FoxPolitics.net - Appleton, WI News - What's really going on in the Fox Cities

FoxPolitics.net Blogs

FoxPolitics News

Local/State Govt Links

Salaries

• Appleton School District, 2007-08
• City of Appleton
• Town of Grand Chute
• City of Menasha
• City of Neenah

Candidates

City of Appleton

• Elected Officials
• Salary Watch
• Directory
• Mtg. Agendas/Minutes

Advisory Board

Blogroll

Selected News Sources:
Business Jrnl of Milw
Christian Science Monitor
Daily Caller
Drudge Report
La Crosse Tribune
Milw Journal Sentinel
National Journal
New York Times
Public Policy Forum
Real Clear Politics
Stateline
The Hill
TPM
Washington Examiner
Washington Post
Washington Times
WI State Journal
Selected Blogs - from the Right:
American Mind
Blaska's Blog
Boots & Sabers
Charlie Sykes
Dad29
Freedom Eden
Heritage Foundation
Jerry Bader Blog
Life Voice
Marketplace of Ideas
Marquette Warrior
Natl Review Online
No Runny Eggs
Patrick McIlheran
Real Debate Wisconson
RedState
Rhymes with Clown
Shark and Shepherd
The Lote Tree
Vox Populi
Wall Street Jrnl, Opinions
WI State Jrnl, Opinion
Wigderson Library & Pub
Wisconsin Family Voice
WPRI
Selected Blogs - from the Left:
Big Money Blog
Blogging Blue
Brenda Konkel
Caffeinated Politics
Capital Times
FightingBob
Folkbum's rambles
Griper Blade
Huffington Post
Lost Albatross
MAL Contends
Mid coast views
Moneyed Politicians
One Wisconsin Now
Open Left
Playground Politics
Political Environment
Rock Netroots
Talk to Tony
Uppity Wisconsin
Waxing America

Today's Blog: Time for the Guv to morph into Chris Christie
My husband and I and a couple hundred friends watched in Green Bay as ...(more)

Search Archives

Blogs

Time for the Guv to morph into Chris Christie (6/28/2011)

Time for Gov. Walker to talk more about the cake (3/4/2011)

Today, reality hits home (3/1/2011)

FoxPolitics News going on hiatus (1/28/2011)

Brown County Executive candidate forum Feb. 8 (1/28/2011)

Education done right (1/27/2011)

To Obama, the ‘We’ is Government (1/27/2011)

(more)

10/16/2008
Eggleston: I knew Bill Ayers when...

My ties to former Weatherman radical Bill Ayers are almost as strong as Barack Obama's. I'd better come clean before someone takes some of the charges being leveled in the current presidential election campaign seriously.

In the spirit of former Attorney General John Mitchell's involvement in the Ayers case, I could be arrested without a warrant, shipped off to Guantanamo Bay without a trial and locked up forever.

All because my father, Bill Eggleston, worked for many years for Ayers' father, Thomas G. Ayers, who was CEO of Commonwealth Edison, the power company in Chicago. They didn't work closely together, but they did work in the same neighborhood in Chicago's Loop. They undoubtedly greeted each other in the elevators in the Edison Building. They may even have talked about their children, who were nearly the same age.

At the time, no one could have known that Bill Ayers would grow up to marry Bernardine Dohrn and join the radical movement, and later become Barack Obama's neighbor and an advocate for public education, a dangerous radical concept. Worse yet, Bill Ayers is now a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, a dangerous radical institution.

During the 1960s, I admit that I had dangerous radical thoughts. I thought the war in Vietnam was wrong and the guy in the White House was a dangerous crook. It was the attorney general who worked for that guy who illegally wiretapped Bill Ayers.

And I developed the conviction that people who want to take my constitution away from me will have to pry the parchment from my cold, dead hands.

I was never convicted of a crime, though.

Neither was Bill Ayers, though he was charged. Then the courts found out about John Mitchell's illegal wiretapping and upheld Bill Ayers' constitutional rights. This was long before Congress passed the USA Patriot Act, illegal wiretapping became legal and we all lost a lot of our constitutional rights.

Like Bill Ayers, I've been rehabilitated by the passage of time. As the Phil Ochs song proclaimed, "I believe in God and Senator Dodd and keepin' ol' Castro down." Bill Ayers may feel the same.

But by the standards of attack politics, he is still fair game. The only hired assassins that some politicians endorse ("...and I approved this message...") are character assassins. And maybe Blackwater mercenaries.

A campaign that has seen attacks on Barack Obama because of statements by his former minister hasshown it can also stoop low enough as to attack the man based on who lives in Obama's neighborhood.

I wonder who lives in John McCain's neighborhood. Or, rather, his seven neighborhoods.

Rich Eggleston is a part-time cynic and full-time recovering journalist who lives south of Madison.

COMMENTS

Great comparison Rich. If my preference was not that I'd like to see McCain get off of this kick, I'd bring up his past relationship with convicted felon Charles Keating and current friendship with KKK terrorist Senator Robert Byrd. But that wouldn't be fair, would it?

And to top it off, I'm a McCain supporter, mainly because of his commitment AGAINST earmarks and FOR public funding of campaigns.

But I want McCain to talk about meaningful issues. If Ayers is all he's got to throw at Obama, he's in trouble.

Jack Lohman
http://MoneyedPoliticians.net

Jack Lohman (Thu Oct 16 07:27:12 2008)

I think you and Barack are gonna be just fine. Jumping out and confessing these atrocities from your past are an incredibly courageous thing to do. Way to go. :) I once had a radical thought as well. Thanks for the political humor. We can use it at this time.

