An Unoriginal Question About William Ayers

Let's review again what that very same Steve Chapman said last May about McCain's ties with G. Gordon Liddy. First, a bit on Liddy's background from Wikipedia:

"In 1980, Liddy published an autobiography, titled 'Will', which sold more than a million copies and was made into a television movie. In it he states that he once made plans with Hunt to kill journalist Jack Anderson, based on a literal interpretation of a Nixon White House statement 'we need to get rid of this Anderson guy'…

"Some of his [radio talk-show comments shortly after the Branch Davidian raid] led to condemnation by then President Bill Clinton…

"August 26, 1994 - 'Now if the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms comes to disarm you and they are bearing arms, resist them with arms. Go for a head shot; they're going to be wearing bulletproof vests … They've got a big target on there, ATF. Don't shoot at that, because they've got a vest on underneath that. Head shots, head shots…. Kill the sons of bitches.'

"September 15, 1994 - 'If the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms insists upon a firefight, give them a firefight. Just remember, they're wearing flak jackets and you're better off shooting for the head.' "

Now, Chapman's May article (

"What McCain didn't mention [while attacking Ayers] is that he has his own Bill Ayers -- in the form of G. Gordon Liddy. Now a conservative radio talk-show host, Liddy spent more than 4 years in prison for his role in the 1972 Watergate burglary. That was just one element of what Liddy did, and proposed to do, in a secret White House effort to subvert the Constitution. Far from repudiating him, McCain has embraced him.

"How close are McCain and Liddy? At least as close as Obama and Ayers appear to be.In 1998, Liddy's home was the site of a McCain fundraiser. Over the years, he has made at least four contributions totaling $5,000 to the senator's campaigns — including $1,000 this year.

"Last November, McCain went on his radio show. Liddy greeted him as 'an old friend,' and McCain sounded like one. 'I'm proud of you, I'm proud of your family,' he gushed. 'It's always a pleasure for me to come on your program, Gordon, and congratulations on your continued success and adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great.'

"…[During Liddy's Branch Davidian advice], he mentioned labeling targets 'Bill' and 'Hillary' when he [himself] practiced shooting…

"I made repeated inquiries [on the subject of Liddy] to [McCain's] campaign aides, which they refused to acknowledge, much less answer. On this topic, the pilot of the Straight Talk Express would rather stay parked in the garage."

If - Jake's hypothetical was true, I think Obama would be just as out of line attacking McCain as McCain is attacking Obama. We cannot be responsible for the political views or even law-abiding tendencies for everyone we meet, certainly when their record is far in the past and their current views are on matters that have no connection to the association. ----------- Now turn it around. What if Obama had something like involvement in the Keating Five and S&L collapse in his background --- or adultery and kicking-aside a loyal wife who was no longer pretty. Do you think , for a moment, that McCain and Palin would civilly ignore the private matter and bring up the past public history of unethical behavior affecting the financial fortunes of millions of citizens only after they were unfairly made the target of smears regarding guilt by association? Answer honestly.

If all the questions in Jakes blog were factual, then McCain would not be the Nominee. Now that we are learning more about Obama and this terrorist lets get the MSM to ask more probing questions to Obama directly as to why he would have ever dealt with a man like this? Furthermore, If Obama's lack of judgement in dealing with people is this bad, reporters should ask him what we should expect after his 143 days of first U.S. Senate service is over as well as his campaign for President.

"Why has no one asked Oprah why she eviscerated James Frey because he lied in his book, but nothing about the lies in Obama’s autobiography."
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That's a darn good question, especially since The CHANGEling most likely wouldn't have gotten as far as he has, except for Winfrey's proclaiming him "The ONE" on teevee.

This whole campaign SO sucks. If John Edwards had been the Democratic nominee, I'm doubting the "bailout" -- or the 950 OTHER billion dollars the Treasury's pumped into the banks in the last week -- would have happened.

With all the institutions in a united front for the mob candidate, there's nobody left to bitch about the takeover of the government by what most assuredly is fascism.

"Obama's connection with the Ayers family is like that of Pinnochio to Gepetto, for heaven's sake."

And yet not a single photograph of the two together exists...

interesting...

