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Politics : Just the Facts, Ma'am: A Compendium of Liberal Fiction -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: thames_sider who wrote (67440)	10/11/2008 9:09:55 PM
From: Brumar89	1 Recommendation Respond to of 90947

is Obama actually working specifically with Ayers on something? Not now, but he did a few years back, being made chair by Ayers of a grant, written by Ayers and funded by Annenberg with matches from other foundations, which spent about $150M on education projects. Thats a significant association with Ayers on the subject of education. And we know Ayers views on education are radical as he's said so - for example, Ayers turns up 2 years back talking up revolutionary education with Chavez. it seems to have been a reasonably casual acquaintance, probably one of hundreds Obama has had at this level, could you even expect him to know what Ayers espouses? Yes, Ayers picked him to be the chair, Ayers wrote the grant. If they had different ideas, why would Obama be there? Has Obama put forward specific policies on education? If he has radical educaiton ideas, would he really tell the voters that? Consider also the gap between official Obama policies and the reality in other areas. For example, Obama called for renegotiating NAFTA in the primaries, but an aide told concerned Canaidan officials it was just campaign rhetoric and to disregard it. Another example, is clean coal which he officially says his policy is for. But his VP was taped telling someone "We're NOT for clean coal ... no more coal plants in America". So whatever is put on Obama's site as a policy doesn't mean anything.

To: thames_sider who wrote (67440)	10/11/2008 9:44:52 PM
From: Oeconomicus	1 Recommendation Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 90947

"but is Obama actually working specifically with Ayers on something? It seems an odd way for a busy senator, standing for president, to be doing. Are, or were, they on the same committee (chaired by one of them... was there some large grant to be distributed? ... it seems to have been a reasonably casual acquaintance ... could you even expect him to know what Ayers espouses? "You see, I doubt the "given" in that question. (And as I said I'm really not interested in Ayers...)..." I don't know you, so I'd like to give you the benefit of the doubt that you really don't know the answers to all those questions, t_s, but all it'd take is a quick google of Ayers and you'd know the answers. Sadly, the questions themselves suggest you do know the answers. Perhaps you are in denial, just coping best you can with dissonant thoughts. In any case, here are your answers: Yes, Obama was "actually working specifically with Ayers on something?" It was called the "Chicago Annenburg Challenge" (CAC), of which Ayers was one of the three original organizers. Yes, there was "some large grant to be distributed." $50 million, in fact, which Ayers was instrumental in getting from the Annenburg Foundation. Obama became CAC board president to oversee distribution of the money. And yes, they were "on the same committee" - the board of directors of Woods Fund of Chicago, working together for three years. And BTW, the CAC $50 million grant and Obama's appointment to be its board president happened in 1995, well before he became a "busy senator, standing for president", before he was even busy voting "present" in the state legislature, and before Ayers hosted a fundraiser at his home to launch Obama's political career. It was, however, three years after Obama was appointed to the U. of Chicago Law School faculty, where he joined Ayers' wife and fellow terrorist, Bernadine Dohrn. Of course, none of that proves what views Obama holds or doesn't hold. But it does say something about his willingness to befriend and ally himself with despicable characters - admitted and unrepentent terrorists - just to advance his political career. That is NOT something admirable, regardless of whether Obama shares his views on education.