Obama’s strange defense of William Ayers
posted at 8:34 am on April 18, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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Barack Obama has decided to push back against criticisms of his association with former Weather Underground terrorist William Ayers, but the arguments he offers sound less than convincing. Rather than chalk it up to political naivete and issue a non-apology apology, Obama has decided to argue that he can’t be expected to consider the actions of people that took place in his childhood, and that Ayers only was bad for a few days. No, really, this is his entire opening argument:
REALITY: OBAMA WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD WHEN THE WEATHERMEN WERE ACTIVE
Obama Turned Eight In September 1969, The Days Of Rage Occurred In October 1969. Barack Obama was born on September 4, 1961. He turned eight on September 4, 1969. The Days of Rage, in which William Ayers participated, occurred in October 1969. [Obama Birth Certificate, UPI, 10/21/81]
William Ayers Participated In The “Days Of Rage” In 1969. The AP reported, “In the autumn of 1969, the Weatherman, led by Bernardine Dohrn and Mark Rudd, converged on Chicago and planned a series of demonstrations to dramatize their beliefs. The riots, which came to be known as the “Days of Rage,” caused thousands of dollars in damage in the downtown and Near North Side areas and resulted in injuries to several policemen. Rudd and Ms. Dohrn were named in federal riot indictments with ten others — William Ayers, Kathy Boudin, John Jacobs, Jeff Jones, Michael Spiegel, Howard Machtinger, Terry Robins, Lawrence Weiss, Linda Sue Evans and Judy Clark. Another prominent activist, Cathy Wilkerson, was arrested on state charges of mob action and resisting a police officer. Some surrendered years ago. Two — Ms. Dohrn and Ayers, son of the former chairman of Commonweath Edison Co. — surfaced Wednesday. Charges against Ayers had been dropped in 1978 but Ms. Dohrn still faces charges of aggravated battery and jumping bail.” [AP, 12/3/80]
Well, at least he got his age right, unlike his association with events in Selma in his speech from March 2007. In that speech, Obama didn’t mind deriving authenticity with a march that occurred when he was less than four years old and with people he had never met, let alone with whom he partnered on foundation boards.
The age issue is a transparent dodge. When terrorists killed Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972, I was nine years old. Would that give me a pass if I chose to associate myself on a board with Mahmoud Abbas, the reported mastermind of the Black September operation? Of course not. Obama wasn’t eight years old when he sought Ayers out for his support and later worked with him at the Woods foundation.
Ayers doesn’t help matters with his own dodge, claiming he wasn’t a terrorist at all. Ben Smith explains:
He contests the notion — central to the objection to him, as opposed to other people who were bad actors 35 years ago — that he he has “no regrets” about bombings– but he doesn’t exactly contradict his 2001 line that “I don’t regret setting bombs.”
I’m sometimes asked if I regret anything I did to oppose the war in Viet Nam, and I say “no, I don’t regret anything I did to try to stop the slaughter of millions of human beings by my own government.” Sometimes I add, “I don’t think I did enough.” This is then elided: he has no regrets for setting bombs and thinks there should be more bombings …
Terrorism—according to both official U.S. policy and the U.N.—is the use or threat of random violence to intimidate, frighten, or coerce a population toward some political end…. I’ve never advocated terrorism, never participated in it, never defended it.
Ayers tries to argue that terrorism is defined by its randomness, but that’s absurd. Ayers committed acts of violence intending on forcing the kind of political change he couldn’t get through the democratic process. That’s not only terrorism but an assault on self-government. The fact that he still can’t acknowledge that shows the unrepentant nature of William Ayers very clearly.
Obama’s inability to grasp this has him grasping at straws instead. He winds up being an apologist for Ayers, most laughably in this passage:
REALITY: AYERS COMMENTS WERE PUBLISHED ON SEPTEMBER 11; THE INTERVIEW OCCURRED PRIOR TO PUBLICATION
On September 11, 2001, A Story About William Ayers’ Memoir Was Published In The New York Times; The Interview Occurred Prior To Publication. “‘I don’t regret setting bombs,’ Bill Ayers said. ‘I feel we didn’t do enough.’ Mr. Ayers, who spent the 1970’s as a fugitive in the Weather Underground, was sitting in the kitchen of his big turn-of-the-19th-century stone house in the Hyde Park district of Chicago.” [New York Times, 9/11/01]
I think almost everyone sophisticated enough to hold a newspaper right-side-up understands that an interview gets conducted before publication. No one claims that Ayers said this at the moment the towers fell. The point is that after a decade of terrorist attacks against American interests, Ayers still hadn’t reconsidered his own terrorism after 30 years, and the publication of that fact on 9/11 had its own twisted sense of irony.
