For now, the battle over HR 3077 (reform of federal subsidies to Middle Eastern Studies) is going well. The ongoing campaign of false claims in college newspapers that the bill would stifle academic freedom has been brought to a halt, at least for a time. What seems to have stopped it was a very important piece by Princeton’s own government lobbyist in the Yale Daily News. That piece explained that the bill safeguards the college curriculum from government interference. Although this is very clear from the legislation itself, and although Martin Kramer and I have said it repeatedly, the safeguards built into the bill have been deliberately ignored by the bill’s critics. The critics would like the bill killed for other reasons. They want no oversight whatsoever, but can’t really say that. So making bogus charges about the bill’s supposed threat to academic freedom has been their only public option. But that Yale Daily News Op Ed has thrown a wrench into the whole bogus campaign against the bill. Still, expect a resurgence of attacks in the new year, when the Senate takes up the bill. In the meantime, have a look at this piece from a student at Duke in support of the bill. For now, it looks like the momentum has shifted in our direction.