Since Osama bin Laden died, my Israel-First friends have returned to attacking me with gusto. Good old british18@earthlink.net — I think his name is Mark Grayson, who claims to be a brilliant and wealthy lawyer — popped up to threaten me with legal action, and someone person called Alan Reynolds (iihmg@yahoo.com) has begun sending slanderous materials about me to the media outlets I appeared on or talked to this week, starting with the Dallas Morning News. Worth noting is that Reynolds recommends that people talk to the scholar Walid Phares rather than me. Readers of this space will recall that Mr. Phares’ name also came up in the mix during the last spate of Israel-First attacks on me.
But the most interesting development in this round of Israel-First threats and attacks is the appearance of a person called “Margaret King” (margaretking28@yahoo.com). She has written to FOX along the same slanderous line as Mr. Reynolds above —Ms. King indicated that a man named Larry Johnson (ix.netcom.com) did the “research” — and she also has written to tell me that she is sending my “anti-Semitic” comments to the President and Provost at Georgetown. This is the tactic of old British18, but she says she and Israel-First have control over tenure appointments at Georgetown and will get them to deny me tenure — I’m an adjunct professor, so not eligible for tenure — just as she and Israel First got Yale to deny tenure to Juan Cole. She also infers that she and her money got me fired from the Jamestown Foundation. I have responded with sarcastic and snotty comments which led to the following notes from her.
Here is what Ms. King said about wrecking Professor Juan Cole’s career at Yale after I said that her threats to my tenure chances didn’t scare me a lick (since I didn’t have any such chances):
1.) From: Margaret King <margaretking28@yahoo.com>
To: scheuermf@aol.com
Date: Sat, May 7, 2011 4:48 pm
Not a problem. Georgetown University senior personnel will be kept apprised of your more inappropriate remarks, particularly, those on your blog. Juan Cole was denied tenure at Yale due to his own blog and, ultimately, left.
2.) Re: Georgetown Provost O’Donnell From: Margaret King <margaretking28@yahoo.com> To: scheuermf@aol.com Date: Sat, May 7, 2011 4:56 pm
That’s what Juan Cole said, too, prior to being passed over for tenure and forced to leave Yale because of inappropriate posts on his blog.
3.) Re: Georgetown Provost O’Donnell From: Margaret King <margaretking28@yahoo.com> To: scheuermf@aol.com Date: Sat, May 7, 2011 5:10 pm
That’s what Cole said, too … before finally being dismissed by Yale for remarks on his blog. He since moved to Michigan.
4.) Re: Georgetown Provost O’Donnell From: Margaret King <margaretking28@yahoo.com> To: scheuermf@aol.com Date: Sat, May 7, 2011 5:23 pm
Juan Cole certainly thinks so. The winters in Michigan are terribly cold for poor Juan. Losing tenure at Yale was a big disappointment. Pity he didn’t take me seriously at the outset.
I repeated at this point that she didn’t scare me a lick, but she insisted that she and Israel-First controlled things at Georgetown.
5.) Re: Georgetown Provost O’Donnell From: Margaret King <margaretking28@yahoo.com> To: scheuermf@aol.com Date: Sat, May 7, 2011 5:31 pm
My prayers are always answered. Especially, by the Jesuits at Georgetown.
Then Ms. King went on to infer that she and Israel-First’s money got me fired from the Jamestown Foundation. The following e-mails followed a note from me that said she was dreaming if she thought she had any influence at Jamestown.
1.) Re: Georgetown Provost O’Donnell From: Margaret King <margaretking28@yahoo.com> To: scheuermf@aol.com Date: Sat, May 7, 2011 5:56 pm Jamestown gladly accepts my largesse.
2.) Re: Georgetown Provost O’Donnell From: Margaret King <margaretking28@yahoo.com> To: scheuermf@aol.com Date: Sat, May 7, 2011 6:04 pm
Foundations rely on the kindness of philanthropists. But, you already know this.
3.) Re: Georgetown Provost O’Donnell From: Margaret King <margaretking28@yahoo.com> To: scheuermf@aol.com Date: Sat, May 7, 2011 6:15 pm
The Board at Jamestown thinks otherwise.
4.) Re: Georgetown Provost O’Donnell From: Margaret King <margaretking28@yahoo.com> To: scheuermf@aol.com Date: Sat, May 7, 2011 6:30 pm
I’ll be sure to say hi to Jim Burnley [I don’t know this name] on your behalf, next time.
I am fairly plain spoken, but this is pretty brazen stuff. Did Ms. King and Israel-First’s money really wreck Professor Cole’s career at Yale, and does their money control appointments and tenure at Georgetown. I guess we will have to wait and see.