Thursday, October 09, 2008

Other Items

Leila Fadel's "Iraqi provincial elections likely to be held early next year" (McClatchy Newspapers) covers the presidency council signing off on the bill regarding provincial elections thereby making it law and she notes that the deadline for elections to be held was Januaary 31st; however, "there may be a further postponement, according to the Independent High Electoral Commission." Among the problems include staffing issue and the candidates who are running (no list has been provided to the commission).

Article 50 was 'disappeared' from the bill by Parliament. It provides for minority representation. Fadel notes of it:

After approving the law, the Presidency Council decided to send a separate bill to parliament to restore a deleted article that assures minority representation in provincial assemblies. Christians across Iraq objected to the removal of the clause and even staged a demonstration on Monday to demand representation.
The Council plans to propose the law to parliament this week, said Nasir al Ani the chairmen.

Gen David Pertraeus used to be the top US commander in Iraq. He has moved on to head Centcom and Gen Ray Odierno is now the US' top commander in Iraq. Peter Spiegel's "Gen. Petraeus sounds cautious note on progress in Iraq" (Los Angeles Times) reports on a presentation he gave at the right-wing Heritage Foundation:

But he also argued that things could still go wrong.
One of the slides he presented at both Heritage and a gathering of current and retired Army officers had 10 "potential storm clouds" -- complete with yellow lightning bolts shooting from 10 gray shapes -- that could upend recent gains.
"This progress is a little less fragile, if you will, and a little more durable" than when he testified before his confirmation hearing in May, Petraeus said.
"But that is very heavily qualified by noting that there are enormous difficulties that Iraq still has to deal with."
Petraeus' cautious view, a hallmark of his command, contrasts with the suggestions of imminent victory from those around him and has set the U.S. course for nearly two years.
As one of the last acts of his tour in Iraq, for example, Petraeus pushed to keep nearly 140,000 troops in Iraq through the middle of next year over the wishes of some Pentagon leaders who wanted a faster rate of withdrawals.

Meanwhile Hurriyet's "Barzani says PKK attacks aim to harm Turkey-N.Iraq relations" notes the following:

The terrorist organization PKK's recent attacks in Turkey aimed at harming relations between Turkey and the regional administration in northern Iraq, a high level Iraqi Kurdish official said Thursday.
The regional administration in northern Iraq was watching with concern the recent terrorist attacks in Turkey, Nechirvan Barzani, prime minister of the Iraqi Kurdish administration, told in an interview with state-run Anatolian Agency.

As Sabrina Tavernise noted yesterday (the New York Times has her article online but it is not in print), "Turkey's parliament voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to extend by one year its authorization of military operations against Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq, keeping the door open to future strikes in the region. The approval, by a vote of 497 to 18, had been largely expected, and occurred amid a flurry of attacks in Turkey's largely Kurdish southeast." AP reports that this has been followed by a meeting today by "Turkey's leaders" to decide whether or not to up "the military's powers to combat Kurdish rebels . . . Newspaper reports, citing unnamed officials, said the requests include the right to search and detain suspects without prior authorization and to extend detention periods. Officials did not immediately confirm the reports."

Turning to the US presidential race. Cynthia McKinney is the Green Party presidential candidate and Rosa Clemente is her running mate. Rosa has

Rosa Clemente in New York October 9-11
Tuesday, 07 October 2008 23:01

from Rosa Clemente

Peace and Hello to all my New York City People:

As the billionaires on wall street get bailed out, and more and more people are tired of a two party stranglehold, join me, as I celebrate my electoral independence, I am in town, for three exciting days of campaign activities, attending a press conference for assistance and solidarity for Haiti, marching for the freedom of Politcal Prisoners and Prisoner of War, as well as these media appearances, hope to see you! "The Green Party is not the alternative, it is the imperative!" Rosa A. Clemente, Green Party Vice-Presidential Candidate


