Daley on Obama and Ayers: 'They're friends. So what?'

NRO ^ | 8/21/08 | Jim Geraghty

[DallasBiff]

Daley on Obama and Ayers: 'They're friends. So what?'

The Chicago Tribune's John Kass jumps on the story of Stanley Kurtz, the library at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and 132 boxes full of documents pertaining to the Chicago Annenberg Challenge - the project that Bill Ayers founded and Barack Obama chaired.

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley offers his non-answer on whether the library, named after his father, should release the documents:

"Bill Ayers—I've said this—his father was a great friend of my father," the mayor said. "I'll be very frank. Vietnam divided families, divided people. It was a terrible time of our country. People didn't know one another. Since then, I'll be very frank, [Ayers] has been in the forefront of a lot of education issues and helping us in public schools and things like that."

The mayor expressed his frustrations with outside agitators like Kurtz.

"People keep trying to align himself with Barack Obama," Daley said. "It's really unfortunate. They're friends. So what? People do make mistakes in the past. You move on. This is a new century, a new time. He reflects back and he's been making a strong contribution to our community."

Completely unmentioned is whether documents held at a state-run university's library, about a project to reform and improve public school systems, relating to a public figure who wants to be the next president, can be withheld from the public's eyes.

Also note that Daley says that "people do make mistakes in the past," although William Ayers has never expressed regret for setting bombs in places like the U.S. Capitol and women's bathrooms in the Pentagon.

[DallasBiff]

Daley's father, who was a patriotic American in the Scoop Jackson mold and loved his country and didn't want the city he governed to be overrun by the communist agigators in 68 is probably rolling in his grave.

[Unam Sanctam]

I was arguing with my ueber-liberal aunt-in-law the other day about the Bill Ayers connection to Obama, and finally she just blurted out, “it just doesn’t bother me”. Absolutely chilling how these people think and what they are willing to rationalize.

[KSCITYBOY]

It's not the liberals that need to understand the Bill Ayers connection.

[MrB]

I expect any day for someone to come out and say the infanticide issue “just doesn’t bother me” when the evidence becomes undeniable.

[Finalapproach29er]

Totally corrupt.

[Unam Sanctam]

People do make mistakes in the past. You move on.

That's just it, dufus. Ayers is unrepentant over his murderous past and does not think it a mistake. He said he didn't do enough in the way of bombings. THAT is the issue.

[Maelstorm]

Yes but let us see how America feels about this terrorist having the ear of the next President? The whole Democrat party is full of Ayers types. Shoot a Rasmussen poll showed that 60% of Democrats either believed that George Bush knew about the coming 9-11 attacks or thought he may have known. The people are radical Anti everything that makes America great. Taxes, Big government, radical feminists, radical environmentalists, abortion, radical sexual ac activists don’t make America great. They are big sores on the face of America. That is why Democrats don’t run ads saying we are going to raise your taxes for your own good. They can’t run on what they really believe.

[GWMcClintock]

“’They’re friends. So what?’”

“Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character” (I Cor.15:33)

Any questions?

[Snurple]

What Chicago need is a good enema to wash out shit like Richard M. Daley who should be serving time in prison right now.

[capydick]

They're friends. So what?

I'm sure John McCain doesnt have any friends who have had their pictures taken like these.

[massgopguy]

Thjey don’t care that Robert Byrd was a Kleagle either.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley offers his non-answer...

As he always does on everything.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Daley should have been hounded out of office after the ‘95 heatwave deaths.

[goodnesswins]

Wait till Obambi starts bringing his “family members” from all across the globe to the Whitehouse.....(THIS STUFF IS SCARY!)

[Popman]

So what? People do make mistakes in the past. You move on. This is a new century, a new time.

Yeah, people do make mistakes in the past, they normally recognize them as mistakes and admit them as such.

Bill Ayers has not done any of these things

Until he does, you can't move on, even it is is new century

[Melinda]

“It just doesn’t bother me” usually means “I don’t know enough to have an informed opinion, and I don’t want to admit to it.” or, “I could give a **** if it’s wrong, I don’t care because I haven’t exactly been very moral or ethical in my own life, either, so how can I pass judgment on another?” or, “I secretly supported the Weather Underground and had a crush on Bill.” LOL.

[Popman]

You know the far right picture just needs a noose rope photo shopped in to compete the picture

[chimera]

You're right. Ayers hasn't moved on. He hasn't changed his views. He thinks they didn't do enough bombings. What are we supposed to think of that? Is he willing to do more if given the chance? What is the old saying about how you can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep? Obama seems to pick some real losers (Ayers, Wright, Rezko, et al.) to keep company with.

[newfreep]

I agree with Daley 100%. My best buddy, osama bin laden, is in my golfing foursome each saturday. I’m still a patriot - so what?

[austinaero]

McCain should have included this in his new ad about the Obama/Ayers relationship. It could have ended with Daley’s quote, “They’re friends. So what?”