Obama Balances The Scales Again

Obama really needs to recalibrate his sense of moral equivalence.   Following his linkage of the Reverend Wright to his own grandmother and Geraldine Ferraro in his Philadelphia race speech, in last night's debate Obama again demonstrated his utter unwillingness to risk giving offense to his own side by pairing off an unrepentant Weatherman bomber with a US Senator; evidently he has run of of relatives and is reduced to pitching friends under the bus:

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: ...I want to give Senator Clinton a chance to respond, but first a follow-up on this issue, the general theme of patriotism in your  relationships.  A gentleman named William Ayers, he was part of the Weather Underground in the 1970s.  They bombed the Pentagon, the Capitol and other buildings.  He's never apologized for that.  And in fact, on 9/11 he was quoted in The New York Times saying, "I don't regret setting bombs; I feel we didn't do enough."           

An early organizing meeting for your state senate campaign was held at his house, and your campaign has said you are friendly.  Can you explain that relationship for the voters, and explain to Democrats why it won't be a problem?

SEN. OBAMA:  George, but this is an example of what I'm talking about.  This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of English in Chicago, who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from.  He's not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis.

And the notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago when I was 8 years old, somehow reflects on me and my values, doesn't make much sense, George.

The fact is, is that I'm also friendly with Tom Coburn, one of the most conservative Republicans in the United States Senate, who during his campaign once said that it might be appropriate to apply the death penalty to those who carried out abortions.

Do I need to apologize for Mr. Coburn's statements?  Because I certainly don't agree with those either.                

So this kind of game, in which anybody who I know, regardless of how flimsy the relationship is, is somehow -- somehow their ideas could be attributed to me -- I think the American people are smarter than that.  They're not going to suggest somehow that that is reflective of my views, because it obviously isn't.

Well, let us know when Tom Coburn is hosting fundraisers for you.  Why he would, after you caricatured him on national television, is a mystery, but maybe he is a real friend.  Or was, anyway.  More on Senate maverick Tom Coburn here and here.

As to why the association with Ayers matters, it all goes in the "Getting to Know You" file, along with the "fellow traveler" mom, the socialist dad, the "God DAMN America" minister and the embittered wife.  Do we detect a pattern?  This is from p. 100 of Obama's "Dreams From My Father":

To avoid being mistaken for a sellout, I chose my friends carefully.The more politically active black students.The foreign students.The Chicanos.The Marxist Professors and the structural feminists and punk-rock performance poets.We smoked cigarettes and wore leather jackets.At night,in the dorms,we discussed neocolonialism,Franz Fanon,Eurocentrism,and patriarchy.When we ground out our cigarettes in the hallway carpet or set our stereos so loud that the walls began to shake,we were resisting bourgeois society's stifling constraints.We weren't indifferent or careless or insecure.We were alienated.

No careful decision to associate with young conservatives; I guess Tom Coburn is more interesting, or more useful, now.

EXAGGERATION?  Did Obama twist or distort Coburn's position?  This is from the AP story posted at the Senator's website:

Coburn is traditional conservative, opposing abortion except in rare cases to save the life of the mother and advocating tax cuts and limited government.

On the death penalty, he said: "I favor the death penalty for abortionists and other people who take life."

He said he performed two abortions to save the lives of mothers who had congenital heart disease, but opposes the procedure in cases of rape.

Compare that with Obama's "during his campaign [Coburn] once said that it might be appropriate to apply the death penalty to those who carried out abortions".

Seems fair enough to me.

MORE ON AYERS:  The Politico provided lots of background last February on the Ayers/Obama connection.  As to Obama's passing familiarity with Ayer's ideas, I like this:

As Bloomberg News reported recently, Obama and Ayers have crossed paths repeatedly in the last decade. In 1997, Obama cited Ayers’ critique of the juvenile justice system in a Chicago Tribune article on what prominent Chicagoans were reading. He and Ayers served together on the board of the Woods Fund of Chicago for three years starting in 1999. In 2001, Ayers also gave $200 to Obama’s state Senate reelection campaign.

BURIED NEWS:  Regarding Obama's evolving position on gun control - in 1998, with Obama on the board (but not Ayers), the Woods Fund of Chicago gave $15,000 (see page 42 of the .pdf) to the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, an ardent anti-gun group.

Comments

[Danube of Thought]

Toast.

[RogerA]

Somewhere deep in a cave in Texas, a short balding man uncorks the brandy and lights a cigar chuckling to himself: Rove you magnificent bastard--you've done it again.

[Porchlight]

To riff on centralcal's "croutons" from an earlier thread...he's not toast, he's crostini! He's bruschetta with artisanal goat cheese and wilted arugula.

[Exmaple]

"He's not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis."

