On the same day that the Associated Press noted that "few people watch TV or read newspapers Friday evening and Saturday," the New York Times ran an article questioning Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama's questionable relationship with admitted, unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers.
If the AP is correct and Friday is one of the least read days of the week, then it's interesting that the NYT chose to publish one of the most controversial campaign issues when the fewest readers would see it.
Nevertheless, the article, "Obama and '60s Bomber: A Look Into Crossed Paths," examines the political, social, and professional ties that Obama has with Ayers. Reporter Scott Shane concludes that they're not close, despite contradictory information within the story.
Shane wrote in the second paragraph that Obama announced his entrance into public life at Ayers's home.
CHICAGO — At a tumultuous meeting of anti-Vietnam War militants at the Chicago Coliseum in 1969, Bill Ayers helped found the radical Weathermen, launching a campaign of bombings that would target the Pentagon and United States Capitol.
Twenty-six years later, at a lunchtime meeting about school reform in a Chicago skyscraper, Barack Obama met Mr. Ayers, by then an education professor. Their paths have crossed sporadically since then, at a coffee Mr. Ayers hosted for Mr. Obama's first run for office, on the schools project and a charitable board, and in casual encounters as Hyde Park neighbors.
And again, deeper in the story:
It was later in 1995 that Mr. Ayers and Ms. Dohrn hosted the gathering, in their town house three blocks from Mr. Obama's home, at which State Senator Alice J. Palmer, who planned to run for Congress, introduced Mr. Obama to a few Democratic friends as her chosen successor.
Making such a life-changing decision as running for office is not one that many people would do at the home of just "a guy who lives in my neighborhood." But curiously, Shane includes a sentence in the story that indicates otherwise, without attribution.
But the two men do not appear to have been close.
In fact, according to Shane's own report, several people say Obama isn't being forthright.
A review of records of the schools project and interviews with a dozen people who know both men, suggest that Mr. Obama, 47, has played down his contacts with Mr. Ayers, 63.
One example of how the Obama campaign has downplayed the relationship is evident in remarks by Ben LaBolt, a campaign spokesman, according to Shane's story.
He said they have not spoken by phone or exchanged e-mail messages since Mr. Obama began serving in the United States Senate in January 2005 and last met more than a year ago when they bumped into each other on the street in Hyde Park.
Shane did not follow-up on LaBolt's comments. But two questions that quickly came to mind are: 1) Had they spoken by phone or exchanged e-mail messages prior to January, 2005; and 2) under what circumstances did the U.S. senator and Ayers happen to bump into each other.
So after writing that Ayers hosted Obama's political coming out party, "donated $200 to Mr. Obama's re-election campaign," and worked with Obama on community boards, Shane closed the story with a quote from Tom Hayden, a Progressives for Obama organizer, that again plays down the relationship, with no follow-up.
"If Barack Obama says he's willing to talk to foreign leaders without preconditions," Mr. Hayden said, "I can imagine he'd be willing to talk to Bill Ayers about schools. But I think that's about as far as their relationship goes."
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Lefties heart hippie radicals.
October 5, 2008 - 09:38 ET by JWFLefties heart hippie radicals and adore hippie radical bombers. Being close buddies helps you get elected in leftytown.
Of course, it would help if you lived your life by a set of moral and ethical principles. This kind of life would lead you to refuse to share the same airspace as an anti-american terrorist bomber. Let alone communist boards, livingrooms, neighborhoods, sharing emails and phonecalls.
That is why lefties have to downplay most of their past once they get on the national stage. Normal people freak out at the hearty kissy love lefties have for anti-american radical loons.
Sincerely,
a Veteran of a 1000 psychic wars.
Well it's quite feasable
October 5, 2008 - 09:55 ET by MidAmericaWell it's quite feasable that obama was unaware of ayers radical past. After all, obama sat in church for twenty years that had a radical minister and he never noticed. When his friend rezco, who helped obama buy his house, was arrested obama was again surprised. When it comes to awareness of the charactor of the people around him obama is a little slow on the uptake. Maybe that's why obama is so sympathetic to our county's enemies, he just sees the good in people. The man is practically a saint.
»→ Obama didn't know
October 5, 2008 - 10:05 ET by Cool ArrowYou bring up a great point.
If we are to believe he didn't know Wright is a racist, and Ayers is a terrorist, it's no small stretch to believe Obama sat in class for 25 years and learned nothing.
