Official Thread to Prove Obama's to Ayers

[George Gervin's Afro]

We have many accusations on this board concerning Obama's associations with less than desirable folks. I keep asking people to prove what they are accusing Obama of and they run from the challenge. So here you go. Here is the thread for you to post your proof Obama is lying... if you have no proof then shut the fuck up on every other thread about his associations.

[Anti.Hero]

Double.

[Yonivore]

Well, I guess this is as good as thread as any then...

Everything below is Hyperlinked to a site within the Chicago Democratic party archives, there is no conjecture, no guessing, The fact is that as recently as 1996 Senator Obama was an active member of the Chicago Democratic Socialist Party:

On their website the Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) has a description of their political perspective called Where We Stand (http://www.dsausa.org/about/where.html). It says, in part,


We are socialists because we reject an international economic order sustained by private profit, alienated labor, race and gender discrimination, environmental destruction, and brutality and violence in defense of the status quo.

We are socialists because we share a vision of a humane international social order based both on democratic planning and market mechanisms to achieve equitable distribution of resources, meaningful work, a healthy environment, sustainable growth, gender and racial equality, and non-oppressive relationships.
At least according to its newsletter called the New Ground ,Senator Barack Obama attended at least a few meetings of the Chicago Chapter of this group in 1996. And from the way he was described in the newsletter he "talked the talk" and "walked the walk".

New Ground 45 (http://www.chicagodsa.org/ngarchive/ng45.html)


March - April, 1996

A Town Meeting on Economic Insecurity: Employment and Survival in Urban America
By Bob Roman
Over three hundred people attended the first of two Town Meetings on Economic Insecurity on February 25 in Ida Noyes Hall at the University of Chicago. Entitled "Employment and Survival in Urban America", the meeting was sponsored by the UofC DSA Youth Section, Chicago DSA and University Democrats. The panelists were Toni Preckwinkle, Alderman of Chicago's 4th Ward; Barack Obama, candidate for the 13th Illinois Senate District; Professor William Julius Wilson, Center for the Study of Urban Inequality at the University of Chicago; Professor Michael Dawson, University of Chicago; and Professor Joseph Schwartz, Temple University and a member of DSA's National Political Committee....

....Now the issue is again coming to the front, but he wished the issue was on the Democratic agenda not just on Buchanan's.

One of the themes that has emerged in Barack Obama's campaign is "what does it take to create productive communities", not just consumptive communities. It is an issue that joins some of the best instincts of the conservatives with the better instincts of the left. He felt the state government has three constructive roles to play.

The first is "human capital development". By this he meant public education, welfare reform, and a "workforce preparation strategy". Public education requires equality in funding. It's not that money is the only solution to public education's problems but it's a start toward a solution. The current proposals for welfare reform are intended to eliminate welfare but it's also true that the status quo is not tenable. A true welfare system would provide for medical care, child care and job training. While Barack Obama did not use this term, it sounded very much like the "social wage" approach used by many social democratic labor parties. By "workforce preparation strategy", Barack Obama simply meant a coordinated, purposeful program of job training instead of the ad hoc, fragmented approach used by the State of Illinois today.

The state government can also play a role in redistribution, the allocation of wages and jobs. As Barack Obama noted, when someone gets paid $10 million to eliminate 4,000 jobs, the voters in his district know this is an issue of power not economics. The government can use as tools labor law reform, public works and contracts.....
SENATOR OBAMA EVEN SIGNED A CONTRACT:


In September or October 1995 (http://www.chicagodsa.org/ngarchive/ng42.html#anchor792932) he signed a contract promising an visible and open relationship with the Marxist New Party:

About 50 activists attended the Chicago New Party membership meeting in July. The purpose of the meeting was to update members on local activities and to hear appeals for NP support from four potential political candidates. The NP is being very active in organization building and politics. There are 300 members in Chicago. In order to build an organizational and financial base the NP is sponsoring house parties. Locally it has been successful both fiscally and in building a grassroots base. Nationwide it has resulted in 1000 people committed to monthly contributions. The NP's political strategy is to support progressive candidates in elections only if they have a concrete chance to "win". This has resulted in a winning ratio of 77 of 110 elections. Candidates must be approved via a NP political committee. Once approved, candidates must sign a contract with the NP. The contract mandates that they must have a visible and active relationship with the NP.
The political entourage included Alderman Michael Chandler, William Delgado, chief of staff for State Rep Miguel del Valle, and spokespersons for State Sen. Alice Palmer, Sonya Sanchez, chief of staff for State Sen. Jesse Garcia, who is running for State Rep in Garcia's District; and Barack Obama.....

