About Obama's terrorist acquaintance (Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, April 20, 2008)

[Apollo11]

CHICAGO TRIBUNE -- April 20, 2008

About Obama's terrorist acquaintance

by Steve Chapman

(...)

Among many liberals, extremism in the defense of "social justice" is no vice. When the folk singer Pete Seeger got a medal from President Clinton, no one cared that he was a veteran apologist for Stalin and that he still regarded himself as a communist. That indifference betrayed a double standard that conscientious liberals should reject.

By that standard, Barack Obama is a liberal, but not a conscientious one. I don't much care if he declines to wear a flag pin; I can overlook his wife's limited capacity for patriotic pride; and I defended his relationship with his former pastor. But his comfortable association with an unrepentant former terrorist should induce queasiness in anyone who shares the humane values that Obama extols.

(...)

Obama (...) is friendly with William Ayers, a leader of the radical Weather Underground, which in the 1970s carried out numerous bombings, including one inside the U.S. Capitol.

Obama minimized his relationship by acknowledging only that he knows Ayers. But they have quite a bit more of a connection than that. He's appeared on panels with Ayers, served on a foundation board with him and held a 1995 campaign event at the home of Ayers and his wife, fellow former terrorist Bernardine Dohrn. Ayers even gave money to one of his campaigns.

It's not as though Ayers and Dohrn have denied or repudiated their crimes. After emerging from years in hiding, they escaped federal prosecution because of government misconduct in gathering evidence, but they don't pretend they were innocent. In 2001, Ayers said, "I don't regret setting bombs. I feel we didn't do enough."

(...)

You can tell a lot about someone from his choice of friends. What this friendship reveals is that when it comes to practicing sound moral hygiene, Obama has work to do and no interest in doing it.

This column is published on the Chicago Tribune website:
www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped0420chapmanapr20,0,2129659.column

You can also find this column on Real Clear Politics:
www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/04/obamas_terrorist_connection.html

For the record, the same writer has recently criticized both Hillary Clinton and John McCain:
www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/columnists/chi-stevechapman,0,638697.columnist

Steve Chapman has also defended Senator Obama's association with Jeremiah Wright:
www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/columnists/chi-oped0323chapmanmar23,0,1829615.column


Disclaimer: I am not saying I agree with the article. In particular, I think it's a stretch to say that Obama has a "friendship" with William Ayers, based on Ayers' hosting one small meeting back in 1995.

I am also aware that the CHICAGO TRIBUNE is not a liberal newspaper (it supported Bush-Cheney in the 2004 election).

[Saturday]

1. One small meeting with Ayers? That's laughable.

It calls the relationship differently in your own article.

"But they have quite a bit more of a connection than that. He's appeared on panels with Ayers, served on a foundation board with him and held a 1995 campaign event at the home of Ayers and his wife, fellow former terrorist Bernardine Dohrn. Ayers even gave money to one of his campaigns."

[Apollo11]

4. Still does not prove they have a "friendship"

I can see it is kind of curious that Bill Ayers hosted some kind of meeting with Barack Obama back in 1995 - when Obama was preparing to run for election to the Illinois State Senate (in the November 1996 election).

But then it is also relevant that Ayers played no role in Obama's election campaigns in 1996, 1998, 2002 and 2004. Either Ayers is not an active Obama supporter or Obama decided that he did not want his candidacy associated with Ayers.

It is also relevant that Barack Obama's first effort to enter the US Congress was attempting to unseat the former Black Panther, Rep. Bobby Rush in the 2000 Democratic primary for Illinois 1st district (South side of Chicago).

It's possible that back in 1995, Obama did not know about Ayers' and Dohrn's previous association with acts of violence. Maybe he just knew that the guy is a respected professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

2. Chapman's an ass.

I would hardly say that there is a "friendship" between Ayres and Obama. Just because they shared a few committee meetings does not a life long friendship make.

[indimuse]

3. Obama has a HUGE connection to Ayers...

Need to research more...it's out there I'm tired of doing yalls homework, only to get ridiculed for bringing truth to DU!

[Apollo11]

5. Now you see, that's just plain ridiculous.

Unless you can bring us something from a reputable source to back that up.

[orangerevolution]

6. What is your defenition

of a "reputable source"?

[indimuse]

8. Obama's website! lol!

sarc...

[indimuse]

7. One of Ayers victim ...

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/December-2006/Sudden-Impact/

http://hyper-educated-uppity-woman.blogspot.com/2008/04/would-you-like-to-meet-man-weather.html

[Apollo11]

9. Thanks for these links

The article in Chicago Magazine mentions Ayers and Dohrn, who hosted a meeting with Barack Obama at their house in 1995. But I don't know if either has had any involvement with Obama as a political candidate since 1995 (more than a year before he first ran for election to the Illinois State Senate). I guess Barack Obama must have met with several hundred - maybe thousands of people in Chicago during the couple of years before he first got elected to the State Senate in November 1996.

Plus, the Obama campaign can still point out that President Bill Clinton decided that some of the Weather Underground militants should be released from prison. Just like the Clintons invited Pastor Jeremiah Wright to the White House!

[Doctor_J]

10. Chapman was one of the loudest cheeleaders of *

twice. If I were Obama I would say exactly that.

[noel711]

11. When a person is a professional, and in public life...

your success and effectiveness in your profession is based on
your ability to treat the public with equality,
and to accept everyone with good will.

That's how all politicians garner respect and a following...
to accept the public with graciousness.

No one can be seen by the public as a leader without
this attitude. Look at any politician.. each person who has
'made' it has a wide range of associations. There's no way
a professional can screen, or 'vet, everyone who comes to them
for advice, or everyone who supports them.

It's just not possible. Look at all the incredible people
Geo. W. Bush has associated with... try not to laugh to loudly.

As a professional myself, I can't believe this argument. It is really
stretching.. Can anyone with intelligence accept this rationale?

I've met with drug addicts, right wingers, left wingers,
I've counseled with Moslems, pagans, child molesters,
and crack manufacturers.
I've been to jails to visit with thiefs and abusers.
but then, as a professional, that's my job.
I suppose if I were to run for office, there'd be all manner
of smear because I don't draw a line separating me from others,
especially those who need my services...
I daresay Obama is like that also.

It's pathetic if we live in a time and place where true leadership
must maintain 'purity' from real people, and sometimes real people
are those outside the law.
It's more pathetic if those people with which we live have sought
to 'redeem' themselves, and give back to the community but we
can't and won't forget their past.

We had no trouble forgetting the bizarre youthful indiscretions
of a certain George W. Bush.