The Obama campaign has used persuasion, threats of lawsuits and economic might in an all-out effort to suppress this video. They have written the Justice Department demanding an investigation of American Issues, the organization responsible for the ad, claiming the ad violates federal election laws. The Obama campaign has vowed not to purchase campaign advertising from any media outlet that carries the ad and is threatening to organized supporters to punish any TV station and those who advertise on any station that carries this ad. So far their suppression has succeeded. Both CNN and Fox have announced they will not carry the advertisement.
This ad questions Obama’s relationship with Bill Ayers and his wife Bernadine Dohrn, unrepentant domestic 60’s terrorist and co-founders of The Weather Underground. The Weather Underground described itself as the “Red Army in America” and declared war on The United States. They engaged in bombings, jailbreaks, and instigated violent riots. They bombed government buildings, banks, police stations, police cars, state and federal courthouses, state prison administrative offices, military recruiting stations, National Guard facilities, and university facilities with military or government connections. Several people were killed in connection with these bombings. Their most famous bombing was the bombing of the U. S. Capitol building in 1971.
Benadine Dohrn is every bit as radical as Ayers. Like Dohrn she engaged in revolutionary activity. Following the Charles Manson killings, Dohrn’s comment was “"Dig it! First they killed those pigs and then they put a fork in their bellies. Wild!"
The ad Obama seeks to suppress does not allege that Obama was in any way part of the Weather terrorist activity. Obama was only eight years old when the Weather Underground was formed. Obama has said Ayers is “just a guy in the neighborhood.” Ayers and his wife Bernardine Dohrn are now tenured professors at the University of Illinois. Ayers and Dohrn hosted a fund-raising party for Obama which launched his first bid for public office. Ayers and Mr. Obama have served on the board together of a Chicago-based charity.
To be fair to Obama, one may have casual acquaintances with unsavory characters and not be aware of their past. People that you may not approve of may give you campaign contributions. It is also possible you may sit on the boards of organizations and have nothing in common with the other board members except the project at hand. We should be cautious to jump to conclusions and allege guilt by association. Nevertheless, I want to know how close of a friendship there is between Ayers and Dohrn, and Obama. I think the Obama association with Ayers needs be be explored. Was the relationship just a casual association or does Obama share the values of Ayers and Dohrn?
The ad ask, "How much do your really know about Barack Obama? What does he really believe?” Obama is very likely to be the next President. Is it inappropriate to question his association with people like Ayers and Dohrn? I would like to know more and I would like to know what Obama really believes.
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