The Times Has Plenty Of Ink For Obama's Detractors, None For His Dubious Allies

The delightful self-parody we know as the NY Times continues today with a front-pager answering the question on everybody's lips - who is Andy Martin?

I confess - I had no idea who Andy Martin was, so if you are in the dark you are not alone.  Learn with me:

The Man Behind the Whispers About Obama

By JIM RUTENBERG

The most persistent falsehood about Senator Barack Obama’s background first hit in 2004 just two weeks after the Democratic convention speech that helped set him on the path to his presidential candidacy: “Obama is a Muslim who has concealed his religion.”

That statement, contained in a press release, spun a complex tale about the ancestry of Mr. Obama, who is Christian.

The press release was picked up by a conservative Web site, FreeRepublic.com, and spread steadily as others elaborated on its claims over the years in e-mail messages, Web sites and books. It continues to drive other false rumors about Mr. Obama’s background.

Just last Friday, a woman told Senator John McCain at a town-hall-style meeting, “I have read about him,” and “he’s an Arab.” Mr. McCain corrected her.

 Until this month, the man who is widely credited with starting the cyberwhisper campaign that still dogs Mr. Obama was a secondary character in news reports, with deep explorations of his background largely confined to liberal blogs.

But an appearance in a documentary-style program on the Fox News Channel watched by three million people last week thrust the man, Andy Martin, and his past into the foreground. The program allowed Mr. Martin to assert falsely and without challenge that Mr. Obama had once trained to overthrow the government.

And away they go with all you need to know about Andy Martin to guide your informed vote this November.

Just by way of comparison, George Stepanopolous asked Barack Obama about his relationship with unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers at the Democratic debate in Philadelphia last April 16, and Hillary Clinton joined in.  Naturally, this prompted a major research effort by the Times, right?  Right?  The two leading Dem presidential candidates, a nationally televised debate, the public's right to know - you bet it did!

The Times ran this puffer as a follow-up on April 17 which unearthed this Obama-Ayers tie:

Mr. Ayers is listed as a member of the nine-member board of the Woods Fund of Chicago, an offshoot of the Woods Charitable Fund, founded in 1941 by a prominent lawyer and telephone company executive. According to the fund’s Web site, it has focused in recent years on “issues that affected the area’s least advantaged, including welfare reform, affordable housing” and “tax policy as a tool in reducing poverty.”

For a time, Mr. Obama was on the board with Mr. Ayers, though he no longer has a formal association with the group. At the debate, he described Mr. Ayers as “a guy who lives in my neighborhood,” but “not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis.”

Times' sleuths missed the fact that Bill Ayers founded and worked with the Chicago Annenberg Challenge for years, with Barack Obama as the chairman.  Too bad.  Lefty Steve Diamond first broke that on April 22 and right wing bloggers pounced a few days later. 

So when the Times followed up in May with a profile on Obama they had plenty of time to get their facts together, yes?  No:

Mr. Obama also fit in at Hyde Park’s fringes, among university faculty members like Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn, unrepentant members of the radical Weather Underground that bombed the United States Capitol and the Pentagon to protest the Vietnam War. Mr. Obama was introduced to the couple in 1995 at a meet-and-greet they held for him at their home, aides said.

Well, the aides lied, or to be charitable, were woefully misinformed - the first Chicago Annenberg Challenge board meeting was in March of 1995; the meet-and-greet was in the second half of 1995.  As to why the Times reporters had not done enough homework to challenge the misinformation with which they were presented, who can say?

The Times finally tumbled to the Chicago Annenberg Challenge in a September 9 article on Obama's education views and delivered a more complete whitewashing last week.

An interesting nose for news there in Timesland.  We look forward to an even more thorough examination of Andy Martin's foibles as the election approaches.  Well, unless news breaks on one of Sarah Palin's fourth grade classmates.

MORE: There are several articles today about Obama and Ayers but none explain why it is OK that Obama lied about this relationship all these months and (for all we know, since I think Obama and Ayers met in 1988) may still be lying about it.

The Boston Herald: Ayers and Obama pursued a radical eductaion agenda.

The Boston Globe:  No they didn't.

CQ Politics:  Obama and Ayers were relentlessly, boringly mainstream.

The Chicago Sun Times has ten things you should know about Obama and Ayers.  I guess number eleven explains why Obama has been lying.

