The Times reports that 72 Georgetown faculty, administrators, and graduate students have signed a letter protesting the school’s hiring of Douglas Feith for a two-year lectureship. Which of the 72 did Jason DeParle choose to interview? One is the author of the petition. The other
has appointments in anthropology and French and whose résumé lists several writings about French chocolate makers. (“From Master Chocolatiers Today: Bayonne and the Basque Coast.”) She complained that Mr. Feith’s appointment was “presented as a fait accompli.”
What better to reinforce a narrative which marginalizes critics of the neoconservative project as anti-American elitists than an anecdote about a French professor who studies “Master Chocolatiers”? That liberal media, at it again.
Incidentally, Professor Terrio has other research papers DeParle could have cited, like “New ‘Savages’ in the Suburbs: Criminalizing ‘Immigrant’ Youth in French Mass Media.” Or he could have talked to a professor like Judith Tucker, the historian who edits the International Journal of Middle East Studies. But that wouldn’t pack the same narrative punch.
Josh Eidelson 
I like Prof. King saying Georgetown is “still one of the top 25 universities in the U.S.,” implying an ongoing, inexorable downhill slide into obscurity (though leaving the reasons up to us).
It was suitably curmudgeon-y — didn’t improve the slant of the article, but entertaining all the same.
“Chocolate City”
Uh, what’s happening CC?
They still call it the White House
But that’s a temporary condition, too.
Can you dig it, CC?
To each his reach
And if I don’t cop, it ain’t mine to have
But I’ll be reachin’ for ya
‘Cause I love ya, CC.
Right on.
There’s a lot of chocolate cities, around
We’ve got Newark, we’ve got Gary
Somebody told me we got L.A.
And we’re working on Atlanta
But you’re the capital, CC
Gainin’ on ya!
Get down
Gainin’ on ya!
Movin’ in and on ya
Gainin’ on ya!
Can’t you feel my breath, heh
Gainin’ on ya!
All up around your neck, heh heh
Hey, CC!
They say your jivin’ game, it can’t be changed
But on the positive side,
You’re my piece of the rock
And I love you, CC.
Can you dig it?
Hey, uh, we didn’t get our forty acres and a mule
But we did get you, CC, heh, yeah
Gainin’ on ya
Movin’ in and around ya
God bless CC and its vanilla suburbs
Gainin’ on ya!
Gainin’ on ya!
Gainin’ on ya! (heh!)
Gainin’ on ya!
Gainin’ on ya!
What’s happening, blood?
Gainin’ on ya!
Gainin’ on ya!
Gainin’ on ya!
Yeah!
What’s happening, black?
Brother black, blood even
Yeah-ahh, just funnin’
Gettin’ down
Ah, blood to blood
Ah, players to ladies
The last percentage count was eighty
You don’t need the bullet when you got the ballot
Are you up for the downstroke, CC?
Chocolate city
Are you with me out there?
And when they come to march on ya
Tell ’em to make sure they got their James Brown pass
And don’t be surprised if Ali is in the White House
Reverend Ike, Secretary of the Treasure
Richard Pryor, Minister of Education
Stevie Wonder, Secretary of FINE arts
And Miss Aretha Franklin, the First Lady
Are you out there, CC?
A chocolate city is no dream
It’s my piece of the rock and I dig you, CC
God bless Chocolate City and its (gainin’ on ya!) vanilla suburbs
Can y’all get to that?
Gainin’ on ya!
Gainin’ on ya!
Easin’ in
Gainin’ on ya!
In yo’ stuff
Gainin’ on ya!
Huh, can’t get enough
Gainin’ on ya!
Gainin’ on ya!
Be mo’ funk, be mo’ funk
Gainin’ on ya!
Can we funk you too
Gainin’ on ya!
Right on, chocolate city!
Yeah, get deep
Real deep
Heh
Be mo’ funk
Mmmph, heh
Get deep
Bad
Unh, heh
Just got New York, I’m told