The Left largely failed to get the establishment media to buy into the idea that the Rev. John Hagee’s endorsement of John McCain’s presidential campaign was similar to Barack Obama’s longtime relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
However, the Chicago Tribune’s Steve Chapman comes closer to the mark in comparing McCain’s apparently friendly relationship with conservative radio talk-show host G. Gordon Liddy – who spent more than 4 years in prison for his role in the 1972 Watergate burglary — to Obama’s friendly relationship with unrepentant domestic terrorist William Ayers, though Chapman may be underplaying the extent of the Obama-Ayers relationship. Don Surber argues that Liddy did his time and did not blow anyone up, but (iirc) Ayers did not blow anyone up either (though he may have jeopardized American pilots when his group bombed the Pentagon.) Moreover, Liddy (like Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn) has made controversial comments since then, which are already being collected by the HuffPo.
Chapman’s piece did not get much immediate buzz, but Liddy’s name could come up if coverage of the Obama-Ayers connection picks up during the general election. So far, aside from the ABC News-hosted Democratic debate in Plilly, Ayers has appeared in a fairly small percentage of Obama’s news coverage.
But Liddy being a pundit who served time rather than a terrorist who, well, is an unrepentant terrorist is somewhat of a moral equivalence issue, no?
Difference being I think that Liddy can a lot make a case for himself to both his and McCain’s credit. Ayers is a big flakey girl that Baracky will really want to stay away from the cameras. For some reason I’m thinking back when the stupid Democrats thought it would be a good idea to grill Oliver North live on national tv. Hah. They really don’t get this whole America thing.
I wrote “closer to the mark” because the Liddy analogy does work better (imho) than a Hagee-Wright equivalence on the facts. In terms of political perception, Liddy might do better than Ayers, but I could see the media referring to “convicted Watergate figure G. Gordon Liddy” a lot. So far, I don’t see either becoming a big deal, but I thought I should note it, as Nov. is a long way off.
Of course you’re right, Karl, but as happyfeet points out re: Ollie North they’ll have to keep Liddy far, far away from microphones and TV cameras. It may be a little more of a tapdance than they’re willing to try.
Regards,
Ric
Yeah, somehow I don’t think that’s really gonna sell with the American people. At the very least, Liddy is patriotic and loves America.
I expect that Obama’s supporters will berate the press for ignoring Hagee/Liddy, and the press will dutifully accept their criticism as accurate and accordingly devote major coverage to the two.
But while it would tarnish McCain’s image, the contrast is still killer. Ayers or Liddy? Wright or Hagee? People (except extreme progressives) are not going to be able to think about Liddy without considering Ayers, or think about Hagee without considering Wright.
Liddy, oh Liddy, oh have you met Liddy, oh
George Gordon BATTle Liddy
He’s the friend the left abhors so
And his Marcos even moreso…
All this may sound like ancient history. But it’s from the same era as the bombings Ayers helped carry out as a member of the Weather Underground. And Liddy’s penchant for extreme solutions has not abated.
In 1994, after the disastrous federal raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, he gave some advice to his listeners: “Now if the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms comes to disarm you and they are bearing arms, resist them with arms. Go for a head shot; they’re going to be wearing bulletproof vests. . . . Kill the sons of bitches.”
Yea right. Liddy comments on the outrage of Waco in 1994 and that is exactly like Ayers saying he wanted to bomb more in 2001, stomping on the American flag in 2001 and indoctrinating American kids to the lunatic left far into future.
Three pussies one real: Liddy ’08
One other thing G.Gordon loves this country and freedom. Bill Ayers is a hate America totalitarian wannabe. Tough choice Mr. Chapman?
rrrrrr
Of course, one mitigating factor for Liddy was his later buddy-buddy act with Tim Leary. That buys some cred in many circles.
Plus, Liddy will do his duty and keep his mouth shut and his head down if the press starts making an issue of it, unlike Pastor Wright. So far, Ayers has too but he might yield to temptation, “for the cause”, of course.
Actually, I wouldn’t mind at all sitting down at a bar with either Liddy or Ayers for a drink or two. Either would offer interesting conversation.