There is the current Dem spin - we don't know the extent of the relationship and we don't know why Obama has been concealing it, but there is nothing to see there.  That ought to hold for three more weeks.  But last week the Captain thought there was still time - fingers crossed.

Comments

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Well, why miss a chance to be first:

What’s happening here is something we have never seen before: centrist Clinton Democrats and Republicans are working together to expose the DNC and Obama campaign’s illegal activities and orchestrated, coordinated fraud. Both parties are working with federal agents to investigate ACORN, which has been funded with upwards of $800,000 in questionable donations from the Obama campaign (in what appears to be the expressed and explicit direction to engineer voter fraud in the general election). The tactics being employed now in the 15 states currently under investigation are the VERY SAME TACTICS we saw on the ground in Iowa, Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, Indiana, and other states working for Hillary Clinton in the primaries.

From Hillbuzz.

[Pofarmer]

The question is, is there time for all this vote fraud to mean something??? Surely there won't be any legal action as our legal system moves like molasses in the Arctic. How long since the suit asking for Obama's birth certificate?

[rhodeymark]

Help me out here, please. Hadn't the Obamas already worked with Dohrn at Sidley & Austin at that time?

[hrtshpdbox]

"Not just a silly rumor". LUN

[clarice]

Well a lot you know, TM-Krugman just won the Nobel prize for economics--and all this time you've been poking fun at him.

Pretty soon the saying will be "The Nobel prize and a nickel will get you...."

[hilzoy]

Tom: I posted links to some of the decisions in his court cases, and excerpts from some of his filings, here. Decide for yourself whether Andy Martin should be given a place in a "documentary".

[Doug V]

The question that I have is, why didn't any other news organizations look into this? Newsweek/USNews/Time, LA Times, etc. I know they are all liberal but at the time, Obama wasn't yet the "chosen one" was he? My suspicion is that there is someone very powerful pulling the strings, powerful enough to get all the main stream media to fall in line. Is George Soros powerful enough?

[Max B. Sawicky]

"Andy Martin's foibles."

Tsk tsk.

[Wilson's a liar]

And so it goes.....

The Times orchestrates the overall coverage of this campaign, and now Sean Hannity and his audience are marginalized, just as the Obama-Ayers connection has been properly sanitized so the rest of the MSM can avoid any more stories on Ayers.

But I don't know why conservatives have fallen into this Andy Martin trap in the first place. They have asked for the marginalization they are receiving. If those on the Right had spent as much time trying to demolish Obama's redistributionist, job-killing tax plan as they have trying to come up with proof that he is a Muslim or was not born in the USA, we would be winning this election.

[kim]

More and more I think McCain is just setting up the table with his 'you can trust Obama' rhetoric. He must be sitting on news which will change that tune, particularly since his campaign has already started the 'too risky' meme.

Waddya think, Leo, a little rope-a-dope?
==========================

[kim]

Ya know, hilzoy, it's the message not the messenger.
===============================

[boris]

Don't know who Andy Martin is.

Does the notion that America is a decent country make him want to puke?

Is he in a position to indoctrinate school children with revolutionary anti US propaganda?

How many of his girlfriends has he exploded?

Has he founded any organizations that John McCain worked for?

[kim]

You'd think a well known blogger would be stepping carefully down in the 'hood'. Yet here is Hilzoy parading around in an ad hominem as if we couldn't see it was transparent.
==================================

[boris]

Obama's redistributionist, job-killing tax plan ...

Of course establishing that Obama is a fellow traveler of radical socialists, criminals, vote fraud organizations, and racist demagogs might lead some to look closer at those proposals rather than groove to the sound of the soothing sonorous jive talk.

What part of "Obama tax cut = give money to people who don't pay taxes" needs to be explained?

[boris]

Perhaps a better way of phrasing the questin ...

IF establishing that Obama is a fellow traveler of radical socialists, criminals, vote fraud organizations, and racist demagogs does NOT bother voters ...

THEN why would giving people money they didn't pay and calling it a "tax cut" bother them?

[MayBee]

The press is driven crazy by the "Obama is a muslim" rumor like nothing I've ever seen.
They feel it is their primary duty to dispel that rumor.
It's a stupid rumor, but it is just a stupid rumor. I see more people talking openly about McCain making propaganda tapes for the VietCong.