GritTV, with Laura Flanders, to air Wednesday October 8th, 2008, at 8:00pm & 1:00am ET, on Free Speech TV(DISH Network ch. 9415) www.lauraflanders.com
Where we Live, with Sally O'Brien Thursday October 9th, 2008 at 8:00pm on WBAI 99.5FM, www.wbai.org
The Truth, with Jeff Johnson on to air on BET Friday October 10th, 2008 at 10:00pm (EST)
_____________________________________________________________

[. . .]
____________________________________________________________


THURSDAY OCTOBER 9th, 2008 @ 3:30pm

Open Community Forum with Green Party Vice Presidential Nominee ROSA CLEMENTE,
to be televised on Manhattan Public Access

@ MNN Television Studios
Manhattan Neighborhood Network
537 West 59th Street,
New York, NY 10019
(between 10th and 11th Avenues)


Green Party VP Candidate -
Discusses the Economy, Foreign Policy, Education, Gender Equity, Racism, Social Justice, & the Environment
LIVE WITH THE COMMUNITY

Featuring Community Organizations:
-Grassroots Artists MovEment (G.A.ME)
-UHURU Movement
-Brenda Stokely from NY Solidarity Coalition With Katrina / Rita Survivors
- La Peña del Bronx

Performances:
-Hasan Salaam
-Video Screening of Final Outlaw's"HIP HOP 4Ever"


THIS IS A LIVE TO TAPE EVENT: IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT ALL AUDIENCE MEMBERS ARRIVE AT 3:00PM SHARP!


Please Contact: (917) 940-8961 or (917) 239-8992 with Questions or to RSVP for this event

ABOUT G.A.ME - The Grassroots Artists Movement (G.A.ME) is a membership organization dedicated to addressing sociopolitical and economic realities facing low-income Black and Latino communities. Galvanizing the influence of hip-hop artists and culture, G.A.ME unites artists and community members to work side-by-side for social justice. G.A.ME runs youth leadership and community development programs that provide tools for positive change.
__________________________________________________________

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10th, 2008

12:00 NOON
YES! to international assistance and solidarity to Haiti, NO! to the military occupation of Haiti and the attacks on Haitian sovereignty!
The Brecht Forum, 451 West St. @ Bethune St. in West Village, between W. 12th
St. and Bank St.

Tel. 212-242-4201

3:00pm
Rally at Madison Square Park at 5th Ave and 23rd St.
www.jerichomovement.com


9:00pm
Evening Concert to Benefit the Prisoners@ the Knitting Factory @ 74 Lenard St., NYC • 9 p.m. until . . .Featuring: Inmesyah Soul, Hassan Salaam, X-Vandals, Emperor,
Rebel Diaz, The Wordstock Poetry Collective, Maroon Society,
Gist the Essence, Collective Flow, United Front

6:30pm

New York Univeristy(NYU)


__________________________________________________________


Jericho 10th Anniversary Weekend of Resistance

www.jerichomovement.com

Saturday, October 11, 2008 @ 12 Noon

Rally at the Harlem State Office Building
(Corner of 126th St. & A.C. Powell Blvd.)

March through Harlem @ 1 p.m.

Closing Rally in Morningside Park @ 2 p.m.
Between 112th & 114th near Morningside Ave. entrances

I've taken out Wednesday's activities but Rosa appeared on Grit TV with Laura Flanders which can be streamed online. Ralph Nader is the independent presidential candidate. His upcoming appearances include two NYC stops. First:

New York, NY: Ralph Nader at the Cooper Union Wednesday, October 15

Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at 12:00:00 AM

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News Advisory
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ryan Mehta, 408-348-0681, rmehta@votenader.org (National HQ); Josh Starcher, 718-909-6343 (Local)

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE RALPH NADER TO SPEAK IN NEW YORK

WHO: Ralph Nader

WHAT: Major Campaign Address

WHEN: Wednesday, October 15 at 6:00pm

WHERE: Cooper Union, 7 East 7th St. at Third Ave. NY, NY 10003

On October 15th, Ralph will address a major crowd in the historic Cooper Union and take to the streets the next day to protest the bailout in front of the NYSE.

