Obama’s terrorist co-chairman
Published: October 13, 2008
Updated: October 14, 2008
Beginning in 1995, Barack Obama and Bill Ayers served together on the board of the Annenberg Challenge Project. Before it closed in 2003, CNN reports, it had given hundreds of thousands of dollars to social change projects promoted by Ayers. 1
Ayers was the person responsible for getting the Annenberg grant for Chicago. 2 He was one of the three founders of the Project. 3 The Project’s minutes note that Ayers and Obama wrote its bylaws together. 4 Ayers was the co-chair of the Project’s “Collaborative”, which shaped its educational policy. 5
In 1995, a few months after Obama became chairman of the Annenberg Challenge, his political career began when state Sen. Alice Palmer introduced Obama to a dozen-or-so folks gathered in the Hyde Park living room of Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn as the person to take her place in the Illinois State Senate. 6
In 1997, Obama wrote a glowing review in the Chicago Tribune for one of Ayers’ books. 7 CNN also reported that he was listed with Ayers as a panelist at a forum organized by his wife, Michelle Obama. 8
From 1999 to 2001 9 , Ayers and Obama also served together on the board of the Woods Foundation of Chicago, and grants were made from it to Obama’s church, Trinity United Church of Christ, and to the Children and Family Justice Center, which is run by Ayers’ wife, Bernadine Dohrn. 10
So why, during an April 2008 debate with Hillary Clinton, did Obama claim that he knew Ayers simply “as a guy who lives in my neighborhood?” 11
William “Bill” Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn first met in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1967. Until recently, though, she was the more famous of the two, mainly because of her incendiary speeches: In 1969, when Charlie Manson went on his killing spree, Dohrn told an SDS rally, “Dig it! Manson killed those pigs, then they ate dinner in the same room with them, then they shoved a fork into a victim’s stomach.” 12
It was she who made the public announcement on May 21, 1970: “Hello. This is Bernardine Dohrn. I’m going to read a declaration of a state of war. This is the first communication from the Weatherman Underground. … Within the next 14 days, we will attack a symbol or institution of Amerikan injustice.” 13
In 1970, Ayers’ then-girlfriend, Diana Oughton, and two other people were killed in a bombmaking accident in Greenwich Village. Ayers went underground. By that time, Bernadine Dorhn was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List” 14, and the Weather Underground 15 was listed as a “Domestic Terrorist Organization” by the FBI. 16
Ayers and Dohrn have three children: In 1977 they had Zayd Atheola, named after a Black Panther killed in a shootout with police four years earlier; In 1980 they had Malik Cochise, named after Malcolm X and the Apache war chief; and Chesa, Kathy Boudin’s son, has been raised by Dohrn and Ayers since his mother was jailed for a Brinks robbery when he was 14 months old. 17
In an August 22, 1996 PBS interview with Dorhn and Ayers, they were asked by interviewer Elizabeth Brackett, “As you look back now, the bombings, what the Weathermen did claim credit for, would you do it differently now?” Ayers said, “I doubt it…[W]hat we did was certainly serious and had consequences for us personally, but I don’t think it was, it was anything that was uncalled for. I mean, I think it was called for.”
Dorhn answered, “The movement was never not into violence.” 18
On September 11, 2001, in an incredible ironic coincidence of timing, under the headline, “No Regrets for a Love Of Explosives”, The New York Times published an interview with Bill Ayers that had this now-famous opening line: “‘I don’t regret setting bombs,‘’ Bill Ayers said. ‘I feel we didn’t do enough.’” 19
The NYT interviewer reminded Ayers that in 1970 he had summed up the Weatherman creed by saying, “Kill all the rich people. Break up their cars and apartments. Bring the revolution home, kill your parents, that’s where it’s really at.” He told her, “It was a joke about the distribution of wealth.”
The reason for the NYT interview was to launch Ayers’ new book, “Fugitive Days”, in which he admitted participating in the bombings of New York City Police Headquarters in 1970, the Capitol building in 1971, and the Pentagon in 1972.
“Everything was absolutely ideal on the day I bombed the Pentagon,” he wrote.
