The Obama-Ayers TKO punch McCain should use…
Linking radical ties to BHO’s failed educational & economic leadership

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If Palin’s recent utterance of the Ayers word in her latest campaign trail speeches is a harbinger, the media now anticipates McCain will be going after Obama for his connection to former Weather Underground domestic terrorist, William Ayers in the next Presidential debate.

Conservatives have felt this is a long overdue strategy. Personally, I’ll reserve judgment until I see what McCain’s tact will be. There is the viable and pertinent issue… Obama & Ayers’ culpability in failed education reform, their mismanagement of funds, and their political *and* financial support for organizations that were instrumental in risky subprime loans.

Then there is the (already out there) defense the Obama camp will take… an insistence the relationship between Ayers and Obama is remote, but not close. So they will lessen the villianous appearance of Ayers, and emphasize the “regard” for Ayers in the Chicago area for his educational efforts… or as the info outdated WaPo put it back in Feb 2008, member of the Chicago intelligentsia… and his personal transformation from an unrepentive radical into a more passive, productive IL citizen.

To use Obama’s favorite expression… let me be clear… If McCain attempts to merely use a “guilt by association” strategy , it is a losing endeavor. If the Obama faithful and undecided haven’t been deterred by longevity with the Rev. Wright; Obama’s rapid political rise with the aid of the players of the Chicago political machine (Daley, Rezko, Emil Jones along with Ayers); or his close relationship with Israel hating, Palestine supporter Rashid Khalidi, any relationship with William Ayers will fall on deaf ears, and end up in a negative for the McCain column.

But there is a strategy that is not only a valid issue, but serves as proof that Obama’s severely limited executive leadership is not only an abject failure in both educational reform, but an example of the same old cronyism for economic waste, and highlights Obama’s personal contribution to the subprime crisis.

And all can be accomplished by pulling in the Chicago Annenberg Challenge yet again.

OBAMA/AYERS – THE RELATIONSHIP

First McCain needs to establish that Obama and Ayers were actually partners in political business, and did more than occasionally “cross paths”… as the Obama camp, and the latest NYT’s propaganda lay claim. We all know that Obama’s first campaign was kicked off by a meeting at Ayers home… which today the Obama camp denies was a fundraiser, preferring to use the word “coffee” meeting.

According to the NYTs propaganda, Obama says he met Ayers the first time in 1995 – a year before – which would be when he was appointed as Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Annenber Challenge. But from 1993 to 1995, Obama also served on the board of the Woods Fund of Chicago simultaneously with another board member, William Ayers. Are we to assume that these board members never meet? Looking at today’s Board membership, we’re talking about an intimate size of 9-10 (if you include the secretary).

In fact, the quintessential lawyer/blogger on their relationship, and the CAC – and no conservative, I might add – has been Steve Diamond from Global Labor and Politics blog. He has documented what he believes as sufficient proof that William Ayers had more than ample influence in making sure the novice Obama was appointed Chairman of the CAC (Chicago Annenberg Challenge) Board. Would he apply that influence for a novice stranger?

This means two things… Obama and Ayers had the opportunity to establish a relationship as early as Obama’s Wood’s Fund days in 1993… two years before Obama claims. And that Ayers may have tapped Obama specifically for handling CAC money based on their shared organizational support thru the Woods Fund.

So what, you say? Now on to just what the CAC relationship was between Ayers and Obama… bringing us to:

OBAMA’s FAILED LEADERSHIP:
THE BUDGET & EDUCATIONAL FAILURE OF THE CAC

The CAC structure is adeptly explained in full by Steve Diamond, and I suggest you read all from the horse’s mouth. But to summarize, the CAC had three divisions in it’s structure – the Board, the Collaborative, and Consortium of Chicago Schools Research (CCSR).

Obama chaired the money arm of the CAC structure – the Board. Everything fiscal including fund raising, fund matching and the grants. In other words, Obama oversaw the original grant funds, and the ensuing funds raised which ultimately totalled $160 million.

Ayers co-chaired the Collaborative arm, which was the “clearing house” for ideas, strategies, plans etal all for the CAC. This arm also represented the “various constituencies in the Chicago schools and wider community”.

Together, they controlled the money, and the decisions where the money went.

