And no, they don’t mean the criminal law theorist. A philosopher in California calls my attention to this pathetic story:

“California State University-San Marcos President Karen Haynes said yesterday that it would be illegal to have Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore on campus before the presidential election.

“‘As a public university, we are prohibited from spending state funds on partisan political activity or direct political advocacy,’ Haynes wrote in a statement posted on the campus Web site and released to local newspapers’ opinion pages.

“She argued that Moore has campaigned for Democratic candidates and publicly declared his desire to oust Bush, but she said the university would welcome him as a speaker after the election.

“Civil liberties lawyers disagreed, however, saying partisan figures have for years have spoken at universities, and that sitting presidents including George Bush often speak at college commencements, with funding by public universities during an election year.

“Nancy Sasaki of the American Civil Liberties Union San Diego chapter concurred with Haynes that the university itself cannot endorse Bush or challenger John Kerry or other political views, and it cannot donate public money to them.

“But she said the law does not limit the free speech on a university campus or prevent colleges from having speakers with political views, even if universities pay their honorariums.

“‘It’s ludicrous to say you can’t invite any speaker with a political viewpoint,’ said Sasaki.”

The faculty and students at Cal State-San Marcos must be hugely embarrassed by the abysmal stupidity (or is it venality?) of their President.