In his book, Ayers also claimed responsibility for breaking Timothy Leary out of jail. Writer Richard Stern, reports of another prison break Ayers was involved in: during dinner with Dohrn and Ayers, Ayers was describing to Stern how “they’d gotten Eldridge Cleaver from a California prison to a Morocco haven” before Dohrn stopped him from saying more. 20
After Malik’s birth in 1980, they decided to come out of hiding. Their Federal charges had been dropped years earlier due to prosecutorial misconduct, and Dorhn pleaded guilty to reduced state charges and got a fine and three years probation. A few months later, when she was asked to testify about Kathy Boudin’s Brinks robbery, she claimed she knew nothing about it. The feds then asked for a writing sample, Dorhn refused, and she was given 7 months for refusing to testify. “I felt grand juries were illegal and coercive,” said Dorhn, a law school graduate. 21
It was during a jail furlough that Dorhn and Ayers married. 22
The August 2001 issue of Chicago Magazine had an article about Ayers titled “No Regrets” accompanied by a posed photo of Ayers in an urban alleyway, nonchalantly standing on a crumbled American flag.
In that month before 9/11, the article recites his past of domestic terrorism and reports: “This—violence, death, and white-hot rhetoric—is his past and Ayers insists he has no regrets. ‘I acted appropriately in the context of those times,’ he says.” 23
Three days after 9/11, David Horowitz wrote of an interview he did with Ayers ten years before: “Ayers reviewed his activities as a terrorist for my tape recorder. When he was done, he broke into a broad, Jack Horner grin and summed up his experience: ‘Guilty as hell. Free as a bird. America is a great country.’” 24
In 2003, the film “The Weather Underground”, with interviews of Dorhn, Ayers, and two other Weather Underground members, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary.
In a January 2004 interview of Dorn and Ayers posted on the film’s website, they were asked, “Would you do it again under similar circumstances?”
Ayers answered, “Being almost 60, it’s impossible to not have lots and lots of regrets about lots and lots of things, but the question of did we do something that was horrendous, awful?… I don’t think so.”
Dorhn’s answer was, “At the end of the day, I feel like we were lucky to be in that history. We were lucky to be in that history. We were lucky to be in that moment where there was hope and a sense of libratory possibility.” 25
In 2006, Bill Ayers took his fourth trip to Venezuela to speak to educational “reformers” who are part of Hugo Chavez’ Bolivarian Revolution. On Ayers’ website is the content of his speech. He said, “We share the belief that education is the motor-force of revolution…” He encouraged them to “continue to overcome the failings of capitalist education as you seek to create something truly new and deeply humane… Capitalism promotes racism and militarism – turning people into consumers, not citizens.”
In Spanish, Ayers told his fellow reformers, “La educacion es revolucion! Viva Presidente Chavez! Viva La Revolucion Bolivariana! Hasta La Victoria Siempre!” 26
Chairman Obama. Co-Chairman Ayers. They are more than simply two guys who live in the same neighborhood.
J. Michael Sharman is an independent columnist who practices law in Culpeper. His column appears Tuesdays in the Star-Exponent.
1 http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/07/obama.ayers/
2 http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/05/fact-check-is-obama-palling-around-with-terrorists/
3 Kurtz, Stanley “Founding Brothers: What’s behind Obama’s early rise?” Sep 24, 2008 http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NTM4ZmU1NGFkODJlMjhmYjkxMjg4Y2Q0NTVlYjAzMmY=
4 Chicago Annenberg Challenge Board Of Directors Minutes, 3/15/95
5 Kurtz, Stanley “Obama and Ayers Pushed Radicalism On Schools” Wall Street Journal, Sep 23, 2008
6 http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/07/obama.ayers/
7 Chicago Tribune, 12/21/97
8 http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/07/obama.ayers/
9 http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/05/fact-check-is-obama-palling-around-with-terrorists/
10 http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/07/obama.ayers/
11 http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/07/obama.ayers/
12 Smith, Dinitia “No Regrets for a Love Of Explosives; In a Memoir of Sorts, a War Protester Talks of Life With the Weathermen”, The New York Times, September 11, 2001
13 http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/pacificaviet/scheertranscript.html
14 Smith, Dinitia “No Regrets for a Love Of Explosives; In a Memoir of Sorts, a War Protester Talks of Life With the Weathermen”, The New York Times, September 11, 2001 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F02E1DE1438F932A2575AC0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
15 “The FBI’s analysis of its motivations, beliefs, and international travels are outlined in this summary.” http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/weather.htm
16 http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/05/fact-check-is-obama-palling-around-with-terrorists/
17 http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/weather/radicals_8-22.html, TALES FROM THE UNDERGROUND, AUGUST 22, 1996, TRANSCRIPT; and Smith, Dinitia “No Regrets for a Love Of Explosives; In a Memoir of Sorts, a War Protester Talks of Life With the Weathermen”, The New York Times, September 11, 2001 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F02E1DE1438F932A2575AC0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
