Who cares about Bill Ayres?

Just a guy from the neighborhood? Just another run of the mill university liberal? A small piece of the Obamanation?


William Ayres, 63, University of Chicago Professor (elementary education theory). Son of late Commonwealth Edison (largest electric utility in Illinois) CEO Thomas G. Ayers. Attended the University of Michigan.


Question: What makes him controversial?


Answer: He was an active member of the Weather Underground.


For those of us fortunate ones that weren't alive in the sixties (thank Heaven a million times over), here's the skinny: This was a radical group of anti-Vietnam protestors that thought it would be groovy to bomb the Pentagon, US Capitol, and other government buildings. Some say there were no deaths; however, the preponderance of evidence suggests there were. Nice that they didn't have real jobs to hold down (thanks to their rich parents) or families to support, or countries to protect--those things really would have put the damper on all the bombing fun... Anyway, Ayres spent the 70's as a fugitive before finally surrendering in 1980. Why didn't this upstanding young man go to jail you ask? Apparently incompetent police investigation (illegal surveillance). That's a discussion for another day...


So what's the link to Obama? Well, Mr. Ayres eventually became a prof at the University of Chicago and lived in the same 'hood as Obama. This is where the truth becomes more difficult to discern.


Barry was an up and coming politician in Chicago when he met Ayres. What we know for sure is that Ayres held a fund raiser/"mix-and-mingle" for Obama in his home. This was at the very beginning of his political career. McCain tells us that he "launched his political career" at this event. Obama denies this vehemently crying foul. Some say he "launched his political career" in a hotel or some such place. It's splitting hairs from here so we'll move on...


Unfortunately for us(or maybe not), the association doesn't end there. Obama and Ayres served on at least two boards together. In case you didn't know, that's what cool, important people do to fill their time and feel fulfilled--serve on boards... These include the not-for-profit Woods Fund of Chicago (A grantmaking foundation whose goal is to increase opportunities for less-advantaged people and communities in the metropolitan area. Woodsfund.org) and the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (A Chicago public school reform project from 1995 to 2001 that worked with half of Chicago's public schools and was funded by a $49.2 million, 2-to-1 matching challenge grant over five years from the Annenberg Foundation. Wikipedia). Undoubtedly, they attended events together, sat in council together, and interacted as you would if you were on boards together.


So, does any of this really matter to us? While it bothers me that he chooses such unsavory characters as colleagues, friends, and mentors (more to come on that in another post), I'm not really sure that it does. As an aside, I think Ayres is a dirt bag who admits he doesn't regret all the psychedelic bombing and wishes he'd done more (not sure if he meant more bombing or more in general, i.e. "helping the world" as only the 60's & 70's hippies can) as told in a NY Times interview done in 2001--great timing there Billy--to advertise his book (Fugitive Days, 2001). But anyway, back to Obama. I honestly don't feel like they were best buddies and I don't think the guy is a threat to society today. I'd rather they weren't associates at all and I don't believe Obama is telling us the truth regarding the extent of their associations. However, I also recognize that as a politician and a liberal in Chicago, you're likely to cross paths with less than upstanding folks. I do believe Obama when he says Ayres isn't forming policy for him or advising him on important matters. Obama probably didn't know all about Ayres when he first met him, and even if he did, he was trying to get elected, right?

On the bright side, having experience hangin' out with terrorists might make Obama more qualified for his face to face, no pre-requisites meetings with the likes of Ahmadinejad. That should make us all feel better.