OK, then on an "irregular" basis.

How often is that? Not once every month but every other month? A whole lot at one time of the year and none at another?

[clarice]

Shouldn't that be exchange ideas "with" not "from"?

[ParseThis]

This Hussein guy has a well-rounded background with a diversity of experiences that will serve this country well in a complex, globalized world where 99% of the earth's inhabitants understand that a lapel pin in not the equivalent to believing in a flag. He seems to have a solid understanding of the things most Americans consider bad, which makes him uniquely qualified to effect constructive change. Personally, I like new and better ideas, and if there were an affirmative case to be made for the other candidates I'd happily re-evaluate. btw: I hear young conservatives sit around a talk about how they would like to ban dancing -- it's out there on the Internet somewhere.

[glasater]

....or set our stereos so loud that the walls began to shake

Well there you have it. He can't hear properly. His eardrums are blown out.

I have an audiologist friend who tells me business is fantastic from the kids who've been listening to loud music for years.

[ben]

"This Hussein guy has a well-rounded background with a diversity of experiences"

Not.

[MayBee]

Shouldn't that be exchange ideas "with" not "from"?

It should be, but he said 'from'. I think he was too busy trying to find a way to phrase it (on a regular basis?) that he lost track of his grammar.

I'm watching it right now on my DVR, and I am struck by how often he talks about it being "40 years ago".
I am bothered that he does not dare to piss people like Ayers off.

[glasater]

Dear ParseThis,

I've been sent out on assignments to photograph new bands playing to young audiences.

None of the kids were dancing--or even moving with the beat. Dancing is passe.

[ben]

The lefty blogs are all in uproar that Obama was not asked more policy questions.

It brings up an interesting question. If you are shown to be a black racist who hates the American flag, does it matter what your policy view are?

We know the answer if you were shown to be white racist who loves the American flag. Your policy views would be completely irrelevant.

[Cecil Turner]

Shouldn't that be exchange ideas "with" not "from"?

Yeah, shoulda been "with whom," I think. But it may be affect. Some folks think using the objective case correctly sounds pretentious (and he's likely leery of that sort of thing).

This Hussein guy has a well-rounded background with a diversity of experiences . . .

"Well-rounded" for a community activist lawyer, you mean? Because from what I can tell, he's got zero relevant experience for an executive position.

[Ranger]

This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of English in Chicago, who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from.

Didn't Ayers contribute personally to his campaign? Doesn't that count as an "endorsement"?

[ben]

"who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from."

Red herring: "have not received official endorsement from"? Crux of the matter: "Who I know"

[PeterUK]

"This Hussein guy has a well-rounded background with a diversity of experiences that will serve this country well in a complex, globalized world where 99% of the earth's inhabitants" have never heard of Princeton, Harvard or Hawaii.

[Ranger]

"who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from."

Red herring: "have not received official endorsement from"? Crux of the matter: "Who I know"

Posted by: ben | April 17, 2008 at 04:18 PM

True, but it is not just a red herring, it is pretty close to an outright lie. The only thing that techinically prevents it from being an outright lie is that fact that Mr. Ayers, as a private citizen, can't make an "official" endorsement (unless there his a 'former members of the Weather Underground' organization that Ayers is the leader of I guess). But Mr. Ayers has made the kind of endorsement that private citizens can make, which is giving his money to Obama directly to support his campaign.

It is the same kind of lie Obama tells everytime he initially gets called out on something. I never heard 'those words' from Rev. Wright (but I did hear controversial things). There was no co-ordination with Mr. Rezko on buying the house (but we did take a joint tour of the property before we each bought our portions of it).

[DebinNC]

Obama today on the debate

Less charm and more whine.

[Danube of Thought]

ParseThis is one of the duller 97% of Democrats who have not yet realized that they are headed for an electoral rout in the Fall. Anyone who actually thinks this strange, rather creepy fraud is going to be elected president is in Dreamland. It's not going to be close, and the savvier party insiders already know it.

[Danube of Thought]

"...well-rounded background with a diversity of experiences..."

Let's see, there's Punahou, Columbia, Harvard Law, a law firm that didn't allow him to do trial work, and "community organizing." By God, let's make that fellow our president!

[Forbes]

Says Obomba:

"When we ground out our cigarettes in the hallway carpet or set our stereos so loud that the walls began to shake,we were resisting bourgeois society's stifling constraints."

Because using an ashtray--rather than leaving burns in the carpet--and respecting fellow dorm residents--rather than waking them or interrupting their studies--are such stifling constraints. Priceless!

[E Buzz Miller, Rev Dr]

Affirmative Action coming home to roost.

Poor Barry is finding out how badly he's been screwed over by his white brethren coddling him.

