There has been an interesting discussion at science blog Pharyngula over a recent campaign by The Discovery Institute.
Interesting because all you have to do is read to start to understand what is really occurring.
You don’t need a science, political or theology degree to begin to comprehend the debate, the players or the stakes.

The smear campaign was started awhile back by The Discovery Institute when a science professor at Iowa State University was denied tenure. The professor is Dr. Guillermo Gonzalez, assistant professor of astronomy and physics, Iowa State University. 

The complaint, fueled by The Discovery Institute is relatively simple.  
Gonzalez was denied tenure by his university because of a professor in another department has being persecuting him.
Hello.
**cue crickets**

Gonzalez hasn’t been fired, technically his tenure (life time employment) is none of The Discovery Institute’s business. This was his first attempt. Doesn’t mean if won’t happen. He hasn’t been fired, his job isn’t on the line, it appears he fell a bit short in the peer review and his self-efforts in the Intelligent Design field have been noticed by his peers. 
Tenure denial happens yearly in universities all over the world.
He isn’t out on the street.
He can try again or move to another unversity. 

But Dr. Gonzalez may come to wish he didn’t have friends like The Discovery Institute ‘going to bat’ for him. He has appealed the decision, that is his prerogative and right.  Iowa State University is under no obligation to tell the public why his peers made the decision they did.
One of his colleagues chose to speak to World Magazine, a religious-Republican magazine. 
‘Wilful persecution’ gets predictable coverage in the science world and in media.

This is a ideological battle, not a scientific one.
The Institute chose to place blame on a tenured biblical scholar professor at Iowa State University because he is an atheist. Because he is clear he believes Intelligent Design is a theological argument and not a scientific one.  Because he published outside his field. Because he got tenure. The blaming and demands spilled through the ivory towers and think tank hallways into a willing media.
Even former politician and pundit Chuck Colsen weighs in at another religious magazine, The Christian Post.
Of course.
This is political as much as it is theological.
While The Discovery Institute chooses to make this a debate about academic freedom  and persecution, a professor in another department is picked as scapegoat.

What separates this smear campaign from the norm was the professor who is being blamed stepped forward and spoke directly to the personal attacks. Dr. Hector Avalos is very articulate, very capable of clearly understanding, dissecting, and addressing the accusations against him. He maintains personal dignity and respect for others in the larger debate going on around him.

It’s interesting watching the genesis of the comments unfold on different sites, but particularly Pharyngula.
This has backfired against Dr. William Dembski and The Discovery Institute precisely because Dr. Avalos chose to speak directly to their accusations and address each as they occurred. 
He is aware he isn’t going to change fears, beliefs, politics, ignorance or a well funded campaign. He gets that he isn’t going to change the political climate or most observers ’world views’. 
He doesn’t try to.
I think he is my hero this week - I wish more professors were comfortable speaking directly to the larger ‘classroom’ when these campaigns become public. We could all better off for it. Like respectmyresearch, clear communication can help learners learn.

Alvaros has the opportunity to comment at The Discovery Institute blog and he takes it. He is aware of the larger discussion going on at the science blog Pharyngula and he makes sure what he has to say is repeated to scientists and academics in the larger classroom of the general public.

I find myself feeling badly initially for Dr. Avalos, eventually for Dr. Gonzalez.
If he needs telescope time, grad students and grants, that is his responsibility.
His belief in Intelligent Design doesn’t lessen his skills as a professor or astronomer any more than atheism lessens Dr. Avalos skills as a professor, and Gonzalez too becomes just another scapegoat in the larger classroom and bigger agenda.
Gonzalez admits tenure refusal depressed him and friends pushed him into an appeal. 
Alveros seems to have more personal stamina and ability to communicate the wedge techniques to the larger classroom. 
Moot, with the pushing and pulling of The Discovery Institute, this takes on a larger uglier life. Fame becomes infamy real quickly, especially when egos are involved and accomplishment get lost in the mud of accusation slinging by professional mud slingers.

Intelligent Design: belief intelligent causes are necessary to explain the complex, information-rich structures of biology and that these causes are empirically detectable.

The Discovery Institute: a Seattle based educational think tank founded in 1990 best known for it’s wedge strategy.