Sarah Palin went from being unable to articulate a single source from
which she receives her news, to quoting the New York Times, all in a
single week. The article that allegedly drew Palin's attention was a
lengthy piece in Saturday's Times which explored the connections (and
lack thereof) to Barack Obama and Weather Underground leader Bill
Ayers. It was on that basis that Palin claimed that Obama was "palling
around with terrorists" (false), and that this issue has not been
addressed before (also false).

Now I know Bill Ayers and his family, so maybe I
should be recused from this blog. Oh, this is the new journalism--there
are no recusals. Okay. I'll continue. While John McCain was killing
Vietnamese in a country that did not attack us and posed no threat to
us, Bill Ayers was engaged in the symbolic destruction of property in
an effort to end the war. I know the Obama campaign won't say this--and
cannot say this because America's warriors are sacrosanct, no matter
how wrong the cause for which they fought or how horrific their actions
in fighting for that cause. We killed a million Vietnamese during that
war, Bill Ayers killed no one. Yes, Virginia, American soldiers did
kill babies, too. Bill Ayers did not. Bill Ayers, and many others,
threw away their chances to succeed in American politics because of the
overriding need to do something, to do almost anything, to stop the
war. Barack Obama was eight years old at the time. Barack Obama never
expressed any sympathy for Ayers' actions, nor has he weighed in (as he
could have in the first debate), as to Vietnam being a classic example
of wars we should not fight (too bad).

Ayers went on to become a respected educator and
lecturer on educational reform around the country. His meetings with
Obama were fairly irregular and focused on educational initiatives of
which both were members. I genuinely believe that as the American
people look toward a dismal economic and environmental future, the
question of whose acquaintances did what in the 60s is not high on
anyone's list. But it is the last card that McCain has to play.

For us, as progressives, it is at least worth
remembering those who fought to stop an immoral war, and to think of
those who participated in one.

And for a final thought, I found this comment to this post a great one...

If Ayers is branded as a terrorist can we brand Todd Palin