Boo hoo, poor Barry.

I kinda feel sorry for him, he's been cheated, screwed.

[Danube of Thought]

Forbes, don't you understand that that was merely one of the diverse experiences that so well equip him to deal with a nuanced, complex world in which 99% of the people have never heard the term "community organizer?"

[Ranger]

More blue on blue! Talk left has just posted the following article:

Obama and Ayers: The Khalidi Question

Which says that Ayers is a decent guy, be he and Obama are both friends with Khalidi, a big time Palestinian activist, which calls into question Obama's 'best friend of Isrial' claims.

Oh, and buried in there is a tidbit about how the 'you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours' political networks in Chicago work. Khalidi held a fundraiser for Obama at his house supporting his unsuccessful Congressional bid. The next year the Woods Foundation (the borad of which both Obama and Ayers were members of) gave a big grant to Khalidi's organization.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

It's been a busy day and i've got another paper to write, so I'm going to cheat and c&p in a comment I left at Volokh:

Guys, let's simplify this:

Coburn: said he thought it ought to be a law --- passed by the Congress, signed by the President, and upheld by the Supreme Court --- that abortionists should be executed. Dumb? yes. Bloody unlikely? yes. Illegal? No.

Ayers: Supported and participated in the construction of a bomb that was going to be used to murder servicemen and civilian bystanders at a Fort Dix dance, but which went off early, so it only killed three people including his then girlfriend, and now says he doesn't regret it. Dumb? yes. Bloody unlikely? No, it happened. Illegal: exceedingly.

In other words, Coburn: political jackass. Ayers: accessory to murder, felonious murderer, and only by luck not a mass murderer.

And even then the Coburn side depended on a misquote.

[PeterUK]

In many parts of the world,the "community organiser" is the one with the AK47.A bit like Chicago really.

[Jane]

The best news of the day:

Top Ratings for Pennsylvania Debate

More than 10 million viewers tuned into Wednesday’s Democratic debate on ABC, making it the most-watched debate of the primary election season.

[centralcal]

Jane - go check out the video clip at Red State (link in my name) of Obama using a finger BESIDES his E.T. finger re: Hillary!

[Elliott]

Anyone who actually thinks this strange, rather creepy fraud is going to be elected president is in Dreamland.

Dreamland or Dreams from my Fatherland?

[MayBee]

I still think he may be elected.

Did Obama ever say last night, "I love this country"?
I notice that he could not say Wright does.
ISTM when Obama talks about the good things America does, it is about how America made his life story possible.

[vnjagvet]

Central:

Is Dreamland in California, close to Neverland?

[pagar]

"Did Obama ever say last night, "I love this country"?"

Whether he said it last night or not makes no difference. His every action since long before this campaign started says he doesn't. His actions speak louder than his words.

[Cecil Turner]

Is Dreamland in California, close to Neverland?

Nah, it's across the border, in Southern Nevada.

[MayBee]

Whether he said it last night or not makes no difference. His every action since long before this campaign started says he doesn't. His actions speak louder than his words.

You know, I think that's true. I think he isn't running for President because he loves this country, but because he wants to change it.

My husband and I talked about this the other night, when we were watching American Idol (don't laugh!). Kristi Lee Cook sang Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American". I said it was a guaranteed vote-getter. My husband, a life-long Democrat, said it was simplistic and had been adopted as a Republican anthem.

I told him he was crazy, that a lot of people really just deeply love this country (without having to mention the 'in spite of it's flaws' qualifier). That every year I go to Cedar Point and they play that song during the laser light show and people LOVE IT. Of course, Kristi Lee Cook did receive a lot of votes and was not in the bottom for the only time this season.

I think Obama does not understand that love, that pride. I think he does not convey it. He doesn't understand why talking about Ayer's actions being 40 years old isn't enough. Why saying Wright saw the country as 'static' isn't enough.

He doesn't have to be jingoistic, but at the same time....
People choose life partners based on love, not because you know someone wants to change you.

[Pofarmer]

I have an audiologist friend who tells me business is fantastic from the kids who've been listening to loud music for years.

Interesting tidbit. It used to be at college admissions that it was the farm kids back in the 70's and 80's that had hearing loss. Now we've got good tractor cabs and we better understand how noise damages hearing. Today they say it's the inner city kids banging away to too loud music that have the most loss.

[PeterUK]

"Today they say it's the inner city kids banging away to too loud music that have the most loss."

If you used the loud noise,flashing lights and drugs used in the average disco at Gitmo,you would have to shut it down.

[Picri]

It's a scam. V tech, Craig list, The Chinese, Rutgers, IMAS, Alaska. Like have I read this before, probably, but the idea of dreaming the future is for morons who should believe that all this happened before and dreaming isn't lucifer, really. Like someone really time traveled, right. Like, they'd be ready for that.