Glen asks:

"Thats exactly what we have with Obama. He spent years at Columbia University at the same time as Ayers. The two did not know each other?"

hey - I lived in the same city as Obama AND Ayers - and didn't know either - does that make me a liar too?

"Obama's connection with Ayers is tenuous, at best."
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Obama's connection with the Ayers family is like that of Pinnochio to Gepetto, for heaven's sake.

Medical costs have increase so much it's almost impossible to afford my medical care, even with insurance. My medical bills have wiped out our savings and my wife's 401K has lost over 30% of it's value in the last year. And you studpid republicans want to argue about Ayers.

You fools are in insult to humanity.

If Obama had a 17 year old daughter who was pregnant, he would probably lose Democrat votes because they would be angry that she didn't have an abortion.
And can anyone say that the press hasn't obsessed on the pregnancy of Sarah Palin's daughter? I see no similar obsession with Obama's close association with William Ayers and his utter lack of credibility in claiming that he didn't know about Ayers' past. What newspapers does he read, again?

CNN, of all places....CNN has said Obama lied about his friendship with William Ayres. That the relationship goes further, then just mere acquaintances, that served on a few boards together.

The coming out party for Obama, held at the Ayres home, was planned by Ayres and Obama. Not a mutual third party, and 2 people at said party said Obama lied about that.

2 former FBI agents, said that because Ayres is unrepentant for these crimes,would still make him a dangerous person in their opinions.

Obama's connection with Ayers is tenuous, at best.

Let's have a serious discussion on the economy.

Jake Tapper always gives objective facts and poses subjective positions to force you to analyze, how at times. the majority of the media do not consider.

McCain's statements (as the result of being broken by repeated torture) were OUT of character. So much that he tried to kill himself in his cell after he did it.

So, does that mean he is forgiven for every erratic and poor judgement decision he has been in the Senate over the last 27 years? The only reason he has lasted in the Senate for so long is because he was a POW. If that were not the case the Republican party in Arizona would have thrown him out long ago.

The coverage of this campaign reminds me of the same poor coverage of the run-up to the Iraq War. The media was so afraid of being called unpatriotic that they never investigated anything the Bush administration said. Now they are so afraid of being labeled racist they are handling Obama with kid gloves. Certainly, we have heard about Obama/Rezko, but what other candidate would get away with saying it was a “bone headed mistake” and that was the end of it? Bill Clinton would have been hammered. Speaking of Bill Clinton, I am still waiting for the media to explain to me why using the term fairytale is racist. Nobody ever asked anyone to explain. If anyone else had said typical white person it would have been in the headlines for weeks, but all I get is Chris Mathew’s tingling legs. The media keeps telling me how intelligent obama is but he has no academic writings to prove this statement so what is it based upon? Why has no one asked Oprah why she eviscerated James Frey because he lied in his book, but nothing about the lies in Obama’s autobiography. Once again the news people aren’t doing their job and the American people might pay for it.

John McCain launch his campaign in a room with a friend of Cindy McCain whom he was cheating on his wife with at the time. McCain's hands are not clean. Neither is Palin with her voodoo witch doctor blessing, Alaska statehoood support, and troopergate scandal. McCain\Palin I am sure will say at least they didn't target America. Maybe not, but I would surely question McCain's and Palin's character and judgement in their involvement in them.

I watched an international report on the state of the world economy last night.

Reports were of country after country and how each one's economy is crashing because of the US economic mismanagement - it is worldwide. Americans sure hasn't make any friends around the world the way the US ran things economically.

The discussion was also about how the US has had it's day, the world power is over. The allies were shown, some in their own, parliaments, Germany for example, actually announcing the end of the American dominance and you know what the allies of America did - they CHEERED. That's right. Of course this would never be found on an American station.

America has destroyed it's reputation in the world because of, mainly the wars, and arm twisting in other areas. What some citizens and the current government don't seem to get, is that Americans generally don't look from a perspective of the outside in - they naval gaze. According to all the experts, America's leaderhip in the world in ways that matter, is over. The goodwill is gone.

China, India and Russia will be dominating from now.