The failure? The third arm, the Consortium of Chicago School Research, was charged with monitoring the impact of the projects. Apparently it was a lot of money down the drain. There was no statistical difference between Annenberg schools and demographically similar non-Annenberg schools.

It needs to be also mentioned that a more than healthy bulk of that money actually went to political purposes, electing local officials friendly with Ayers and Obama’s approach to education. The CCSR report specifically mentioned this political conflict of the CAC’s political promotions as a possible factor in the lack of impact in student achievement.

CONCLUSION? Obama, in control of a hefty sum of cash, funneled *most* of it to his and Ayers’ political allies… not to the schools. Additionally, in order for the schools to receive the CAC funds, they were required to ally with particular organizations.

Bottom line? He made his and Ayers’ political friends powerful, but did nothing to achieve the educational improvement that was the object of Annenberg’s national challenges.

McCain should be pointing out that Obama’s leadership for educational reform, and his control over the budget, was politically oriented/influenced, and the student beneficiaries were left in the lurch. Bad leadership for both handling money, and for educational reform.

OBAMA’s JUDGMENT & ECONOMIC CULPABILITY IN THE BAIL OUT…
WOODS FUND, the CAC and ACORN

ACORN is most noted for undergoing voter fraud investigations, cover ups and possible future convictions. However ACORN’s housing arm is another ugly step child. But it’s only in the wake of the bailout that ACORN’s lobbying and direct involvement with fostering subprime loan packages for minorities has hit the public airwaves.

ACORN and Obama also go way back… ACORN was a recipient of grants from Chicago’s Woods Funds; Obama was a community organizer/trainer of ACORN staff; and his legal firm represented ACORN in lawsuits against banks, accused of redlining. Obama himself, in what constitutes his only personal trial attorney experience, represented Calvin Roberson in just such a lawsuit against CitiBank.

So what does the CAC have to do with ACORN? Remember that political agenda that contributed to the failed experiment? The way that money got to the political operatives that Ayers (as the strategy CAC leader) and Obama (as the CAC money man) wanted to support was thru community organizing groups… and included ACORN.

CONCLUSION? We have Obama’s money handling supporting ACORN not only thru Woods Fund, but also thru the CAC. We also have his personal involvement with ACORN as an organizer trainer. We have proof that he used his legal career – both personally and as an employee – to support keeping risky loans alive and well.

Obama is directly linked to those key to our economic crisis we have today. But the until causes of the financial crash of 2008 gets sorted out from the BS the media and Congress are spreading, the US electorate will not see this 6 degrees of separation between Obama and the economic bail out.

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I’m not sure where McCain’s going to go with his Ayers “one-two” punch. But I sure know where he can’t go. If he stops at “guilt by association”, it’s an Obama score. If he plays the ACORN and CRA card too heavily, they will accuse him of using the minority to scape goat for Wall Street.

But if he can drive home the links between Obama, Ayers, the Woods Fund, the CAC, ACORN and the subprime financial crash… he’ll come out a winner.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YAzntzm-J4&feature=related This ad should be posted and sent everywhere. It also fits very well with this post.

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[Courtesy embed by MH]. Thanks for the link, Mark

I don’t think it’ll happen. It appears that either McCain or his campaign staff are pretty incompetent at running for the highest office.

McCain will let this one go, as well as rightfully placing blame on the DemocRats for the Economic Meltdown.

Get used to hearing “President” and “O’Bama” being used in the same sentence….

BTW, excellent summary Mata!

now if only the left will stop with the kool aid and really look at these issues then we may be able to have some clearity. it’s very wierd that all these people ae so far up obama’s rear end and believe every utterence when there is ample evidense to the contrary.

Mata: The target for these character issues isn’t the cultists who would follow Obama into the gates of Hell (which is where they would drag us all) but for the as yet undecideds who have NEVER HEARD any of this stuff.

I’m willing to bet we all know people who do not pay as much attention to such issues as we do and would be very surprised to learn that Obama is the #1 liberal in the U.S. Senate, has hardly EVER worked in a bipartisan way, has next to nothing in legislative accomplisments and also has a collection of the most unsavory Amerca hating friends.

All those folks need to think about those facts before they vote. And on the bottom line, they need to consider this: For all the calls for “change” they should consider that “change” could actually make things WORSE!