Ralph is the only Presidential candidate who supports jail time, not bail time for Wall Street fat cats, so come hear him speak in the historic Cooper Union instead of watching the game show debates on TV. Ralph will address the crowd on serious issues like withdrawing our corporate and military forces from Iraq and more lighthearted, entertaining subjects such as strengthening shareholder power and taxing derivative speculation.

He will also comment on the Presidential debates from which he was excluded. In another part of the city, while Ralph speaks in Cooper Union, the two corporate candidates will be debating each other without even mentioning the issues that Ralph will talk about and that matter to the American people. Since 1988, the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) has sponsored every presidential debate and kept the discussion empty. Since its inception, the CPD has always been headed by two former chairs of the Democratic and Republican parties. In 1987, the League of Women Voters refused to sponsor any more presidential debates, ìbecause the demands of the two campaign organizations would perpetrate a fraud on the American voter.

About Ralph Nader
Attorney, author, and consumer advocate Ralph Nader has been named by Time Magazine one of the "100 Most Influential Americans in the 20th Century." For more than four decades he has exposed problems and organized millions of citizens into more than 100 public interest groups advocating solutions. He led the movement to establish the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and was instrumental in enacting the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and countless other pieces of important consumer legislation. Because of Ralph Nader we drive safer cars, eat healthier food, breathe better air, drink cleaner water, and work in safer environments. Nader graduated from Princeton University and received an LL.B from Harvard Law School.

About Matt Gonzalez
Matt Gonzalez was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2000 representing San Francisco's fifth council district. From 2003 to 2005, he served as Board of Supervisors President. A former public defender, Gonzalez is managing partner of Gonzalez & Leigh, a 7-attorney practice in San Francisco that represents individuals and organizations in mediation, arbitration, and administrative proceedings before state and federal regulatory bodies. Gonzalez graduated from Columbia University and received a JD from Stanford Law School.

About the Nader/Gonzalez Campaign
The Nader/Gonzalez independent presidential candidacy will be on the ballot in 45 states, is polling at 5-6 percent nationally, and a new Time/CNN poll shows Ralph Nader polling 8 percent in New Mexico, 7 percent in Colorado, 7 percent in Pennsylvania, and 6 percent in Nevada -- all key battleground states.

For more information on the Nader/Gonzalez campaign, visit: votenader.org

-End-

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Second:

New York, NY: Ralph Nader to Wall St Protest, October 16

Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at 12:00:00 AM

ShareThis

News Advisory
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ryan Mehta, 408-348-0681, rmehta@votenader.org (National HQ); Josh Starcher, 718-909-6343 (Local)

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE RALPH NADER TO SPEAK IN NEW YORK

WHO: Ralph Nader

WHAT: Major Campaign Address

WHEN: Thursday, October 16 at 12:00pm

WHERE: Federal Hall, 26 Wall St. NYC

On Thursday, October 16 at 12:00pm, Ralph will take to the street in front of the NYSE to protest the bailout at Federal Hall, 26 Wall St. NYC.

Ralph is the only Presidential candidate who supports jail time, not bail time for Wall Street fat cats, so come hear him speak in the historic Cooper Union after watching the game show debates on TV.

He will also comment on the Presidential debates from which he was excluded. In another part of the city, after Ralph speaks in Cooper Union, the two corporate candidates will be debating each other without even mentioning the issues that Ralph will talk about and that matter to the American people. Since 1988, the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) has sponsored every presidential debate and kept the discussion empty. Since its inception, the CPD has always been headed by two former chairs of the Democratic and Republican parties. In 1987, the League of Women Voters refused to sponsor any more presidential debates, because the demands of the two campaign organizations would perpetrate a fraud on the American voter.

