More than twenty years ago: Ollie North at Saddleback College

 

“Like, they literally don’t believe a story that crazy could be true.
In real life. Under Reagan.”

The NRA’s new president, Oliver North, is notorious for his role in an illicit arms deal
(Today, The Washington Post)

     …It was 1987.
     Ronald Reagan was president and Oliver North, a staffer on the National Security Council, was taking the stand in a congressional inquiry into the Iran-contra affair, a multifaceted covert scheme in which profits from weapons sales to Iran were funnel under the table to right-wing rebels in Nicaragua who were fighting the country’s socialist government. One of the biggest political scandals of its day — and one that cast a negative pall over the Reagan administration — the scheme represented sharp violations of American law and policy.
. . .
     North, a staunch conservative who has found a rebirth as a commentator on Fox News, is perhaps best known for his central role in the illicit arms deals. North was fired from his post as an aide on the National Security Council by Reagan shortly after the scandal spilled into public view in the news media in 1986 and began to widen. An amendment passed in Congress earlier in the decade had prohibited most government funds or military support from being given to the contra rebels.
     North, who had helped carry out the schemes, was the most anticipated witness called to the Hill for a hearing hosted by a congressional inquiry into the affair.
. . .
     He admitted that he had shredded key documents about the initiatives, but said he was doing what his superiors wanted, and disclosed that CIA Director William Casey had been aware of some of his activities. And he “openly admitted that he had lied to ‘unwitting’ Reagan administration officials, misled Congress and the public, falsified and destroyed official documents as part of a preconceived coverup plan designed to protect his superiors, and specifically the president. But he also implicated higher-ups with his repeated assertions that all of his actions had been approved by higher authority,” the Post reported.
. . .
     “When I teach the Iran Contra Affair and Oliver North to intro IR students, they stare at me in total disbelief,” Colby College political scientist Laura Seay wrote on Twitter. “Like, they literally don’t believe a story that crazy could be true. In real life. Under Reagan.”

North's Saddleback Appearance Draws Warm Reception
(LA Times, September 21, 1996 - MICHAEL GRANBERRY)

     After two standing ovations, numerous autographs, dozens of flashbulbs popping in his face and countless displays of spontaneous applause Friday, former Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North was ready to field his first question.
     The young man approached the microphone in the brightly lit Saddleback College gym and wanted to know about a recent newspaper series. Was what he had read in the San Jose Mercury News really true, the man asked:
     Did a connection exist between the Nicaraguan Contras whom North once supported and drug dealers in South-Central Los Angeles, who allegedly helped fund the Contras with proceeds from the sale of crack cocaine?
     For the first time all day, North appeared momentarily flustered. Coy and cool from the moment he set foot on campus and embraced by virtually every adoring fan who extended a hand or hug, he suddenly sounded irked.
     Calling it "a frivolous, crazy question," North, 52, told the man: "I want to be very specific. I do not know, nor have I ever known, anyone who would tolerate drugs coming into this country. . . .
     "Where were these accusers in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 . . . when Congress conducted one of its longest inquisitions in history" into allegations that North masterminded a plan to finance the Contra rebels in Nicaragua by selling weapons to the Iranian government.
     "Where were they then?" he demanded. "Can you tell me that?"
     North's response was punctuated with more thunderous applause from the highly partisan crowd that packed one entire side of the Saddleback Gauchos basketball arena and included a who's who of Orange County's Republicans.
. . .