Some have called him a Constitutional lawyer, but there is no evidence he has any understanding of the document.
We kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon - Joe Biden
Obama's problem starts
October 5, 2008 - 10:27 ET by MidAmericaObama's problem starts with the fact that he got his start in Chicago. Chicago is a paradox in that it is surrounded by millions of normal midwestern people but is infested with a thriving radical communiity and a healthy 'Racist' business community. Chicago is not only home to the Cubs and White Sox but also the likes of jesse jackson, louis farakahn, Reverand wright, bill ayaers, rezco, governors in prison, and a whole host of players in democrat machine politics that is always trying to stay a step or two ahead of the law. If Al Capone were to come back today he would find lots of 'players' he could do business with.
Funny how this guy writes
October 5, 2008 - 10:00 ET by Richard RomanoFunny how this guy writes an article trying to downplay the connections, but then his own piece shows how dubious that downplay truly is.
Welcome to the MSM world of double-speak -- thank you Mr. Shane for a perfect illustration of the term.
We're getting to the point
October 5, 2008 - 10:31 ET by IamTinmanWe're getting to the point where we need to know who Barack Obama really is. With such a limited public achievement record all aspects of his life need to be examined, including his associations past and present. When Obama or anyone else decides to run for the presidency they know that the press and their opponents will look for any and all questionable activities in their past.
Pure and simple, if you hang out with radicals like Wright, Ayers, Pflager, and Dohrn, you will get tarred with the same brush.Waiting until they are embarrassing to throw them under the bus doesn't relieve you of that past.
BTW: Using Tom Hayden (SDS founder and one of the "Chicago Seven") for a reference is probably not a good idea.
We are passed that point.
October 5, 2008 - 12:49 ET by needleWe're getting to the point where we need to know who Barack Obama really is.
Many of us, including even Hillary, would say that we are many months passed that point.
Impunitas semper ad deteriora invitat.
Obamma
October 5, 2008 - 10:09 ET by thomaspCould you picture McCain going to a KKK rally and the NYT reporting that McCain was "not that close" to the Grand Puba?
T
How About Timothy?
October 5, 2008 - 10:15 ET by JoelCTWhat if they found a picture of Senator McCain shaking hands with Timothy McVeigh? Would they let it slide?
What a farce.
deleted.
October 5, 2008 - 11:13 ET by JWFread it wrong.
The NY Times is not even close . .to being a news source
October 5, 2008 - 10:10 ET by JayTeeWe are to believe a "News" Paper that will not Report a Victory in Iraq by American leadership and American Troops ? ?
We are to believe anything a "News" Paper prints when that Same Paper published to excess with 40+ articles on the Abu G. Prison "torture" ?
This is an "Agenda News Organization" and it publishes it's Agenda 24/7. The NYT is a world publication, it is no longer an American Organization local to NY City.
Their declining Stock Price and shrinking Subscriptions reflect the readership that an Anti-American Propaganda publisher deserves.
When the Stock prices come back, the NY Times will stay in the Basement.
and John Edwards Wasn't Screwing Around!
October 5, 2008 - 10:12 ET by ChasvsIt's only news if it damages the Republicans!
let's give an affirmative action pass to the racist marxist SOB Barack Obama!
All hail the new messiah!
We are SO SCREWED!
Always around
October 5, 2008 - 10:13 ET by JoelCTThese are very important questions. Thank you Lee, for a very good article.
"bumped into each other on the street in Hyde Park" - Now, a year ago, Obama was a Senator and a wildly popular Presidential candidate. Does anyone here really believe he was actually walking around Hyde Park, "bumping into" random people? As Mrs. Cleaver said, "Cut me some slack, Jack!"
The all-important question to me is part of Lee's questions: How many phone calls and e-mails have they exchanged prior to January 2005? If you looked at my phone and e-mail records, you'll find a few to or from people I barely know. So, is it a few contacts prior to January 2005 or many contacts?
An inquiring Press would want to know the answer to these questions, and might want to poke around. But our MSM is too busy making sure what kind of, and how many, houses Senator McCain and Gov. Palin live in, compared to the regular people.
What a farce this whole thing is, this election season. What a farce.
Obama's WORST person Association is . . . Joe Biden !
October 5, 2008 - 10:30 ET by JayTeeCan Obama DENY that he is Closely associated with this Squirrel ? !
