for Sarah Palin -if she can read such a long article! I lived in the States at that time and I remember vividly that heavy atmosphere particularly in D.C. When Repugs start having a real education where they CAN understand what they read, then the US will be a better place!

Wow, what a load of malarky. Ayres should thank his lucky stars he is not in a jail cell right now with his hero Sirhan Sirhan. This interview also brings to mind James Earl Ray, and his serial revisions to his own account of the past. Who knows whether Ayres is telling the truth about anything.

A short word about "property damage" bombings. First, the Weather Underground reportedly killed a police officer and fire bombed a judge's home with the express intent of killing the judge, his wife, and his son in their sleep. Second, under the felony murder rule anyone killed in a "property damage" attack would be liable for murder. Just look at the King David Hotel attack in the 1940's - it too was supposed to target property, and ended up killing innocent nurses. Oddly enough, the Likud Party still revels in that attack today.

Additionally, the W.U. were not just about the Vietnam War. The judge they reportedly tried to assassinate in the 1970's was presiding over a Black Panther trial, which presumably implicated other political issues besides the war.

I won't expand upon my prior criticisms of Mr. Obama, now that he is the president-elect. But I would say, I would be as hesitant to take any phone call from Bill Ayres as I would be from Sirhan, Ray, Manson, or the Oklahoma City bombers. Especially if they are unrepentant, and go around posing for pictures tramplling on the American flag. Violence is violence. It's not good.

Since this article is bound to elicit angry comments from right wingers, here, for them, is a transcript of the October 2008 interview between NBC's Brian Williams and Governor Sarah Palin. Note how she will not condemn abortion clinic bombers as "terrorists":

Brian Williams: Back to the notion of terrorists and terrorism, this word has come up in relation to Mr. Ayers -- hanging out with terrorist – domestic terrorists. It is said that it gives it a vaguely post uh 9-11 hint, using that word, that we don’t normally associate with domestic crimes. Are we changing the definition? Are the people who set fire to American cities during the ‘60’s terrorists, under this definition? Is an abortion clinic bomber a terrorist under the definition?

Sarah Palin: There is no question that Bill Ayers via his own admittance was um one who sought to destroy our US Capitol and our Pentagon -- that is a domestic terrorist. There’s no question there. Now others who would want to engage in harming innocent Americans or um facilities, that uh, it would be unacceptable -- I don’t know if you could use the word terrorist, but its unacceptable and it would not be condoned of course on our watch. I don’t know if what you are asking is if I regret referring to Bill Ayers as an unrepentant domestic terrorist. I don’t regret characterizing him as that.

Brian Williams: I’m just asking what other categories you would put in there. Abortion clinic bombers? Protesters in cities where fires were started, Molotov cocktails, were thrown? People died.

Sarah Palin: I would put in that category of Bill Ayers anyone else who would seek to destroy our United States Capitol and our Pentagon and would seek to destroy innocent Americans.

That's a sneaky way of saying that she supports the bombing of abortion clinics.

I was appalled by some of the weatherman group's actions but strongly agree that the Vietnam war was a terrible mistake that tainted all who touched the issue.

But readereader, guess who the U.S. supported since in the late 70's, that terrible terrorist of the King David Bombing, Menachim Begin. These were also the guys who initiated the west bank settlements and continue to resist the pull back of same to allow the Palestinians and chance for their own nation.

Situations change, Ayers acknowledges there were errors made, I'd like to hear similar insights from Rumsfield and Bush.

Interesting all the rationalizations and bs since I went to sleep last night.

I was drafted and served, and, like the sargant who posted earlier, I served with a peace symbol in my heart. My unit was sent to Vietnam early in the war when Vietnam was just beginning to cope with massive invasions by the NVA. "We Were Soldiers Once and Young" is based on a battle I saw from the deck of our troop ship, the first major encounter of our troops with NVA.

I remember writing to LBJ from there when he said there were no "boys" over there protesting this war.

It wasn't until I returned and after I joined demonstrations in partial uniform with my medals that I began to change my mind. I met fellow educated vets, one of whom had been a Green Beret, who patiently explained that "WE ARE THE GOOD GUYS!" I began to recognize the dangers of creeping Communism, especially as I witnessed the huge ego trips that our anti war leaders and heros were on. I saw these bloviating fools up close and personal, with their inflated rhetoric and their nasty personalities. They were full of hate and fury. Many of them were privileged brats like Ayers. In short, they were assholes.

I began to see, that when we win a war, we go home and help the people we liberated to build new lives from the rubble. I remembered the many South Vietnamese who really did like us and welcomed us as liberators. I remembered their beauty and their cheerful, friendly southern nature, their beautiful markets and exceptional food. I met some who were able to survive reeducation camps and/or weeks at sea, and years in camps waiting for a chance to come to this great land. Their stories about the behavior of their northern 'liberators' were graphic tales of shame. Vietnam was a real horror show after we left these good people behind. Talk to Vietnamese Americans if you dare. They will tell you the real story, not Ayers' twisted version.

Ayers and his ilk continue to undermine this great country with their big egos and their petty, made up grievances. We are the greatest nation the world has ever known. For him, education should be indoctrination of the young by the left with leftwing rubbish.

It is interesting how the corrupt and cynical big city Democrat bosses have embraced radicals like Ayers. They scratch each others backs They give each other cover. One side gets rich and stays rich on graft. The other gets a free pass to bullzhit about how horrible this country is, and tenured jobs to try to radicalize our young in our school systems with their bullzhit.

So, if you really want to read the other side of the 60's and 70's by someone who rubbed shoulders with many of these alpha rads, including top Black Panther Cadre, read "Radical Son." Dhorn loved the Panthers, and both her group and the Panthers were violent criminals who felt totally entitled to murder anybody who got in their way.

Now they are worshipped as heros by radical chic intellektuals like Walter Shapiro.