About Ralph Nader
Attorney, author, and consumer advocate Ralph Nader has been named by Time Magazine one of the "100 Most Influential Americans in the 20th Century." For more than four decades he has exposed problems and organized millions of citizens into more than 100 public interest groups advocating solutions. He led the movement to establish the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and was instrumental in enacting the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and countless other pieces of important consumer legislation. Because of Ralph Nader we drive safer cars, eat healthier food, breathe better air, drink cleaner water, and work in safer environments. Nader graduated from Princeton University and received an LL.B from Harvard Law School.

About Matt Gonzalez
Matt Gonzalez was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2000 representing San Francisco's fifth council district. From 2003 to 2005, he served as Board of Supervisors President. A former public defender, Gonzalez is managing partner of Gonzalez & Leigh, a 7-attorney practice in San Francisco that represents individuals and organizations in mediation, arbitration, and administrative proceedings before state and federal regulatory bodies. Gonzalez graduated from Columbia University and received a JD from Stanford Law School.

About the Nader/Gonzalez Campaign
The Nader/Gonzalez independent presidential candidacy will be on the ballot in 45 states, is polling at 5-6 percent nationally, and a new Time/CNN poll shows Ralph Nader polling 8 percent in New Mexico, 7 percent in Colorado, 7 percent in Pennsylvania, and 6 percent in Nevada -- all key battleground states.

For more information on the Nader/Gonzalez campaign, visit: votenader.org

-End-

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Ralph Nader made the ballots in DC and 45 states. In addition, four other states can vote for him as a write-in candidate. That's the largest number of ballots he has ever made.

The community voted* and decided while the Democratic Party primary was going on that if the nomination did not go to the winner (Hillary) with the most votes, they would join together in support for Nader's campaign. That was influenced both by the campaign Nader was running and the fact that Nader supporters in the community were very vocal about the sexism Barack and his surrogates were using to attack Hillary. Democratic Party members appreciated third party and independents calling it out as they noted so much silence in every outlet. [*Ava, Beth and I did not vote.]

While the community's endorsement stands, a development threw one state. Oklahoma community member cannot vote for Ralph. He will not be on the ballot and they are not allowed to write him. Cynthia McKinney will not be on the ballot either. Nor will any third party candidate (Chuck Baldwin, Bob Barr, etc.). Oklahoma has very restrictive ballot access laws. Due to the fact that they do not have the same rights as 49 other states and DC, Oklahoma community members have been attempting to decide what to do? Their choices are Barack Obama or John McCain.

Wednesday evening, they reached a decision (which many who read Hilda's Mix Tuesday probably expected was coming): They would support the Republican ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin. There are many reasons for their decision including finding a War Hawk (McCain) less offensive than a War Hawk who pretends to be a dove. They also cite the non-stop sexism in 2008 which is now targeting Governor Palin. (Bill Moyers Journal's online columnist is comparing her to a figure skater. And when was the last time Michael compared a male politician to a figure skater?) Robin Morgan's nonsense column at Women's Media Center last week (with it's sexist attacks and factual errors) was the thing most cited for allowing them to reach a consensus. There will be an article on their decision in Friday's gina & krista round-robin and Gina and Krista also have several members scheduled for the roundtable tonight to discuss it.

[On Robin's nonsense, you can see -- language warnings -- "Editorial: Sour Grape Girls, Tears Dry On Their Own," "The Vagina Strikes Back! (Ava and C.I.)," "Again, whose media center?," "Goodbye To All That WMC Style," "I Hate The War," "Iraq snapshot," "Economic melt in the Kitchen," "Robin Morgan, kiss my Black ass.," "Robin Morgan better get her act together," and "Thoughs on Robin Morgan."]

No one needs to explain or justify their vote. Ideally, they should be happy with their decision (which includes if they decide not to vote). For Oklahoma community members, their endorsement goes to Senator McCain and Governor Palin. When possible, the McCain campaign will be included when noting the political race as a result. Kat wrote about the endorsement last night, as did Elaine and Mike.