[bunky]

Hillbuzz is a fun read but it has the feel of a setup.

[Chandler]

You all seem very knowledgeable about the subject, but I'm wondering if it might not be better to lay off the Ayers angle. If the press is pushed to do more research they might find the connections that Ayers has with McCain. The Annenberg Foundation was founded by Republican Walter Annenberg who was friends with Nixon and Reagan. The last president he gave money to was George Bush. His widow supports McCain. The Republican governor of Illinois thought the project Ayers worked on was great, as did the other Republicans on the Chicago School Reform Collaborative Working Group. David Kearns, a Republican that currently works with the McCain campaign approved the money that financed the project Ayers worked on. Arnold R. Weber, a fellow Republican also approved of Ayers receiving funding and is a known McCain supporter. I think you can see the problem. If Obama is guilty by association then so are all these Republicans. I hope the press doesn't notice these connections as it will reflect on McCain's character.

[MayBee]

Hilzoy finds her way here to attack the man everybody wants to know about, Andy Martin.
When she was corrected about Gramm causing the financial crisis? She couldn't be bothered to click over here and instead posted a "Tom Maguire is kind of a racist" screed. Which is similar to what Andy Martin is accused of doing, if you think about it.

Whatever we do, let's not let the story be about Obama.

[MayBee]

The Annenberg Foundation was founded by Republican Walter Annenberg who was friends with Nixon and Reagan.

Do these "clever" little word games convince even the writer?

[Soylent Red]

Waaaait a minute...

You mean Obamessiah (PBUH) isn't a Muslim? When did he convert? Was it before or after he came out of the well?

[kim]

Chandler, it's the manner and degree of association. Why do you think we talk about guilt by 'participation'? Pitiful that you think you have a point, there.

Tangential, but can the Annenberg Foundation sue for their money back? How about those who matched funds?
=====================================

[kim]

Chandler's playing six degrees of separation over in the corner and crowing when he finds a connection. Want some pudding, little one?
======================================

[Wilson's a liar]

Wow, I didn't know the astroturfers were up this early in the day, after spending all night spamming at Politico and Ace of Spades.

[glasater]

I think we should break out the indelible purple ink used in the Iraqi elections and use them on November 4th here.

[Rickter]

I belive Dr. Stanley Kurtz put it best, not guilt by association, guilt by Participation. LUN

[drjohn]

You don't put "just a guy I knew from the neighborhood" at the helm of a multi-million dollar foundation.

.......

"I'll take 'Intentional Stupidity' for $1000 dollars, Alex."

"They're simply not believable any more."

"Who is the NY Times?, Alex"

[candy]

Hey hilzoy, do you have the cases Obama filed re: redlining vs. mortgage banks with ACORN and individuals, cases re: motor voter, etc.?

Could you post them?

Also, do you have the earmarks and grants to ACORN through Woods, Annenberg, Joyce Foundation and other boards?

[candy]

Kim, Annenberg sue for their money back?

You're kidding right?

Three words: Annenberg Fact Check

Sound familiar?

[wilky]

I second the use of indelible purple ink as proof that I voted under my name.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

No KJI, the question was 'Please specify the precise "effort" Gov. Palin exercised to "benefit a personal...interest through official action".'

You said "read the report.'

So, what was the "effort?"

[kim]

Well, sure candy, but one can hope, huh?
==========================

[kim]

Other thread, Charlie.
==================

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Well a lot you know, TM-Krugman just won the Nobel prize for economics--and all this time you've been poking fun at him.

So? They gave Jimmy Carter a Peace Prize, and we still poke fun at him.

Justifiably.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Ah, hell. Thanks, real Kim.

[RichatUF]

Maybee-

They feel it is their primary duty to dispel that rumor.

Then maybe Obama can remember he's not without journalists prompting him. oops

Oh good greif this is garbage. Hannanity not doing his homework again and having one goofball in an hour long piece means these aren't the domestic terrorists you're looking for. I can only imagine what the NYTs is sitting on.

[RichatUF]

Wilson's a liar-

I didn't know the astroturfers were up this early in the day...

They are paid with valu rite and cigarettes by the word. In the mornings they are using pre-paid debit cards to illegally fund Obama's campaign.

[kim]

Hmmm. Did Ayer's mention Obama in his book, written in 1988?

H/t Creeper at TexasDarlin's blog.
================================

[Rocco]

More proof Obama was a member of the socialist party.

