Who Else 'Worked With' Bill Ayers?

"Behind in the polls and running out of time to change the subject from the sinking economy, the McCain/Palin campaign has gone hyper trying to morph Chicago Weatherman-turned-professor Bill Ayers into Barack Obama's soul mate," Greg Hinz writes in Crain's Chicago Business.

One of the most recent attempts is this 90-second attack ad:

The non-partisan PolitiFact found the ad brimming with enough false statements that it earned a "Pants On Fire" ranking on the site's Truth-O-Meter:

In short, this was a mainstream foundation funded by a mainstream, Republican business leader and led by an overwhelmingly mainstream, civic-minded group of individuals. Ayers' involvement in its inception and on an advisory committee do not make it radical - nor does the funding of programs involving the United Nations and African-American studies.

This attack is false, but it's more than that - it's malicious. It unfairly tars not just Obama, but all the other prominent, well-respected Chicagoans who also volunteered their time to the foundation. They came from all walks of life and all political backgrounds, and there's ample evidence their mission was nothing more than improving ailing public schools in Chicago.

Obama, as Hinz writes, "apparently had a lot of company at work."

Among those who served on the boards of the two Chicago charities at the heart of the Ayers-Obama "connection" are the former president of Northwestern University, the head of the city's most powerful business group, officials from petroleum giant BP Amoco and banking heavyweight UBS, and the ex-publisher of a noted liberal rag, the Chicago Tribune.

Kinda gives it a different spin, no? The story of the Ayers affair isn't that the radical Vietnam-era protester was embraced by Mr. Obama. The story is that a wide swath of Chicago's establishment, rightly or wrongly, gave Mr. Ayers a second chance -- and that Mr. Obama, not one to challenge Chicago's power structure, raised no objections.

The Obama campaign responded to McCain's Ayers ad with the spot below:

Comments

[koulflo]

Here's what Barack needs to ask McCain about Bill Ayers in tomorrow's debate.
http://koulflo.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/what-barack-needs-to-ask-mccain-about-bill-ayers/

[wembakoy]

McCain-Palin said: drill baby drill and the lioness of senate said jobs baby jobs.

Please share this video to 20 people until election day to remind everyone not to be fooled again.

Below is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X2kjgdF1Xk

Thanks.

[beherenow54]

Now, the University of Illinois hired Ayers as a professor, so are they consorting with terrorists? Many people have worked with Bill Ayers, but going back to the University of Illinois, should we then blame everyone who had a role in hiring Ayers, for employing a "domestic terrorist" to an esteemed position?

One reader's question with comment was quite valid: The 60s were extreme times, with many youths going to extreme measures to voice their outrage at the Vietnam war. I don't condone, at all, his bombing buildings (for which he and his wife finally turned themselves in for) but if Chicago, the university, Republican and Democratic leaders alike can give him a 2nd chance, then John McCain's use of him as an attack vehicle is even more disgusting and ridiculous. What about John McCain and Charles Keating? THAT'S MUCH MORE IMPORTANT, and should really be brought to the forefront because it relates entirely to his judgment then, and now, and how it relates to our current financial mess.

[PerryWhite]

"Now, the University of Illinois hired Ayers as a professor, so are they consorting with terrorists? Many people have worked with Bill Ayers, but going back to the University of Illinois, should we then blame everyone who had a role in hiring Ayers, for employing a "domestic terrorist" to an esteemed position?"


Yes, absolutely. An alum I know has notified the U of I that he will not give them or leave them a dollar because of Ayers.

[Choicelady]

Now there's a sensible decision... It's rather like all of us liberal boycotting L.L. Bean because one of the grandkids finances Operation Rescue. I see you're particularly good - or at least the alum (you?) - at tarring with a single brush. And how do you KNOW that what Mr. Ayers teaches is not high quality? I bet you have not got a single idea, you just know his past, and that's it for you. Not thoughtful at all.

[furryone]

"a noted liberal rag, the Chicago Tribune. "
huh?
is that why they endorsed W...TWICE?

I think they have it confused with the Sun, which is 1000 times better than the Trib!

[editorjuno]

The Windy City sarcasm went right over your head, I see.

[ThisisSparta]

Regardless of your political view (I am a moderate Republican) this McCain ad is pure slime. My favorite moment is 1.04 minutes into it where they take a quote from Ayers in the 1960s about bombings but show a (completely unrelated) headline from the New York Times on 9/11/01 (so Obama is responsiblef or 911 now?). I also like the "plane cam" zoom in on the Pentagon. On behalf of what used to be the Republican party, I am embarrassed about this ad, embarrassed about the nomination of Palin, about Bush, Cheyney and the bankrupting of the country, and I am embarassed that the Party of Lincoln, of sensible values and the best parts of American culture, has been reduced to a party of fear mongering propagandists pandering to the semi-literate and small minded. To quote Ronald Reagan: I didn't leave the Democratic party, it left me. I think , friends, that the majority of the GOP are feeling that right now.

[NYCSocialWork]

"Well John, I'm glad you asked."