In July-August 1996 (http://www.chicagodsa.org/ngarchive/ng47.html#anchor781435) the Socialist Party celebrated Obama's Primary victory:

Secondly, the NP's '96 Political Program has been enormously successful with 3 of 4 endorsed candidates winning electoral primaries. All four candidates attended the NP membership meeting on April 11th to express their gratitude. Danny Davis, winner in the 7th Congressional District, invited NPers to join his Campaign Steering Committee. Patricia Martin, who won the race for Judge in 7th Subcircuit Court, explained that due to the NP she was able to network and get experienced advice from progressives like Davis. Barack Obama, victor in the 13th State Senate District, encouraged NPers to join in his task forces on Voter Education and Voter Registration.
Barack Obama is not an extreme Liberal. Hillary Clinton is an Extreme liberal. Barack Obama is a Socialist. He campaigned on their ticket, signed their contracts and attended their meetings.

it is inconceivable that the American people would elect a socialist President. So, if this report is correct, something's got to give.

In June sources released information that during his campaign for the State Senate in Illinois, Barack Obama was endorsed by an organization known as the Chicago "New Party". The 'New Party' was a political party established by the Democratic Socialists of America (the DSA) to push forth the socialist principles of the DSA by focusing on winnable elections at a local level and spreading the Socialist movement upwards. ...

After allegations surfaced in early summer over the 'New Party's' endorsement of Obama, the Obama campaign along with the remnants of the New Party and Democratic Socialists of America claimed that Obama was never a member of either organization. The DSA and 'New Party' then systematically attempted to cover up any ties between Obama and the Socialist Organizations. However, it now appears that Barack Obama was indeed a certified and acknowledged member of the DSA's New Party.

On Tuesday, those pajamas wearing bloggers discovered a web page that had been scrubbed from the New Party's website. The web page which was published in October 1996, was an internet newsletter update on that years congressional races. Although the web page was deleted from the New Party's website, the non-profit Internet Archive Organization had archived the page.

Here it is:

http://www.powerlineblog.com/NewParty117.jpg

So the New Party claimed Obama as a member as of 1996. Progressive Populist magazine agreed in this editorial (http://www.populist.com/11.96.Edit.html):


New Party members and supported candidates won 16 of 23 races, including an at-large race for the Little Rock, Ark., City Council, a seat on the county board for Little Rock and the school board for Prince George's County, Md. Chicago is sending the first New Party member to Congress, as Danny Davis, who ran as a Democrat, won an overwhelming 85% victory. New Party member Barack Obama was uncontested for a State Senate seat from Chicago.
The Democratic Socialist Party of America (http://www.chicagodsa.org/ngarchive/ng47.html) was slightly more modest in claiming Senator Obama as an adherent:

http://www.powerlineblog.com/DemocraticSocialists212.jpg

Still, it appears clear that as of 1996, the New Party and its parent organization the Democratic Socialists of America considered Barack Obama to be their guy--one of a handful of avowed socialists running for office at any level in the United States. It strikes me that Obama has some explaining to do...and not just about William Ayers which, I predict, will become more of a problem as well.

As Senator McCain has said time and time again, don't listen to the words coming out of Obama's mouth, look at his record, look at his history (what you can find of it), and look at who he hangs around with.

He's a socialist. I know there are people in this forum who lean way left -- probably even are socialists themselves -- who won't, either for partisanship or pride, admit this is a big fucking problem for their man Barack. But, if this gets wide play, he's toast.

[Yonivore]

Back to the Ayers/Obama connection...

"He [Obama] said they have not spoken by phone or exchanged e-mail messages since Mr. Obama began serving in the United States Senate in January 2005" (New York Times, 10/3)

Why in the world was Barack Obama still communicating on the phone or via email with Bill Ayers up until 2005 — when in 2001 Ayers gave widely publicized interviews claiming he had no regrets about the bombing, indeed regretted that he had not done enough, and did not necessarily have any remorse either about his Weathermen career?

