Harvard. It's revered as one of the nation's most prestigious institutions of higher learning. Why, then, did the university's newspaper, The Harvard Crimson, run a holocaust denier's advert after rejecting it over a decade ago?

Today, below a story about how Harvard received federal stimulus money, there appeared an ad signed by Bradley Smith, the holocaust denial movement's one man propaganda machine. Smith believes that future President Eisenhower and others fabricated the Holocaust in a bid to consolidate power and let Jews run rampant, or something. It's all far too insane to even entertain.

Anyway, his insanity was on full display on the Crimson's front page in today's edition, a departure from the school's previous stance on Smith. The blog Kitsch/Posh points out that the Crimson's editorial team in 1994 rejected Smith's questionable marketing campaign because the paper isn't a soap box. It's a news vehicle:

A newspaper is not an open forum, like a street corner or an open kiosk. It's a privately owned organization that sells its space. An advertisement, then, represents a business transaction–not a public statement.
...
We didn't want to sell our space to print a hateful message, regardless of its exact wording.

But that was back in the heady 90s, when selling out political views and general sensitivity was far more important than $1000 or so. Now the university has no money and has to take what it can get. And, of course, go whoring for it, as they're doing with their new clothing line. Gone are the days of elitism, yes, and in are the days of fringe-living and coin scrounging.

UPDATE: Crimson president Max Child pointed us to a newly published apology in which he and his team take full responsibility for what's simply a "mistake" and a "miscommunication"

His explanation:

We did not intend to run the ad-a decision we made over the summer when it was initially submitted. Unfortunately, with three weeks of vacation between submission and publication, that decision fell through the cracks.

Yesterday's advertisement was the result of that miscommunication.

Child understands, of course, that the article's subject matter was highly offensive and promises all the moneys exchanged will be returned. He also made sure to point out that the paper does not endorse all its advertisements. So, rest assured he believes the Holocaust happened. You can also be sure that whoever let this shit run will be fired, tarred, feathered and sent straight to hell.