George died, lets see if they'll do it for real. Sudden death like making it.

[Danube of Thought]

If this guy were elected, can you imagine who's going to be appointed to the federal judiciary? Can you see the whole United Church of Christ congregation at a White House prayer breakfast? What kind of people do you expect will populate all the multitudinous Assistant Secretraryships and Assistant Directorships? Does he have even the remotest acquaintance in his past who is not in deep, deep left field? (Tom Coburn is too new a "friend" to count.")

Anyone posing such questions over the next six months will of course receive the ritual denunciation as a racist, but keep in mind that plenty of his goofball associates in the past have been white. It's a rainbow coalition of Wobblies and other assorted Bolsheviks.

[Jane]

Centralcal,

I saw it hours ago when you first posted it, and it reminded me of a freshman in college away from home for the first time, developing a secret handshake.

[Pofarmer]

I have an audiologist friend who tells me business is fantastic from the kids who've been listening to loud music for years.

Interesting tidbit. It used to be at college admissions that it was the farm kids back in the 70's and 80's that had hearing loss. Now we've got good tractor cabs and we better understand how noise damages hearing. Today they say it's the inner city kids banging away to too loud music that have the most loss.

[centralcal]

Helloooooo

I can't take any credit for Dreamland - that would be our debate blogger extraordinaire - Elliott!

[Roborob]

"To avoid being mistaken for a sellout, I chose my friends carefully... ... We weren't indifferent or careless or insecure.We were alienated."

Well, there's your problem right there. You picked people carefully who would help you feel alienated. And as soon as you got what you wanted you jettisoned them for a new group of friends higher up the ladder after gaining credentials. Does anyone else see a pattern that should have been obvious a mile off here?

[Elliott]

I can't take credit for introducing Dreamland into the conversation, either. All credit to Danube of Thought.

[Aaron]

If someone chooses their friends "to avoid being mistaken for a sell-out" then I would say they ARE insecure.

[Danube of Thought]

Just keep this in mind: a substantial plurality, perhaps even a majority, of the people who will vote in November aren't paying any attention at all right now, and they won't until after the conventions and Labor Day. Among that huge swath of people who don't start focusing on politics until that point there are very few who will be susceptible to whatever brand of snake oil this pompous ass is selling.

Toast.

[Dogwood]

The anti-Obama commercials just seem to write themselves. He is making it way too easy to destroy him after Labor Day.

[JTO]

Now let me see here... He refuses to disassociate himeself from a white-hating (which must at least be rooted in some self loathing as he is technically more white than black), anti-American pastor - yet he is happy to throw his own (still living) grandmother under a bus when it suits him politically. He folds his hands when the National Anthem is played, with cameras rolling, instead of placing his hand over his heart to honor the country he purports to love so greatly... He wants to have tea with the nutbag in Iran who denies the holocaust while actively planning the next one... He associates with a radical terrorist who has never disavowed his violent acts against our country and compares him to a sitting U.S. Senator.

Uh-uh. Don't think so. Your own chickens are coming home to roost, Mr. Obama. You'll never sit in the Oval Office, nor will your wife be able to pontificate her grievances from Pennsylvania Avenue.

Nice try. But you've got clay feet.

[Ali]

You're dropping the lede. Google Woods Fund donation to AAAN (Khalidi wife):

In 2001, the Woods Fund, a Chicago-based nonprofit that describes itself as a group helping the disadvantaged, provided a $40,000 grant to the Arab American Action Network, or AAAN, for which Khalidi’s wife, Mona, serves as president. The Fund provided a second grant to the AAAN for $35,000 in 2002.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-barackbash1,0,7527621.story

[ellatinogop]

Obama/Ayers Connection:

(1) Obama begins working for Sidley Austin LLP (Chicago office) in 1988
(2) Bernardine Dohrn works for Sidley Austin LLP (Chicago office) from 1984-1988
(3) Bernardine Dohrn is Bill Ayers (of Weather Underground) wife
(4) Obama claims only limited familiarity with Ayers (http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=3FC289D8-3048-5C12-009AD5180C22FF0B)
(5) Yet it wouldn't be possible that Obama would have known Bernardine Dohrn beginning in 1988 when the two of them were working in the same law office, would it?

[Pink Pig]

Endorse, shmendorse. It's pretty clear that Ayers *supports* Obama, as do the vast majority of (the tiny minority of) left-wing extremists in America. The rest support Clinton.

[ellatinogop]

* Correction to #5
Wouldn't it be possible that Obama would have known Bernardine Dohrn, and her husband, Bill Ayers, beginning in 1988???