Boring in the cooler today, so I am instigating stirring some more debate. Have fun kids:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/08/19/politics/p124501D67.DTL

snip:

The University of Illinois on Tuesday refused to release records relating to Barack Obama's service to a nonprofit group linked to former 1960s radical activist William Ayers.

Ayers was simply a misunderstood figure promoting hope and change. It is only the spin-meisters trying to portray this person as a terrorist.

i think the problem people have with ayers/obama is this effort to make them look like they took an blood oath together or something.

No, they were just good friends in college, and The One kicked off his political career at his house.

Which one?

Ayers house.

I meant, which "one"?

There is only one One, and please show your reverence by using capitalization. Thank you, the Obama Campaign.

can you please explain to me what difference it honestly makes to how the One would lead this country to find out what he did in college? i have never understood why candidates always go dredging up the past. previous voting records while in office, sure. stuff like that, i understand. but before you had been elected? why does it matter?

thank you in advance.

Just an example, kitten, of why it's important to understand someone's past to understand their future....

If you read Obama's book, Dreams of My Father, you'll find lots of racist remarks that clearly show how he really feels about "The White Man". Since entering politics, he has cleaned up his speach, and tried to put a better face forward. If you don't dredge up his past, you won't know what he's about.

This isn't about what he did in college. This is about what he did with this foundation while he was a state senator. The reason it's of particular interest is because William Ayers founded the, er, foundation, and maintained an interest in it. I dare say that if McCain was involved with a foundation, er, founded by a right wing radical (think David Duke), everyone would be interested, and the University of Louisiana wouldn't be stonewalling on releasing the records.

thank you bf. and that is an enlightening example. but setting that one aside for a minute, don't people change their minds when they get more facts, so that what they did/thought/participated in in the past is something they would renounce (for lack of a better word) today?

thank you j-man. so, clearly i have to learn more about william ayers and the alleged foundation.

i'll be back.

Right Kit! Isn't Obama all about change?

Sure, they can. But if they do, shouldn't they be called to answer why the change of heart?

At the same time, let's say that McCain is using his POW status as a valid point of what gives him credibility in handling intense pressure situations. If someone were to investigate, and find out that in truth, he was only a POW for one day, and then moved in with the leader of the camp and lived a cushy life for the rest of his time as a "prisoner of war", don't you think his credibility on everything else would be in question? (Please note, this is a fictional story)

Let's look at it this way. Education is part of your resume, right? Including groups you belonged to in college is common practice and expected. So why shouldn't it be included in the resume of someone applying for the job of POTUS?

Granted, you have to read all the way down the second paragraph of the article to find out why the University hasn't yet released the records.

so, i get this, T-Bone, for someone who is fairly recently out of college, but, for example, i stopped listing clubs/associations/etc that i was in in college about 10-15 years ago because they are no longer relevant to who i am today. granted i am not, nor will i ever be, nor would i WANT to be POTUS, but to you see what i'm getting at?

Yes, kitten, I see. Last time you interviewed, were you asked about hobbies and outside interests? It seems to me that, when you're going for the highest job in the country, you'd best be ready for having every little thing in your life scrutinized.

That said, if the records haven't been released yet, then it's wrong to point the finger at BO as being the heavy in this particular situation.

i agree that the requirements for POTUS should be far more strenuous than those for mere mortals. but going back so far seems like total overkill to me.

my little fur brain can't grasp this point.

Misunderstood? He doesn't even regret bombing stuff!

Al, I'm thinking that you need to inflate your tires and an herbal wheatgrass colonic - you will see things clearer, save gas and get rid of the stinky odor that comes with each post.

Trust me, Kitten - do not worry about anyone trying to draft you to be POTUS. By the way, do you know who you are today? Does it relate to being a Muffin Top?

I'm thinking you should learn to recognize sarcasm when you see it, or petition the BOL Gods to add a sarcasm emoticon.

Al, you are not good a posting sarcasm - go with the things you are good at.....you need that high-colonic, Al, big time.

Actually, sarcasm when used would have /sarc at the end. I suggest that you use that designation or even more people will think that you are a snollygoster or just in your normal full weasel mode.

But she would make a very cute Veep!

Another way to look at it kitten is that going into any type of political campaign, you should know that people are going to look at your past. When you're talking POTUS, your past is going to be scrutenized with a fine-toothed comb. There is just so much out there on the web, and websites need to keep new 'information' coming up, or people won't keep signing on - thus they lose advertising money.

If a candidate actually doesn't realize that this is going to happen (especially after the way they went after the Clintons, GWB, etc) the candidate and their machine are very naive, and leads you to question if they actually are ready to lead the country.