October 1996 Update :

Running to Win : The Key Races

Illinois: Three NP-members won Democratic primaries last Spring and face off against Republican opponents on election day: Danny Davis (U.S. House), Barack Obama (State Senate) and Patricia Martin (Cook County Judiciary).

[Rocco]

And from the Progressive Populist

New Party members and supported candidates won 16 of 23 races, including an at-large race for the Little Rock, Ark., City Council, a seat on the county board for Little Rock and the school board for Prince George's County, Md. Chicago is sending the first New Party member to Congress, as Danny Davis, who ran as a Democrat, won an overwhelming 85% victory. New Party member Barack Obama was uncontested for a State Senate seat from Chicago.

[kim]

Hmm, excellent Rocco, but was his race in 1996 contested or not?
===========================

[Topsecretk9]

HILZOY was all over the Trig is Bristol's baby, so excuse you all and take a pass engaging this hack rumor monger as Hilzoy has ZERO credibility except for rumor mongering ugliness

[hilzoy]

"HILZOY was all over the Trig is Bristol's baby"

You mean like this?

[kim]

Hilzoy, inappropriately obsessed with race. One of those guilt ridden liberals utterly unaware of how racist they, in fact, are. Look at with what facility they pull the race card from their sleeves.
========================================

[MayBee]

Oh man, it is smokey at my house.
There's a wildfire NE of us, and the winds are bringing the cloud over the house. I can smell it as I sit here.
This morning was the most incredible sight- the sun rising through the clouds of smoke gave the most red/pink/orange horizon over the mountains. It was beautiful and eerie. I hope everyone out there is ok.

[MayBee]

TM's point about the lying is well taken. McCain is trying to hit that, but nobody is answering.
Even Ben Smith, who was lied to in the early reporting, completely ignores those lies now when he reports.

Hilzoy- do you wonder why Obama and his campaign have been so cagey about this? Why the campaign said the kids go to school together?
Or does it not matter what stories Axelrod makes up, as long as he doesn't have a history like Andy Martin's?

[kim]

Yeah, Pooch, Hilzoy laid off of Trig. Instead it was troopergate, bridge to nowhere, Alaska Independence Party and book-banning. Just as trivial and irrelevant. Hey Hilzoy, you got the candidate that was inadequately vetted. Is is racist to wonder if he was born in Kenya? His Grandma says so.
=====================================

[kim]

Yeah, Hilzoy, why does 'just some guy in the neighborhood' get to babysit his children.

Also, not definitive, but this 'some guy in the neighborhood' mentions Obama in his book, written in 1988. That's twenty years ago. How long do you think those two can keep up this charade?
=================================

[PeterUK]

Mr Red,
"You mean Obamessiah (PBUH) isn't a Muslim? When did he convert?"

You mean,when did he become apostate?

[Elliott]

Kim,

I believe the book in question was written in '97, not '88. From Cashill's speculative article:

One more item of interest. In his 1997 book, A Kind and Just Parent, Bill Ayers walks the reader through his Hyde Park neighborhood and identifies the notable residents therein. Among them are Muhammad Ali, “Minister” Louis Farrakhan (of whom he writes fondly), “former mayor” Eugene Sawyer, “poets” Gwendolyn Brooks and Elizabeth Alexander, and “writer” Barack Obama.

[kim]

Thanks for the factcheck, Elliott; always happy to find I'm wrong.
=======================================

[Rocco]

kim

The New York Time's offers this

The route that had brought Mr. Obama to Springfield was far from typical. Born in Hawaii and raised for a while in Indonesia, he had worked as a community organizer in Chicago after graduating from Columbia College in 1983. Returning from Harvard to practice law and later teach at the University of Chicago, he had run a voter registration drive in the 1992 election.

Three years later, a congressman from the South Side of Chicago was convicted of having sex with a minor. A Democratic state senator from his district, Alice L. Palmer, decided to run for the seat. Carol Anne Harwell, Mr. Obama’s first campaign manager, said Ms. Palmer invited Mr. Obama, then 35, to run for her seat.

But after losing in the primary, Ms. Palmer had second thoughts. A delegation of her supporters asked Mr. Obama to step aside. He not only declined, but his campaign staff challenged the signatures on Ms. Palmer’s campaign petitions and kept her off the ballot. It was nothing personal: They did the same thing to every other Democrat in the race.