     North was convicted of aiding in the obstruction of Congress, accepting illegal gratuities and destroying documents. The courts overturned his convictions on appeal in 1990.
. . .
     Before his speech, North met briefly with the press, which wanted to know his reaction to the newspaper series that only last month dredged up the Iran-Contra scandal, although this time with a radically different twist.
     North said he had welcomed onto his radio show—"The fastest-growing talk show in the United States!"—Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), only to tell her she owed him an apology for "making ridiculous allegations" on the floor of the U.S. House.
     "I think the whole story is absolute garbage," North said of the allegations. "It's an effort to distract the American people from the Clinton administration's appalling record of dealing with drugs. It is typical of the most liberal elements of our political spectrum to find somebody else to blame for everything."
     An ex-Marine who rose to fame as a key player in the Iran-Contra arms deal, North was invited to Saddleback College by Assemblyman Bill Morrow (R-Oceanside), who introduced North and the subject of his speech, "Is the U.S. Constitution Still Relevant?"
. . .
     After being serenaded by a drill team that wore glittery American flags as tight-fitting vests, and getting to meet the great-great-grandson of Francis Scott Key, North took aim at the street curfews imposed on teenagers by some cities. Hitler, he said, was a big fan of such curfews….

Oliver North in Orange County (remembering North's visit to Saddleback College eighteen years ago)

Heroic liar

     [See LA Times article at end.]
     The OC Weekly’s R. Scott Moxley reports on Oliver North’s recent visit to the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda. (Oliver North Comes To Nixon Library).
     North was there to bash the Obama administration—and to promote his new book, an “explosive new thriller.”
     Naturally, the audience was receptive:

     "The next big scandal … is going to be how the United States Government responds when the Iranians make an announcement that they've ceased their nuclear program and we're now going to sign a deal with a bunch of other countries saying all sanctions are now lifted," said North with a dramatic, conspiratorial tone he employs on Fox when he mentions Democratic Party presidencies.
     The Orange County audience—overwhelmingly dominated by folks with silver hair, pale pigmentation, hearing aids and, probably, coupons for 4 p.m. Sizzler dinner specials—moaned in disgust.

     North, whose infamy (and fame, I guess) developed starting in 1986, has a history of speaking at local colleges. For instance, back 1993—a year before his failed bid to become a U.S. Senator—he spoke at Chapman University (North Will Speak at Chapman).

     And, as you know, in 1996, he spoke at Saddleback College (North's Appearance Draws Warm Reception; 9/21/96). The gig was arranged by then Assemblyman Bill Morrow.
     You remember that guy. According to Wikipedia,

     Morrow was elected to the California State Assembly to represent the 73rd District in 1992. … In 1998, Morrow was elected to the California State Senate with 60% of the vote to represent the 38th District. In 2000, he ran for the Congressional seat of retiring Representative Ron Packard and came in second to Darrell Issa.... Morrow was reelected to the Senate in 2002 with 66% of the vote.

 

     Morrow, an off-road vehicle enthusiast, was caught and cited in 1996 by a ranger for doing "doughnuts" in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in a four-wheel-drive vehicle with special legislative license plates.
. . .
     In 2005, Morrow made headlines when he formally joined the Minutemen anti-illegal immigration organization, serving several weekends watching the U.S./Mexico border near the small border community of Campo, California.
     Morrow also became a hero to the skateboarding community. He pushed laws that reduced liability for skateboard accidents, making it feasible for cities to build skateboard parks.
     A conservative Christian, Morrow also is a prominent advocate for "traditional family values." He is a pro-life leader on abortion issues and an opponent to experimentation on human embryonic stem cells. In 2005-06 Morrow authored Senate Constitutional Amendment 1, which limit marriage to "one man-one woman."
. . .

     Toward the end of his tenure in the California Senate Morrow sponsored the controversial "Students Bill of Rights," which was modeled on David Horowitz's Academic Bill of Rights. Morrow introduced the bill "to help protect students in our public education system from harassment and abuse." However, some critics alleged that the bill's vaguely worded requirements—e.g., to respect the "unsettled character" of the social sciences and humanities—denied the distinction between plausible theories and implausible theories, giving theories like Holocaust denials an academic respect not warranted by the evidence." This criticism was given further support when Morrow publicly claimed the bill "treats all ideological perspectives the same." In addition, the bill required social science and humanities faculty to "provide students with dissenting sources and viewpoints." Given the bill's vague criteria, some critics alleged that this requirement could be used to force faculty to cover implausible theories in their classes. Though the bill gained some media attention, it never made it out of committee….