For TWO years, America was warned that it cannot afford 10 billion dollars a month to run ONE war. America was warned about the unregulated banks. We've heard which candidates have been warning of this for TWO YEARS.

And yet, what does the world see? America potentially electing a candidate like sarah palin who absolutely in no way can deal with the endless list of grave issues America and the world faces. We see her ranting and raging like a nut in a third world country about hateful things and we wonder - what the heck is wrong with the US? Why are they even entertaining the notion that this is a serious candidate? It is embarrassing.

And then we see John McCain, in ailing health, so out of touch with the realities of the world and the citizens - in one area alone, Iraq, if any candidate doesn't want to get the heck out of Iraq, that should be one big red flag.

The Republicans candidate voted over and over and OVER to deregulate, he's quite happy to stay at war and GO to war, his policies really don't give the working poor and the middle class a bit of a foundation to get through what will be in a few months, a bad recession and possibly down the road, a world-wide depression.

How can any candidate possibly think 10 billion dollars a month is something a near bankrupt America can afford?

Unforutnately, America has had it so good for so long that there seems to be a denial about how grave the situation is.

If people truly recognized the danger the country is in, as everyone else in the world does, then there is no way, NO WAY, they would stand for a cartoonish hee haw character spewing about a bunch of nonsense - that person would not be taken seriously and booted from the stage.

It really is sad to see this happen to the US but America chose this path, you the voter, you chose bush, cheney and that party. We are all waiting to see if you now reward the whole pack with the big prize or finally punish them.

Bankrupting the country with the wars etc.:

The Republican war monger current administration and the mccain/palin ticket ("goin' after those terrorists") played EXACTLY into Bin Laden's hands and Iran, China, Chavez hopes and plans.

They've been meeting over the years and plotting and making speeches openly - the goal is this slaying of the American empire through bankruptcy, jobs shifted elsewhere and China buying up all the gold for a while now - and the American government that voters elected got sucked right in.

There seems to be defensiveness and a "I don't care what the world thinks" by some citizens but the fact remains, this is a global society and it does matter. The consequences are before you now.

This analysis report of the American situation within the world was quite grave and the bottom line was that America had better start to realize her cowboy politics has dreadfully backfired (deny or not) and the economy, the American strength, is over. The good will is gone. There are things that matter beyond the US borders believe it or not.

Great question! Of course, McCain would be nowhere near to stepping into the White House; the mainstream media would have seen to that! Why has Obama gotten a free pass?

MCCAIN LIVES IN A GLASS HOUSE ---OR IS IT 7 GLASSHOUSES-------IF HE WANTS TO THROW STONES THEN HE WILL GET THE TRUTH THROWN BACK AT HIM --HIS DISTRACTION WONT WORK --SOME OF US ARE A LITTLE SMARTER THAN HE IS.

What a cesspool these boards are becoming. Thanks, Jim, for remaining calm and rational. The loonies come in, ranting about how McCain was either not really tortured or a collaborator with the Vietnamese or some other nonsense and you have to wonder about all those vaunted claims that it is the well-educated who are drawn to Obama. But then, I never bought that line, since I am an academic with a PhD who is strongly for McCain. As Jim says, we know McCain's character and his presidency will reflect that character-- he will put his country first, work in a bipartisan way, and fight for reform. We have to wonder about Obama's character and judgment and what we see of that judgment concerns me in considering how he would govern. I am not taking that chance.

I think all political and monetary associations linked to our elected officials should be made public. An informed and educated electorate is what makes this country great.

I think it's very relevant that Senator Obama has had RADICAL Muslims raising money for him since 1988. questions have been raised about Obama’s student loans and Obama’s ties to a radical Muslim activist who reportedly was raising money for Obama’s Harvard studies during the years 1988 to 1991. The allegations first surfaced in late March when former Manhattan Borough president Percy Sutton told a New York cable channel that a former business partner who was “raising money” for Obama had approached him in 1988 to help Obama get into Harvard Law School. In the interview Sutton says he first heard of Obama about twenty years ago from Khalid Al-Mansour a Black Muslim and Black Nationalist who was a “mentor” to the founders of the Black Panther party at the time the party was founded in the early 1960s.