At which point a spotlight shines on McCain and an announcer says "Senator McCain: THIS IS YOUR LIFE!" All of McCain's skeletons (that apparently he's forgotten about) parade out on stage and one-by-one describe their connection to the "honorable" Senator.

[PaulL2]

If McCain brings up Ayers at the debate, I wish that Obama would simply list the names of all the Republicans that were on the same committee, and then ask McCain if he considers them to have been "pallin' around with a terrorist" as well. McCain would react emotionally or start blabbering. That would end it, once and for all, without Obama even having to stoop to bringing up Liddy or any of McCain's other cronies.

[GSMRaleigh]

Obama has been wise in not responding to the Ayers stuff put out by McClueless. Any type of acknowledgment by Obama IS an acknowledgement. If McClueless does bring it up Wednesday night, I'll betcha Obama lets it slide. Thereby taking the wind out of McClueless' sails.

[JenMI]

I believe Ayers is allowed a second chance. Remember his membership in the Weathermen Underground was 40 years ago...he was not convicted and he has been a fighter for education reform for many years. In Chicago all was forgiven long ago and FOTGOTTEN. So get over it..

[left-leaning-libertarian]

And now McCain's promising to "bring up Ayers" at the debate tomorrow. . .
Can he really be so stupid? Apparently he's convinced himself that his glass house is unbreakable.
The problem for him is that Obama has some really hard and heavy bricks he can throw including G. Gordon (UNREPENTANT TREASONOUS VERMIN!) Liddy. McCain is TOAST!

[lagumbo]

John McSmears has no plan or policies, just the same George Bush's policies. You think after all this time he would have come up with something crediable,but no. What does that say about him? Now we know why he was at the bottom of his class.

[timberdoodle]

I can't understand a country the size of the U.S. allowing hate ads designed to provoke an assissination go unchallenged. McCain should be in jail along with his bimbo. McCain is a broken down shell of old war monger who just might get the brunt of the hate he is spreading as the Republican party don't have the corner on wing nuts there might be some on the other side as wel.

[Concern2008]

Chicago, also have six of top 100 public college prep high schools.

[JohnBryansFontaine]

This of course, ignores Sarah Palin's army of sucessionist and dominionist pals.

[huffy2001]

That, of course, is par for the course.

[hollybork]

Didn't know about them, probably, because McCain's people failed to perform a complete vetting. Wonder if it even would have made a difference. Why is secessionism and states rats acceptable extremism to republicans, but pacifism (whether stimulated by Ghandi, Martin Luther King or Christ) and diplomacy are considered vile and depicable?

[PerryWhite]

Why are Chicago's public schools among the worst in the nation and will Obama bring the rest of the country's public schools down to that level with the politically based curriculum promoted by Bill Ayers and company?

[ElBruce]

Why is Arizona one of the dryest states in the nation and will McCain bring the rest of the country's environment down to that level with the desert based policies promoted by G. Gordon Liddy and company?

Man, being conservative must be just like doing mad libs.

[saami]

Great response! These guys are not truly conservative they are neocons and lying is second nature to them.

[TopProf]

Not so far-fetched. McCain is on record for a new water compact that will bring more Colorado River water into AZ, to promote the interests of his Keating-like sprawl developer buddies. Not much room for laughs these days.

[kiran888]

this is the most silly comment. You are blaming Obama for the entire chicago school system.

Just use your brains a little. Obama is a scholar, who graduated magna cum laude, (oh sorry you might not know what this means), it means he is pretty dam* smart.

[DrThink]

Why are Arizona's healthcare laws the worst in the country.....and why are Arizona's schools actually about the worst in the country. Better yet, why are Arizonians still complaining that they've seen absolutely NO BENEFITS of McCain's perenial "senatorship" and his promises have ALL been unfulfilled or reneged on?

[Dystopic]

it's called Pork in McCain's limited vocabulary

[Petey131]

"PerryWhite" with these comments it seems you did not go to school at all. Drop out maybe?

[hollybork]

Hey there Perry White - the public schools are woeful because we don't allocate as much tax money for education as we do for corporate welfare, such as building sports compexes for major league teams or underwriting the tax credits given to businesses that move into cities. Also because we continue to finance education in a backward way involving mostly local real estate taxes, which is fine for the rich but horrendously disadvantageous for the poor. Has nothing to do with a politically based curriculum. The problem is how we chose to allocate the public monies. U of Chicago has actually been one of the more outstanding guiding lights in the educational reform for over a hundred years, since the time of John Dewey.

[glitterik]

Oh, no, I think Texas schools are closer to the bottom than Chicago's will ever be. Texas schools routinely promote northern kids who transfer up a grade (this happened with my sister when we moved in 1960 from Ohio). I never even considered public school for my daughter; many middle class folks here manage to get their kids in private school. Oh, and all the problems with "No Child Left Behind"? There were problems with that in Texas even while Gov. Bush was touting that plan to the rest of the nation. It's just that we in Texas got suckered first.