"Ultimately, I ended up learning about the fact that he had engaged in this reprehensible act 40 years ago, but I was eight-years-old at the time . . ." -- Barack Obama, October 9, 2008.
"And the notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8 years old, somehow reflects on me and my values doesn't make much sense, George." -- Barack Obama, April 16, 2008.
We think Barack's a liar. But what if he's telling the truth?
Assuming he's telling the truth and can add, the only explanation for his repeated insistence about being eight-years-old (in 1969, Weather Underground was active throughout the 1970s), maybe he's stepping carefully? He did so at another point in the February 28th debate where co-moderator Tim Russert noted "the headline of your hometown paper, Chicago Tribune: 'Louis Farrakhan Backs Obama for President at Nation of Islam Convention in Chicago'" and Russert asked him if he accepted Farrakhan's support? From the transcript:
SEN. OBAMA: You know, I have been very clear in my denunciation of Minister Farrakhan's anti-Semitic comments. I think that they are unacceptable and reprehensible. I did not solicit this support. He expressed pride in an African-American who seems to be bringing the country together. I obviously can't censor him, but it is not support that I sought. And we're not doing anything, I assure you, formally or informally with Minister Farrakhan.
MR. RUSSERT: Do you reject his support?
SEN. OBAMA: Well, Tim, you know, I can't say to somebody that he can't say that he thinks I'm a good guy. (Laughter.) You know, I -- you know, I -- I have been very clear in my denunciations of him and his past statements, and I think that indicates to the American people what my stance is on those comments.
MR. RUSSERT: The problem some voters may have is, as you know, Reverend Farrakhan called Judaism "gutter religion."
OBAMA: Tim, I think -- I am very familiar with his record, as are the American people. That's why I have consistently denounced it. This is not something new. This is something that -- I live in Chicago. He lives in Chicago. I've been very clear, in terms of me believing that what he has said is reprehensible and inappropriate. And I have consistently distanced myself from him.
RUSSERT: The title of one of your books, "Audacity of Hope," you acknowledge you got from a sermon from Reverend Jeremiah Wright, the head of the Trinity United Church. He said that Louis Farrakhan "epitomizes greatness." He said that he went to Libya in 1984 with Louis Farrakhan to visit with Moammar Gadhafi and that, when your political opponents found out about that, quote, "your Jewish support would dry up quicker than a snowball in Hell." What do you do to assure Jewish-Americans that, whether it's Farrakhan's support or the activities of Reverend Jeremiah Wright, your pastor, you are consistent with issues regarding Israel and not in any way suggesting that Farrakhan epitomizes greatness?
Barack attempted to dance around the topic repeatedly before finally stating:
Tim, I have to say I don't see a difference between denouncing and rejecting. There's no formal offer of help from Minister Farrakhan that would involve me rejecting it. But if the word "reject" Senator Clinton feels is stronger than the word "denounce," then I'm happy to concede the point, and I would reject and denounce.
Long before Hillary Clinton came into the exchange, Barack was asked specifically by Russert if he rejected Farrakhan's support and he attempted to dance around the issue.
So maybe he's dancing now? Maybe the "I was only eight-years-old" is stated because Barack is opposed to 1969's Days of Rage . . . and okay with other actions?
So, for example, the Pentagon bombing in May 19, 1972, when Barack was ten, may be something Obama is okay with?
Let's go through a list of some of the actions by the Weather Underground after Barack was eight.
Marin County Courthouse bombed October 8, 1970 (Barack is nine)
Traffic-court building in Queens bombed October 10, 1970
Harvard Center for International Affairs is bombed October 14, 1970
US Capitol building bombing March 1, 1971
Office of California Prisons is bombed August 29, 1971 (when Barack is ten)
NY Dept of Corrections (Albany, NY) is bombed September 17, 1971
MIT bombed October 15, 1971
Pentagon bombing comes in here on May 19, 1972
103rd NYC Police Precinct bombed May 18, 1973 (Barack is now eleven)
ITT NY headquarters is bombed September 28, 1973 (Barack is twelve)
San Francisco Dept of Health, Education and Welfare is bombed March 6, 1974
Office of Calif Attorney General bombed May 31, 1974
Pittsburgh headquarters of Gulf Oil bombed June 17, 1974
Anaconda Corp bombed September 11, 1974 (Barack is thirteen)
The State Dept is bombed January 29, 1975
NY's Banco de Ponce is bombed June 16, 1975
Kennecott Corporation is bombed September 1975 (Barack is fourteen)
All of the above took place after Barack was nine-years-old or older. And he wants to renounce actions when he was eight-years-old?
It's Barack and his merry gang of liars (including Diane Rehm) that keep insisting, "He was eight-years-old!" His remarks put him on record as finding what Weather Underground did when he was eight-years-old "detestable" and "reprehensible." But Weather Underground didn't end in August of 1970 (when he turned nine).
Along with the possibility that he might support the acts there's also the likely fact that, being dumb as a doornail, he still doesn't know what Weather actually did.
This is the man who, as Ava and C.I. pointed out, didn't understand that Loving v. Virginia was someone suing a state government.
What is known is that Weather Underground was not active for only one year. What is known is that the bulk of their activities took place long after Barack was older than eight-years-old.
So is he dancing around the issue because he supports the later act? Is he so stupid that he doesn't know what they actually did? Or is he just the same liar he's always been who will tell any lie to make himself look good (such as the infamous lie that his parents got together because of the Selma March and that's why he was born when, in fact, he was born years prior to the Selma March)?
It's hard to tell with Barack when he's lying or when he's just plain stupid.
But George Stephanopoulos was clear with his facts when he stated, "A gentleman named William Ayers. He was part of the Weather Underground in the 1970s. They bombed the Pentagon, the Capitol, and other buildings. He's never apologized for that." "1970s." Somehow Barack turned it into "I was eight-years-old!" And little liars of the press run with it.
[Also see "The ahistorical Gail Collins," Will the press get the facts right?," "AP's fool Philip Elliott," "Bill Ayers as Elsa?," "THIS JUST IN! BARACK TRIES THE 'ELSA EXCUSE'!," "Iraq snapshot," "Anita Dunn is a liar," "Cover up artists and liars," "Iraq snapshot," "Press lies for Barack (Again!)," "Third, Ben Smith, Bob Ellis" and "Iraq snapshot."]