     Morrow also spoke at the 1996 Saddleback “Oliver North” event.
     Here are some excerpts from the Times article covering the event (written by Michael Granberry):

     …North was ready to field his first question.
     The young man approached the microphone in the brightly lit Saddleback College gym and wanted to know about a recent newspaper series. Was what he had read [see] in the San Jose Mercury News really true, the man asked:

     Did a connection exist between the Nicaraguan Contras whom North once supported and drug dealers in South-Central Los Angeles, who allegedly helped fund the Contras with proceeds from the sale of crack cocaine?
     For the first time all day, North appeared momentarily flustered. Coy and cool from the moment he set foot on campus and embraced by virtually every adoring fan who extended a hand or hug, he suddenly sounded irked.
     Calling it "a frivolous, crazy question," North, 52, told the man: "I want to be very specific. I do not know, nor have I ever known, anyone who would tolerate drugs coming into this country. . . .
     "Where were these accusers in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 . . . when Congress conducted one of its longest inquisitions in history" into allegations that North masterminded a plan to finance the Contra rebels in Nicaragua by selling weapons to the Iranian government.
     "Where were they then?" he demanded. "Can you tell me that?"
     North's response was punctuated with more thunderous applause from the highly partisan crowd that packed one entire side of the Saddleback Gauchos basketball arena and included a who's who of Orange County's Republicans.
. . .

     North was convicted of aiding in the obstruction of Congress, accepting illegal gratuities and destroying documents. The courts overturned his convictions on appeal in 1990.
     [Predicted] protests failed to materialize, with only one 60-year-old man from Dana Point holding up a sign that read "California Is Clinton Country" and jockeying for position with a handful of dark-suited students from the Young Americans for Freedom [see]. The latter group wore "YAF" on their lapels and carried such banners as "United We Stand, Liberal We Fall" and "Ollie Never Went Whitewater Rafting."
     Aurnie Sutliffe, who appeared to be the lone Democrat anywhere in the vicinity, was outside the gym arguing to anyone who would listen that a Clinton supporter ought to be given equal time—even in Orange County, where recent polls show Clinton running neck-and-neck with challenger Bob Dole. "At a college of higher education, both sides ought to be given the opportunity to present their views," said Sutliffe, who seemed genuinely surprised upon being greeted warmly by a smiling North, who spotted the pro-Clinton sign en route to the gym and walked over to pump Sutliffe's hand and thank him for coming.
     Moments later, North said he agreed with Sutliffe—that college campuses ought to be forums of every political view, even if it meant having to listen to the likes of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
     "And furthermore," North told a reporter, "I'd be disappointed if there weren't a few protesters."
. . .

     An ex-Marine who rose to fame as a key player in the Iran-Contra arms deal, North was invited to Saddleback College by Assemblyman Bill Morrow (R-Oceanside), who introduced North and the subject of his speech, "Is the U.S. Constitution Still Relevant?"
     It is relevant, said North, who wore his boyish, gap-toothed grin most of the day and whose answers occasionally provoked murmurs of surprise among the crowd, though in no way chilling their enthusiasm.
     After being serenaded by a drill team that wore glittery American flags as tight-fitting vests, and getting to meet the great-great-grandson of Francis Scott Key, North took aim at the street curfews imposed on teenagers by some cities. Hitler, he said, was a big fan of such curfews….