Mike

Mike Morgen (Thu Oct 16 07:35:22 2008)

I find it repulsive to give credit and honor to those who so blatantly broke the law. Bragging about those who were killed with their bombs and property that was destroyed as if it were something in which to be proud. And I find it shameful that the man who wants to be the next president of this fine country is a very good friend of a man who hates this country.

Dianne Herner (Thu Oct 16 09:56:14 2008)

Dianne, I'm not an Obama supporter, but I'm also not willing to say that he is a "very good friend" of Bill Ayers. Last they even saw each other was in 2005. Dislike him if you will, but I'd go by past deeds rather than past acquaintances. McCain is not Lilly-white either. Most of us probably know people of the same ilk.

Jack Lohman (Thu Oct 16 10:57:17 2008)

Everyday in every corner of America we are encountering folks who were active in anti-war protests against the Vietnam war and folks who were dedicated to the civil rights movement. We were caught up in the 60's era politic and young. We abhorred the injustices of war and racism. Terror takes on many forms. I recall the terror of napalming innocent civilians and the My Lai massacre. I wonder if people who associate with the military men who slaughtered innocents in Viet Nam should be publicly condemned for their associations. It seems it depends on whos ox is gored. Diane's comment lacks insight and is an example of the simplemindedness of most right wing republicans who do not wish to engage in the thoughtful comtemplation of very complex issues. We are all to blame and we are all consorting with nepharious characters by her definition.

billie (Fri Oct 17 08:16:18 2008)

Interesting how some people are willing to declare someone guilty without a trial and sacrifice their constitutional rights on the altar of political expediency.

Diane, you don't know beans about Bill Ayers. Nor do I. But I'm willing to think that he's become a better person in the last 40 years -- and that our country has become a better country -- and you're not.

The fact is that, back then, Bill Ayers was subject to break-ins, mail interceptions and wiretapping without a warrant, orchestrated by then Attorney General John N. Mitchell and his cronies in the FBI.

At that time "the plumbers" didn't refer to Joe the Plumber.

And none of the illegal activities by agents of our government would have happened if the United States during Richard M. Nixon's presidency had been a "government of the people, by the people and for the people" as our founding fathers envisioned.

But you and much of the media are willing to believe what the government tells you about goings-on in the Weather Underground back then. How naive.

Bill Ayers deserved to go free, and he doesn't deserve to be judged 40 years later by people like you.

I was there. I assume you weren't.

Rich Eggleston (Fri Oct 17 09:33:12 2008)

You are probably as naive as you think I am, if you think Ayers is innocent. He has admitted to doing all the things he was suspected of doing. He would have been found gilty of all he was accused of doing if his lawyers hadn't found loop holes in the case. He would probably be just getting out of prison now, not corrupting the minds of young people with far left ideals. So, you were there with him, perhaps even helping him, while I was just reading about him in the newspapers thinking how terrible some peoples ideals had developed.

Dianne Herner (Fri Oct 17 10:01:21 2008)

I am probably as naive as you think I am because I believe in the principle of "innocent until proven guilty."

If you want to share the lynch mob mentality that has been going around lately, just admit that you're un-American.

No big deal. But don't accuse other people of being un-American -- or naive.

Rich Eggleston (Fri Oct 17 13:59:36 2008)

By the way, I don't think our constitution is a loophole.

I understand that this is also a naive and maybe old-fashioned belief, but that's what I think.

I also think you have a lot more potential for corrupting people than Bill Ayers.

Rich Eggleston (Fri Oct 17 14:02:49 2008)

I think it is just as important as any other issus in this campaign. As Shawn Hannity put it, "Obama is someone who sat on boards with Ayers, and even started his political carrer in the home of Bill Ayers" Therefore, Obama DID try to mislead the American public by saying that "he was just a guy who lived in the neighborhood" Not to mention all of monetary exchanges between the two and their special interests. HE FLAT OUT LIED TO US, PEOPLE!! Wake up and STOP making excuses for Obama. There is no defending some of the choices he's made in the past. Rev. Wright,remember that racist nutcase? Why can't he simply admit that he has made some poor choices when it comes to his friends and associates. I think it would've been much better for him politically to apologize and move on. The fact that he can't seem take responsibility for his actions, and goes to great lengths to avoid the tough issues is all I need to know. McCain and Palin have my vote ALL THE WAY!!

Rev. Robin (Sun Oct 19 17:22:08 2008)

An added note: Bill Ayers is a criminal. Just because he was not convicted doesn't mean anything. He admitted to violent acts against humanity and this country and yet is not ONE BIT REMORSEFUL!! How can anyone defend this radical "WACKO"? Oh, that's right, he's a professor. Big deal. What does that mean. All it says to me is that he has a better chance than most of imparting his terrorist ways on the young impressionable minds before him. I would NOT even let my child attend the university that he is affiliated with. Because to me that doesn't say an awful lot about their intelligence, does it??

Rev. Robin (Sun Oct 19 17:36:20 2008)

I firmly believe our county would be a lot better off if Bill Ayers and people like him would be convicted of their crimes in spite of the means used to convict them! I find it hard to show any sympathy to someone who bombed Federal buildings and says he's sorry he didn't do more as late as September 11, 2001.

Gerry (Sun Oct 19 20:38:36 2008)

Post a Reply

Print this Article

Email Article to a Friend