edit: A few more interesting tidbits about Rudnick. He worked for the Katherine Harris campaign in Florida. Apparently his experience may have been exagerated. Also this is a ruling against him and Freedom Magazine by the Brandeis Student Union Judiciary.
