What Did Obama Know About Ayers, When? (Chicago Sun-Times)

The Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 10-7-08 | Lynn Sweet

[rightinthemiddle]

When did Obama know about Ayers terrorist background? My search for Ayers and Dohrn

NASHVILLE--Since the McCain campaign has resurfaced the matter of Barack Obama's relationship with Bill Ayers--the former terrorist now Chicago education professor---there are some matters I am curious about. I say this as one who has explained time and again in print and on television Ayers, by the time Obama met him in the 1990s, was a respected academic who was welcome into Chicago's civic life.

(snip)

So the question is--I'm just curious and I wonder about this as one who has defended Obama's association with Ayers, the education expert (not Ayers, the terrorist)---when did Obama finally learn about the Weather Underground background of Ayers and his wife Bernardine Dohrn?

(snip)

I asked Obama chief strategist David Axelrod on Tuesday afternoon here when and how Obama learned about Ayers and Dohrn and their days with the violent radical 1960s group.

(snip)

So, did he know who Ayers was when he went to his home in 1995?

"My understanding is that when he went there, he did not," Axelrod said.

Reporters noticed that clause -- "my understanding is" -- and pressed further. Did Axelrod ask Obama if he knew Ayers' history when he first met with him?

"Yes," Axelrod said.

And he did not know?

"Yes," Axelrod said. "That's what I've said -- I answered the question when I was asked the other day. But no one's suggesting that he never knew. I mean that's not -- we weren't offering that. I wasn't offering it -- I was asked a question that you just asked me and just answered it. I wasn't making an argument about it."

I'm not arguing either. I'm just curious.

[rightinthemiddle]

Interesting. Even the Chicago Sun-Times has some people wondering.

Did a search for "Ayers" and this did not show up, at least in this form.

[sarasota]

Did Obama ever study U.S. history? How did he miss that bit on 60’s radicalism? Typical Dem talking point: create wiggle room and assume Americans are too stupid/lazy to get the facts.

[RC2]

Obama says he was only eight years old when he met Ayers. I guess he was only eight years old when he met in Ayers home to start his campaign in the state. Or maybe he was only eight years old when he was on the board of directors.

[The G Man]

I just came across this archived page from the University of Chicago's website where the two of them were to appear together as part of a panel on juvenile justice:

November 4, 1997	Contact: Carrie Golus (773) 702-8359 cgolus@uchicago.edu
Should a child ever be called a “super predator?” A panel at the University of Chicago debates the merits of the juvenile justice system Children who kill are called “super predators,” “people with no conscience,” “feral pre-social beings"–and “adults.” William Ayers, author of A Kind and Just Parent: The Children of Juvenile Court(Beacon Press, 1997), says “We should call a child a child. A 13-year-old who picks up a gun isn’t suddenly an adult. We have to ask other questions: How did he get the gun? Where did it come from?” Ayers, who spent a year observing the Cook County Temporary Juvenile Detention Center in Chicago, is one of four panelists who will speak on juvenile justice at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, in the C-Shop of the Reynolds Club, 5706 S. University Ave. The panel, which marks the 100th anniversary of the juvenile justice system in the United States, is part of the Community Service Center’s monthly discussion series on issues affecting the city of Chicago. The event is free and open to the public. Ayers will be joined by Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama, Senior Lecturer in the University of Chicago Law School, who is working to block proposed legislation that would throw more juvenile offenders into the adult system; Randolph Stone, Director of the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic at the University of Chicago; Alex Correa, a reformed juvenile offender who spent 7 years in Cook County Temporary Detention Center; Frank Tobin, a former priest and teacher in the Detention Center who helped Correa; and Willy Baldwin, who grew up in public housing and is currently a teacher in the Detention Center. The juvenile justice system was founded by Chicago reformer Jane Addams, who advocated the establishment of a separate court system for children which would act like a “kind and just parent” for children in crisis. One hundred years later, the system is “overcrowded, under-funded, over-centralized and racist,” Ayers said. Michelle Obama, Associate Dean of Student Services and Director of the University of Chicago Community Service Center, hopes bringing issues like this to campus will open a dialogue between members of the University community and the broader community. “We know that issues like juvenile justice impact each of us who live in the city of Chicago. This panel gives community members and students a chance to hear about the juvenile justice system not only on a theoretical level, but from the people who have experienced it.”  http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/97/971104.juvenile.justice.shtml Last modified at 03:50 PM CST on Wednesday, June 14 2000.
University of Chicago News Office 5801 South Ellis Avenue - Room 200 Chicago, Illinois 60637-1473	(773) 702-8360 Fax: (773) 702-8324 comments to webmaster

[jersey117]

Where is that picture from?