The bigger question is why Obama spends so much energy defending Ayers. If he wasn’t that important to Obama, why offer this page on the campaign website to rehabilitate Ayers?
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To prevent further digging is my guess.
Limerick on April 18, 2008 at 8:41 AM
All of Obama’s bizarre associations are extremely relevant, because a President Obama will be selecting a cabinet.
So it’s very possible that more of these freak shows would be in Obama’s cabinet and by that time, the American people will not be able to reject them.
Obama does not belong in the Senate and it’s ridiculous to think that he belongs in the White House.
NoDonkey on April 18, 2008 at 8:43 AM
As far as I’m concerned, THIS association is much more troubling that the Wright situation. Unfortunately, until we get some video of Ayers saying something crazy, most Americans won’t pay attention.
It just burns my patoot that he and Dorhn are both still walking around. I know they got the charges dismissed, albeit on a technicality, and as such are not and have not been convicted. And they dont’ appear to be a serious threat to anyone’s life or limb these days, but to be propped up and celebrated as these two are just make me see red!
JamesLee on April 18, 2008 at 8:45 AM
So he can later appoint Ayers a cabinet position in his administration?
kooly on April 18, 2008 at 8:45 AM
This can be applied to so many things in this empty suit’s “universe.”
Ted Kennedy’s endorsed BHO, so I guess we can apply the same logic to the Hero of Chappaquidick. After all, Teddy’s bad act occurred almost 40 years ago…
Corky on April 18, 2008 at 8:45 AM
If a DUI from 20 years prior is relavant, then an association with a terrorist 20 years (or less)prior is relevant.
PappaMac on April 18, 2008 at 8:49 AM
What exactly does Obama owe these characters? That’s what scares me the most. Watching the Dems is like watching the God Father in real time.
Keemo on April 18, 2008 at 8:50 AM
Well he didn’t “exchange ideas” with him “regularly”, so there is just no reason to bring this up. /sarc
WisCon on April 18, 2008 at 8:52 AM
hmmm, Wonder how long it wil be before questioning his association with Ayers is somehow racist?
It’s gunna be a loooong summer!
JamesLee on April 18, 2008 at 8:54 AM
It’s becoming more and more obvious each day that Obama has never before had to deal honestly with people who disagree with him. He seems genuinely befuddled that a large and growing group of people think he’d be a terrible president. I guess that’s what happens to a guy who repeatedly hears how wonderful he is without ever having to prove it.
scatbug on April 18, 2008 at 8:55 AM
McCain is trying to assuage conservatives about some whacky bills and ideas of his they don’t like.
Barack Hussein O’Jesus & Co. are splitting hairs about an admitted terror bomber friend.
Should be game, set, match. Should be.
Akzed on April 18, 2008 at 8:59 AM
As always - follow the empty suit bo and you see a raving, left wing nutcase who the dimis want to foist on us as a real candidate. WAKE UP - bo hangs with terrs and communists and all sorts of America haters. The man deserves to be deported - maybe kenya would take him as president for life.
ayers should be hung as the terr he is - maybe then he can commiserate with t. mcveigh (filthy scum)
truly sick that hillbillery and bo are the best the treasonous dimis have to offer
Colonel_prop on April 18, 2008 at 8:59 AM
The Democrats have two of the least qualified candidates in American history, agreed.
And that’s after 9 years of bashing President Bush at every opportunity.
What’s hilarious is that they get all hurt when Republicans bash THEIR candidate.
Boo hoo, Democrats. Hopefully, you won’t have to get too used to it when Obama blows the election.
NoDonkey on April 18, 2008 at 9:07 AM
Barry is a manufactured candidate.
Amazing that this manufacturing of politicians crap has come from the left and left storytellers for years and years, yet this guy is the utter embodiment of the automaton dressed in a suit and told to read words and the he is the left’s chosen Jesus.
Guess it really isn’t amazing…
benrand on April 18, 2008 at 9:10 AM
During the debate Hussein actually thought it odd that people would question him kissing the ring of a domestic leftist terrorist. “What? Did I do something wrong?” If Ayers lived on my street his house would mysteriously burn to the ground.
manfriend on April 18, 2008 at 9:10 AM
Easy there on the burning to the ground schtick
PappaMac on April 18, 2008 at 9:15 AM
I am so tired of being right all the time.