[kim]

Yes, Rocco, it's pretty obvious he's a snake and an ingrate. I was just remarking on the contradiction from the quotes in your 12:16 PM comment.
====================================

[J Verner]

I'm so sick of this stuff, I could scream.

Obama is quite simply hiding his past from the American people, and it is completely right and just to point this out. Race has not a thing to do with it.

Obama has lied about Ayers. Obama has lied about Jeremiah Wright. Obama has lied about his relationship to ACORN. Yet WE, who point all of this out, are racist nutjobs? I think not.

Percy Sutton told us that a black muslim fruitcake solicited money from the Saudis for Obama's Harvard Law School education. Sutton's family says that he his competent, and that he is telling the truth. And what does the Obama campaign say? He's senile.

Where are the journalists?

Alice Palmer says that she had nothing to do with the Ayers coming out party.

Where are the journalists?

Emil Jones is quoted as saying that he put Obama's name on a number of bills in the IL legislature in order to give him more visability, or in other words--he didn't do much on his own, but the record looks good..

Where are the journalists?

Obama said when he was elected to the senate that he had no intention to run for the presidency this time around, until Soros and Wolf had a meeting with him and he suddenly changed his mind. Why? What did they say to him?

Where are the journalists?

Obama has collected over 200 million in small internet donations--most with little or no documentation. We already know about Good Will, what else is out there?

Where are the journalists?

Obama's entire experience in government-eight undistinguished years as Emil Jones' yes man in the Il State Senate, and 143 days in the US senate for which he received 150,000 from Fannie Mae, and garnered the distinction of being the most liberal member in the body.

But that's enough to qualify him for Commander in Chief.

Excuse me, but I don't think so--especially when he has clearly lied and obfuscated about everything in his personal and political life. Why should I believe anything he says now?

But hey, what do I know? I'm just one of the little people who has no right to an opinion.

So the elite can go on believing in the hope and change fairy tales if they like, but when Obama Ried and Pelosi screw the country into economic decline, and we find ourselves on the brink of war thanks to the chosen one's utter incompetence and desire to make the rest of the world "like" us, please don't come crying to me. They have decided to side with Bill Ayers, Louis Farakahn, Code Pink, ACORN, George Soros and all the rest of the hate America looney tunes- thinking that our man would be his own man, without any evidence in his past that this would be the case. They've been warned. They have simply chosen to ignore what is right under their noses. They will have no excuses.

[Neo]

The most telling part of this story is that virtual nobody with Obama's list of "friends" could ever get a clearance to be Sec of Defense or US AG.

Do we really what him in charge of all US secrets ?

[sylvia]

This was from the Chicago article about Bill Ayers:

"After getting his doctorate in education at Columbia University," It also says he turned himself in in 1980. So presumably, shortly after 1980, possibly no more than a year or two after 1980, Ayers went to Columbia. The NYT article says this about Obama: "after graduating from Columbia College in 1983." So presumably, Obama and Ayers were at Columbia at the same time, maybe 1981-1983.

Now last night I saw the Fox special on Obama. It said that there was little information about where Obama lived his Columbia years. Obama said he didn't remember the names of the people he knew then. Although he did say in his memoir he hung out with all kinds of radicals, and hung out in Washington Square Park. TM did say that he had some info that the two lived within a short distane of each other for a while in NYC around tha time.

Wouldn't that be a hoot if Obama bunked down with Ayers during that time? Does anyone have more info on when Ayers went to Columbia?

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Fidel Castro Stumps For Obama... Slams McCain & "Rifle Lady"

[sylvia]

Okay here's the info from Wikion Ayers:

"After leaving the underground, he earned an M.Ed from Bank Street College in Early Childhood Education (1984), an M.Ed from Teachers College, Columbia University in Early Childhood Education (1987) and an Ed.D from Teachers College, Columbia University in Curriculum and Instruction (1987)."

Not at the same college at the same time but pretty close.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Obama Tells Tax-Burdened Plumber the Plan is to ‘Spread the Wealth Around’

[sylvia]

Okay Bank Street College is 4 blocks from Columbia U. I think TM was already on that. Saw this though that I thought was interesting.

http://streetcat.bnkst.edu/html/finding.html
"In 1984, Bank Street entered into an agreement with the Milbank Memorial Library of Teachers College, Columbia University to serve as a repository for the records of Bank Street College of Education. Bank Street's papers were transferred and organized by the staff of Special Collections at Milbank Memorial Library with support from Bank Street and Teachers College faculty."

