Ticket guest writer: The Obama and Ayers that Chicago knows

John Kass is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

CHICAGO -- Turn on the TV news when John McCain is picking up undecided voters by invoking Barack Obama's relationship with unrepentant American terrorist William Ayers and, invariably, some liberal talking head will sniff in disgust and say Ayers is no big deal where Obama comes from.

Unfortunately, that's true. Ayers is a terrorist. But this is Chicago.

Obama and Ayers are neighbors, and they worked together on school issues with the same foundation. Obama's political coming-out party was held in Ayers' living room when Obama was running for his first political office.

And the boss of Chicago is Mayor Richard Daley. Mayor Shortshanks has thrown his protective embrace around both men. These are facts.

But the reason Ayers is not a big deal in Chicago has to do with the Chicago Way, and the left fork of that road that has been bought and paid for by the Daley machine, subsidized by taxpayers who foot the bill for public relations contracts from City Hall.

The new Daley machine is much more sophisticated than his father's. And the stereotype of knuckle-draggers and wiseguys -- they're....

...still around, and there are jobs on the city payroll for those who work the precincts.

Yet what's often ignored is that their university-educated cousins get city contracts to spin the news and shape the symbolism and tell out-of-town reporters that Ayers is no big deal.

They won't bite the hand that feeds them. For an examination of the Daley spin machine -- and its cost to taxpayers -- please see Tribune reporter Dan Mihalopoulos' story in the Sunday editions.

One friend of Obama and Ayers is former '60s radical Marilyn Katz, now an Obama fund-raiser, strategist and public relations maven. She's often a go-to quote for reporters to knock down the Ayers-Obama story.

"What Bill Ayers and [former Black Panther, now U.S. Rep.] Bobby Rush ... did 40 years ago has nothing to do with [the presidential campaign]," Katz was quoted as saying in the Chicago Sun-Times in April. "[Ayers] has a national reputation. He lectures at Harvard [University] and Vassar [College]."

What that story and many other pro-Obama articles gloss over is that during the violent protests of the 1968 Democratic National Convention here, Katz was the security chief for the radical Students for a Democratic Society.

She once advocated throwing studded nails in front of police cars, back in the SDS days when the group was alleged to have thrown cellophane bags full of human excrement at cops and cans of urine and golf balls impaled with nails.

How things change.

Under this Daley, her firm, MK Communications, has many city deals, and one involves public relations for the Chicago Police Department's community policing program. From nails to contracts, the Chicago Way. Apparently, irony was not a '60s thing.

Now, as Daley prepares to lay off more than 1,000 city workers, he's given Katz and other public relations firms five-year contracts that could pay them as much as $5 million each for consulting, advertising and promotion.

Getting in good with Daley hasn't been bad for business. She also lists as her clients Daley's Chicago Housing Authority, Daley's City Colleges, Daley's city Law Department, and Daley's departments of Aviation, Environment, Housing, Human Services, Planning and Development, Public Health, Public Works, Streets and Sanitation, Intergovernmental Affairs, Special Events -- the list goes on.

Clearly, if she wasn't a good soldier for Shortshanks, her list of clients would be quite small. Katz is often aggravating, but she's also funny and smart, so I called her to submit my theory: That by buying off the political left -- through PR contracts to Katz, through his own support for Ayers -- Daley maintains control over message and symbolism.

"I don't see it that way," said Katz. "As kids, our issues were schools, the environment, housing -- and these things are the same things that the mayor cares about. So we have this in common. The agendas that drove us pulled us together. It's about respect for each other's point of view, not what we did when we were 19."

On Ayers and Obama, Katz still insists it isn't a story.

"Bill and I were in different parts of SDS. We disagreed on tactics. Bill has spent his entire life contributing to the betterment of society. That's all I can say about Bill," she said.

Happily, I beg to differ. Ayers is a terrorist -- the narcissistic son of privilege and clout -- whose father, Thomas, was the boss of Commonwealth Edison and a friend of the late Mayor Richard J. Daley (the current mayor's father).

As a leader of the ultra-violent Weather Underground, Ayers admitted to helping bomb the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon in the 1970s. He should have been sent to prison. Instead, Chicago political clout allowed him and his wife, fellow radical Bernardine Dohrn, to magically join the payrolls of universities here.

Obama says he was 8 years old when the bombs went off. But he was a grown man when he sought Ayers' political blessing, and when they worked on the same education projects.

"They're friends. So what?" Mayor Daley said in August.

He's the boss and the master spinner. So it must not be a story.

--John Kass

Kass' column was published in the Chicago Tribune on Oct. 12.

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Photo credits: Associated Press (Obama and Mayor Richard J. Daley); ChicagoMagazine.com (William Ayers).

Comments

[Bryan B.]

Dear Top-of-the-Ticket,

When are you going to provide balance?

Why can't I find an in depth report on McCain's relationship to G. Gordon Liddy?

Ayers gave Obama just $200 fifteen years ago, but Liddy gave McCain $5000 ($1000 of which just this year).

Ayers was never convicted of a crime, but Liddy was convicted and served 4-1/2 years in prison.

Obama was a guest in Ayers' home 15 years ago. McCain was a guest on Liddy's radio program.

Ayers was a member of the weather underground when Obama was 8 years old. Liddy was part of the Watergate break-in; broke into Daniel Elsberg's office; confessed to plotting an assassination "if necessary"; and plotted to firebomb the Brookings institution.

Don't you think it is one sided to be all Ayers all the time, with never a mention of McCain's friend Liddy?

