Reporter Patrick McIlheran is hot on the case

Award-winnning reporter Patrick McIlheran, who recently praised on highest hosannas two embarrassingly researched hit pieces on Jodi O'Brien's scholarship, did so without even having seen the professor's C.V., which contains her complete repertoire of publication citations.

Think about that. McIlheran, in a major daily newspaper, joined a chorus attacking Dr. O'Brien's professional reputation, without even having seen a list of her scholarly work. Hadn't even seen the titles.

Even better, McIlheran didn't do this afternoon's legwork himself, he happened across it at radio shouter Mark Belling's webpage. Also, the C.V. is three years old. There is a much more recent version, but maybe Belling didn't know how to upload a Word document.*

And after all that, McIlheran thinks Milwaukee archbishop Jerome Listecki did a good job, interfering in the two-year project of a Marquette University academic hiring committee and reportedly providing the clerical impetus to rescind a signed — by both parties, it's been claimed — contract for employment, a contract offered to Dr. O'Brien not just once but twice.

(It took the intrepid journalist McIlheran, it may be recalled, several days to properly understand what was meant by "hide the decline.")

When asked whether she was considering legal action against Marquette, O'Brien told the student paper: "I’m in conversation with the university about the best next steps. My hope is that the situation can become an opportunity for institutional learning."

That's a strategically ingenious response. No wonder they offered her the job two times.

* Mark Belling's personal avatar Rush Limbaugh didn't realize you could search .pdfs and blamed it all on the Kenyan socialist's plot.