Today, Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin will hold a town hall at noon in Waukesha, Wisconsin (Center Court Sports Complex, 815 Northview Boulevard) and the the McCain Resurgence Plan will be among the topics addressed.

We'll note this video from the McCain-Palin campaign and, below the video, the text of it:


McCain-Palin 2008 Launches New Web Ad: "Ayers"

ARLINGTON, VA -- Today, McCain-Palin 2008 released its latest web ad, entitled "Ayers." The ad highlights Barack Obama's long-standing relationship with unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers. From his political introduction at Bill Ayers' house in 1995 to their service together on two boards, Barack Obama has long known Bill Ayers but has not been straightforward with the American people. This is an issue of judgment and candor and Barack Obama has not told the American people the truth.

VIEW THE WEB AD HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONfJ7YSXE5w

Script For "Ayers" (WEB :90)

ANNCR: Barack Obama and domestic terrorist Bill Ayers. Friends. They've worked together for years.

But Obama tries to hide it. Why?

Obama launched his political career in Ayers' living room.

Ayers and Obama ran a radical "education" foundation, together.

They wrote the foundation's by-laws, together.

Obama was the foundation's first chairman.

Reports say they, "distributed more than $100 million to ideological allies with no discernible improvement in education."

When their relationship became an issue, Obama just responded, "This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood."

That's it?

We know Bill Ayers ran the "violent left wing activist group" called Weather Underground.

We know Ayers' wife was on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list.

We know they bombed the Capitol. The Pentagon. A judge's home.

We know Ayers said, "I don't regret setting bombs. .... I feel we didn't do enough."

But Obama's friendship with terrorist Ayers isn't the issue.

The issue is Barack Obama's judgment and candor.

When Obama just says, "This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood."

Americans say, "Where's the truth, Barack?"

Barack Obama. Too risky for America.

JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

AD FACTS: Script For "Ayers" (WEB :90)

ANNCR: Barack Obama and domestic terrorist Bill Ayers. Friends. They've worked together for years. But Obama tries to hide it. Why? Obama launched his political career in Ayers' living room.

Barack Obama's Relationship With Ayers "Went Much Deeper, Ran Much Longer And Was Much More Political Than Obama Said." CNN'S DREW GRIFFIN: "Barack Obama confirmed during a primary debate that he knew Ayers and when pressed, said they served on a charitable foundation board together. And Obama condemned Ayers support of violence. But the relationship between Obama and Ayers went much deeper, ran much longer, and was much more political than Obama said." (CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," 10/6/08)

Barack Obama First Met William Ayers In 1995 During His First State Senate Campaign, When Obama Held Event At Home Of Ayers And Wife Bernardine Dohrn, Which One Attendee Said Was Aimed At "Launching Him" In First Campaign For State Senate. "In 1995, State Senator Alice Palmer introduced her chosen successor, Barack Obama, to a few of the district's influential liberals at the home of two well known figures on the local left: William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn. While Ayers and Dohrn may be thought of in Hyde Park as local activists, they're better known nationally as two of the most notorious -- and unrepentant -- figures from the violent fringe of the 1960s anti-war movement. ... 'I can remember being one of a small group of people who came to Bill Ayers' house to learn that Alice Palmer was stepping down from the senate and running for Congress,' said Dr. Quentin Young, a prominent Chicago physician and advocate for single-payer health care, of the informal gathering at the home of Ayers and his wife, Dohrn. '[Palmer] identified [Obama] as her successor.' ... Dr. Young and another guest, Maria Warren, described it similarly: as an introduction to Hyde Park liberals of the handpicked successor to Palmer, a well-regarded figure on the left. 'When I first met Barack Obama, he was giving a standard, innocuous little talk in the living room of those two legends-in-their-own-minds, Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn,' Warren wrote on her blog in 2005. 'They were launching him -- introducing him to the Hyde Park community as the best thing since sliced bread.'" (Ben Smith, "Obama Once Visited '60s Radicals," The Politico, 1/22/08)