[The G Man]

I also found this page which appears to have been some prehistoric right wing site. In any event, I wonder if this was Obama's famous Hyde Park "coming out party":

"THE PROGRESSIVE WING of the Democratic Party hasn't gone underground," read the invitation to the fundraiser for Democrats Online. ". . . We're on the Internet!" The organization launched itself during the Democratic convention in Chicago. They were hosted at the Hyde Park home of Bernardine Dohrn and her husband, William Ayers. Dohrn was a founder and leader of the Weather Underground, a Soviet- sponsored group that claimed responsibility for dozens of bombings in the late '60s and early '70s. [Internet Political Report]
_________________________
ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY: ALONG with Ayers, also a Weather Underground leader, Dohrn was in hiding for ten years. For four years she appeared on the FBI's Most Wanted list. Recently, she has been co-chair of the American Bar Association Section on Litigation Task Force on Children. Dohrn and Ayers have never apologized for their terrorist activities.

DEMOCRATS online is headed by David Lytel, who set up President Clinton's Website and now works as an Internet consultant to Democratic candidates. According to The Chicago Tribune, Lytel said, "There is a lot of room for different ideas in progressive politics, and we're proud to be associated with Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayers."

[ravingnutter]

Yep...I have the screen shot of that on file and have been posting it for a couple of days now...we need to hammer on that particular event as it clearly shows Michelle personally invited Ayers.

[Paladin2]

"Ayers, the education expert"

Errs is the RE-education expert.

[The G Man]

DEMOCRATS online is headed by David Lytel, who set up President Clinton's Website and now works as an Internet consultant to Democratic candidates. According to The Chicago Tribune, Lytel said, "There is a lot of room for different ideas in progressive politics, and we're proud to be associated with Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayers."

Can Lytel or his website, democrats.com, be directly tied to Obama?

[what's up]

Shouldn't the Chicago Sun Times have gotten curious years ago?

[ravingnutter]

Found more info at the Hillary Clinton Forum:

Obama Lie BUSTED! Article from 1996 Shows Ayer's player in Chicago w/ Democrats

[RDTF]

Ramirez nails it again

[bperiwinkle7]

WOW

Thanks for Posting!

[P-Marlowe]

Ayers is not a "former" terrorist. He has never been punished nor has he repented of his terrorism. He is STILL a terrorist.

If William Ayers is a "former" terrorist, then Osama Bin Laden is a "former" terrorist.

Is the University of Chicago prepared to offer Osama Bin Laden a professorship in Education? If not, then why not? I suspect their qualifications for the position are similar. They both hate America.

[The G Man]

Here's a link to a 2001 webpage for the University of Chicago showing both of the Obamas serving together with Bernardine Dohrn on the school's mentor program:

click

[Mentor Program] [Student Application]

Current Mentors

The following is a list of 2000-2001 mentors. An asterix indicates that the mentor has already been chosen.

Ms. Bernadine Dohrn	Professor	Northwestern School of Law
*Mr. Barack Obama	Senator	Illinois State Senate
Ms. Michelle Obama	Associate Dean of Student Services	University of Chicago

[weegee]

>>So, did he know who Ayers was when he went to his home in 1995?

>”My understanding is that when he went there, he did not,” Axelrod said.

translation: Did Obama know who Ayers was in 1995 when he went to Ayers’ home? “my understanding is... he did not”

>>Reporters noticed that clause — “my understanding is” — and pressed further. Did Axelrod ask Obama if he knew Ayers’ history when he first met with him?

>”Yes,” Axelrod said.

translation: Did YOU ask Obama if he knew Ayers’ history (when they first met) in 1995? “Yes”

>>And he did not know?

>>”Yes,” Axelrod said. “That’s what I’ve said — I answered the question when I was asked the other day. But no one’s suggesting that he never knew. I mean that’s not — we weren’t offering that. I wasn’t offering it — I was asked a question that you just asked me and just answered it. I wasn’t making an argument about it.”

translation: And he did not know? “Yes”

Yes he did not know or yes he knew???

Again:
>”But no one’s suggesting that he never knew. I mean that’s not — we weren’t offering that. I wasn’t offering it — I was asked a question that you just asked me and just answered it.”

So did Obama LIE to Axelrod? Or is Alexrod claiming that Obama MAY have lied to him?

[TankerKC]

Obama says he was only eight years old when he met Ayers.

No. He says that he was 8 when Ayers was doing his thing. No sense in misrepresenting an already bad situation.

[driftless2]

William Ayers is just another one of the many closets Obama supporters don’t want to look into. They’re afraid of how many leftist skeletons will tumble out.