Just the facts, Jack.
Factcheck.org's write-up is rather comprehensive and definitely damaging.
But for whom?
UPDATED 10/13/08
More below the fold
The tide may be turning. Maybe even surging over McCain.
Today (edited: 10/10/08) Factcheck.org released an analysis of McCain's web ad regarding the Obama - Ayers "smoking gun".
McCain Ayers ad
And despite McCain's half-hearted attempts to rein in his hate-filled supporters - the ads were made with his full cooperation and approval. So what are the facts?
Factcheck.org's write-up is rather comprehensive and definitely damning and damaging- for McCain. Not only do they analyze the ad, but they address the innuendos and attacks being perpetrated on the stump by McCain and Palin.
Factcheck.org
He Lied About Bill Ayers?
McCain cranks out some false and misleading attacks on Obama's connection to a 1960s radical... In a TV ad, McCain says Obama "lied" about his association with William Ayers, a former bomb-setting, anti-war radical from the 1960s and '70s. We find McCain's claim to be groundless. New details have recently come to light, but nothing Obama said previously has been shown to be false.
Factcheck.org authors systematically dismantled the entirety of McCain's ad and attacks and calls McCain's allegations false and misleading.
We find McCain's accusation that Obama "lied" to be groundless.
Factcheck, after perusing the copious records on the Challenge that the Annenberg Foundation released this past August support Obama's claim that while he had worked on education reform with Ayers as part of 2 education initiatives, their contact was minimal (6 or 7 meetings over the course of 3 years) and that there is no proof that there was a true friendship that Obama is trying to hide.
In fact, "According to another board member, Ayers "was not significantly involved with the challenge after Obama was appointed."
Other claims are seriously misleading. The education project described in the Web ad, was far from being "radical,"
Factcheck.org reiterates what we have known - that the Annenberg Foundation (respected foundation begun by Republican friend of Ronald Reagan) funded this education initiative that involved MANY stakeholders in Chicago business, education and political spheres, and had on its Board Republican politicians, the president of the University of Illinois, the head of Ameritech and was supported by the Republican governor (mind you, Ayers was involved in the OTHER committee to screen grant applications and recommend them).
Factcheck.org states that even Education Week described the challenge as reflecting "mainstream thinking", and not a radical effort to funnel $100 million dollars to Ayers'"organizations" (uh, duh, schools and school programs), as McCain's ad implies.
FactCheck also points out that Ayers has become well-known and respected in the field of education.
. But for nearly three decades since, Ayers has lived the relatively quiet life of an educator. It would be correct to call him a "former terrorist," and an "unapologetic" one at that.
, and that when Obama knew him, it was in his capacity as a well-respected education professor and reformer.
In today's New York Times, the former prosecutor involved with the Weatheman's radical acts in the 1960's - early 1970's came out to support - Barack Obama.
Letter to the Editor from Weathermen Lead Prosecutor
I am amazed and outraged that Senator Barack Obama is being linked to William Ayers’s terrorist activities 40 years ago...Although I dearly wanted to obtain convictions against all the Weathermen, including Bill Ayers, I am very pleased to learn that he has become a responsible citizen.
Because Senator Obama recently served on a board of a charitable organization with Mr. Ayers cannot possibly link the senator to acts perpetrated by Mr. Ayers so many years ago.
Factcheck.org's analysis confirms NPR's recent report from October 6, 2008, in which former Republican elected officials:
NPR debunks the Obama-Ayers conspiracy theory
In the report, participants go on the record about how ridiculous these attacks are. And McCain should know that by smearing Obama, he is also "impugning the honor" of all the respected and powerful individuals who were also involved in the Challenge in Chicago - many of whom were Republicans.
"It was never a concern by any of us in the Chicago school reform movement that he had led a fugitive life years earlier," said former Illinois state Republican Rep. Diana Nelson, who worked with both Obama and Ayers over the years. "It's ridiculous. There is no reason at all to smear Barack Obama with this association. It's nonsensical, and it just makes me crazy. It's so silly."
"I don't remember ever hearing anyone raise concerns or questions about [Ayers'] background," says Anne Hallett... "And that included everybody I was engaged with," including prominent Republicans, and corporate and civic leaders in Chicago, Hallett adds.
Hallett calls this attack on Obama's association with Ayers and the Annenberg Challenge by further association, "a smear campaign...The Chicago Annenberg Challenge was an extremely positive initiative. It was well-vetted, thorough, and the fact that it is now is being used for political purposes is, in my opinion, outrageous."
(Of course, McCain campaign wouldn't know 'well-vetted" anything even if it pissed on them)
I commend these individuals who were brave enough to stand up to McCain's tactics, and I hope that it will encourage more and more responsible adults stand up to and stamp out McCain's inflamatory attacks.
I wish the Annenberg Foundation would come out with a statement, but since Walter Annenberg's widow is supporting McCain's candidacy, I doubt it will happen. Still, I wonder how she feels having the foundation tarred with insinuations of being called a radical foundation (Annenberg) whose money is being funneled to a terrorist's pet organizations.
Frankly, the worst that can be said about the whole Chicago Challenge was that it didn't result in much direct improvement schools, but did add much to our understanding of what effective school reforms can look like. (had to get the education focus in)
The only way McCain can retrieve any shred of his honor is to go in front of the American people and admit that he was wrong - that he made poor judgments - not just once but over the course of several weeks and on a daily basis.
I'm not holding my breath.
UPDATE 10/13/08:
Well, Thank goodness I didn't hold my breath. I would be dead now or unconscious. McCain has continued running his ad, though has reduced his rhetoric a bit on the trail (Palin switched to Obama being a baby killer - judgment is still out if this is an improvement of her negative attack mode from terrorists' BFF.
Bkmer has diaried today (10/13) an important development here,
Polifact.org declaring Pants on Fire Tactics by McCain
The diarist rightfully praises PoliFACT and Alexander Lane with their careful journalism (Palin - this is what REAL journalists do - examine the facts, not ignore the ones they don't like):
IMHO you have done a courageous thing, and as an American History and government teacher, I thank you for this act in the finest tradition of Zenger. Hang in there if the hot winds of hate start to blow your way. You are not alone. There are indeed millions of Americans who will appreciate your article and who will use your research to help them make sense of this situation for themselves.
I particularly like his Call to Action to start spreading the FACTS to friends, families (and "enemies") alike:
So people, start emailing, countering and writing! Let help these people "make sense of this situation for themselves" with FACTS, not FEAR.
Maybe some letters to the editor can help get this covered in the MSM and EMAILs to CNN, MSNBC and yes, Fox News.
Now that some networks and programs have their own fact checking apparatus, I think some are reluctant to allude to factcheck.org or PoliFACT.com. I heard NO one refer to factcheck.org or the NY Times letter. But, perhaps as more voices of reason come out, they will feel less intimidated by the hate group and actually do their JOBS!