rob f

January 16th, 2019 at 9:49 PM ^

Fat Bastard would rather blame the Dems AND Nassar's victims than show any decency and apologize to those victims he repeatedly mocked, belittled and slandered; he'd rather put up obstacles to prevent them from seeking assistance/therapy/counseling, instead of showing compassion and mercy toward a single one of them; and rather line his own wallet and the wallets of his political cronies than advocate for meaningful change in the fucked-up institutional culture deeply ingrained within the administration buildings at MSU.

Hell is too good for Fat Bastard.  

 

Joined: 11/11/2010

MGoPoints: 193742

Section 1.8

January 16th, 2019 at 9:33 PM ^

The MSU Board of Trustees liked and trusted Engler.  That is, the Board that hired him and stood by him.  The new Board is, as Engler is completely right to point out, a different Board with different politics.

The majorities in our state legislature -- both houses, in which Enger served with distinction in his time as a state representative and then in the state senate where he rose to the rank of majority leader -- probably regard Engler as a folk hero.

Governor Engler enjoyed good support from Governor Snyder; he would have gotten no support from the new governor.  But no matter what, by the state's constitution, the governor's office is walled off from exerting controlling power over the boards of MSU, UM and Wayne State.  Article VIII, Section 5.

 

Joined: 01/04/2018

MGoPoints: 1167

Njia

January 16th, 2019 at 10:28 PM ^

I get the point you’re trying to make here, but it misses on a few things. First, that he believes he is resigning because the politics of the situation bode ill for him demonstrates more clearly than anything possibly could that he has always seemed to view the Nassar scandal and its fallout as just another “Me and MSU, But Mostly Me, Against the World” battle to wage. He never understood that it was never such a thing; it was about correcting a series of terrible wrongs and the culture that made it possible.

Second, I wouldn’t go so far as to characterize his State Senate career as having a measure of “folk hero” status. He climbed the ladder as much because he could win a street fight in an elevator against members of his own party as much as (and perhaps more than) his political skill. I met then-Senator Engler for the first time in 1986, when he’d only been Majority Leader for only two years. He wanted everyone to know, even then, that he considered himself a pretty big f-cking deal, and everyone else had better think so, too, if they knew what was good for their political careers.

Joined: 09/15/2009

MGoPoints: 35773

SFBlue

January 17th, 2019 at 12:11 AM ^

It's pretty cowardly for him to use politics as a cover for his own bad conduct. Needless provocation of victims, victim blaming, and the other ugly things he said undid a lot of hard work that Michigan State had done (and that he attempts to take credit for in his letter). Leaders take responsibility for their actions. Engler fucked up, and on the way out took credit for the good that others did while trying to blame "politicians" for the repercussions of his own acts. 

Joined: 11/02/2009

MGoPoints: 15698

lhglrkwg

January 17th, 2019 at 6:09 AM ^

I don't know why mishandling a sexual assault investigation and then publicly slandering the victims is being made into a political divide. I'd hope both parties would stand against that, but if we're saying Engler was only forced out because of political differences then what does that say about the party that was protecting him at MSU

Joined: 07/03/2008

MGoPoints: 87771

Njia

January 17th, 2019 at 8:48 AM ^

I'm not so sure he was being protected by the Republicans. While I'm sure they knew he could still throw his around (so to speak) in the state GOP, and he certainly had his share of political frenemies who could influence the action of others, I think there was so much disgust at what he was saying and doing in his role as the Interim President that there was a general hope that the BoT would force him to go. Long-time political commentators, including Bruce Ballenger, who has covered Lansing politics for several decades, said as much in response to Engler's resignation yesterday.

Joined: 09/15/2009

MGoPoints: 35773

M go Bru

January 17th, 2019 at 10:10 AM ^

Response to ppToilet

I cannot verify your claim that "the MSU Board was threatened by the republican legislature to hire Engler". It was a unanimous decision by the board and Byrum herself defended her vote.

Once the controversial past women prisoner situation was exposed, Engler should have been fired.They should have brought in an unknown with impeccable integrity so that no existing prejudice would exist.

Hindsight is always 20-20.

Blanchard was hired as a consultant in order to balance possible criticism of partisan politics. Only two political figures in Michigan could have been universally accepted, ex gov Milliken and former AG Frank Kelley, who unfortunately were either deceased or too elderly.

 

Joined: 10/24/2008

MGoPoints: 1502

ppToilet

January 17th, 2019 at 6:14 PM ^

Actually came out in some of the Engler resignation/firing articles. The original vote was 4-4. The Republican state legislature threatened funding and one trustee changed his vote, so 5-3 carried the day. The public vote a couple days later was unanimous, even though it wasn't.

Joined: 04/18/2011

MGoPoints: 5263

crg

January 16th, 2019 at 7:58 PM ^

Prototypical Sparty - ignore own transgressions, blame problems on perceived enemies, verbally attack said enemies, laud own credentials despite little to no notable accomplishments, rinse, repeat.

Joined: 04/30/2015

MGoPoints: 74907

Jack Be Nimble

January 16th, 2019 at 8:26 PM ^

That resignation letter is one of the worst attempts at ass-covering I have ever seen. He basically just spends 11 pages talking about how great a job he did and claiming the only reason he is being forced to resign is because of politics. The whole thing is just so horrifically transparent that it couldn't persuade a 3rd grader.

Joined: 10/03/2014

MGoPoints: 1816

Ty Butterfield

January 16th, 2019 at 8:28 PM ^

Most of the RCMB seeems to be on Engler’s side. Called him a great Spartan and praised him for standing up to the blue wall media. What a joke. 

Joined: 09/07/2009

MGoPoints: -81685