CNN: The Meeting Was Widely Considered As "Barack Obama's Political Coming Out Party And It Was Hosted By Bill Ayers." CNN'S DREW GRIFFIN: "Anderson, this meeting at Bill Ayers home has been classified in many different ways. What I can tell you from the two people who were actually there, is number one, former Senator Alice Palmer says she, in no way organized this meeting and she was invited and attended it briefly. And Doctor Quentin Young, a retired doctor, told us this indeed was Barack Obama's political coming out party and it was hosted by Bill Ayers." (CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," 10/6/08)

ANNCR: Ayers and Obama ran a radical "education" foundation, together.

Barack Obama Led Education Foundation That "Poured More Than $100 Million Into The Hands Of Community Organizers And Radical Education Activists" And "Translated Mr. Ayers's Radicalism Into Practice." "Despite having authored two autobiographies, Barack Obama has never written about his most important executive experience. From 1995 to 1999, he led an education foundation called the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC), and remained on the board until 2001. The group poured more than $100 million into the hands of community organizers and radical education activists. ... The CAC's agenda flowed from Mr. Ayers's educational philosophy, which called for infusing students and their parents with a radical political commitment, and which downplayed achievement tests in favor of activism. In the mid-1960s, Mr. Ayers taught at a radical alternative school, and served as a community organizer in Cleveland's ghetto. ... CAC translated Mr . Ayers's radicalism into practice. Instead of funding schools directly, it required schools to affiliate with 'external partners,' which actually got the money. Proposals from groups focused on math/science achievement were turned down. Instead CAC disbursed money through various far-left community organizers, such as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (or Acorn)." (Stanley Kurtz, Op-Ed, "Obama and Ayers Pushed Radicalism On Schools," The Wall Street Journal, 9/23/08)

From March Of 1995 Until September Of 1997, Barack Obama And Ayers Attended At Least Seven Meetings Together Relating To The Chicago Annenberg Challenge. (Chicago Annenberg Challenge, Board Of Directors Meeting, Minutes Of The Board, 3/15/95, 3/31/95, 4/13/95, 6/5/95, 9/30/97; National Annenberg Challenge Evaluation Meeting, List Of Participants, 5/24/95; Chicago Annenberg Challenge, Chicago School Reform Collaborative Meeting, Minutes, 10/23/96)

CNN: The Paths Of Barack Obama And Ayers "Repeatedly Crossed" At The Annenberg Challenge. CNN'S DREW GRIFFIN: "One place their paths repeatedly crossed, according to a CNN review of board minutes and other records, was Chicago's Annenberg Challenge project where a $50 million grant from the Annenberg Foundation matched locally raised funds to improve schools. According to participants and project records, Bill Ayers fought to bring the Annenberg grant to Chicago, Barack Obama was recruited as its chair. For seven years, Bill Ayers and Obama among many others, worked on funding for education projects, including some experiments supported by Ayers." (CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," 10/6/08)

ANNCR: They wrote the foundation's by-laws, together.

Barack Obama "Served On The Board's Governance Committee With Mr. Obama, And Worked With Him To Craft CAC Bylaws." "The Daley documents show that Mr. Ayers sat as an ex-officio member of the board Mr. Obama chaired through CAC's first year. He also served on the board's governance committee with Mr. Obama, and worked with him to craft CAC bylaws. Mr. Ayers made presentations to board meetings chaired by Mr. Obama. Mr. Ayers spoke for the Collaborative before the board. Likewise, Mr. Obama periodically spoke for the board at meetings of the Collaborative." (Stanley Kurtz, Op-Ed, "Obama and Ayers Pushed Radicalism On Schools," The Wall Street Journal, 9/23/08)

Bill Ayers Was Asked To Help Barack Obama Formulate The Chicago Annenberg Challenge By-Laws. (Chicago Annenberg Challenge Board Of Directors Minutes, 3/15/95)

ANNCR: Obama was the foundation's first chairman.