I put this relationship at the TOP of the List . . . and BHO Chose this VP Relationship over others.
NYT's downplayed Ayers; LAT's quotes NYT's and downplays further
October 5, 2008 - 10:35 ET by Gary HallNYT's downplayed Ayers; LAT's quotes NYT's and downplays further.
By the time Robin Abcarian finished reading the NYTimes wash on Ayers, she must have felt that they had left a little bit of danger on the table for Obama, as she sought to do her own elevated defense of Obama by only selectively quoting minimal parts of the NYT's story.
Dropped from the story is the fact that the Hillary Clinton campaign lent truth to the story when she went after Obama on the same story; indeed, one could assume, that if the Democrats can attack their own on the issue, surely it must be fair game for the Republicans.
Just before Abcarian launches into yet another of the almost weekly LA Times' mention of McCain "SwiftBoating" attacks on Obama, she discloses her true soul - and why this piece of campaig n writing in the defense of Obama is just one of several of the almost daily efforts in the LATimes to put Obama in the White House - the quote from the Obama camp is used as the journalists sees it:
Somehow, it's so easy to see how much the writer agrees with that little bit of campaign spin. (;~/ gary
Correction:
October 5, 2008 - 12:45 ET by needle"What's clear is that John McCain and Sarah Palin would rather spend their time tearing down Barack Obama than laying out a plan to build up our economy."
This should say:
"What's clear is that the NYT and LAT would rather spend their time tearing down John McCain and Sarah Palin than report on issues in an unbiased manner."
Impunitas semper ad deteriora invitat.
Fox News
October 5, 2008 - 10:48 ET by Lee BoggsThanks JoelCT.
As I was writing the critique, I turned on the TV. Brian Wilson was on Fox News interviewing a BO campaign hack. I don't remember her name. I've never seen her before.
He said he wanted to ask her about the NYT story, and then the only part that he read to her was "But the two men do not appear to have been close" sentence, without putting it in context.
He followed that by asking, I'm paraphrasing, "is that true?"
And then she regurgitated the campaign's talking points.
If You're Interested.
October 5, 2008 - 11:12 ET by pbthinkerI came across this article, on World Net Daily, that puts additional light on the Times effort to cover this up. If what this article says is true, it's a conscious effort to paper over this relationship, which is troubling for a news organization that has shown it is losing credibility every day.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=77075
Democrats: Stuck on Stupid since 2000.
Most people
October 5, 2008 - 11:27 ET by Fist of EtiquetteThe ties are there. The extent of those ties can be argued.
For me, it doesn't matter if Barack Obama and this admitted domestic terrorist were "close" or not. I ask myself if I would associate, in any way, with Ayers. I would not. Most people would not. The man should be a pariah, not a darling.
In fact, they both should.
What is the quote?
October 5, 2008 - 11:38 ET by AFCloneSomething about not belonging to a party that would have me as a member?
I wonder what kind of association this shows that has a "Constitutional Lawyer" and a known domestic Terrorist on the same committee.
DISHONESTY
October 5, 2008 - 13:01 ET by needleWhere one inaugurates one’s political career is hardly something chosen lightly. No, it is very much part of the statement: “This who I am. This is what I stand for.” That’s fine, Obama. Locating your political coming out party at Ayers's place is one of the more honest things you have done. And when you did it, it was an appropriate statement to your rather narrow constituency, which you judged – apparently correctly – would not disapprove. I do not hold against you your honesty, especially when it is becoming so rare nowadays.
What I do hold against you, is your present dishonesty in about the significance of your various associationS with Bill Ayers. It is just like your dishonesty in about the significance of your many associationS with Jeremiah Wright.
Whether you are elected President or not, Obama, your character disqualifies you from being a leader.
Impunitas semper ad deteriora invitat.
NY Times
October 5, 2008 - 17:04 ET by GregorovitchI wonder how long it will take the NY Times to talk about Obama and Frank Davis, Saul Alinsky, Khalidi, Rezko, Obama's roommates in NY, his trip to Pakistan with drug dealers, then Wright and Fleeger.
It appears to me that the NY Times is to America what NAMBLA is to children. I'll wait to see if they prove me wrong...on the front page...above the fold! Or will they prove me right?
I only have two words for
October 6, 2008 - 13:18 ET by XfreeXI only have two words for NYTimes..............................................................................
................................. LYING BASTARDS ...........................