Obviously there is some realtionship between the two schools if they keep records for one another. Not too hard to believe that Ayers used the Columbia U library during that time. If Obama hung out with radicals then, he might have most definitley crossed paths with Ayers then.

[Elliott]

Tapper:

Sen. Hillary Clinton's senior adviser Howard Wolfson today writes "A PreMortem for The McCain Campaign," stating, "The economic crisis dealt the McCain campaign a fatal body blow." He goes on to explore what McCain should have done differently.

That's not what lots of smart folks in the Obama campaign think. They believe Obama's poll numbers are artificially high, McCain's are artificially low, this race will come down to two or three points, and anything could happen.

It would serve them right if their early knockout attempt only convinced their supporters it was in the bag.

[sylvia]

More fyi on the Teachers College of Columbia: "Teachers College, a graduate school devoted to education across the lifespan and both in and out of the classroom, is an affiliate of Columbia University but retains its legal and financial independence"

[Elliott]

This particular example was Marsh not Wolfson and unfortunately the video is no longer available. Nonetheless, a trip down memory lane to January 7, 2008 and another "pre-mortem":

And on tonight’s O’Reilly factor, a paid Hillary ally attempted to spin anything under a 10-point New Hampshire loss to Obama as a “victory.” Larry Sabato gives that theory all the respect it deserves.

Which brings me to the feel good link of the early afternoon.

[kim]

Heh, Elliott, those Hampsherites are a sentimental bunch; a few tears makes an 11 point swing.
======================================

[PeterUK]

"The most telling part of this story is that virtual nobody with Obama's list of "friends" could ever get a clearance to be Sec of Defense or US AG.

Do we really what him in charge of all US secrets ?"

Perhaps if Obama gets elected,he will be the first president without a security clearance.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Obama Sued Citibank Under CRA to Force it to Make Bad Loans

[Rocco]

kim

I see the contradiction. As far as I tell, he ran unopposed in the general election.

From The Washington Times

He was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996. He faced no Republican opposition.

[MayBee]

JMH- Are you around?
Remember how odd we thought it was that Obama, in his first debate closing speech, talked about how he would show the rest of the world how America is a good country by being dedicated to Education?

I'm thinking he's had his head filled with Ayres for too long: We share the belief that education is the motor-force of revolution, and I’ve come to appreciate Luis as a major asset in both the Venezuelan and the international struggle—I look forward to seeing how he and all of you continue to overcome the failings of capitalist education as you seek to create something truly new and deeply humane."

We share the belief that education is the motor-force of revolution

Perhaps Obama really was telling us something about himself when he made that comment.

[ex-democrat]

Maybee - that's why I suggested mccain demand an explanation/clarification from him.

[Soylent Red]

Perhaps if Obama gets elected,he will be the first president without a security clearance.

Not an issue since Biden will be the one running foreign policy anyway.

Besides, Barry's going to be too busy organizin'.

[PeterUK]

"I'm thinking he's had his head filled with Ayres for too long:"

He's an Ayershead?

[sylvia]

So lets recap. Ayers and Obama lived within a few blocks of each other from 1981-1984 and went to schools that were affiliated in some way. In 1985 at 24, Obama became a Developing Communities Project leader, associated with grants from a group with Tom Ayers, Bill Ayers father. In 1987 Obama's group was folded into the ABC Coalition coordinated by Bill Ayers. From 1988-1991 Obama went to Harvard Law School. From 1993 to 2002, Obama served on the board of the Woods Fund with Ayers. In 1995-1999, Barack Obama was the founding chairman of the board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, founded by Ayers. In 1996, Ayers hosted one of Obama's first political fundraiser at Ayer's house. In June 2005, Obama purchased a house in Hyde Park a few blocks from Ayers, and was already living near Ayers in a Hyde Park condo.

Where did these two men NOT cross paths, all of Obama's adult life?? The only time they were not living, studying, or working, together or near each other was the few years when Obama went to Harvard Law. (Note to self, find out what Ayers was doing during those years.)

