College Republicans Cancel Mattera Event Following "Problematic Comments"

The Messiah College Republicans have canceled Tuesday's event with conservative political activists Jason Mattera after he made "problematic comments" at a southern Michigan college earlier this month.

The College Republicans invited Mattera, author of New York Times Best Seller Obama Zombies, to speak earlier this month after Messiah College publicized plans to host left-wing political scientist Frances Fox Piven for their yearly Democracy in America lecture series. Piven spoke last Tuesday. For more information on her visit, click here.

On their Facebook event page, entitled "Why I Love Rich People (And You Should Too)," the College Republicans said, "Jason Mattera will be presenting the conservative perspective of free market capitalism and will counter the views of Frances Fox Piven,"

While speaking at Kalamazoo College, the student newspaper, The Index, reported that Mattera asked students, "Did you get your panties in a wad?" and told them to "Take out your tampon." The Index also reported that the crowd at Mattera's speech dwindled as many students, who came to protest Mattera's speech, left.

‘"There are tissues in the back,' said Mattera to one woman who stormed out of the room following his response to her question," The Index reported.

According to College Republicans Vice President Evan Pittsley, the group found out about Mattera's recent comments Sunday evening from their faculty advisors, Jim LeGrand, and L. Marlin Eby.

Pittsley, said the group's cabinet unanimously decided to cancel Mattera's event after looking over articles detailing comments made at Kalamazoo College and the Values Voter Summit.

"In order to have good dialogue on the issues, we need to eliminate this polarizing language, whether it's Piven calling Tea Partiers racist or Mattera on the other side calling liberals something else."

In their statement, the College Republicans referred to Piven's lecture last week, saying she "alienated students through polarizing language."

Pittsley said the group originally invited 27-year-old Mattera because he was a "young, rising conservative star" –  before anyone in the group heard of the isolating language he had been using.

The group, which is funded by student activities fees, had originally agreed to spend $1,000 to host Mattera. The Washington D.C.-based Young America's Foundation was also helping to fund the event.