The NY Times finally got around to looking into the connection between Communist unrepentant terrorist William Ayers and Barack Obama:
Obama and ’60s Bomber: A Look Into Crossed Paths. The gist of the whole article is,
But the two men do not appear to have been close.
The Times doesn’t go into the evidence of the allegations but they do on the denials.
There are letters going back to 1994 demonstrating that Ayers had a deciding voice on who was on the board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. Steve Diamond, who has that evidence, says
I was interviewed at length by the New York Times for this story – in fact, this was the third Times reporter to interview me about the Ayers/Obama relationship – and I provided the Times with the letters I discuss here. They are not mentioned in the story at all.
But the Obama/Ayers links weren’t limited to the CAC. Just One Minute:
And the so-called “Fact Check” at the Obama website does not disclose that Obama and Ayers worked together on a failed education reform project from 1995 to 2001, and
had probably first teamed up on education reform in 1987.
Ayers and Obama effectively worked on two political projects together over a period of almost ten years.
The NYT article
never really explains what role Ayers performed for Chicago’s Annenberg Challenge — which Obama chaired and where he blew through $160 million to no noticeable effect.
So we have two issues:
An issue of judgement
An issue of experience.
On the judgement side, Obama worked for an extended period of time in two political projects with an unrepentant terrorist who travels to Chavista schools to advocate the overthrow of democracy.
On the experience side, Obama’s only real administrative experience track record is as dismal as it can get. $160 million of CAC money? gone. And as Ed points out,
In an overlapping period, both men served for a few years on the Woods Fund, which notably granted $75,000 to Yasser Arafat’s associate, Rashid Khalidi, during that time.
The NYTimes article is a joke. Heck, even USA Today did a better job on the story.
A little later,
Memeorandum deleted the NYT link & blog roundup but has McCain Plans Fiercer Strategy Against Obama.
I hope he does – he should.
Welcome, Instapundit readers. Glenn has a point,
Yeah, of course it’s a whitewash, but that’s better than the black hole that the NYT’s coverage has been so far. Now they’ve admitted it’s a story.
Doug Ross has a background post on Ayers.
Former NY State Prosecutor Andy McCarthy blows the lid off The Ayers “We Were Just Trying To Do Property Damage” Lie
Stanley Kurtz comments on the article.
Crossed paths
Scott Johnson points out that the NYT “appropriately gives the last word on the subject to Jane Fonda’s Hanoi escort, Tom Hayden.”
Prior posts on Ayers here
What about McCain’s connection to organized crime? McCain didn’t seem to find a problem with using the finances and political connections of his father-in-law, Jim Hensley, a man who had close ties with organized crime. In 1948 Hensley was convicted of Federal charges, and in 1977, Hensley had close ties with who many believed was responsible for the murder of Don Bolles, the Arizona Republic reporter. Hensley was also in the thick of it with the Keating 5, of which McCain was one of the “5”. I don’t think Obama serving on a non-profit organization with Ayers (whose illegal activities took place when Obama was a child, and who was now a college professor) comes close to McCain’s affiation with organized crime. In 1995 McCain was also invited to the birthday party of crime boss Joe Banano.
Right out of the box, Judy the moonbat hits her talking points.
Sure lets look at it Judy, but lets first look at Obama, the media already looked at the Keating 5 in deapth.
But no one has looked at Obama. The media has 50 guys crawling through the dumpsters in Alaska, but no one looking into the trash that Obama left behind.
He is the Media untouchable and it is dangerous for the Nation. Without any media checks, Obama could be everything evil that the left says
about Bush (except the real deal).
Please search google for :
They told me that if George W. Bush were reelected
And you will see what I mean.
Even if the NYT/Obama version of the story is true, doesn’t that just paint a picture of Obama as reckless and foolhardy? I mean, to hand over hundreds of millions of dollars to some schmo he just happened to “cross paths” with a few time hardly inspires confidence in his judgment, does it?
I hope and pray the American people wake up sometime between now and November 4th.
Judy…
McCain didn’t buy a cut rate home from him (Rezko)
Chicago and Illinois politics is the definition of gangsterism. What did Barak do to clean up that mess?
ChuckO, what you are missing is that Ayers recruited Obama in the first place. Obama was a protege and front man for the far leftists who got control of the Annenberg millions. That they dissipated the millions to no good effect is … well, it is what always happens when leftists get foundation money or tax money.
In addtion to the association, I think the enduring negative for Obama is in the content of the Challenge program. Beside its failure at improving, you know, actual education, it was basically radical “community organizing” in the schools done at a very steep price.
Couple that radical agenda with the Obama “children of the corn” video and you touch upon a penchant for indoctrination that a lot of parents of school children may find dangerous.
Just to add a critique Judy, you managed to not use the word Bush once. They’ll dock your pay if you don’t stick to the talking points.
What is needed, besides blogospheric coverage of ObamAyers (the Chicago chimera), is real-world presentation and re-presentation, grassroots, door-to-door, street-corner handbilling. Who will do this? Palin and McCain can hit the issue with speeches –the theme of corruption and deception and self-dealing ties perfectly into their strategy of running against Washington and what it has given us in the way of abject financial and moral failure. But that “air war” needs ground support.
AND let’s talk about Wright. If McCains want to talk about controversial religious leaders, then let’s talk about John Hagee or my favorite Rod Parsley.
You do know Parsley don’t you? He is the reverend who repeated lies about the gay community; lies created by a man (i.e. Paul Cameron) whose phony studies saying that gays use gerbils in a sexual manner led to him being kicked out the American Psychological Association.