[AdrianS]

The October Surprise—Suit To Remove Barack Obama From The Ballot. Barack Obama And The Democratic National Committee Are Committing Fraud On The American People

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyspCRmJv7w&eurl=http://obamacrimes.com/

Barack Hussein Obama is dangerous for America:
http://www.nextgenerationcorp.com/NextGenBlog/?p=32

[clarice]

Well-who'd have thunk it? The Congressman who replaced Mark Foley after the fake media driven "pedophilic sex scandal" that was not one is himself involved in a real sex scandal--http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5997043&page=1

I hope the clean toga club which turned Congress over to the Dems due to their gullibility are happy.

[sylvia]

Okay during Obama's Harvard years, 1988-1991, this is what Ayers was doing:

At the risk of being redundant, sometime in 1987 Bill and Bernadine returned home to Chicago, where both had family. .. BERNADINE DOHRN worked also with Michelle Obama (1988-1991)...at Sidley Austin.

The connections remain complete.

[MayBee]

Ha!

ex-dem- yeah. At first I thought it was just an odd rambling. I'm not so sure though- I'd bet that he's heard that rhetoric from Ayres as they worked on Education Reform. Don't you think? So it's what came out when he thought about changing our world image and our standing in the world....education reform.

[sylvia]

One more connection:

Obama taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.

1992 - Bill Ayers, Ph.D.,Professor, University of Illinois-Chicago

There is no time in Obama's adult life that he did not work or study or live, with or near Ayers. If there is not something funny going on there, then these two must be doppelgangers.

[sylvia]

To extend this even further, where did Ayers live in the 10 years he was on the run, till 1980? Hmmm. Hawaii might be a good place to escape to. Maybe a vist to Frank Marshall Davis perhaps?

[Elliott]

Via Campaign Spot, Kristen Soltis provides us with the numbers on the 2006 electorate:

Arguments can certainly be made that in this environment, Democrats should be expected to have a huge partisan shift in their favor. But note that in 2006, when Democrats clearly found enormous success at the ballot box, that the advantage in party ID was only three points (38-35).

That year, Democratic congressional candidates outpolled their Republican rivals by 6-points (though do note Mark Blumenthal makes a good case that the margin should be considered 7-points).

As DJ Drummond observes, McCain has been holding a steady lead with the muddle in Gallup's polling over the past four weeks. If Gallup is right, Obama needs to win with turnout. Sean Quinn at 538 argues that he will and also offers an explanation as to why the early voting numbers in Ohio weren't higher.

[ex-democrat]

Sylvia - not to mention the time they spent together writing obama's memoir ;-)

Maybee - also, mccain said in his acceptance speech that education was the premier civil rights issue. At the time, I felt sure that was meant to prep the battlefield but since then, nothing??

[sylvia]

FYI:
In the article, Dohrn clearly stated support for Communist ideology:[16]

We are building a communist organization to be part of the forces which build a revolutionary communist party to lead the working class to seize power and build socialism. [...] We must further the study of Marxism-Leninism within the WUO [Weather Underground Organization]. The struggle for Marxism-Leninism is the most significant development in our recent history. [...] According to a 1974 FBI study of the group, Dohrn's article signaled a developing commitment to Marxism-Leninism that had not been clear in the groups previous statements, despite trips to Cuba by some members of the group before and after Weather Underground was formed, and contact with Vietnamese communists there.[16]

While on the run from police, Dohrn married another Weatherman leader, Bill Ayers, with whom she has two children.

During the last years of their underground life, Dohrn and Ayers resided in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, where they used the aliases Christine Louise Douglas and Anthony J. Lee. [14]
In the late 1970s, the Weatherman group split into two factions — the "May 19 Coalition" and the "Prairie Fire Collective" — with Dohrn and Ayers in the latter. The Prairie Fire Collective favored coming out of hiding, with members facing the criminal charges against them, while the May 19 Coalition continued in hiding. A decisive factor in Dohrn's coming out of hiding were her concerns about her children.[9]"

So we knew where the Ayers lived in the latter part of the 10 year run. Curious to know where they lived in the first part of the run.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Obama calls for a moratorium on mortgage foreclosures

[Barbara]

States, Economies and Markets:Redefining the Rules

Interesting article by George Friedman at Stratfor re: nationalizing portions of the global economy.

[sylvia]

FYI on BHO's father, an article he wrote on socialism after he returned to Kenya. LUN. Apparently he was relatively high up in the government there as an economist.