Jaibones on April 18, 2008 at 9:16 AM
Cut Hussein some slack.
He was fifteen years old when David Richard Berkowitz was killing people. And, Hussein chose not to befriend Berkowitz. It’s not like Hussein is friends with every mass murderer on the planet.
saved on April 18, 2008 at 9:19 AM
Yep, the I was only 8 excuse does not fly. A few points:
1. The Days of Rage occurred in Chicago, so Obama would be more, not less likely to know about Bill Ayers’ terrorist history.
2. Obama served on the Woods Fund board with Ayers as late as 2002, after his 9/11 comments.
3. Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dhorn adopted Kathy Boudin’s son, Chessa (who has grown up to be a good little Communist, just like them). Kathy Boudin killed a Brinks guard in 1981.
No doubt he was fed a healthy diet of arugula.
4. Good luck rehabilitating this:
The fact that Ayers grew up in a wealthy family, sorta detracts from the idea that people turn to terrorism because of poverty, doesn’t it?
Buy Danish on April 18, 2008 at 9:28 AM
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YThjYTU1ZDBjNmQ2YzcwNzU1MmYwN2JiMWY0ZGI0NDA=&w=Mg==
I posted links to the press release of this event over and over again here….did anybody keep it or get a screencap of the flyer?
It was a few months ago.
funky chicken on April 18, 2008 at 9:34 AM
http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/97/971104.juvenile.justice.shtml
I can’t believe it’s still available.
Then there was the big event in 2002 I think. I’ll go look for that one.
funky chicken on April 18, 2008 at 9:36 AM
The simple fact is that Ayers hasn’t apologized. And anyone even faintly aware of the history knows exactly what he hasn’t apologized for. If your very first face-to-face with the guy doesn’t consist of a couple of pokes in the sternum and a clear denunciation of his acts, there’s a standard you’re not measuring up to as a human being.
DrSteve on April 18, 2008 at 9:36 AM
Damn. I’m gonna bet Andy McCarthy reads hotair. Or he isn’t a “trained journalist,” meaning that he actually does some research about his topics.
http://www.uic.edu/classes/las/las400/conferencealt.htm
What a lovely collection of race haters, radicals, and fans of the “international criminal court”
I’d put that Doug Cassel on an Obama SCOTUS shortlist.
funky chicken on April 18, 2008 at 9:40 AM
I’m thinking Homeland Security
CzarCommisar?/ Ooopsronsfi on April 18, 2008 at 9:40 AM
Barack Obama: Still acting like an eight year-old.
Dusty on April 18, 2008 at 9:41 AM
I can see it now Ayers—Homeland Security.
right2bright on April 18, 2008 at 9:41 AM
It would be a shame if the stupid media allows him to get away with his dodge. Ayers is unrepentant.
That is the issue. He’s not rehabilitated. He’s not remorseful.
He’s the child molester who never apologizes.
It does damn well matter.
drjohn on April 18, 2008 at 9:42 AM
Sorry, same thought a minute apart…you win being a quicker thinker.
right2bright on April 18, 2008 at 9:42 AM
Wonder if Abe Lincoln ran around with terrorists giving people the finger.
Liberalism is the philosophy of the adolescent.
benrand on April 18, 2008 at 9:43 AM
I love how the same picture of Obama fits all the topics.
He’s such a lightweight.
He’s going to scream “No mas” with McCain too.
Sissyboy needs to come to grips with the fact that not everyone is as stupid as his population in Chicago.
drjohn on April 18, 2008 at 9:43 AM
Google Patricia Williams if you want to find Jeremiah Wright’s ideological sister. She’d also be on the SCOTUS shortlist.
This is Obama’s milieu. He needs to be kept away from the White House.
funky chicken on April 18, 2008 at 9:45 AM
Obama has been raised, mentored and educated by Marxists, such as Alinksy, Davis and perhaps his own mother, and has no difficulty associating with the likes of Ayers and Wright. Yet he keeps saying their views don’t reflect his own. What I wonder is, can he show some person or event that persuaded him that these people, who formed his views and with whom he is comfortably friendly, are mistaken? If not, how and where did he break from their ideology? Or does his ongoing association with such people indicate that his Marxist worldview is intact and his elitist liberalism hides a more radical core?
NNtrancer on April 18, 2008 at 9:47 AM
The McCarthy article is great. Maybe he would come on radio with you Ed?