I had the most fascinating discussion with G. Gordon last night.
Ok no. I just can’t go there.
Note to B. Ayers: The guns are in Mrs. Liddy’s name.
I don’t see the left getting much mileage out of this. Liddy may be a bit eccentric, but he was never a terrorist, no matter what they say on Digg.
Besides, there’s the whole burning-yourself-with-a-lighter thing. That gives him cred, man.
A “bit eccentric”? That’s putting it mildly. Check out Liddy’s autobiography Will when you get a chance.
Mmmmm, rat.
I have no love for Liddy, Dad was an ATF agent, but he did his time. The same cannot be said of Mr. Ayers.
Every other day, I change my mind about whether I am even going to vote.
But I think it’s funnu that the left keeps trying to stick a pimple on McCains butt, because it’s already covered with them. So who would even notice another one?
I have no love for Liddy, Dad was an ATF agent, but he did his time.
This maybe could be the start of a great novel I think.
You task me feets?
Absolutely. You should give it a go I think.
Whoa Doug!
You scared me there for a moment.
I was reading the comment and just sorta saw your name out of the top of my eye, and thought: “Oh-oh! I don’t even remember posting this, and I have a whole new style!” I thought Doug was Dog with the quick glance that I gave it.
Whew!
I sure am glad that you posred that, and not me.
That was REAL scary there for a moment, because I have been waiting for dementia with bated breath…
Doug –
That post was about my state of tired, not about anything you wrote. I re-read it this morning and realized that it could be taken the wrong way quite easily.
My post was about me, not anything you wrote. Sorry if it sounded ambiguous.
Yeah, a longtime friend of McCain who broke into the Democratic Party HQ under orders from Nixon is just the kind of guy the Republicans will promote as loving America. I love America, too. But I call his kind of loving America as treasonous bullshit that undermines the freedom of the people. Illegal spying on political parties is not American. It’s Soviet, Chinese, North Korean, Baathist maybe, not American.
Liddy is a hero only for those who shit on the ideals of democracy.
Well, I can for one can see that jon is one tough barrista.
Say, jonny, how do you like the photo of Ayers stomping on the flag?
Well, if jon’s a barrista, at least he served.
“Yeah, a longtime friend of McCain who broke into the Democratic Party HQ under orders from Nixon is just the kind of guy the Republicans will promote as loving America. I love America, too. But I call his kind of loving America as treasonous bullshit that undermines the freedom of the people. Illegal spying on political parties is not American. It’s Soviet, Chinese, North Korean, Baathist maybe, not American.”
Nixon didn’t know about the breakin until after it happened.
I figure President Nixon knew what was going on, but when you look at what really happened in Watergate, it’s really small potatoes compared to the stuff that politicians are doing regularly today. It’s funny to see the disappointment on peoples’ faces when they’re told what it was really about, they think it’s some ghastly sequence of unspeakable events when it’s pretty mild stuff these days. A few FBI files looked at? Try boxes of them taken and studied for over a year then suddenly showing up on the desk in Hillary Clinton’s office, somehow.
I’d be interested in any links, but I think the historians are pretty unanimous by this point that Nixon was only involved in the cover-up.
But yeah, I agree with you. Except, I wouldn’t limit it to ‘today.’
Some previous presidents were worse, as well.
That much power is rarely not abused.
“Say, jonny, how do you like the photo of Ayers stomping on the flag?”
I don’t. I think stomping on the flag is a sucky thing, whether it’s done in a literal or symbolic way. I’m not into pennant idolatry, but some actions tell me about their actors.
Illegal spying on political parties is not American.
What if Liddy were trying to find the source of classified material being leaked about the war for political purposes, and took one for the team to minimize the damage?
but some actions tell me about their actors.
And their friends and associates.
It is all about being judged by the company you keep. Failure to understand that simple rule doesn’t lead to much confidence in Sen. Obama’s judgment. And there isn’t even a ‘go and sin more’ aspect to this, just a ‘don’t you disrespect me’ aspect. Sad.