18 http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/weather/radicals_8-22.html, TALES FROM THE UNDERGROUND, AUGUST 22, 1996, TRANSCRIPT
19 Smith, Dinitia “No Regrets for a Love Of Explosives; In a Memoir of Sorts, a War Protester Talks of Life With the Weathermen”, The New York Times, September 11, 2001 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F02E1DE1438F932A2575AC0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
20 http://rossdouthat.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/the_william_ayers_he_knows.php
21 Smith, Dinitia “No Regrets for a Love Of Explosives; In a Memoir of Sorts, a War Protester Talks of Life With the Weathermen”, The New York Times, September 11, 2001 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F02E1DE1438F932A2575AC0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
22 Smith, Dinitia “No Regrets for a Love Of Explosives; In a Memoir of Sorts, a War Protester Talks of Life With the Weathermen”, The New York Times, September 11, 2001 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F02E1DE 1438F932A2575AC0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
23 Coburn, Marcia “No Regrets” Chicago Magazine, August 2001 http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2001/No-Regrets/
24 Horowitz, David “Allies in War”, FrontPageMagazine.com , September 14, 2001 http://www.islet.org/horowitz/20010914.htm
25 “The Weather Underground: Exclusive Interview : Bernadine Dorhn and Bill Ayers” , January 2004 http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/weatherunderground/interview.html
26 http://billayers.wordpress.com/2006/11/07/world-education-forum/
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Reader Reactions
rjam, By using your logic, you minimize what Ayers did down to a teenage shoplifting???
Are you kidding me!!! What he did is equivalent to what a bomber did at an abortion clinic. By his groups own mistake, and thank God, they killed themselves and not innocent people. By his own admission, if not for the prosecution errors, he’d have been in jail a long long time.
Thank God too, this does appeal to the typical voter. And had it come out to the public before Obama won most of the primaries, we’d have a better choice of Hillary Clinton than him right now.
cop, then using your logic, a 60-year old who stole something as a teenager is still “a thief”? They can never redeem themselves in your book. Look, you want McCain to win, so you are using this fake outrage in hopes that it will work with someone else. Not here I’m afraid. He also never said he wished he had done more bombing. His quote referred to doing more to help end the Vietnam War.
Got anything that might appeal to the typical voter who is wants something different than a 25% decline in the Dow during the Bush administration? Why would they want the same party to stay in power after that performance. It’s the economy, not Bill Ayers!
Like so many of you who have posted, (Ciudadano) you say things that Sharman never said, and then use your own words and opinion to say Sharman is lying. For example, in this article Sharman never said that in the last 3 years Ayers and Obama have been hanging out. Back to common sense here people, Obama “distanced” himself as soon as he started running for the highest office in this country! History proves that Ayers gave up being a domestic terrorist to become an educator in socialism. And during his good behaving years, he did pal around with Ayers and many others that are anti-American.
You should be ashamed for writing such falsehoods.
Mr. Shameless
Most of your supporting documentation does not mention Obama at all. The ones I found that mention Obama have the below disclaimers. Not the verdict in the CNN writes up you quote. Shame on you.
- Verdict: False. There is no indication that Ayers and Obama are now “palling around,“ or that they have had an ongoing relationship in the past three years. Also, there is nothing to suggest that Ayers is now involved in terrorist activity or that other Obama associates are.
- While I am not offering definitive conclusions about this letter here, I’ll present what I think is the most plausible reading. Readers can decide for themselves whether I’m right.
How do you expect people to respect what your write?
rjma: I stand corrected on the VA primary registration, thank you! I’ve returned to VA after spending many years away.
And hope that El Debble continues to vote for the best man McCain in this race too.
Anyone who bombs government buildings and police stations, admits to it and says “ he wished he had done more” IS A DOMESTIC TERRORIST. Anyone running for office, especially the President of the United States, should not be friends with or in business with a confirmed terrorist. Your associations show the type of person you truly are and speak volumes of your judgement.
I don’t know why you guys (sharman included) are spending so much time on this guy who is not running for president, is not a terrorist in spite of the CES headline, and has had little if any influence on Barack Obama. It is obviously all you’ve got left. People are going to vote for the person that they think will be the best for them, their community and their country. Very, very few are going to vote one way or the other based on some college professor. YOu’ve got 20 days. Better come with with something a lot better than Bill Ayers. One other thing Ordinary said “ you’d have to be a Republican to vote for him “. There is no party registration in VA. You don’t have to be a Republican to vote in the republican primary.
Oh, you scare me, by calling me names, and talking down to me. So you’d “own me” huh? You are showing your immaturity. Just because you don’t know the right questions to ask, doesn’t mean people really have to answer you.
