University of Michigan Press Blog

"Money Isn't Speech and Corporations Aren't People" by David Kairys, on Slate

David Kairys, the author of Philadelphia Freedom: Memoir of a Civil Rights Lawyer, published an op-ed last Friday on Slate.com: "Money Isn't Speech and Corporations Aren't People: The misguided theories behind the Supreme Court's ruling on campaign finance reform". A couple days after the President's State of the Union, in which Obama pointedly disagreed with the recent Supreme Court ruling while the Justices sat directly in front of him, we'll give David the floor:

__________________________________________

"Go back almost a century, to the time when the modern corporation was created, and you'll find laws that prohibit or limit the use of corporate money in elections. And yet this week, a 5-4 Supreme Court struck down the limits that Congress passed in 2002 in this tradition in the case Citizens United v. FEC. The majority's ruling unleashes a new wave of campaign cash and adds to the already considerable power of corporations. The court's main rationale is that limits on using corporate treasuries for campaigns are a "classic example of censorship," as Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority..."

Your 'Link' to the local bestseller list

Mardi Link's book Isadore's Secret, which chronicles the mysterious disappearance and death of a nun from a small Northern Michigan town, has done what all good Michiganders do: flourish in winter.

Isadore once again appeared on the The Heartland Indie Bestseller List, this time a full five months after its initial release. Link takes spot No. 13 on the list for January 24th.

Clerical Work: Historical Roots and in Modern Life

During the buildup to the Iraq War in 2003, critics of the Bush administration repeatedly complained that the press had become “stenographers,” copying the their talking points, rather than investigating or questioning.  Despite my agreement with the critics, I cringed every time I heard “shorthand” and “stenographer” used as an epitaph.

University of Michigan Press Ready for eBooks on the Apple iPad Tablet, Microsoft Surface

Check out our growing list of eBooks.

Sandra Day O'Connor Revisits and Revives Affirmative Action Controversy in New Release "The Next 25 Years"

(Excerpt from original article by Peter Schmidt, published in THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, JAN 14, 2010 / PHOTO CREDIT: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, GETTY IMAGES)

"In an essay written with Stewart J. Schwab, who had served as one of her Supreme Court clerks and is now dean of the Cornell Law School, Justice O'Connor argues that the majority opinion she wrote in the 2003 affirmative-action case should not be seen as imposing a deadline on the use of race-conscious policies or as relieving the need for more research showing such policies have educational benefits.

'When the time comes to reassess the constitutionality of considering race in higher-education admissions,' the essay says, 'we will need social scientists to clearly demonstrate the educational benefits of diverse student bodies, and to better understand the links between role models in one generation and aspirations and achievements of succeeding generations.'

The essay, contained in the new book The Next 25 Years: Affirmative Action in Higher Education in the United States and South Africa, has struck a raw nerve among critics of affirmative action who were frustrated by the pivotal role Justice O'Connor played in preserving race-conscious admissions policies in the Supreme Court's 2003 Grutter v. Bollinger decision, involving the University of Michigan Law School. Seen as the court's swing vote on the affirmative-action issue, she ended up siding with its liberal wing in a 5-to-4 ruling holding that race-conscious admissions policies are constitutional because they serve the compelling state interest of promoting diversity and its associated educational benefits."

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING FULL CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION ARTICLE 

New Supreme Court Decision Means Campaigns Without Spending Limits?

by Raymond J. La Raja, author of Small Change: Money, Political Parties, and Campaign Finance Reform

In a guest post, Ray LaRaja, an expert in campaign finance at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, examines the impact of the  Supreme Court ruling that rolled back spending limits. Originally published Jan 22, 2010, at politicalwire.com.

"Who benefits from this ruling? Going into the midterms, it likely helps Republicans who now have momentum and a game plan -- thanks to the GOP victory in Massachusetts. Party loyalists will set up operations to raise corporate funds and run ads in targeted districts. These groups will have names like, "American Patriots for Jobs" paid for by a bevy of like-minded corporate firms. Not all corporate groups will play this game -- it could backfire on them with the public. Don't forget that unions can do the same thing. In the next midterm, ads will be sharper, negative and more prolific since interest groups don't have to obfuscate the message by avoiding electioneering words. They can simply say, "A vote for her is a vote to raise taxes!" Broadcasts will be jam-packed with campaign ads up through Election Day. (Hint: a good ground game might be more effective in this saturated environment.)

