By appealing to patriotism , the Senators used funding of the Smithsonian as an opportunity to criticize the " dangers of liberalism . " Stevens argued that the institutional guardians of culture – the federally funded Smithsonian and other related federally funded arts programs in general – had become " enemies of freedom . " According to the Senators , the problem with '' The West As America '' as well as other curatorial controversies produced by the Smithsonian and the National Endowment for the Arts such as the Mapplethorpe and Andre Serrano photographs , was that it " breeds division within our country . " Citing two other Smithsonian projects , a documentary about the Exxon Valdez oil spill and a television series about the founding of America that was reported to accuse the United States of genocide against the Indians , Steven 's warned Robert McAdams , the head of the Smithsonian that he was " In for a battle . " In a reference to the funding of the Smithsonian , which in part is regulated by the Senate Appropriations Committee , Steven 's added , " I 'm going to get other people to help me make you make sense . " To many in the national press and the museum community , the Senators ' attack on the Smithsonian and the exhibition at the National Museum of American Art was one movement in a larger effort to transform culture into a " wedge issue . " The term , often used interchangeably with " hot button issue " is used by politicians to exploit issues using highly contentious " loaded language " to divide the opposing voter base and to galvanize a large electorate around the issue . " Political correctness " became another expression used frequently in the debate
Exxon Valdez oil spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill
The West as America Art Exhibition