The Washington Post's "Reliable Source" gossip column reports that unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers is coming to downtown Washington for a book event at a radical coffeehouse. (They have no word on whether Ayers will also have a job interview for Secretary of Education.) In a brief article with the cutesy headline "He Weathered the Election, Now He Comes to D.C.," Roxanne Roberts and Amy Argetsinger breezily discuss Bomber Bill’s buzz:
Customers at the lefty coffeehouse Busboys and Poets are doing double takes when they see the big display of the new book "City Kids, City Schools" by William Ayers. Yes, that William Ayers -- the former Weather Underground radical whose acquaintance with Barack Obama dogged the president-elect during the campaign. The Chicago education professor is making his first post-election public appearance next Monday evening at the 14th and V gathering spot.
"People need to know who the real Bill Ayers is and what he stands for," said owner Andy Shallal, who booked the appearance about a month ago. The buzz, he said, has been "tremendous"; he expects a packed house. "Part of what we do is educate," said Shallal. "The democratic process can only be done when people have all the information at their fingertips."
On her national radio show Monday morning, Laura Ingraham joked that after the book signing comes a demonstration of "how to build a small detonation device." The calendar on the Busboys and Poets website preaches at the public to hear about the "inspiring resources" on education from Ayers.
William Ayers will sign and discuss his two books - City Kids, City Schools: More Reports from the Front Row - and it's companion- City Kids, City Teachers: Reports from the Front Row. Free and open to all. In these inspiring resources, William Ayers explores the surprising realities of city classrooms from kindergarten through high school. With its upbeat mix of ready-to-share city kids’ memoirs and classroom strategies, William Ayers reflects on how improving urban education is more essential than ever. It is a useful guide as well as a call to action for anyone who teaches or has taught in the city, for those considering teaching in urban schools, and for every parent with children in our schools today.
This radical-left coffeehouse now has two DC locations and a shop in nearby Arlington, Virginia. NPR producers watched presidential debates there.