Barack Obama "Was The First Chairman Of The Chicago Annenberg Challenge." "In the 1990s, Ayers was instrumental in starting the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, which was awarded nearly $50 million by a foundation to help reform Chicago schools. Obama was the first chairman of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge and Republicans have been highlighting his ties to Ayers through the group." (Pete Yost, "University Won't Open Obama-Related Records Now," The Associated Press, 8/19/08)

ANNCR: Reports say they, "distributed more than $100 million to ideological allies with no discernible improvement in education."

Chicago Annenberg Challenge: "Distributed More Than $100 Million To Ideological Allies With No Discernible Improvement In Public Education." "With Ayers directing the project's operational arm and Obama overseeing its financial affairs until 1999, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge distributed more than $100 million to ideological allies with no discernible improvement in public education." (Editorial, "Obama's Friend, America's Enemy," National Review, 8/27/08)

ANNCR: When their relationship became an issue, Obama just responded, "This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood." That's it?

Barack Obama On Ayers At Democratic Debate: "This Is A Guy Who Lives In My Neighborhood." "This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of English in Chicago, who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from. He's not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis." (Sen. Barack Obama, ABC Democratic Presidential Debate, Philadelphia, PA, 4/16/08)

ANNCR: We know Bill Ayers ran the "violent left wing activist group" called Weather Underground.

Bill Ayers Was A Leader Of "The Violent Left-Wing Activist Group The Weather Underground." "Senator Obama's ties to a former leader of the violent left-wing activist group the Weather Underground are drawing new scrutiny as he battles Senator Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination." (Russell Berman, "Obama's Ties to Left Come Under Scrutiny," The New York Sun, 2/19/08)

ANNCR: We know Ayers' wife was on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list.

Bill Ayers' Wife, Weather Underground Leader Bernardine Dohrn, Appeared On FBI's "Most Wanted" List. "Bernardine Dohrn, the former leader of the militant Weather Underground who turned herself in after 11 years on the run, says she looks forward to spending time with family and friends and intends to continue a rebellion against 'the system.' ... 'I remain committed to the struggle ahead,' Ms. Dohrn told reporters Wednesday after a court appearance. 'Given the system which perpetuates ... harsh oppression and suffering, rebellion is inevitable and continuous.' Ms. Dohrn, 38, pleaded innocent to nine charges -- seven stemming from the 1969 'Days of Rage' anti-war demonstration in Chicago and two more for jumping bail. She was released on $25,000 bond and a hearing was set for Jan. 13. Ms. Dohrn, who once appeared on the FBI's most-wanted list, arrived in court with a lawyer and William Ayers, another ex-radical who said he lived with Ms. Dohrn in New York and is the father of her two children." (James Litke, "Fugitive Leader Surrenders With No Regrets," The Associated Press, 12/4/80)

ANNCR: We know they bombed the Capitol. The Pentagon. A judge's home.

In The 1970s, Weather Underground Bombed The Capitol And The Pentagon. "As an Illinois state senator in 2001, Mr. Obama accepted a $200 contribution from William Ayers, a founding member of the group that bombed the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon during the 1970s." (Russell Berman, "Obama's Ties to Left Come Under Scrutiny," The New York Sun, 2/19/08)