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YThjYTU1ZDBjNmQ2YzcwNzU1MmYwN2JiMWY0ZGI0NDA=&w=Mg==
funky chicken on April 18, 2008 at 9:57 AM
I think what we are seeing with B.H. Obama is simply a guy who have lived most of his adult life surrounded by liberal elitists. He went to an exclusive prep school in Honolulu, then went to college at Columbia (which seems to be the best college for breeding communists), then law school at Harvard. He lives in Hyde Park, which is a bastion of liberalism similar to Berkeley. He is thus surrounded by people who not only think very much the same, but who are highly intolerant of people with other viewpoints. Barry has probably only rarely had to defend his political views, and is a bit at a loss when faced with such an unusual situation. He is utterly out of touch with the experience of most Americans. I wonder if he has ever even been in a WalMart?
On top of all that, one has to acknowledge that the folks in the MSM only rarely bother to ask tough questions, for when one of them does, that one is pilloried by his or her brethren in the MSM.
Henry Bowman on April 18, 2008 at 10:01 AM
Good work, funky. I’ve been wondering about the speeches and appearances they made together.
BacaDog on April 18, 2008 at 10:04 AM
Bing.
Jaibones on April 18, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Between 1967-197, I was 20-24 and remember meeting and having discussions with leaders of the Weathermen, SNL, Black Panthers, Charlie Manson and other underground groups such as the Hells Angles and other infamous MC groups worked for Little Princess Light Shows, Fillmore West, and Avalon Ballroom, did a stint on Kinsey’s Magical Bus.
Using Obams’s associations, I must be qualified to run for President.
I am not sorry I grew up and remember these times fondly. These associations taught me many valuable life lessons. Among them, the ability to read people very well.
Obama must admit to himself he has not grown up. His message is full blown socialism rhetoric and reminds me of Bobby Seale and Angela Davis-they were going to change the world but forcefully. Today, their followers are the ones listening the empty words of Mr. Obama. The young followers are the children of aging Boomer’s who still have not faced a life changing event.
MSGTAS on April 18, 2008 at 10:06 AM
It occured to me what the Obama “Bittergate” misque was all about. He thought the Pennsylvania small town people were like the Southside of Chicago people and Katrina people that focus on the Government every day because many of those people depend on the Government for foodstamps, rent subsidy, AFDC checks, WIC, etc.
Pennsylvania small town people support themselves so they don’t need to focus on Government so much.
Thats what threw him.
saiga on April 18, 2008 at 10:14 AM
Ayers sounds like Charlie Manson.
Connie on April 18, 2008 at 10:14 AM
OBAMA ‘08: THE TERRORISTS HE’S FRIENDS WITH STOPPED KILLING PEOPLE A LONG TIME AGO!
misterpeasea on April 18, 2008 at 10:20 AM
The only peole “slaughtering millions” were the f#cking communists dip-shit. These people live in another world.
easy on April 18, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Being 8 years old when the Weathermen were active is irrelevent. Karl Marx was dead 64 years before I was born, and Thomas Jefferson was dead 121 years, but that does not mean I cannot be a follower of their ideals now.
Sasnak on April 18, 2008 at 10:46 AM
Bill Ayers has a blog. His still unrepentant philosophy is evident there. Obama has learned weasel words from a master.
onlineanalyst on April 18, 2008 at 10:50 AM
He has no choice for this and all subsequent, similar revelations. If he issues too many non-apology apologies, it will become his defining characteristic. He will be constantly apologizing (more than other politicians). He is backed into a corner and must defend all future scandals of this type (and I suspect there will be many more as the campaign moves along).
Nosferightu on April 18, 2008 at 10:54 AM
As far as I’m concerned, the Weathermen are still active. They’re still out there, teaching kids whatever twisted sense of reality they have, and wishing there’d be more attacks on the US.
amkun on April 18, 2008 at 10:58 AM
Obama is pushing back because he thinks he can get away with it.
spmat on April 18, 2008 at 11:01 AM
The more that becomes known about Obama the more I wonder exactly what his “community organizing” consisted of. It’s always passed over in his bio with just those two words. What was he doing and who employed him? Considering everything else in his life, there might be a very interesting story there.
Another “fact” that is troubling me more is the assertion that Rev. Wright was a Marine. But it is also said that he was a corpsman. The last 20 years I’ve worked in hospitals near Camp Pendleton and have at times worked with corpsmen who were moonlighting. I got the idea from them that no corpsmen are Marines. They are all Navy members. Are there any Marines or corpsmen out there who have some exact knowledge about this?
snaggletoothie on April 18, 2008 at 11:07 AM
Head of Homeland Security no doubt.
