Obama’s New Bill Ayers Lie

We now know that Barack Obama lied about his relationship with the Weather Underground terrorist Bill Ayers in the ABC News sponsored debate during the Pennsylvania primary. How do we know? In an interview with Bill O’Reilly of Fox News, Obama discloses new details that contradict his account given in response to a question from George Stephanopoulos about Ayers.

When Obama was asked about Ayers by George Stephanopolus Barack said he was someone who happened to live in his neighborhood, was a professor of English and didn’t exchange ideas with him “on a regular basis.

But Obama told Fox News’ O’Reilly a different story that was allowed to pass unchallenged. Bill O’Reilly demonstrated he had not done his homework on this matter. Obama said he knew Bill Ayers from his work on education–Ayers is a professor of education, something Obama seemed to know very well. That he met him early in his time in Chicago dating from the 1980s, that he proposed a bill in the Illinois state senate on violent youth offenders that Ayers advocated, and that they regularly worked for years on the Woods Fund exchanging ideas and providing grants.

Why does it matter? Obama has hidden his relationship with an unrepentant terrorist–someone who bombed the US Capitol, the Pentagon and was a leader of a group that murdered police. It’s a cover-up. Obama has told a series of lies to prevent people from finding out the truth. Obama knew Ayers had been a terrorist when he was involved with him. But he defends his relationship by claiming that the mayor of Chicago didn’t object to Ayers, who just happens to come from one of the wealthiest, best connected families in the city. Here Obama is suggesting a deeper motive for his relationship that is even more unsavory. He was willing to associate with a terrorist out of personal ambition, because of what Ayers and his family and their connections could do for Obama. And he refuses to acknowledge or explain his role as President of the Board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge:

Now he has made the Democrats vulnerable to his cover-up and lies about his relationship with a terrorist. What will the Republicans do with this silver bullet?

Here is what Obama told Stephanopoulos:

STEPHANOPOULOS: And, Senator, if you get the nomination, you’ll have…

(APPLAUSE)

… to beat back these distractions.

And I want to give Senator Clinton a chance to respond, but first a follow-up on this issue, general theme of patriotism, in your relationships. A gentleman named William Ayers. He was part of the Weather Underground in the 1970s. They bombed the Pentagon, the Capitol, and other buildings. He’s never apologized for that.

And, in fact, on 9/11, he was quoted in the New York Times saying, “I don’t regret setting bombs. I feel we didn’t do enough.” An early organizing meeting for your State Senate campaign was held at his house and your campaign has said you are “friendly.”

Can you explain that relationship for the voters and explain to Democrats why it won’t be a problem?

OBAMA: George, but this is an example of what I’m talking about. This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who’s a professor of English in Chicago who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from. He’s not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis.

And the notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8 years old, somehow reflects on me and my values doesn’t make much sense, George.

The fact is that I’m also friendly with Tom Coburn, one of the most conservative Republicans in the United States Senate, who, during his campaign, once said that it might be appropriate to apply the death penalty to those who carried out abortions.

Do I need to apologize for Mr. Coburn’s statements? Because I certainly don’t agree with those, either.

So this kind of game in which anybody who I know, regardless of how flimsy the relationship is, that somehow their ideas could be attributed to me, I think the American people are smarter than that. They’re not going to suggest somehow that that is reflective of my views, because it obviously isn’t.

CLINTON: Well, I think that is a fair general statement, but I also believe that Senator Obama served on a board with Mr. Ayers for a period of time, the Woods Foundation, which was a paid directorship position.

And, if I’m not mistaken, that relationship with Mr. Ayers on this board continued after 9/11 and after his reported comments, which were deeply hurtful to people in New York and, I would hope, to every American, because they were published on 9/11, and he said that he was just sorry they hadn’t done more.

And what they did was set bombs. And in some instances, people died. So it is — I think it is, again, an issue that people will be asking about.

And I have no doubt — I know Senator Obama’s a good man and I respect him greatly, but I think that this is an issue that certainly the Republicans will be raising.

And it goes to this larger set of concerns about how we are going to run against John McCain. You know, I wish the Republicans would apologize for the disaster of the Bush-Cheney years and not run anybody, just say that it’s time for the Democrats to go back into the White House.

(APPLAUSE)

Unfortunately, they don’t seem to be willing to do that. So we know that they’re going to be out there, full force.

And, you know, I’ve been in this arena for a long time. I have a lot of baggage, and everybody has rummaged through it for years.

(LAUGHTER)

And so, therefore, I have an opportunity to come to this campaign with a very strong conviction and feeling that I will be able to withstand whatever the Republicans send our way.

Now, here is what he told O’Reilly:

OBAMA: In both his case and Father Pfleger’s case, they’ve done great work in the community, and I worked in some very poor communities. That’s how I got to know these folks because I was working in these neighborhoods. Now, on this Ayers thing, would you — you know, you’ve been hyping, Bill, pretty good.

O’REILLY: Not that much. You know, you were on the Woods Foundation.

OBAMA: Well, but here’s the bottom line.

O’REILLY: Yes.

OBAMA: This guy did something despicable 40 years ago.

O’REILLY: You know, he did something despicable last week. He said he didn’t do enough bombings. That’s last week.

OBAMA: I haven’t seen the guy in a year-and-a-half. But…

O’REILLY: But you know who he was. He’s on the Woods Foundation board. You know he…

OBAMA: Let me finish my point, all right? Here’s a guy who does something despicable when I’m 8 years old.

O’REILLY: OK.

OBAMA: All right? I come to Chicago. He’s working with Mayor Richard Daley, not known to be a radical. So, he and I know each other as a consequence of work he’s doing on education. That is not an endorsement of his views. That’s not…

O’REILLY: Yes, but you guys partnered up on a youth crime bill. Do you remember that?

OBAMA: And it was a good bill.

O’REILLY: No, it wasn’t. That bill said that if a youth commits a second violent felony, he does time in an adult prison. That’s two shots. You said no. You know the Southside of Chicago. You know how many people are hurt.

OBAMA: Listen, you’re absolutely right. My community gets hit by crime more than…

O’REILLY: And I’m right on that bill. You were wrong on that bill.

OBAMA: Well, I disagree with you on that bill. We’re getting too far afield here.

O’REILLY: That’s important though. You and Ayers were allied on that bill.

OBAMA: No, no. Look, he didn’t write that bill.

O’REILLY: No, he was supporting it, and so were you.

OBAMA: Well…

O’REILLY: But you guys were together on it.

OBAMA: Hold on a second. Now we’re getting…

O’REILLY: All right. If that’s unfair, I’m sorry.

OBAMA: That’s pretty flimsy. Here’s the point, right? This guy is not part of my campaign. He’s not some adviser of mine. He is somebody who worked on education issues in Chicago that I know.

The problem that your viewers, your guys that — your folks, the folks you champion, the problem you’re going through, the problems they’re going through with trying to pay their bills, trying to keep their job, trying to move up in this world, their problem isn’t Bill Ayers. It was Bill Ayers 40 years ago when he was blowing stuff up.

Sorry Barack, that does not wash. Ayers continues to insist his actions 40 years ago were right. Your acceptance of him means you have no problem associating with a guy who was part of an organization that believed it was okay to kill American police and soldiers. You’re okay with that?