Remember Jimmy Carter?

Was that “change” for the better?

“Do ya think there’s anyone in this nation (faithful *and* undecided) left that hasn’t heard of Wright, Rezko, etal Mike’s A?”

Most people have not, except for Wright which was big news for about two weeks.

Mata,

Please send this thread to the McCain/Palin’s site. Let them know how we think he should approach the blame on Obama. They need advice right now, they will surely appreciate your thread. Send it. What do you have to lose? And what do they have to lose? And send the comments also.

——————————————————————————–

Where are the 86% of americans who call themselves Christians? Where are those who consider themselves “real Americans”? Have we just become a religious society who has compromised our beliefs to conform with the changing times. Have we become too timid to get in the face of those who have been assaulting our beliefs and trying to take the mention of, symbols of, and prayer, totally out of the public square. The Secular Socialists who have taken over the leadership of this country heap derision and scorn upon anyone who claims to be a Christian with traditional fundamental values, Tradional fundamental Values are what made America the greatest nation in the world. The abandoment of those values is what is sinking this country into a secular Socialist country where everyone will be equal allright….equally poor. No where in the Constitution does it say “There shall be separation of Church and State’ The Constitution says that the Government shall not mandate that everyone must belong to the same church, as was required in most countries when our Forefathers came to this country. Nor can the government prevent us from worshiping as we choose. Christians are judged by the company they keep, the truth of their words, their deeds, and how they treat others. Barack Obama, after sitting in church for 20 years said he never heard the hate speech of Rev. Wright. Do you believe that. Barak Obama sat at the feet of Frank Marshal Davis for years listening to his poetry and stories. (Google Frank Marshal davis and read some of his stories and poetry) do you believe Obama was not influenced by them. Barak Obama’s association with Resko, Ayres, Davis, Rev. Wright, The New Party of Chicago(Google) and ACORN shaped his character and judgement. I implore all of you to pass this along, talk to your family and friends, talk to your church members. I do not want my kids and grandkids growing up in a Socialist country. DO YOU Traditional Fundamental values made this country great, when we abandoned those values the country started to decline. Let us join together to bring this country back to greatness. Marion A. Valentine USN (disabled)

First, ‘truth’ now, in this politically toxic atmosphere, is a wall-flower, it has been forced back almost out of sight by the powers of perception. At this point in the race what matters is the race for the undecided. Therefore, what matters is the perception of reality, not reality itself, for details take too long for these types of the “public”. The election will now swing on the hinges of those undecided voters arriving late to the “dance” and together the “wallflowers” and “truth” will court each other in the last chapter of the election.

As Palin attacks Obama from decades-past Ayers associations on the grounds of lacking patriotism, all this will seem to the late-coming dazed political virgins as a rubic’s cube worked over with machete; it will add very little context to their present disorientation (as the MSM counters McCain’s claims) and leave little doubt which direction they should move toward, in the last remaining month. Namely, therefore, they will move away from McCain.

Who will these ‘late-bloomers’ conformingly cop to, McCain’s 20 second hit spots (with Palin refusing to be pressed by the press), or the multi-cycled 24/7 MSM insistent on critiquing McCain’s campaign tactics, as it is grinding its axe for Palin to speak to them?

I don’t think this tactic will work. Let me explain.

An increasing number of Americans appear to have decided that Obama is ‘acceptable’, he is no longer a socalled ‘risk.’ As the debates continue this will abide even deeper in the public consciousness and he will be considered publicly “legitimate”. The poor economy has helped this perception along. Obama works the ‘middle class’ in his speeches very will and at great length. He spoke of them a great deal in the first debate; whereas, McCain didn’t even mention the middle class, and his accent of this theme was more remote. Now McCain is on the defensive on this economic ground by comparison. He has been backed up to the wall by reverting to traditional Republican talking points about supply-side economics — in a Bush market-place.

You see these notions about Obama being dangerous, Muslim, unpatriotic and so forth are now marginalized babble found in sink-hole of right-wing blogs linking to each other with only FOX taking ranting points from them. But this is not enough ammo to undercut Obama. Most observers of this stuff –like the above– overstate the extent to which this election is just about Obama. It can work both ways. Now more than ever, it is also about McCain.