TheBigOldDog on April 18, 2008 at 11:09 AM
Yesterday, Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley came out strongly favoring Ayers.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0408/Daley_defends_Ayers.html
Lynn Sweet of the Sun-Times wrote:
.
Here’s a couple of additional points that ties the entire Chicago Machine in with this:
David Axelrod, Obama’s campaign chief is not just a Chicagoan, he’s well connected with Daley (Both Richie and Bill, Clinton’s Commerce Secretary). He’s Daley’s communication’s director, in fact.
The Chicago Machine is being deconstructed by the US Attorney. Investigations for “Pay for Play,” bribe-taking, kickbacks, and massive corruption on contracts and so on are underway, including the prosecution of Tony Rezko. Rezko is the “gift that keeps on giving,” as the trial keeps bring in more and more local pols into the prosecutor’s web.
Daley absolutely *needs* Obama to be President for the pardons of his staff, if not himself.
Ayers and his wife are unrepentant pieces of dung. They’re too old to play with matches, perhaps, but they still are traitors and terrorists at heart. Both have sinecure positions with universities (whose administrators are part of the Chicago Machine apparatus), which provides them with livelihood. Frankly, if they are not already on the Do-Not-Fly list, they ought to be as proven terrorists and bombers.
georgej on April 18, 2008 at 11:39 AM
snaggletoothie,
Wright did a tour in the Marines, then became a Navy corpsman.
exhelodrvr on April 18, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Well, you know, when people get bitter, they turn to things like religion, and guns, and bombings.
Big S on April 18, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Thanks exhelodrvr.
snaggletoothie on April 18, 2008 at 12:09 PM
You nailed Obama’s whole attitude about everything right there. Sweet. It’d make a great bumpersticker.
in_awe on April 18, 2008 at 12:11 PM
The Ayres and Daley families have been political allies for more than a generation. Shocka.
Karl on April 18, 2008 at 12:33 PM
Here’s the a link or two for Tom Ayers.
Karl on April 18, 2008 at 12:37 PM
Nice research funky. I also agree that Obama is in his element when surrounded by leftist radicals. I wonder if he will just say this is who I am, and Socialism will be great, just you wait. Obama’s new slogan: If Being A Marxist Is Wrong, I Don’t Want to be Right! Exit question: Will we have a “Days Of Rage 2.0″ if Obama is defeated. After reading from his followers the last couple of days, I say there is a real possibility.
chief on April 18, 2008 at 12:44 PM
How old was he when MLK Jr was shot?
MayBee on April 18, 2008 at 12:44 PM
Obama was only 7 years old when MLK Jr was assassinated. So I guess that is not a big deal anymore, either. I mean, it’s such old news.
MayBee on April 18, 2008 at 1:24 PM
That’s about the same time as the Tate-LaBianca murders. Should Obama get a pass if he decides to befriend Charles Manson?
eeyore on April 18, 2008 at 1:28 PM
Good Lord, these democrats are gonna be in for a world of hurt! I mean, if Barry were to win the White House, it’s not like those of us on the right don’t know what to expect (I mean come on, we’re conservatives, we can weather through it), but these liberals have absolutely noooooo idea who the real Barry is. It’s a damn shame that he snookered them with “Hope” and “Change”. Such an uplifting message that will bring them to their knees, in tears.
if he gets elected, I know what we should do: Let’s circle the wagons around TX, and everyone grab your guns and Bibles!!
Califemme on April 18, 2008 at 1:35 PM
Touche’.
And -
Exactly. History always begins this morning for liberals unless its about bashing America first. But if we’re to follow Obama’s lead then academia has to stop complaining about our ‘racist’, imperialist history; reparations for slavery are off the table; we can get rid of affirmative action; and Bill Clinton can stop apologizing.
Buy Danish on April 18, 2008 at 2:18 PM
Maybe Obama wants to make William Ayers attorney general or a supreme court justice? LOL
Chakra Hammer on April 18, 2008 at 6:18 PM
According to Major Daley:
There you have it, Ayers as Education Czar in a BHO admin. And full unconditional & pre-emptive pardons for every leftwinger/marxist/red army for any subversive actions they may or may not have conducted in their past.
AH_C on April 18, 2008 at 8:03 PM
O’bomber.
profitsbeard on April 18, 2008 at 8:05 PM