Reading The Pictures: New York Times Plays The Ayers Card

Records of a school reform project suggest Barack Obama has played down contact with Bill Ayers, a founder of the Weathermen, but they do not seem to have been close.  -- NYT article caption

With Obama opening up a strong lead in the polls, it's hard not to feel the Times is either taking it upon itself to make the race more competitive, or adhering to some juvenile rule of parity in which each candidate gets whacked in turn, even if a front page article -- raising all kinds of long hashed-over and discredited innuendos -- ends with the conclusion there is nothing there to speak of.

Friday afternoon's NYT.com front page features an image and article resuscitating feeble allegations -- all then discounted -- of some kind of professional, philanthropic or even political collaboration between Barack Obama and Bill Ayers, the article serving little more than a re-introduction of Ayers -- and, by association, questions about Obama's character and patriotism --  into the media sphere.

If you can hold your nose long enough to read the article, you'll also notice how the author -- by way of an interview with a Chicago Tribune columnist -- also manages to reference Obama's relationship with Jeremiah Wright, including the '"God damn America" sermon."' (But then, given the specter of a less competitive election in comparison to the orgy the media had over Reverend Wright, why should all the election fireworks fizzle out now?

Given the power of images to create connotations well beyond the most qualified of words, the New York Times dug up this 2001 image of Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn to slap on the front of the on-line edition.  (I'm more than half expecting to see it on the front of Saturday's print edition, as well.)  Besides offering you a screen grab of the digital lead, the image above is the expanded version of the pic from the article.  Not only are the former Weathermen staring down at us with self-righteous expressions, but Ayers could be seen as flipping us the bird.

I am typically a lot more high-minded in my conclusions, but frankly, this is right-wing enabling crap.

Update 1:  Well, whaddya know.  Here's the front page of Saturday's NYT print edition.  Check top of the fold, accompanied by a 26-year-old shot of the long hair.

Update 2: After the jump in the print edition, page A14 is full of large, accompanying images including the shot above, BA's FBI wanted poster, and two screen shots from political ads by independent fly-by-nights attempting to tie Obama to Ayers.  (Click for larger size.)

Obama and '60s Bomber: A Look Into Crossed Paths (NYT)

For more politics with the sound off, visit BAGnewsNotes.com.  Or BAGnewsNotes via Twitter.

(image: Todd Buchanan for the New York Times, 2001)

Follow Michael Shaw on Twitter: www.twitter.com/bagnewsnotes

Comments

[loax]

Looks like the media will do anything to keep their ratings up and their readership high by publishing crap. Where is the picture of Charles keating and McCain. this is old, boring and disproved. God, America, gorw up and discuss the issues! People do not care about this grap! When they start with the Wright BS, then lests see the same articles on the conservative preachers that back McCain that disparage all races, color and religion, and you will only be "saved" if you are one of them. How about Plains 'witchcraft" visiting preacher that she allowed to rid of of any evil spirist or witchecraft!

[lawchic]

I think what Ayers did was incredibly stupid and reckless, and if the government did not tamper with the evidence at his trial, he would have probably served time but he didn't. I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I think condemnation of Ayers is warranted, but on the other, if people were so outraged, then why didn't they run him out of town, off of their foundation boards, and out of their schools. What about all of the public officials that have interacted with him, his students, the children that he is helped? Are they terrorist sympathizers, or are they just willing to overlook someone's ugly past because of the good that he is doing in the community now.

[webgoddess]

Think the McCain campaign will let Peggy Noonan back on the plane now?

[Peg head Pete]

I read this article quite comprehensivlely and found it to be several hundred words in seach of coherency. I wouldn't be worried and if anything, I think it does Obama a favor. The McCain Campaign was going to go to this trough anyway, but there's nothing here to add to their "guilt by association menu." In the meantime, Obama can point to the article, which, though somewhat snarky, mirrors countless others that basically conclude that -- nothing happened between Obama and Ayres other than some infrequent and inoccuous encounters.

And remember, the other side has problems too. On Oct 10th, the Palin Abuse of Power report comes out., Obama can go nuclear with the Keating Affair. (I find it interesting that the two people that were only mildly rebuked - McCain and Glenn, unlike the rest of the five, were both military "heroes"--hmm). Jeremiah Wright can be countered by Palin's "Witch Doctor."

There's nothing to obsess about. All of this is actually pretty tepid political theartre when you think about it -- dead bodies found on McCain's Sedona ranch...well, now THAT would be tittilating.

Also, I think the worst thing you can say about thw MSM is that they are simply banal. That's what they do, they write to the lowest common denominator and operate on the general principle that if all persons are created equal then so are all ideas -- "SHAPE OF EARTH? VIEWS DIFFER!"

[hrayovac]

If we can't forgive the Weathermen bombings that never occurred..We must not forgive McCain's participation with Charles Keating which DID occur.