New York State Supreme Court Justice's House Was Bombed By Weather Underground. "In February 1970, my father, a New York State Supreme Court justice, was presiding over the trial of the so-called "Panther 21," members of the Black Panther Party indicted in a plot to bomb New York landmarks and department stores. Early on the morning of February 21, as my family slept, three gasoline-filled firebombs exploded at our home on the northern tip of Manhattan, two at the front door and the third tucked neatly under the gas tank of the family car. (Today, of course, we'd call that a car bomb.) A neighbor heard the first two blasts and, with the remains of a snowman I had built a few days earlier, managed to douse the flames beneath the car. That was an act whose courage I fully appreciated only as an adult, an act that doubtless saved multiple lives that night. ... Though no one was ever caught or tried for the attempt on my family's life , there was never any doubt who was behind it. Only a few weeks after the attack, the New York contingent of the Weathermen blew themselves up making more bombs in a Greenwich Village townhouse. The same cell had bombed my house, writes Ron Jacobs in The Way the Wind Blew: A History of the Weather Underground. And in late November that year, a letter to the Associated Press signed by Bernardine Dohrn, Ayers's wife, promised more bombings." (John M. Murtagh, "Fire In The Night," City Journal, 4/30/08)

In His Book, Bill Ayers Writes About Participating In The Bombings Of The Capitol And Pentagon. "Now he has written a book, 'Fugitive Days' (Beacon Press, September). Mr. Ayers, who is 56, calls it a memoir, somewhat coyly perhaps, since he also says some of it is fiction. He writes that he participated in the bombings of New York City Police Headquarters in 1970, of the Capitol building in 1971, the Pentagon in 1972." (Dinitia Smith, "No Regrets For A Love Of Explosives," The New York Times, 9/11/01)

ANNCR: We know Ayers said, "I don't regret setting bombs. . I feel we didn't do enough."

In The September 11, 2001 New York Times, Ayers Was Quoted Saying "I Don't Regret Setting Bombs ... I Feel We Didn't Do Enough." "'I don't regret setting bombs,' Bill Ayers said. 'I feel we didn't do enough.' Mr. Ayers, who spent the 1970's as a fugitive in the Weather Underground, was sitting in the kitchen of his big turn-of-the-19th-century stone house in the Hyde Park district of Chicago." (Dinitia Smith, "No Regrets For A Love Of Explosives," The New York Times, 9/11/01)

ANNCR: But Obama's friendship with terrorist Ayers isn't the issue. The issue is Barack Obama's judgment and candor. When Obama just says, "This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood." Americans say, "Where's the truth, Barack?" Barack Obama. Too risky for America. JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

Barack Obama On Ayers At Democratic Debate: "This Is A Guy Who Lives In My Neighborhood." "This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of English in Chicago, who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from. He's not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis." (Sen. Barack Obama, ABC Democratic Presidential Debate, Philadelphia, PA, 4/16/08)


And Becky (Oklahoma community member) notes this from the McCain-Palin campaign:

Associated Industries of Florida, Led by Former Florida Democratic Party Director, Endorses John McCain

"John McCain is a proven leader who has demonstrated he has the experience necessary to quickly and decisively bring about real reform and set our nation back on a path to prosperity." -- Barney Bishop, President and CEO of AIF and former Executive Director of the Florida Democratic Party

TALLAHASSEE, FL -- The McCain-Palin campaign today announced the endorsement of Associated Industries of Florida. In its final endorsement announcement before the election, Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) today announced its backing of Sen. McCain and the McCain economic plan.

"We need a White House equipped to get our nation out of the economic crisis it is currently facing," said Barney Bishop, President and CEO of AIF and former Executive Director of the Florida Democratic Party. "John McCain is a proven leader who has demonstrated he has the experience necessary to quickly and decisively bring about real reform and set our nation back on a path to prosperity."

"Nearly three-quarters of AIF's members have 25 employees or less," added Bishop. "Associated Industries stands behind John McCain because we know he will stand up for the needs of Florida's small businesses. He has been involved with economic issues throughout his long and distinguished public service career and I believe he knows what we must do now to stabilize and grow our economy. Unfortunately, Sen. McCain's opponent offers no real solution to our economic crisis and would prefer to tax businesses to the brink of financial starvation."

John McCain's economic plan offers support and relief to the millions of small businesses that are the foundation of America's economy. John McCain will keep taxes low, allowing small businesses to remain in business and grow, creating more jobs and increasing job security.




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