--I really don't see the problem here. Keep in mind, contextualize folks, it's something we on the left are supposed to have as our forte. 1) The organisers of the anti-war rally that will draw over a million between NY and London alone, will receive constant derision and criticism before, during, and after the rally by them media, whether that anti-war rally is organized by IAC, Lerner, Todd Gitlin, or Bill Oreilly. So there really is nothing unusual about the organizers wanting the speakers to not spend their time at the podium attacking the main organisers of the action. That is totally standard fare for organization of rallies, as anyone will tell you. 2) Go to a union rally, tell me how many people you see invited to come and criticise the organisers of that rally. Ditto any other rally in the left movement, anyone who has experience organising rallies knows that the organisers have first say in who and who doesn't speak at the rallies. 3) Lerner knows full well that if he ever, in another lifetime say, had the ability to organise a major rally against war in the USA, he would also restrict speakers. He wouldn't have Edward Said speak, or Noam Chomsky, or Lenni Brenner (great interview btw Doug), or Adam Shapiro speaking there. He'd invite Leo Casey, Todd Gitlin, and Neil Conan to speak at the rally. Ok, maybe not Conan, but you get the idea. 4) Lerner has tons of freedom of speech, Dennis must be joking to be invoking freedom of speech. George Bush doesn't invite the McCain contingent to speak at a rally for tax cuts if he has even the slightest inkling that that is the wrong guy to invite. Who in that instance cries "violation of first admendemnt!!". Lerner will have tons of interviews with NPR, Oreilly, PBS, etc. to trash the organisers, as long as he agrees to play that specific role (reference David Corn on Oreilly, Gitlin on NPR). He will also almost certainly be invited by the NYT and Washington Post among others to editorialise against the organisers and to attack anyone who doens't agree with Zionism as anti-semitic. So, what's the big deal. In the meanwhile, speaking of freedom of speech, the organizers of the march, will have no such opportunities to write editorial columns in the major media, let alone receive friendly interviews in the major TV and radio media.
Poor Michael Lerner...he can't speak at a rally that he didn't help organise, but he can get on NPR and Oreilly if he wishes....rough life that kind of leftism.