William Ayres interview on ABC.

[UnrepentantUnitarian]

I've been watching this, and getting more irritated by the minute at the man doing the interview. He wants that "gotcha moment"...that sound byte so badly that he can taste it. Ayres has a new book out, and was describing his "friendship" with Pres-Elect Obama in the broadest of terms--certainly not an inner-circle relationship--while the interviewer only wanted to hear (and confirm) the "palling around" part. The dishonesty of both the press and the partisan Republicans is truly disgusting...truly Atwaterish.

I don't hear anybody questioning McCain on his "my friends" statements, because we all know that he's not serious about that. He's not really saying that everybody listening to him (potentially including Bill Ayres) is his "friend."

On the other hand, I must assume that Ayres, in writing a book, understood that this kind of stupid and naive questioning would be typical. There's no getting around it.

[mmonk]

1. Yes, I'm sure he was expecting it.

He probably enjoys the attention in reference to book sales as well. As far as the press goes, I'm not sure naive fits though. I save that term for followers of the right.

[UnrepentantUnitarian]

3. Good point.

They know exactly what they're doing. I usually don't care what a morning show on ABC has to say, but lately, while drinking my "morning joe," I've been looking for something...just anything, really...that has little resemblance to that other one.

[OneGrassRoot]

2. I saw bits and pieces and was VERY impressed....

sadly, anyone who is intelligent and reasonable and can craft clear sentences impresses me nowadays.

Ayres did say it was a publisher's decision to re-release the book (they'd be crazy not to). Chris Cuomo did try to hammer him and get a gotcha moment, but Ayres is VERY well spoken and calm, and very clear in what he has to say in a non-threatening way.

Very good, IMHO.

[zulchzulu]

4. The more they try to gotcha Ayres, the better his book sales...

...so I can't wait for Moron Joe and Mumblin' Mika to get after it...

:rofl:

[watrwefitinfor]

5. This isn't a new book.

It's a re-release of a book that was published in 2001. Ayers said it was the publisher's idea to release it again.

I truly felt the young "reporter" Cuomo was carefully tossing out the script that had been written for him, but his heart was not in it. He seemed to me somewhat open and perhaps even friendly to Mr. Ayers. Ayers tore his talking points to shreds in a calm, easy way, and Cuomo didn't even try to follow up on most of them.

I thought it was a good interview, all things considered.

Wat

[sfam]

6. I actually liked the interviewer channeling Hannity...it made the point all the more solid...

Ayres really had nothing to do with Obama. Even with the insane questioning, this point held firmer than ever. In retrospect, its a good thing that a channeled Hannity did the questioning. There can be do debating it now.

[nomaco-10]

7. Just got thru watching the first segment....

I thought Ayers was totally impressive. A reasoned, soft spoken intellectual. The interviewer hammered away at him trying to get a gotcha moment, but there just isn't one to be had.

[No Elephants]

8. They teased this yesterday as follows: "Obama's terrorist pal" When did a Sixties war protester

who never tried to injure anyone become a "domestic terrorist?" At the time there were war protests or peaceful war protests, not "domestic terrorism." The term itself is revisionist. Watch out for anyone you see or hear using it.

[npincus]

9. Jay Carney on MSNBC praised the Ayers interview and said

it should put the whole issue to bed.

Sorry I missed it- waiting for a link.

[RichGirl]

10. I don't know why everybody is always in a snit...

...when our people are asked hard questions. I want them to be asked hard questions because they have nothing to hide and can set the record straight. Only guilty people are afraid of hard questions.

Sarah Palin is never asked hard questions because she can't handle them. She's neither honest or intelligent enough to answer them. I trust my people to answer any question that is thrown at them.

[MadBadger]

11. Are we accepting Ayers as Our People Now?

[RichGirl]

13. Friends of our people...are our people.

Not that Ayers and Obama were ever friends....but they were aquaintances. Ayers has been demonized unjustly.

[mscuedawg]

12. Im glad Ayers had enough respect for Obama to stay quiet until after the election

[Thrill]

14. Can't get a gotcha moment, when there is nothing there

Good thing the Majority of Americans called bs on this from the beginning