Ponder that: the possible next President of the United States, well after 9/11 and in the climate of hourly worry over terrorism here at home, was still friendly and communicating with an associate that had to abandon his book tour due to popular outcry, and was widely quoted as absolutely unrepentant about his terrorism. That is a damning indictment of his judgement — among other things — and it is no "smear" to raise the issue.

Indeed, there is a disturbing pattern here. Obama's once-close radical Chicago associates are never jettisoned out of principle, but only at the 11th-hour when they became impediments to Obama's political career. Thus Wright is defended throughout his racist rantings, until he makes the unfortunate decision of bringing that hatred to DC's elite nexus at the National Press Club — and only then is immediately dropped, as Obama resigns from Trinity Church. Ditto Ayers. What made Obama cease communciations with Ayers was not the latter's radicalism (indeed Obama facilitated it by serving with Ayers to dispense millions to questionable organizations), nor even Ayers' boasts in 2001 of having no regrets about trying to blow up government buildings. Instead, 2005 coincides with Obama's ascension to the Senate and the plan to begin running for the Presidency — and thus Ayers, like Wright later, became expendable. Ditto Rezko, Pfleger et al.

It may be unraveling for "That One."

[FromWayDowntown]

It may be unraveling for "That One."

Other than the continually increasing lead in the polls, of course.

[Yonivore]

Other than the continually increasing lead in the polls, of course.
Yeah, yeah... polls schmolls.

If the country realizes he's a socialist, I'd expect those numbers to drop some FWD.

[ChumpDumper]

Yoni is now pretending to be Victor Davis Hanson.

Dude puts on airs.

[Oh, Gee!!]

texas fred too

[I Love Me Some Me]

In da ayer, a-a-ayer, a-a-ayer.

[FromWayDowntown]

Yeah, yeah... polls schmolls.

If the country realizes he's a socialist, I'd expect those numbers to drop some FWD.

I tend to agree with one of the talking heads I heard after the debate the other night -- spin being what it is -- that people who have been hurt by the economic downturn most likely couldn't care less about things like the Ayers issue and are focused just on which candidate seems: (a) to care about the practical problems stemming from the downturn; and (b) to have a strong view of how the bigger problems can be solved. Whether it's objectively true or not, polling data (imperfect, but not invalid) tends to suggest that those who are polled believe that Obama is doing better than McCain in those categories. I don't think wishy-washiness by McCain (against the bailout after he was for the bailout?) will do much to change those views and for so long as those are the views that voters hold, Obama will continue to lead.

The notion that Obama is some threat to the American way of life has been a non-resonating talking point of the right for such a long time at this juncture that I'm not sure that arguments like your "Obama's a socialist" argument are going to change minds. If people were going to be scared by Obama, they were going to be scared by the greater fear-mongering issues raised during this campaign: his Islamic background, his middle name, his association with Reverend Wright. That those issues haven't torpedoed Obama's campaign suggests to me that people are disinclined to buy into fear-mongering and that those sorts of attacks on Obama are more likely to hurt McCain than Obama. Just a guess.

[Findog]

Here is the bottom line on Bill Ayers: Obama cut corners by agreeing to serve on a board with him when he first got into politics. Go into ANY politician's public record and you will find similar examples of cutting corners and going along to get along. He deserves a mild amount of criticism for it.

Now, with that said, given the economic crisis taking place, voters SIMPLY DO NOT FUCKING CARE. I wish the Republicans would grow the fuck up, but that is clearly too much to ask.

[timvp]

Here is the bottom line on Bill Ayers: Obama cut corners by agreeing to serve on a board with him when he first got into politics. Go into ANY politician's public record and you will find similar examples of cutting corners and going along to get along. He deserves a mild amount of criticism for it.

Now, with that said, given the economic crisis taking place, voters SIMPLY DO NOT FUCKING CARE. I wish the Republicans would grow the fuck up, but that is clearly too much to ask.If the Democrats could pin McCain to Ayers, do you think they'd ignore it?

[ElNono]

If the Democrats could pin McCain to Ayers, do you think they'd ignore it?

Well, they tried to pin him on the Keating 5, and nobody really gave a crap.
Would they try it? sure. Would it work in the current situation the country is living in? no way.

[SnakeBoy]

Yonivore - Ayers is just the tenderizer. The New Party connection will be the thing that cooks Obama.