Chicago Mayor Daley re. Ayers: Too many challenges to keep re-fighting 40-year-old battles

[BeyondGeography]

Daley: Don't tar Obama for Ayers

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, whose father was famously not so sympathetic to anti-war protesters, is coming to the defense of Barack Obama for his friendship with former Weather Underground member Bill Ayers.

Daley accused Hillary Clinton and other critics of Obama's association with Ayers of "re-fighting 40 year old battles." And the mayor noted that he, too "know(s) Bill Ayers" and has "worked with" Ayers on city education reforms.

The mayor released the following statement:

There are a lot of reasons that Americans are angry about Washington politics. And one more example is the way Senator Obama’s opponents are playing guilt-by-association, tarring him because he happens to know Bill Ayers.

I also know Bill Ayers. He worked with me in shaping our now nationally-renowned school reform program. He is a nationally-recognized distinguished professor of education at the University of Illinois/Chicago and a valued member of the Chicago community.

I don’t condone what he did 40 years ago but I remember that period well. It was a difficult time, but those days are long over. I believe we have too many challenges in Chicago and our country to keep re-fighting 40 year old battles.

But the Clinton campaign was not about to drop Ayers connection to Obama. Ayers hosted a neighborhood coffee for Obama’s initial 1996 Illinois state Senate run and gave Obama a $200 donation for his state Senate re-election campaign in 2001...

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/04/daley_dont_tar_obama_for_ayers.html

[gateley]

1. DELETE - DUPE

[gateley]

2. Yes. He puts it in perspective. nt

[Adelante]

3. Also, the AP issued a Fact Check today

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5553025

[SoxFan]

4. Shame on you, Mayor Daley

Obama received 200 bucks from an aging hippy goofball ten years ago.

Bill and Hill pocket money from some of the most noxious corporations and governments on the planet to the tune of millions of dollars.

Can't you see how horrible Obama is? Shame on you!

[madrchsod]

5. jesus christ ..daley said something....

wow.... now i know things are looking up...

[karynnj]

6. It really might - it should get a lot of coverage and and this will

be seen in NW Indiana for what it is. What is despicable is that HRC and the ABC guys are willing to destroy this guy over something he did as a very young man 35 plus years ago. (What happened to young and irresponsible?)

Though it wasn't anywhere near as bad, a young man who had maneuvered his way out of the draft was called on it in 1992 when he was running for President. He was lucky that other Democrats, with military credentials stood up for him - maybe because they weren't into the politics of personal destruction. If she were on the other side, I doubt HRC would have stood up for him.

[AZ Criminal JD]

7. 9/11 was not 40 years ago.

On 9/11/01 Ayers was in the New York Times bragging that "I don't regret setting bombs, I feel we didn't do enough." He and Obama served on the board of directors of the Wood Fund in Chicago. They gave speeches together. Obama supporters like Daley can try and sweep this under the rug but it is not going to go away.

[cbayer]

8. To be fair, it was a coincidence that the article was published on that day.

Had they known, I feel certain they would not have published it. Very unfortunate timing.

[Muttocracy]

9. So should we investigate every member of every board that

Obama, Clinton, or McCain has been on?

I know there have been some nuts volunteering alongside me before - guess I better not ever run for office!

[roseBudd]

10. OMG!!!!!! $200 donation that is HUGH!!!!!!!!!