Both abortion clinic bombers and Al Qaeda claim to act in God's name. How are the paralells so hard to see?

That video made it seem that (a) Palin was not answering the question about abortion clinic bombers by instead starting her answer talking about Bill Ayers, and that (b) she wasn't critical of abortion clinic bombers.

If you hunt for the full video, you see that Brian Williams actually asked several questions, but the Daily Kos video linked here lopped off the beginning so you don't here him ask, "Are we changing the definition of the word terrorist? Are the people who set fire to American cities in the 1960's terrorists? Is an abortion clinic bomber a terrorist under this definition?" So her answer, starting to talk about Ayers, actually does answer one of the questions he asked.

And the Daily Kos video cuts Palin off, practically in mid-sentence, when she finishes her sentence by saying, "...but of course it's unacceptable and would not be condoned, of course, on our watch." And then when Williams asked her a follow up question, she said she would consider terrorists anyone who would seek to campaign to harm government buildings or to harm innocent Americans.

http://www.truveo.com/McCain-Palin-on-what-makes-a-%E2%80%98terrorist%E2%80%99/id/2479248476

Look, the woman isn't the best public speaker, and she is completely on the defensive and has been for the past month, and is undoubtedly hurting her own ticket right now. But the Dems don't need to be cropping a video of her to make her look bad. She's doing plenty of that on her own.

This is the equivalent of a scene from one of the last Democratic debates when someone asked Obama about whether he repudiated the endorsement of some controversial figure (maybe Farrakhan?) and at first, Obama gave some equivocal statement about how he doesn't control who supports him. And then Hillary leaped on that and said she refutes all such endorsements she receives categorically and tried to criticize Barack for not doing the same. At which time Obama handled it perfectly by saying something like, "OK, if it makes you feel better, I repudiate Farrakhan (or whoever it was) in the strongest possible way," and that was that. If Hillary had released some video with just the middle part of that dialogue excerpted, that would be the equivalent of what you're seeing here.

Brian Williams, hard hitting journalist, NOT! He let those two go on about the actions of the Weathermen without confronting them with the fact that Barack was just a little boy at the time. What a tool. We need more Jim Lehrers in the newsroom.

Barack was just a little boy at the time

But Obama was 34 years old when he launched his political career in a social gathering in Ayers’ home. He was 37 years old when Ayers and his wife said they didn’t do enough bombing. And yet Obama and Ayers continued to talk, either on the phone or by email, four years after Ayers said he regretted the insufficiency of their bombing days.

It's more than a little distressing that Palin couldn't call a clinic bomber a terrorist (though Rich is right -- she specifically said she would put Bill Ayers in the same category with anyone who would "seek to destroy innocent Americans"). But if John McCain launched his first political campaign in Eric Rudolph's home and then tried to describe him as a "guy who lives in my neighborhood," the press would leave no stone unturned to expose his lies.

McCain was too busy hanging out with Gordon Liddy -- a real terrorist.

Sometimes "associations" are important. Examine the past years of discussion about Gov. Goldschmidth and his rape of a child. Many times those who maybe knew of these incidences or absolutely knew of the character of Goldschmidth were cast negatively with all kinds of dispersions. Obama at 34 years of age did know of Ayers past, and did associate with him.

Our standards on association for Goldschmidth should equally apply to Obama. And by the way Ayers did more than blow up some bathroom plumbing even by his own admission. Besides that, the extent, degree of bombing doesn't past muster with me.

Lee, you're saying Obama raped Ayers, or vice-versa?

Mom, Dad, after we take this photo, can we go blow up the Pentagon before bed? http://inlinethumb06.webshots.com/14725/2866287030101589692S425x425Q85.jpg

Oops, I guess the FBI will be looking to talk to me now. (I was just making a point to Ken, sorry)

Ayers was named Chicago's Citizen of the Year in 1997. Does that mean Chicago is a terrorist harboring city? Can we expect McCain to sing "bomb, bomb, bomb Chicago" sometime soon? Will Bush include Chicago in the axis of evil. How the hell can any God fearing, USA loving, star spangled banner singing true American be a Cubs fan? God Damn Chicago.

Nite all. Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite.

Bill Ayers, despite what he may have done in the past, has gone on to become a positive, producing member of society and an honored educator, consultant and citizen of Chicago. These things are rarely discussed when his name is invoked. He is far more than an "old washed up terrorist." Anybody who moves in political circles is going to eventually run into people who did or said regrettable things in the past. In fact, they don't have to step very many feet in Washington to run into one. It would have been ludicrous for Obama to say to Walter Annenberg that he preferred not to serve on a committee with Ayers because of his past association with the Weathermen - something that would have called Annenberg's judgment into question and deprived Obama of a chance to contribute positively. It would have been equally idiotic for him to tell people that he would not graciously accept a locally-honored constituent's generous efforts to promote his candidacy because it might make him look bad somewhere down the road.

