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Bill Ayers Punks Conservative Blogger
Gerald Herbert / AP Photo
The far-right fever swamps have been fantasizing for weeks that Bill Ayers wrote President Obama's memoirs. According to Ayers, they're living the “twilight zone.”
Let's put this one to bed right now.
Far-right sites have been spreading a post around today by blogger Anne Leary, who wrote that she ran into Obama acquaintance and 2008 election albatross Bill Ayers at an airport. Leary writes how Ayers, unprompted, unleashed a long-winded confession confirming one of the more absurd conspiracy theories floating around the fringes: that Ayers secretly authored Obama's bestselling memoir, Dreams From My Father.”
I emailed Ayers to see if he could shed any light on the story. His response:
“You've all lost your minds,” he wrote. “Best of luck in the twilight zone.”
That sounds simple enough. Already some of the bigger conservative bloggers, including National Review Online's Jonah Goldberg and Hot Air's Allahpundit have indicated that they don't take Leary's story too seriously, especially given that Ayers has a long history of deadpan responses along the lines of the one she described, as the Washington Independent's David Weigel reports. With any luck, that should be the end of things. But then again, the “death panels” and the birthers’ fantasies about Obama’s nationality are still in orbit, way out there in the blue.
Benjamin Sarlin is a reporter for The Daily Beast. He previously covered New York City politics for The New York Sun and has worked for talkingpointsmemo.com.
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I really don't see how that counts as punking anyone.
That's it?? ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
It's too bad that Republicans can't focus on the things they do well and instead focus on trying to discredit their opponents. Even that negative strategy would have more credence if such a significant minority of them weren'tt hypocritical adulterous, lying cranks who think that opposition is the be all and end of all of democracy.
Not that the dems are much better, but christ when did "conservative" divorce its responsible roots and become crazy???
Thanks for exposing these fools, Mr. Sarlin. The far right tried the same smear on John F. Kennedy, claiming that Ted Sorensen actually wrote "Profiles in Courage." Not only were the wingnuts suggesting that the Harvard-trained President couldn't have done it on his own, but that he somehow fooled the publisher, the public, and the elite Pulitzer Prize Committee which bestowed upon the book its greatest honor! They don't make tinfoil hats the way they used to!
Fortunately, CBS was forced to issue an apology after it let some crackpot air the theory. Too bad we can't make these gullble conservative bloggers do the same thing. But this public hall of shame you've created is the next best thing.
I guess you've taken Kennedy's words to heart: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country!" Of course, next thing you know, they'll be claiming that Sorensen wrote those words too!
In May 2008, Sorensen in his autobiography, Counselor largely confirmed allegations that he had done much, if not most, of the writing.
Sorensen wrote that he "did a first draft of most chapters" and "helped choose the words of many of its sentences".
Sorensen claimed that in May 1957, Kennedy "unexpectedly and generously offered, and I happily accepted, a sum" for his work on the book.
The really great thing about this post is that no one, BUT NO ONE, can say that somebody wrote former Governor Sarah Palin's book for her.
Sarah sat down with her pen and a giant stack of yellow legal pads and cranked out one hell of a bestseller -- in about four weeks.
Even if she did have a ghostwriter, it was the Holy Ghost(s) that helped -- and whoever has a problem with that can take it up with Jesus Himself.
I have a problem with it. If there was such a person I would take it up with him. This is just another example of the Christian wrong. Sarah Palin can't put two words together except I quit. I can't wait for the 2012 elections when she will be humiliated again. Maybe then she and the rest of the right wing will realize what a imbecile she is.
Are you kidding? Her ghost writer was Lynn Vincent.
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/54301,people,news,sarah-palins-ghostwriter -raises-questions
I think he's being funny.
Ayers is a PUNK ?!!11!! We already knew that.
Not to be a conspiracy theory wingnut but... notice that Ayers did not deny it.... hmmm hmmm hmmm
lighten up folks...
There you have it. Sarlin receives an email from domestic terrorist Ayers, and it's all settled. Thank you sir, may I have another.
Can someone check with Bill to see if THIS is true? He co-wrote a book in 2006 with Jeff Jones.
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/more-czar-outrage-the-killer-and-still-act ive-radical-who-authored-obamacare/
It is easy to figure out if someone wrote their own book or not. Compare to other writing samples and their speaking style. Of course there is a difference between the written and spoken, but not so much that you can't detect patterns. This is how they figured out that Joe Klein wrote "Primary Colors. I have read "Dreams From My Father", and it definitely follows Obama's speaking style. You will be able to tell after the first paragraph if Palin wrote her own book or not.
So Mr. Sarlin...Do you have an explanation for why there are so many nautical/marine-type references in Obama's book and almost none/zip/zero in either his speeches, presentations and writings since? I find this to be a very curious thing.
Tell me you're kidding. Think that maybe Obama having lived in Hawaii and then Indonesia during his youth might have anything to do with references to water?DUH. Or is it that Jacques Cousteau was the ghost writer on "Dreams from My Father" and not on "The Audacity of Hope"? Never knew that Ayers had nautical creds to make your statement even less than nutso.
In Barack and Michelle: Portrait of an American Marriage, author Chris Anderson discusses the evolution of Dreams. see http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/09/just_a_coauthor_from_th e_neigh.asp
As the deadline for Obama's memoir quickly approached, Michelle Obama recommended that her husband reach out to "his friend and Hyde Park neighbor Bill Ayers." Cashill goes on, "To flesh out his family history, Obama had taped
interviews with various family members. Andersen writes, 'These oral histories, along with a partial manuscript and a truckload of notes, were given to Ayers.' Andersen quotes a Hyde Park neighbor, 'Everyone knew they were friends and that they worked on various projects together. It was no secret. Why would it be? People liked them both.' Andersen continues, 'In the end, Ayers's contribution to Barack's Dreams From My Father would be significant--so much so that the book's language, oddly specific references, literary devices, and themes would bear a jarring similarity to Ayers's own writing.'"
I guess you're describing the Twilight Zone. Who the heck is Chris Anderson?
You're just quoting the bogus smear Sarlin was debunking.
But he co-wrote a manifesto with Jim Jones in 2006. Thoughts??
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/more-czar-outrage-the-killer-and-still-acti ve-radical-who-authored-obamacare/
NOTE TO MODERATORY Fourth time I've posted Bill Ayers/Jeff Jones book comment. Even Huffpo and The Caucus didn't censor. Please print.it.I submitted it less than an hour ago under "curious"
What complete nonsense this is. Obama is the author of all of his books. What Ayers failed to disclose is the fact he has been hired by Conservative Christians to rewrite the Bible. Out with those liberals, Matthew, Mark, Luke & John & in with Bill. If you have read this far, consider yourself punked!
The one thing the wingnuts can't reasonably quarrel with is that Obama has an outstanding intellect; he is ivy league, Harvard Law School educated, and with a brilliant gift for speaking and rhetoric. So they had to come up with all this crap about how this obviously highly intelligent man can't talk without a teleprompter and couldn't write two books-- it's nonsense.
Somehow this makes them feel better about their darling, Sarah Palin, who so painfully obviously can't string sentences, or even thoughts, together, did not excel in any school, and doesn't understand even the most rudimentary basics about the US constitution (she thinks that the first amendment protects people from the press).
If they need to believe this to make their candidates look better, I am sad for them. Barack Obama wrote his books. Why does that threaten them so much? Is it just hate?
Thank you.
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