by Mark Silva
Willliam Ayers, the Chicago education professor and former leader of the 1960s Weather Underground, has been villified in the presidential campaign underway as a "washed up terrorist'' - with Democrat Barack Obama, who has served on civic boards with the educator, accused by John McCain's campaign of "palling around with terrorists.''
But Ayers, for his part, has nothing public to say about it all, as an encounter with journalism students and ABC News over the weekend underscored.
Ayers told a journalism student attending an education justice symposium in New York on Sunday that he and other former radicals were being "demonized" by Fox News, ABC reports. "We're nice guys, right?"
Asked by the student if he repudiated the work of the Weather Underground, which carried out a series of 1960's robberies and bombings, ABC reports, Ayers walked away without answering. Ayers declined requests for an interview from ABC News, and after the appearance in New York, he used a garbage-littered freight elevator in an unsuccessful attempt to duck ABC News cameras waiting outside.
"I have nothing to say," he told ABC News. Asked about Republican Sen. John McCain's description of him as a "washed up terrorist," Ayers said nothing "as he raced to find a taxi,'' according to the account by ABC's Brian Ross and intern Molly Dean, a graduate student in journalism at New York University..
Ayers, now a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, made no mention of his radical past or Obama during an hour and a half presentation to a group of 50 at the Harold Clurman Festival of the Arts. Obama, however, who served on civic boards with Ayers and attended a reception at his home during his first campaign for the state Senate, has told ABC's Charlie Gibson, "This is a guy who engaged in some despicable acts 40 years ago when I was eight years old."
The two have spoken in recent years about school reform, he added, but "the notion that somehow he has been involved in my campaign, that he is an adviser of mine, that I've palled around a terrorist, all these statements are made simply to try to score cheap political points."
Comments
Will never figure out how The Chicago Tribune cleared Ayers with Obama-
Ayers is the key to Obam 's election-
Posted by: George | October 27, 2008 3:22 PM
I remember the "Weather Underground" days well.
Mr. Ayers was one of Richard Nixon's favorite people.
No one did more than Mr. Ayers to bring the Republican conservative movement to full flower.
Ronnie Reagan also thanks you, Mr. Ayers.
Posted by: ornery | October 27, 2008 3:45 PM
The only difference between William Ayers and Timothy McVeigh is the Timothy McVeigh knew how to make the bomb explode
Posted by: Terry | October 27, 2008 10:23 PM
"The only difference between William Ayers and Timothy McVeigh is the Timothy McVeigh knew how to make the bomb explode
Posted by: Terry | October 27, 2008 10:23 PM"
How many people did Ayers kill?
How many people did McVeigh kill?
We'd say that's quite a difference.
Posted by: TheLeninSisters | October 28, 2008 8:35 AM
What gets me is that no one ever asks the question, "If Ayers is a such a terrorist, why hasn't the Bush admin arrested him?".
Please answer.
Posted by: Gus | October 28, 2008 10:32 AM
LeninSis,
My point exactly - the duifference between the two is McVeigh knew how to make the bomb go "boom", Ayers did not. If Ayers was proficient at his craft, he would have killed hundreds at a NCO dance in New York City during his reign of terror.
Gus - Ayers was arrested and tried but was found not-guilty due to a technicality. If you did know that, then you need to research the term "double jeporady"
Posted by: Terry | October 28, 2008 11:11 AM