1996: Ollie North visits Saddleback College

North’s Saddleback Appearance Draws Warm Reception
By MICHAEL GRANBERRY

SEP. 21, 1996

     After two standing ovations, numerous autographs, dozens of flashbulbs popping in his face and countless displays of spontaneous applause Friday, former Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North was ready to field his first question.
     The young man approached the microphone in the brightly lit Saddleback College gym and wanted to know about a recent newspaper series. Was what he had read in the San Jose Mercury News really true, the man asked:
     Did a connection exist between the Nicaraguan Contras whom North once supported and drug dealers in South-Central Los Angeles, who allegedly helped fund the Contras with proceeds from the sale of crack cocaine?
     For the first time all day, North appeared momentarily flustered. Coy and cool from the moment he set foot on campus and embraced by virtually every adoring fan who extended a hand or hug, he suddenly sounded irked.
     Calling it “a frivolous, crazy question,” North, 52, told the man: “I want to be very specific. I do not know, nor have I ever known, anyone who would tolerate drugs coming into this country. . . .
     “Where were these accusers in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 . . . when Congress conducted one of its longest inquisitions in history” into allegations that North masterminded a plan to finance the Contra rebels in Nicaragua by selling weapons to the Iranian government.
     “Where were they then?” he demanded. “Can you tell me that?”
     North’s response was punctuated with more thunderous applause from the highly partisan crowd that packed one entire side of the Saddleback Gauchos basketball arena and included a who’s who of Orange County’s Republicans.
     Based on the mood of the crowd, it was hard to believe that advance word of North’s appearance had sparked any controversy at all, as, in fact, it had.
     Articles in the student newspaper had questioned the validity of inviting onto campus such an icon of the far right, and both pro- and anti-North protests had been promised all week long.
North was convicted of aiding in the obstruction of Congress, accepting illegal gratuities and destroying documents. The courts overturned his convictions on appeal in 1990.
     Friday’s protests failed to materialize, with only one 60-year-old man from Dana Point holding up a sign that read “California Is Clinton Country” and jockeying for position with a handful of dark-suited students from the Young Americans for Freedom. The latter group wore “YAF” on their lapels and carried such banners as “United We Stand, Liberal We Fall” and “Ollie Never Went Whitewater Rafting.”
     Aurnie Sutliffe, who appeared to be the lone Democrat anywhere in the vicinity, was outside the gym arguing to anyone who would listen that a Clinton supporter ought to be given equal time--even in Orange County, where recent polls show Clinton running neck-and-neck with challenger Bob Dole. “At a college of higher education, both sides ought to be given the opportunity to present their views,” said Sutliffe, who seemed genuinely surprised upon being greeted warmly by a smiling North, who spotted the pro-Clinton sign en route to the gym and walked over to pump Sutliffe’s hand and thank him for coming.
     Moments later, North said he agreed with Sutliffe—that college campuses ought to be forums of every political view, even if it meant having to listen to the likes of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
     “And furthermore,” North told a reporter, “I’d be disappointed if there weren’t a few protesters.”
     Before his speech, North met briefly with the press, which wanted to know his reaction to the newspaper series that only last month dredged up the Iran-Contra scandal, although this time with a radically different twist.
     North said he had welcomed onto his radio show--"The fastest-growing talk show in the United States!"--Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), only to tell her she owed him an apology for “making ridiculous allegations” on the floor of the U.S. House.
     “I think the whole story is absolute garbage,” North said of the allegations. “It’s an effort to distract the American people from the Clinton administration’s appalling record of dealing with drugs. It is typical of the most liberal elements of our political spectrum to find somebody else to blame for everything.”
     An ex-Marine who rose to fame as a key player in the Iran-Contra arms deal, North was invited to Saddleback College by Assemblyman Bill Morrow (R-Oceanside), who introduced North and the subject of his speech, “Is the U.S. Constitution Still Relevant?”
     It is relevant, said North, who wore his boyish, gap-toothed grin most of the day and whose answers occasionally provoked murmurs of surprise among the crowd, though in no way chilling their enthusiasm. After being serenaded by a drill team that wore glittery American flags as tight-fitting vests, and getting to meet the great-great-grandson of Francis Scott Key, North took aim at the street curfews imposed on teenagers by some cities. Hitler, he said, was a big fan of such curfews.
     He decried almost all attempts at censorship, denounced an unannounced police search of a black woman’s apartment in a public-housing complex and even defended the right of Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf of the Denver Nuggets basketball team not to stand during the national anthem.  

     “But,” he thundered, flashing his trademark smile, “I also defend the right of the Denver Nuggets owner to fire that guy . . . which I believe he should have done—with enthusiasm!”