sfsfsLooks like our favorite ex-U of M president has taken a Midwestern rivalry to a new level--PrezBo is set to join the Washington Post Company’s Board of Directors on May 10, where he will govern the company with 11 others.  Word has it that Bollinger was nominated because of the help he could give Post Co.’s Kaplan (although Bwog maintains the naïve hope that it was really for his First Amendment fetish). Either way, he’s still being paid $70,000 per year for the job.

sfsfBollinger is already on three other boards, working with the Kresge Foundation, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and most recently, the New York Federal Reserve.  

Bollinger has only been nominated, but his election to the board seems certain, and he has confirmed he’ll take the position.  However, his nomination has come under fire for its potential to entangle and stifle him with the dealings of big media. He’ll also want to stand up against some of the Post Co.’s shadier stances, such as its opposition to net neutrality, a topic that strikes especially close to home.

But if he can pull it off, the directorship will provide him with a perfect opportunity to prove his commitment to free speech, which might exonerate Columbia from the endless fallout of a certain incident last October.  It will also be good a chance to use that PrezBo charm on some potential donors – his fellow board members will include Warren Buffet, Barry Diller, and Melinda Gates.  

– Alec Turnbull