I haven’t ignored anything. But if you were a lawyer in my court, I’d make you stay on topic, cause your distractions, though cunningly phrased, are just that, distractions. There’s a saying for people that don’t know how to ask the right questions…and that is ‘they’re too dumb to know the questions to ask’.
I’ve already fact checked Sharman, his sources, and it did not detract anything of what he wrote, both in this article and the past one we argued about.
So do you want to clarify whether or not you really voted for McCain for President in the Republican primaries, or was that a lie that you’re re-phrasing to distract?
Thank you ordinarywoman for making my point. I would take you, Sharman and your “reasonable assumptions” in front of a jury and own you. Ask Mike if I am not correct.
What projects were funded by Ayers that you find so terrible? There were no good ones?
How can you ignore certain Republicans who also have dealing with Ayers and ignore the people who fund this terrorist, yet harp about Obama having dealings with him? Republicans that were on the Annenberg board helped approve giving a known terrorist nearly 50 million dollars. Where is the outrage? Why do you know Ayers is a terrorist, but you don’t care who funded him? You won’t even look them up to see who they might be. Real open minded are we?
You once again throw out the Obama pals around with Ayers and now Wright, but you can’t prove it. Would you reach that reasonable asusmption if it was McCain? I say you wouldnt. Do you like people saying things about you that that is only their opinion and that they can’t prove? Is it right to to keep saying it as a fact when it is just your opinion? I don’t think so and if you can’t find a reason to vote for someone I think you should remain quite. As I think Sharman should since he can’t tell me why TO vote for anyone.
So Obama’s wife knowing somebody that knows somebody means Obama knows what the wife is doing? Can I assume then that you think Palin’s husband saying he was the one trying to get the brother-in-law fired and that the wife didn’t know about it is unbelievable? I bet you believe him.
McCain didn’t make it past the primaries because too many foolish people were voting for W and his band of chicken hawk draft dodgers. Way to go folks.
You won’t take “homework assignments” from me because you are one of the sheep who wants to believe something bad about the other side and you WILL NOT risk finding out anything different. Please don’t try to indicate that you have really put a lot of thought into your position when you are absolutely unwilling to do the minimal amount of fact checking it would take to find out Sharman might wrong.
Thanks wonderbread for your kind words. I like people to be able to talk civil to one another even though they disagree. My husband and I have practiced that for over 30 years, and it’s made for a wonderful marriage as well.
El Debibble, you are way too defensive. You’re defending things that no one has accused you of…like the “W administration”, or what others have taken from terrorist financier’s, or that Ayers changed tactics over the last 20 years.
We all know how these trust funds work. Much like grants…you put in the application and a board approves it if found worthy. And that’s what Obama did for Ayers in his “education” efforts. And that’s what Obama has done for ACORN. We are not against the fund being there, or who puts their money in it, but who gets money out of it for projects that go against our beliefs. Just like you have your beliefs, the rest of us do too, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t fault us for not wanting a man like Ayers funded for projects that don’t line up with what this country is founded on and the majority of its people believe. Like pledging to our flag.
You cannot prove, and neither can I, that Obama knew about Ayers when someone else picked the venue for his kick off. And that’s why one has to make reasonable assumptions, much like a jury. The reasonable assumption is, on my part, that since Obama’s wife knew and worked in the same office as Ayer’s wife, and she is a really smart lady that lived around Chicago her whole life, that she knew his background, and if she didn’t - she should have. Then there’s Obama himself, either he’s incredibly smart as it should be assumed, since he is a college grad. and can speak so well…AND HE KNEW ABOUT AYERS AND ALL THE OTHERS….or he’s not what he’s fooled everybody in to thinking and he is not so smart, and he pals around with the likes of Ayers, Rev. Wright, and Flagger for years and years and never has a philosophical or historic discussion? Come on…we don’t even know each other personally and we’ve hit on some deep subjects!!
You’re allowed to believe what you want, as I am and so is Sharman.
I don’t think Ayers teachings are a benefit to society either. Just because he’s grown up and he’s stopped bombing, does not elevate him so high that we can all accept the jargon that still comes out of his mouth. His teaching now are socialist, him going down to Chavez proves he is not worthy to teach our children.
And once again, your voting for McCain “EVERY” time could not net a vote one for President, as he’s never made it past the primaries till this year. AND you’d have to be a Republican to vote for him at all in the 2 primaries he’s been in. So is that the case or not? (The word ‘every’ means: used before an amount to indicate something happened at specified intervals)
PS: I don’t take homework assignments from you, (like finding out who else pals around with Ayers), as that is a distraction on your part, like I’ve mentioned before….stay on topic!!
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