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Add an EventBill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn on the Weather Underground, the McCain Campaign Attacks, President-Elect Obama and the Anti-War
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
In the closing weeks of the presidential race, Governor Palin repeatedly invoked Bill Ayers on the campaign trail as a line of attack against Obama.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
The McCain campaign even put out automated robocalls to voters in swing states to highlight Obama’s alleged ties to Bill Ayers.
McCain Campaign Robocall.
On television, an attack ad by the conservative American Issues Project was played in key battleground states linking Obama to Bill Ayers.
bq. American Issues Project ad.
On Fox News, Bill O’Reilly made Bill Ayers his drumbeat.
Excerpt of Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor.”
Throughout the entire presidential race, Bill Ayers did not once talk to the media. Today, he and his wife, Bernardine Dohrn–a fellow member of the Weather Underground–are speaking out in their first joint television interview since the controversy began.
Bill Ayers is now a distinguished professor of education and a senior university scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is the author many books, including his 2001 memoir, “Fugitive Days: Memoirs of an Antiwar Activist” which is being reissued this week. Bernardine Dohrn is an Associate Professor of Law at Northwestern University School of Law and the Director of Northwestern’s Children and Family Justice Center. Democracy Now co-host Juan Gonzalez and I spoke with both of them from a studio in their hometown of Chicago. In a wide-ranging conversation we discussed the McCain campaign attacks, President-elect Obama, the Weather Underground, their plans for the future and much more.
Bill Ayers, distinguished professor of education and a senior university scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is the author many books, including his 2001 memoir, “Fugitive Days: Memoirs of an Antiwar Activist” which is being reissued this week.
Bernardine Dohrn, Associate Professor of Law at Northwestern University School of Law and the Director of Northwestern’s Children and Family Justice Center.
LISTEN ONLINEThey certainly couldn't be described as just a ''miltant antiwar group ''. They called themselves '' White revolutionary anti-imperialists'' ,Mostly but not all ''white'' . They had a few Asians, Latinos, and Native Americans among their ranks . To the best of my knowledge they didn't have any Black members but they were politically allied with the '' Cleaver wing '' of the Black Panther party . While most were from comfortable middle class professional or small business families, few were from the ruling class like Bill Ayers. A few were from working class families .
Ayers were right that they couldn't be considered '' terrorists ''. The only people that died were two of their own members , victims of a botched attempt at bomb making (what the I.R.A. called ''a own goal '' , from the soccer/football term ) But they couldn't be considered ''revoluntionaries ''. They totally wrote off the white working class, as hopelessly bought off by ''white skin privilege ''and ''super profits of imperialism ''. As for non whites they ignored the real differences among say African and Chinese Americans(among others) and proclaimed instead a semi-mythical '' Third world United front supported by White '' Mother country ''radicals ''.
They also ignored or downplayed Black and Latino workers struggles such as the United Farm Workers Union or the Detroit Revolutionary Union Movement (DRUM ) . So how can a group say there for ''revolution '' if they write off a majority of the country's population ?
As for Ayers and Obama's assertion that the education committee he (Ayers) served on was a totally '' respectable '' "'blue chip '' group , that's absolutely correct !
Despite Ayers statement at the end of today's interview that he was still a ''radical ''-- Maybe in his mind but anyone that would loyally serve on a committee like that and be praised by the current Mayor Daly is no ''red''.
A couple of thoughts .
And the list goes on and on, to the present.
But if they were idiots they were ''our '' idiots ! I have never seen ANY evidence that they were some cointelpro creation .
Most of their leading figures had already had (at a young age ) years of activism to their credit before forming the Weather faction . Many were '' Red Diaper babies '', sons and daughters of Communist party or ex Cp , parents (not usually a demographic that produces ''deep cover '' cops and Federal agents )
So SF Insider , you really should put up or shut up !
PS As regards the short lived SLA , they do have a far more mysterious and questionable history . De Freeze had been, at long time anyway , a informer for the LAPD . But if Bill and Emily Harris were actually agents they must have been incrediably dedicated right wingers to endure years in prison (where they are today ) without blowing the whistle on the alleged operation .
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