How is it now about McCain, as much as Obama? Quite simply here: McCain is now being tied to Bush tighter and tighter, every day: and this is the orientation -the context- that the late-coming wall-flower undecided voters feel comfortable with, are at home with– especially, when they are seeing their savings evaporate in the context of a republican administration, in light of the MSM and the public having “legitimated” Obama’s campaign as ‘acceptable’.

It’s going to sour the late-‘politic’ arrivals thirst to see McCain attack Obama on ‘connections’ while there is a big black hole of silence on what McCain can say in removing himself from the incarnate cancer of the Bush economy. —And don’t think the Dems won’t trumpet this absence. In the last two weeks of the campaign they will make McBush appear as twins.

Tying the economy to Bush and Bush to McCain is easy, it’s understandable, it’s a winning (as the tracking polls are indicating) tactic. All the rest just becomes secondary back-wash in this light; it not enough to undercut Obama, the MSM has already run this old ground, hence, they won’t let the wallflowers dance with McCain on it.

That’s why I see McCain’s camp about to push their team off the road and spin their tires in the muck, while Obama backed by the MSM —owing to Palin’s press conference absence (quite simply they like don’t being spurned by her)— lose public traction. This tactic can’t last long. The question is, can McCain ever get traction again?

Mata,

Why don’t you just try this address:

Contact and Questions

Doug 1,

Your long post convinced me that THIS TACTIC WILL WORK PERFECTLY… and that is why you are trying so hard to descredit it. You underestimate the power of Sarah on crowds. She will get the thruth out, because she has integrity and people believe her. Your doomed Doug… Sarah will change things around in a way that it will sweep you off your feet.

If we keep calling people, sending emails, knocking on doors, and getting the truth out, I think we can park the elephant in the door of the white house and prevent the jackass’a entry.

@Craig:

I sent it to my congressman and asked him to forward it to whoever in McCain’s campaign would be handling this issue, will let you know how he replies. I worked for him years ago as a campaign coordinator. He always responds with a call or note, we will see what happens.

… all tracking polls disagree with you, Craig. If they were agreeing with you FA would be posting them.

Good move Missy. Anxious to see the comebacks.

Doug,

Aren’t your arms tired yet?

Doug,

I don’t give a damn about your stupid polls. They are probably owned by the leftists like all your Medias. I do not give a second of attention to your biased polls. They are just trying to manipulate ignorant people like you. You will have a hudge NOVEMBER SURPRISE… as usual the leftists are wrong, they thought it would be an OCTOBER SURPRISE.. lol

I think McCain should hire you as one of his top advisors, Mata. This is brilliant.

And then after that, maybe a Cabinet position?

I asked this in another thread: What is it with Doug and his obsessive poll fetish?

The democrats will answer the Obama/Ayers connection with the McCain/Keating connection. Obama seems to have more unseemly connections but McCain’s may come across as worse to many Americans because of the bailout and collapse that we just went through.

Not sure, what do you think?

T.C.

Thanks Mata.

Sometimes I feel sad that we have to go through so much mud slinging every election cycle. But we always get through it.

I would rather like to hear all our candidates talk about the good things that they would do if elected. But thats a dream of a perfect world, I guess.

T.C.

It appears my crystal ball is working:

(AP) Democrat Barack Obama, reacting to Republican charges about his links to a 1960s radical, fired back late Sunday with a Web video about John McCain’s role in the Keating Five scandal from the early 1990s.

The short video, being e-mailed to millions of Obama supporters, summarizes a 13-minute Web “documentary” that the campaign plans to distribute Monday, spokesman Tommy Vietor said. He said McCain’s involvement with convicted thrift owner Charles Keating “is a window into McCain’s economic past, present and future.”

I told you they would reach back to this, just as McCain is now doing. tit. for. tat. Now those poor ill prepared undecided have this to tumble through for more color in making a ‘decision’.

Ah, don’t be too angry at me MH. Politics at the last minute gets really testy.