Bryan

[Randy]

Thank you! It's not the 8 year old I'm worried about, it's the relationship with these folks as they turn 60 that matters. It takes a village to raise a child and these elders have agreed to spin the story for outsiders. On the inside it's all about the winks and nods. When they were 'kids' of 19 they demanded respect and said, 'don't trust anyone over 30'. Now that they are twice 30 they say they really know what they're doing now and they not only want to control Chicago, they want to control the Nation through their proxy, Obama. No thanks!

[dmk1949]

During the Sixties, the Weather Underground and the SDS were "radical" groups advocating change from the then current establishment ways, not terrorists. Now that Bush has let "terrorists" attack our country, McKain, Palin and all the other neo-cons call Ayers and others "terrorists" to try to scare the hell out of Americans and try to get them to "not" vote for Obama.
Apparently according to McKain, Palin and the neo-cons, NO ONE can ever rehabilitate themselves. Ayers involvement with Obama had to do with an educational foundation largely funded by a conservative Republican.
Obama can't help that he and Ayers live in the same neighborhood. Someplace I remember there being a Constitution and a Bill of Rights that says you can live wherever you choose as long as you can pay for it.
Time for McCain, Palin and the neo-cons to focus on issues rather than trying to scare the hell out of the country with all this terrorist mumbo jumbo.

[MarkC]

The connection between the two is that:

1) Obama was in Ayers' living room once
2) They served on the same board

#2 is total bull. That's barely even an association. But with #1 I'm curious about the details. Did Obama choose to hold the event in Ayers' living room? Did he know Ayers prior to this? I mean, I suspect this is bull, too, but I haven't heard the specifics discussed and am surprised John Kass doesn't bother to do so.

[Justin]

This belongs in the opinion pages.

It is not unexpected that both campaigns will use the editorial sections of major papers to attack their opponents. So how, exactly, is this news?

Is the purpose of this piece to explain away McCain's ads painting Obama as part of Chicago's corrupt political machine?

Is the author's contention that we should automatically disqualify any candidate for national office who has come from Chicago?

I certainly don't understand how or agree that someone like Ayers could have risen to prominence, but he has. And for Obama to have reached the stage he has, he needed to play the "game." If this election has shown anything, it is that Obama is very, very good at playing that game.

This article brings nothing new to light about Obama's relationship with Ayers, it is merely an attempt to assign guilt by association. This blog is best when you are offering real analysis, not giving a voice to partisan schills (of either side.)

[kjames]

What is your point? Chicago gives PR contracts (I thought that was a Republican thing, you know, privatization) to ex-radicals, so Obama is a terrorist because he's a politician from the same town?? This is even more of a reach than the original charges.
Have you investigated the Annenberg Foundation that hired Ayers? Although they were founded by a very conservative Republican (Walter Annenberg), since they hired a known terrorist to work on their board, they must be a terrorist organization! This entire line of argument is absolutely absurd. And given McCain's much stronger relationships with G. Gordon Liddy and Charles Keating, unbelievably hypocritical. Not to mention Palin's ties to the secessionist organization in Alaska. Just when you think the Republicans have gone as low as they can go....

[Rosemarie Pilkington]

Very selective "reporting"! You talk about the commission that Ayers and Obama served on but you don't say that not only were there many Republicans on that commission but that it was founded and funded by Mrs. Annenberg a wealthy Republican and supporter of John McCain. Does that mean that these staunch Republicans are consorting with terrorists as well?
Why don't you stop the mud-slinging and talk about important issues, like Social Security and women's rights?

[Ed]

So, what's the connection between Ayers and Obama? What does this have to do with anything important now?

[Mark S]

Ayers IS a terrorist? C'mon, give me a break. He might have been one when he was in college, but I doubt he is one now.

He now IS a university professor who lectures at Harvard. The way you and the Republicans say it, we'd better watch out if he is ever in our neighborhood. Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?

We all did stupid (and sometimes illegal) things when we were in college, some more than others. That doesn't mean we don't grow up and become contributing members of society.

That he wasn't prosecuted is the government's fault, not his. Since no one was killed, the statute of limitations has probably run out, so nothing will happen.

Also, 'neighbors' make it sound like next door, but as best I can tell, they live in the same neighborhood, not next door. It's not like the kids are playing with each other and babysitting each other, and they are having coffee together daily.

Another obvious trumped up Republican overstatement that sounds ridiculous everytime they say it.

From what I can tell, you and I would have no problem TODAY with having Ayers over for coffee for engaging conversation. There are more important things to address than what someone did 40 years ago.

Namely, McCain's support of an internationally illegal occupation of a sovereign country, where our troops are dying daily (btw: the war was over when Saddam was deposed - wars are between governments, and we are NOT fighting the Iraqi government these days).

Or the Republican support of deregulation or non-enforcement of selective regulations that has led to a financial meltdown. (research the administration's blocking of the enforcement of state consumer protection laws against nationally chartered banks)

Take a look at those issues if you want to make an impact with your writing.

Thanks,
Mark

[Gina]

This is a completely different thing because Liddy is supposed to have something to do with Watergate and cannot be compared to a joint work with a FORMER TERRORIST AND STATE ENEMY who bombed BUILDINGS and hurt humans. Concerning watergate, nobody was hurt.
You obviously give a damn for the security of other people or the loyality to your country.

[Gina]

Bad enough that someone who broke into a building was convicted and someone who bombed buildings and killed people was not convicted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Are you aware of the fact that you are so obsessed by your Obama that you start to defend terrorists??????????
I cannot believe it. What a shame for your country you are!

[Gina]

There is no need for balance here but only for truth and justice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Freedom Eagle]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/14/mccain-transition-chief-a_n_134595.html

"William Timmons, the Washington lobbyist who John McCain has named to head his presidential transition team, aided an influence effort on behalf of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to ease international sanctions against his regime.¨

Yeah, McCain is just Mister Clean in the connections to bad people department.