And what about the presidential election? President Obama is surely not pleased about this outcome for strategic, if not moral concerns. This ruling eviscerates his financial edge in raising money. The Obama campaign broke all records raising over $700 million from large and small donors, many of them over the Internet. Now he can expect corporate-backed advertising to be used against him. It is doubtful he will dissuade liberal groups (as he did is 2008) from joining the fray. He will need them this time!"

Also check out: Money Isn't Speech and Corporations Aren't People: The Misguided Theories Behind the Supreme Court's Ruling on Campaign Finance Reform, an article by David Kairys, author of PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM, on Slate.com.

Django Reinhardt turns 100 January 23

Famed jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt would have been 100 on January 23, and Benjamin Givan, author of the new book The Music of Django Reinhardt, took some time out in honor of the anniversary to answer a few questions.

Givan authored a previous blog entry on Reinhardt, including a rundown of his enormous impact on everything from blues to rock 'n' roll and a video of him performing with frequent collaborator Stéphane Grappelli. Musicians ranging from B.B. King to Carlos Santana list Reinhardt as a major influence.

QUESTION: Why did you choose Reinhardt as a subject?

ANSWER: I chose Reinhardt as a subject because I had enjoyed listening to his music for a long time. I was aware that most of the previously published literature on Reinhardt consisted of either biographical studies geared toward the casual jazz fan or “how-to” books oriented toward people who want to learn how to play the music. And I thought that Reinhardt’s music deserved to be taken seriously at a more scholarly level in order to gain a more thorough, detailed understanding of what and how he played.

The Google Settlement: An Important Update for Our Authors

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON COPYRIGHT:

On November 19, 2009, the Court granted preliminary approval to the amended Google Settlement. Please visit www.googlebooksettlement.com for the latest information on Google's site, or visit http://www.press.umich.edu/digital/google/ for the University of Michigan Press Google bulletin.

In general, University of Michigan Press authors need not do nothing if your book is in copyright by the Press; the Press has opted in to the Settlement and will claim titles and secure payments from the Settlement on behalf of authors. However, if the Press rights reverted to you for a title, there are several steps you should be aware of.

Please click HERE for more information on the University of Michigan Press' involvement in the Google Settlement and a letter from Director Phil Pochoda, or copy and paste http://www.press.umich.edu/digital/google/ into your browser.

The Detroit Auto Show Goes Green

The highlight of the North American International Auto Show 2010, going on now in Detroit, is the showcase of electric vehicles and "green" cars. Carmakers are promoting fuel efficiency and vehicles with advanced power trains to attract buyers after 2008's record high retail gasoline prices and to meet stricter federal fuel-economy rules. Many automakers have already initiated green car developments to reduce the cost of oil consumption and carbon exhaust linked to climate change.
 
When it comes to climate policy for business leaders in auto-industry, they have to implement sound, practical, climate-related corporate policies. Based on Andrew J. Hoffman's widely praised report from the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, and significantly revised in light of subsequent developments, Carbon Strategies teaches practitioners and students about the importance of timing policy implementation, establishing appropriate levels of internal and external commitment, influencing beneficial policy development, and creating new business opportunities based on climate policy.

CARBON STRATEGIES: How Leading Companies Are Reducing Their Climate Change Footprint, by Andrew J. Hoffman / PAPER ISBN: 978-0-472-03265-5 / MORE INFO
 

He inspired B.B. King and Carlos Santana; celebrate 100 years of Django Reinhardt

In this video, Reinhardt plays with Stéphane Grappelli:

The University of Michigan Press' new book by Benjamin Givan, The Music of Django Reinhardt, explores the musician's singular style and technique.

January 23, 2010, marks the hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Belgian-born Manouche gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt.

'Django was to the guitar what Louis Armstrong was to the trumpet or Art Tatum to the piano,' recalled the American cornetist Rex Stewart, who recorded with Reinhardt in 1939 and 1947. 'He inspired the playing and thinking of countless hundreds of guitar players all over the world.'