MH, ‘context’, my friend, context: it’s not a dirty little secret that the late-comers to this political hoedown are are a bit on the ‘ok, if-you-say-so side’ of things: they are a bit impressionable. It’s just human nature, the strong preying on the weak and there’s not going to be anything we can really do about it now. Many don’t have a computer, degrees, work a lot of hours and have much time to read. Now storm is now here. For those “unprepared and undecided” they will be exposed to the harm in the flooding of crashing ad. winds and spinning rains of the colliding campaigns last days.

It’s the same as it always is, the powerful have the power to put force on truth making it ‘conform and contort’ to the confining designs of the terrain, bending the wills of the weak to the wills of the strong. In the course of contests, such as this, the weak are prey, are votes, scrapped up by almost whatever means necessary. That’s simply what it comes down to now.

Obama is better equipped at it now, mostly owning to the poor economy.

post in the wash.

Doug, just one question?
Why would you be happy if Obama wins and destroy your country? Because, this is what he will do.

Copying and pasting one of my post again:

Free Health Care System do not work, give them information, real information… nothing is free, the Health care system is paid with your incometaxes. Sure it will be free to go to an Hospital or to see a doctor… but you will have time to die before you even get to see one.

Free Education is not any better, it is so expensive on middle class income taxes, that they can not pay there teachers good money… so they leave and go elsewhere and you are stuck with stupid ignorant teachers that knows nothing and your diplomas is not worth a dime. I know, I live in stupid Quebec socialist province.

Our infrastructure is falling apart, our bridges collapses, our roads are full of wholes, our sewer system his finish, our taxes are the highest of all North America and we are in debts up to our neck. Every street corner you walk there is someone begging for money, they live on the streets, etc. Tell these people about that, give them facts.

Here in Quebec we nationalized our electricity, so we are the poorest Province of Canada, the province from the West gives us perequation to survive… 8 billions last year from Alberta (who was brilliant enough not to nationalized their oil) and from Ontario and Saskatchewan. A real shame… we have become the Wellfare province because stupid leftists governs Québec.

Keating 5 is a resolved issue.

Obama’s got several unresolved skeletons….like this.

Nice article. Hannity hardly mentioned the Chicago Annenberg Challenge but John Voight commented on the CAC on the Huckleberry Show. I agree that just talking about an association with Ayers is a losing proposition. McCain could pursue the CAC link in a disarming way:

McCain (sorta like Columbo): Barack, I was going to pursue your lack of experience during this debate, especially executive management experience, but in fairness, my staff has uncovered some important major management experience that you must’ve forgotten to include on your Resume. Your modesty is very impressive. Were you actually the Chairman of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995 to abut 2000? Was the total funding that you had to manage over $100 million? Did you actually get to direct funding to Ayers, Khalidi and ACORN? These guys represent the downtrodden in our society and you got to fund them all. What a humanitarian. Was Rezko in there too somewhere?…

BTW anyone who is interested in Obama’s activities related to affordable housing might look here:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/27/grim_proving_ground_for_obamas_housing_policy/

Wow you guys are still so clueless. Maybe it’s that desperate denial that kicks in when you go into survival mode. The DOW is likely to drop another 500 points today. McCain will NOT be able to “turn the page” on the economy and is now facing another “fundamentals are strong” moment for trying to suggest otherwise.

Nice work pulling that together Mata, and they are several good points made, but unfortunately nobody’s going to care.

Resorting to Newsmax now, wordsmith? You and your friends desperation is now obvious.

Well, about as much credibility as a Zogby exit poll, at the very least.

No Mata, the economy isn’t collapsing because of Congress or Fannie and Freddie or Greenspan or even Bush. The world’s economic systems are more complicated than weather patterns and situations like the one we find ourselves in do not have a single cause.

Your reality dictates that the economy should be a negative for the DNC.

But the nation’s reality is quite different. Unfortunately the party perceived to be in power is going to catch the blame.

A reasonable economic plan to deal with the crisis would be much better advice to the McCain campaign. Something simple to hammer in over and over. I think it’s his only shot.

@Fit fit: Yeah, economy is far more complicated than anyone can imagine. No one can predict outcomes, not even Doug. As for this:

But the nation’s reality is quite different. Unfortunately the party perceived to be in power is going to catch the blame.

Uhm…remind me again just who the party in power right now is?

party perceived to be in power..

And you think the people are dumb enough to not know just who it is they elected into Congress? That they don’t know the majority party?