Sarah Palin has called Obama a man who pals with terrorists, because he served on two Boards with a man named Ayers, who used to be a member of the Weathermen. Actually, the Weathermen were objecting to the Viet Nam War when Obama was eight years old, and Obama had no knowledge of Ayers’ background until he entered political life.
Ayers was not found guilty in his trial and eventually became a professor at the University of Illinois. Sarah Palin says the fact that Ayers served on the same Boards as Obama and financed his entry into politics with a fundraiser proves that Obama is guilty.
If that is the case, can we say the same thing about the faculty and students of Illinois University, who are associating with Ayers every day of the school year? Is Guilt by Association really the way to judge anyone’s character, especially when the association is not personal, doesn’t involve friendship, doesn’t involve activities outside the business at hand?
Actually, Chicago was rife with corruption at the time of the Viet Nam War.. Then and, up to the current day, Federal Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has indicted several Illinois and Chicago executives with charges of wrongdoing. It would be difficult to work in Chicago without rubbing shoulders with many dubious characters.
If Guilt by Association is what John McCain and Sarah Palin consider proof of wrongdoing, what about McCain’s association with Howard Keating? What about his associations with the long list of fellow Senators under investigation and indictment?
My question is…is it fair to try to pin guilt on a ;person because of the background activities of mere acquaintances? Is Guilt by Association really a valid method of judging anyone? If so, aren’t the faculty and students of the Illinois University clearly “pals” with terrorists? In fact, isn’t it impossible to enter the political field without making the acquaintance of many people whose backgrounds may not be what they should be?
Was this Ad fair? Did it pick an inconsequential acquaintance to try to blacken Obama’s reputation in order to gain political advantage?
Are The Students And Faculty Of Illinois University Also At Fault?
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Actually….if the FBI were to be conducting a background investigation on Obama, Palin, and McCain…ALL of them would have some explaining to do before a special agent. However, one’s associates doesn’t make it “guilt” because the agents go out and they conduct a thorough investigation of EVERYTHING…credit checks, criminal checks, interviewing neighbors, interviewing previous employers, interviewing family members, etc….also a family members associations could be cause enough to warrant serious consideration for more intense investigation. Second, in addition to those associations…FBI wants to know about your finances…how you make money, how you spend it, your credit etc…As of right now, most Americans would not be able to pass a credit check to obtain a security clearance…But, all that information is weighted against each other…So, no one thing will prevent a person from obtaining clearance.
Again…my point is that Palin and McCain are attempting to stretch the truth with gossip…it’s called poisining the well and guilty by association…all faulty thinking. What they should do is create a vision and plan to sell to the American voter…which they haven’t done because the plan and the vision is to continue the Bush administration’s plan.
Ayers is just one radical on a list of many friends and associates of Obama’s. It shows that Obama himself is a radical. He is trying to pass himself off as moderate and mainstream but we can tell by his associations that he is anything but!
I’d say the University is certainly at fault for employing someone who has, long since his not-guilty charge, confessed to his crimes publicly and remains unrepentant to this day.
Frankly the man ought to be strung up.
She was a member of a group that wanted Alaska to secede from the union. I am amazed no one is bringing that up, because technically, that is treason.
Ayers was never found guilty or not guilty as his case was thrown out on a technicality due to questionable FBI wiretaps. He has freely admitted his guilt since then because a person cannot be tried twice for the same crime.
Ayers innocent? Charges were dropped because of prosecutorial misconduct during the years he was hiding to avoid prosecution. That hardly constitutes innocence. Ayers is a domestic terrorist any way you put it.
it goes to show a persons character…he continues to be ‘acquaintances with ayers, rezko and wright is that who you want in the white house
palin and mccain are getting so desperate. no one is falling for it though. everyone knows she’s a liar and he’s incontinent, oops i mean incompetent.
IAAW, how is she desperate? Republicans are the ones spinning out of desperation…………..like you just did.
Great post. Star for you. I wouldn’t expect any legitimate answers from Republicans though as noted above.
You are getting desperate.
The Right are desperate because they are falling further behind. That’s what this is really about.
The question you should ask is if it really is just an acquaintance, or is it something more?
If we use Palin’s logic, yes.
See the fallacy in her idiotic statement?