This whole thing is idiotic and the fact that people are still wasting time inflating its importance is unfortunate.

And, by the way, can anyone show a pattern of Obama's "palling around with terrorists" (plural)? Where's the second or third terrorist? What constitutes "palling around?"

Amazing that so many minute details put out here can be dug up from the 40-years-ago bin of history, and get set in circulating talking points by the same broadcasters
who couldn't find deserter Junior-B 25 years prior -- even with some seeing eye-witnesses' directions;
and couldn't see documented sales and delivery receipts of nerve gas munitions from Senior-B -- the sole source EVER!, to his partner Saddam 15 years before Junior's LIARS came -- even with photos of the handshake signing deal and shipping canisters and testimony;
and couldn't tell what difference it makes filing charges on 7-year-old murders when now finding out the anthrax was Made in USA by fascist agit-props unders orders of the King of CIA Daddy-B.

The same broadcasters who say (McCain's buddy-buddy) ex-con Liddy's one of them, ('celebrity'-privy fascists) shouting out at listeners to shoot to kill (federal) public employees.

I cannot imagine one single solitary voter for Obama might change their thought the slightest by any news of Ayers, even if he did something today unlawful, even if anything the hate-talk LIARS contended was true now or 40 years ago.

I know full well that many voters for Obama go to him (less on merit but) more to get away from, or get him to stop, the SHOUTING hate-talk LIARS, neverminding what they say and none of it is politics -- it's all fearful hate-filled bigotry.

And y'know what? Obama might just stop them. Seeing the current obsession seems to be that, should the Democratic party sweep the elections, General Order No. 1 will be to re-establish The Fairness Doctrine (dum-dum-DUMMMMM!). I think this is how talk-show hosts scare their children into eating lima beans -- "Eat you lima beans or The Fairness Doctrine will get you." ... there are radio hosts who are going to spend the months after the election hiding under their beds with canned goods.

You know they got a guilty conscience when LIARS KXL can tell a difference between vicious Savage nihilistic HATE and vapid squirmy Hannity hate-lite -- so LIARS switched, hiding behind Hannity their bigotted supremacism, faking like they 'reformed' to civil law accordance ... while the fact of the matter issuing in LIARS on the air is that they don't get it. The criminal is not the mask, it's what's behind the mask.

Obama is just as much the product of machine politics as Rostenkowski was, and he's made a few friends along the way that he's indebted to.

Maybe Obama will outgrow those friends when he moves into the White House, or (more likely) they will start calling in their chits. If he thinks he might need their help to forward his agenda and/or get reelected, then he will make sure they receive their due consideration.

Change you can believe in doesn't spend it's formative years in Chicago. And it doesn't retain the purity of the wind driven snow after $610 million worth of fundraising.

McCain is the publicly funded candidate in this election: and that makes him the less easily corrupted candidate, right?

Nw Portlander is right. The sins of the past mean very little today. Ayers is my hero too.

Ted Kennedy is another great example of someone persecuted for the past. Just because he was implicated in the death of a young woman several years ago, the past continues to follow him today. In the large scheme of things the loss of that young woman's life meant very little, at least compared to all the good Teddy has accomplished over the years.

Why continue to ask questions about the character of Ayers? He is a really good guy now, and I like anyone Obama says is OK. We forgive you Bill!

McCain's publicly funded candidacy would have made him the "less easily corrupted candidate" Mister Tee if we were seeing the McCain from eight years ago. His kiss and make up (no pun intended) with W will likely cost him the presidency.

"Does that mean Chicago is a terrorist harboring city?"

Yes. And unlike most other terrorist harboring cities, Chicago is also the murder capital of the US.

"Can we expect McCain to sing "bomb, bomb, bomb Chicago" sometime soon?"

No. McCain is done singing. For good.

"Will Bush include Chicago in the axis of evil. How the hell can any God fearing, USA loving, star spangled banner singing true American be a Cubs fan?"

Interesting question. Probably can't.

Mister Tee- Obama has received millions of small contributions from actual PEOPLE, whereas McCain failed to generate any kind of enthusiasm from the 'base'. Let's not forget, during the primaries, the only people who were pushing for McCain were some folks in the media. He was an afterthought for awhile until the media kept pushing him to the forefront, completely amazed that folks were forgetting about him. He HAD to take public financing, because nobody gave a s*$# about him.

You want to talk about corruption? Are you going to completely ignore the cattle call of lobbyists working on McCain's campaign??

Please try harder.