[rkfdred]

Obama has been vetted by the press for 19 months - it's all out there. McCain, on the other hand, has been treated with kid gloves - his history is less than stellar too. If McCain keeps treating the press the way he has been, Obama and the dems may not have to stoop to his dirty level - they may get back from the press what he has given them. It's already starting to look like McCain-Palin are a nonissue in this election. I think that at this point the more McCain pushes negative to hit Obama and avoid providing any substantive material to the public, the more Americans will be walking away. Just my opinion.

[WendyKa]

Not as interesting when the race is not as competitive huh? They have to inject this crap? Pathetic

[mgloraine]

Fine. All innuendo.

Time for a detailed rehash of the Keating Five and the whole S&L meltdown: documented corruption involving McCain directly, and a lot more recent than the 1960s. Particularly in the aftermath of the most recent big-time banking swindle, McCain's S&L history, his gambling history, and the involvement of his pals (like Phil Gramm) in THIS WEEK'S financial industry failure need to be brought to the front page.

[Danigirl65]

Hmmm - so why didn't the New York Times point out something more timely like McCain's connection to the Keating 5 - considering the current situation with banks, mortgage companies, and investment firms, I think this would be a much more interesting story and the ties there are much more relevant.

[K.J. Dwyer - Huffpost Blogger]

The NYT has devolved into just another conservative corporate mouthpiece. Regarding their coverage of the Wright scandal vs. a similar story about Palin, just take a look at these two characterizations of the exact same event; the first from the CNN.

“Palin now attends the Wasilla Bible Church. She was there on August 17, just days before entering the national spotlight. David Brickner, the founder of Jews for Jesus, was a speaker. He told congregants that terrorist attacks on Israel were God's "judgment" of Jews who haven't embraced Christianity. Brickner said, "Judgment is very real and we see it played out on the pages of the newspapers and on the television. When a Palestinian from East Jerusalem took a bulldozer and went plowing through a score of cars, killing numbers of people. Judgment -- you can't miss it."” CNN, Sept. 9, 2008 http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/08/palin.pastor/index.html

Now take a look at the NYT’s coverage of the same event.

“Last month, a leader in the group Jews for Jesus, which advocates converting Jews to Christianity — but which has been accused by some Jews of anti-Semitism — spoke at the church. The speaker, David Brickner, spoke enthusiastically about the “miracle” of conversions in Israel by the group’s missionaries.” NYT, Sept. 6, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/06/us/politics/06church.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2&oref=slogin

Liberal media, my @ss.

[larry278]

It is a bit late to start a campaign maliging BHO for his past; 9/15/08 changed things. The stakes are much higher. A gambler like JSMcC will feel a rush when playing this game.

[DaOne]

NYT put the story out to steal thunder............the rethugs are, once again, disarmed.

[phoebecrow]

Yeah-- I agree with you. When I first saw the article, I thought, "What are they doing?" But then realized it's a preemptive strike. Also interesting in light of the fact the McCain campaign has declared war on NYT--Actually, I think it's pretty clever of NYT. McCain can't claim it's biased, AND it indeed steals thunder.

And, I also agree w/ Luigi5301 that NYT is not a liberal paper--but I come to Huff Post for my needs in that area.

We all know the "liberal media" is a myth--but I am somewhat heartened of late--the press is doing a better job these days. The Palin disaster seems to have woken some of them up, at long last.

[LiberalDemIda]

PumaAnn needs a reality check - or at least update her facts before vomiting stale GOP and Faux News talking points.

Outside Fixed News and the GOP, NOBODY believes Obama and ACORN were a tag team - and the myth of his alleged "close ties" have long since been debunked. Guilt by association isn't good enough, Pumie.

Try again.

GObama/Biden '08/'12!

[Danigirl65]

PumaAnn has required a reality check for quite some time. She claims, repeatedly, to have supported Clinton BUT her ability to spew Repug talking points makes it pretty clear that she is no Dem.

[LiberalDemIda]

Undeniably true that, Danigirl.

The fact she brought up the concerted effort concocted by Fixed News and GOP for which we've been warned, underlines the truth of your comment.

GObama/Biden '08/'12!

[PumaAnn]

*blink*.......talk about needing a fact check

[Luigi53102]

You write this as though you had the impression that the New York Times is a liberal newspaper. How silly of you.

[LiberalDemIda]

Exactly, Luigi. Lest we forget, the NYTs endorsed McCain for president. Just sayin'...

GObama/Biden '08/'12!

[PumaAnn]

Oh goodness........the NYT has been nothing but a mouthpiece for O for months.

I have to get off this thread.

But trust me..........nobody looking for anything remotely close to neutral reads that rag.

[brettb3]

Yes, that's why they endorsed McCain during the primaries. Thanks for doing us all a favor by getting off this thread.

[editrix66]

I read the entire article, and it points out that there are few ties between Obama and Ayers. It also discusses how Ayers is an expert on education reform, and both conservative and liberal politicians have been on boards in which Ayers has been a part. It also points out that Ayers did not appoint or recommend Obama as the chair of the Annenberg fund group. Basically, it discounts the close ties that Sean Hnnity and his ilk are trying to promote.