8/30/2008: Commentary: Obama and Ayers...

While GOP Presidential hopeful John McCain introduced his new running-
mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, American Issues Project wrapped up its first
phase of a television advertising and issue campaign, which called
into question the long-standing relationship between Barack Obama and
unrepentant 1960's domestic terrorist, William Ayers.

American Issues Project clearly has struck a nerve inside the Obama
campaign, but even more important is the reaction of the American
people, who are starting to question why Sen. Obama would have such a
close relationship with an unrepentant domestic terrorist," said Ed
Martin, American Issues Project president.

The heavy-handed response of the Obama campaign definitely misfired.
The more the Obama campaign has tried to bully the ad off the air with
its spurious legal threats and intimidation, the more voters have
wondered what he has to hide," he said.

The made-for-television ad examines the connection between Sen. Obama
and domestic terrorist William Ayers, cofounder of the violent,
radical Weather Underground movement that "declared war on America"
and successfully bombed the US Capitol, Pentagon, a police station in
New York and other targets across the nation.

Ayers has not only trumpeted his role in the bombings, he is
unrepentant. On September 11th, 2001, the New York Times reported him
saying, "I don't regret setting bombs... I feel we didn't do enough."

The ad drew a massive and disproportionate response from the Obama
campaign, which demanded the Department of Justice prosecute the
organization and its donors, threatened stations running the ad in an
attempt to compel them to pull the spot and other efforts to "kill the
messenger."

Notably, the effort was unsuccessful in getting a single station to
pull the ad. The Obama campaign sponsored its own paid ad in response,
which fails to dispute a single fact the American Issues Project has
put forth.

Sen. Obama defends his friend Ayers as "respectable" and "mainstream."
The two worked closely together on several boards including for an
organization that Ayers founded and Obama chaired. Sen. Obama's
political career was even launched at an event hosted by Ayers in his
own home.

American Issues Project has as one of its primary purposes protecting
America's role in the world and assuring a strong national defense.
The Ayers-Obama connection raises an important issue that is directly
related to AIP's purposes and which AIP will continue in coming
months, and years, to promote
Visit the American Issues Project Website and read more...
http://www.americanissuesproject.org/