Now wasn't the CIA very involved in making sure communism was not spread in Africa in the 60's? And wouldn't they have loved an agent from Harvard in the Kenya government? Just asking.

[Cecil Turner]

Decide for yourself whether Andy Martin should be given a place in a "documentary".

You mean as opposed to obvious fabrications from political opponents like Kilkenny? I'd wait for the similar condemnation of ABC News (and CBS, etc.) . . . but I don't think holding my breath is advisable.

[Tom Maguire]

From Sylvia:

From 1988-1991 Obama went to Harvard Law School.

A recent profile on "When Michelle Met Barry" mentioned that he was a first year student summering at Sidley Austin. The article also said that first year student interns were rare but that Obama had glowing teacher recommendations.

What the article did not say was that Sidley Austin did a lot of legal work for Tom Ayers' company, Commonwealth Edison, so it was a bit of a house shop for the Ayers (hence Bernadine's presence there.)

So did Sidley take the promising first year student exclusively on teacher recommendations? Or was there an Ayers push there as well? And why wouldn't they push, if he had impressed them the year before on the ABCs Coalition?

But all of this pales in comparison with the importance of determining whether Sean Hannity hosted a complete kook or just an awful kook. Because, hmm, people may not yet realize that Sean Hannity is a right wing broadcaster who may be filling the airwaves for years or even decades. Obama is merely the favorite to be our next President and he will be up for re-election in four short years, so why worry? Sic Transit Gloria, and thank heavens for our inquisitive friends on the left.

[ex-democrat]

Tom: the explanation that "Obama had glowing teacher recommendations" is also inherently unconvincing: firms either take first year student "interns" (aka "summer associates") or they don't, and those that do are not short of contenders with "glowing teacher recommendations."

[Tom Maguire]

As a side topic, after Hilzoy decides I am an anti-Semite for not be suitably outraged by Andy Martin's existence and prominence, will anyone care if I continue to ignore her?

So many fools, so little time...

[MayBee]

Eesh.
They are evacuating one of the neighborhoods in our school district.
Keep your fingers crossed, guys.

[clarice]

I'm crossing my fingers. Be sure to let us know what's up, MayBee.

[Porchlight]

Take care, MayBee...

[Rick Ballard]

MayBee,

If you have a shake roof, have the kids take a hose up and saturate it. They'll have fun and it will be an exciting memory for them. Are you between the fire and the coast?

[centralcal]

Have you guys seen the story at Confederate Yankee? OMG!!!! It's about Frank Marshall Davis, and no it isn't the Enquirer story but one out of the UK Telegraph.

Good Lord. Everything about Obama is either weird, creepy, racist, radical, or scuzzy.

LUN

[Cecil Turner]

Obama is merely the favorite to be our next President . . .

Heh. Not sure you're showing the proper respect to Hilzoy's "truth squad" efforts here. Maybe you need some reeducation . . .

[MayBee]

Thanks, guys. I am between the fire and the coast. We have a tile roof.
Actually, fire-wise, I think we're far-ish enough away. About 5 miles from where they are evacuating, but that neigborhood is really large and brushy with few ways in and out. I think it's an abundance of caution thing.

[LJM]

Does anyone here have any sway with the McCain campaign?

Today I heard someone ask a question for Obama that I think could have the potential of turning the election around.

The question is:

"Would you, Barrack Obama have kicked off a campaign or sat on a board with an unrepentant abortion clinic bomber?

Whatever his answer or non answer, even if he was Socrates, I don't think he could win on that point.

Several of those swing states are very pro-life.

McCain needs to ask the question.

[Rick Ballard]

MayBee,

It still might be a good evening to review evacuation procedure with the kids. We were burned out one night when I was about 14 and my youngest brother had serious nightmares for two years from the experience. He was 6 and hadn't paid attention to my folks 'what do you do if?' drill. We couldn't open doors because of smoke and I finally had to break his window because he was so badly panicked that he couldn't hear me hollering for him to open it.

[badjane]

That must have been so scary for you and your family Rick!! I'm not surprised you triumphed in the end.

[MayBee]

Oh Rick, that would have been awful.
It is a good idea to go over a plan with the kids. If the winds pick up again, the fires will really start spreading.

[MayBee]

Oh- forgot to say thanks for the reminder, Rick.