By all means, let’s do get dirty about associations.
CJ, I didn’t miss that. I’m just saying that painting it in the very best possible light for Obama, as his cheerleaders at the NYT do, then any sane person would have to admit that Obama is judgment challenged, to say the least.
Suffice it to say, I don’t accept the NYT/Obama version of the story.
a. mcewen…
Are you really comparing Obama’s 20 year relationship with Rev. Wright with McCain’s relationship with Hagee and/or Parsley? That is a BIG stretch.
mcewen-
It’s not about associations. It’s about partnerships. You can define “association” as just about anything. Obama and Ayers had a working partnership toward a common goal. Obama shared, and may still share, Ayer’s radical educational agenda. Oh, and he didn’t seem to mind Ayer’s penchant for terrorism much either. I somehow doubt McCain shares Paisley’s/Cameron’s thoughts about gays and gerbils (whatever they may be), and he certainly has no working partnership with either of them.
So now the Obamabots want to play tu quoque?
Sure, you bring your set of allegations, we’ll bring ours then we can all get together at the next debate and let Obama explain exactly what he did for five years while working with Ayers at the CAC. Or what Obama thinks about the guy who threw the party that launched Obama’s political career and his comments down in Chavezuela.
Better yet, lets get Ayers to sit down for some interviews about CAC, or education in general, then we can compare notes…
Well, let’s talk about associations.
How is it that in every election Obama has run at least one of his opponents has been the target of sexual misconduct allegations originating with the Obama camp and facilitated by their allies at the Chicago Tribune (Alexrod’s former employer).
Coincidence? I think not.
Those Federal charges that McCain obviously should have been aware of when he was twelve years old were for violation of rationing laws in 1948 that were still in place from enactment in 1942. Basically he sold more liquor and beer than his license from the state and federal authorities had alloted to him. That’s not much of a connection to organized crime especially as the other dastardly criminal was Hensley’s younger brother. And since he has been dead since 2000 it’s certainly not too surprising that Sen. McCain has not snubbed the beer distributer during family get togethers.
Plus the difference still is that McCain’s father-in-law served in the USAAC during the war, was shot down a three times, received the DFC and almost died of his injuries. While William Ayers plotted to kill his fellow citizens and the only remorse he has ever shown is that he wasn’t successful. Other than that identical skeletons in both candidates closets.
“Chicago and Illinois politics is the definition of gangsterism. What did Barak do to clean up that mess?”
That of course is the key issue. Obama’s supposed to be the agent of change. That means we’re supposed to believe he’ll stand up to entrenched interests once in a while. Well, where’s the evidence of this?
Not only is there NONE, but there is every indication that all Obama has the stomach for is to be the frontman for the guys causing the problems.
Not to say, however, that he won’t stand up to ANYone. He’ll stand toe to toe with bloggers, sending notorious hit squads after them, and in extreme cases causing denial of service attacks on sites. He’ll threaten the licenses of radio stations he doesn’t care for.
If you want a man who’ll stand up and fight for his own interests, Obama is without question the guy you want.
To all of you,
I am a guy escaped twice from Vietnam to find freedom here in a great country The USA.
1975 when communist took over S-Vietnam; all the rich people that own business or company were arrested by communist and then sent them to undeveloped land. Obama is a candidate that reminds me 33 year ago and it is scary when think of it. Please review more about Communist party. Universal Healthcare & Financial redistribution.
Communism, a theory and system of social and political organization that was a major force in world politics for much of the 20th century. As a political movement, communism sought to overthrow capitalism through a workers’ revolution and establish a system in which property is owned by the community as a whole rather than by individuals. In theory, communism would create a classless society of abundance and freedom, in which all people enjoy equal social and economic status. In practice, communist regimes have taken the form of coercive, authoritarian governments that cared little for the plight of the working class and sought above all else to preserve their own hold on power.
TALK IS CHEAP … CHECK OBAMA’S RECORD !!!
A candidate’s track record, and associations are always a legitimate issue when running for President. Let’s take a look at the qualifications, judgement, and experience of Obama, who is running for President. Obama had 25 years to fulfill the potential he displayed as a rising start at Harvard Law School … and, how did he live up to that potential? … He chose to align himself with anti-American racist, Jeremiah Wright for TWENTY YEARS … along with Ferrahkan, Rezko, Ayers, and others. As a community organizer, he registered thousands of voters in Chicago … then, when he ran for the state legislature, he took away their votes, by disqualifying his opponent (a black woman) on a technicality. As a U.S. Senator, he voted present 160 times … he never called a meeting on the Afghanistan committee he chaired (although he NOW says we must shift all our military from Iraq to Afghanistan). He claimed Foreign Policy experience from a 9 day whirlwind photo op to 6 countries. And, he spent almost half of his tenure neglecting his responsibilities as a U.S. Senator, so he could run for President. Senator McCain served America honorably for 22 years in the military. He proved his love for America, as well as his honor, integrity and character, by refusing early release as a P.O.W., even while being tortured. He served America as a ‘contributing’ U.S. Senator, working across the aisle, for 20 years. If Obama’s Twentyfive year track record shows he lacks judgement, and can’t be trusted, who cares what he says about Health Care and the Economy! What Obama never learned is Character. He simply can’t be trusted … ask Jeremiah Wright, a friend of 20 years, who Obama betrayed for personal ambition … and, you Obama supporters really think he won’t betray you If he gets elected??? If he gets elected, you Obama supporters will be facing a HUGE disillusionment !!!