The now former Republican SEC Commissioner shares his thoughts on the economic meltdown:

Here’s what I think about Bill Ayers and his relationship with Barack Obama. I know that Ayers was one of the founding members of the Weatherman organization, which bombed some U.S. government buildings. I don’t think Ayers himself committed murder, but if those bombs killed people I don’t think he would have cared much. And I don’t know how this guy is not in jail right now. I also know that after charges were dropped and he turned himself in, he returned to school and later founded an educational organization in Chicago.

I know that Barack Obama was the Chairman of the Board of that organization. I also know that Obama and Ayers served together on the board of one another organization. I think Obama knew Ayers sort of the way that co-workers know eachother, but I wouldn’t go so far as to call them friends. I don’t think they spent any time together outside of these organizations, but they did work together. To what extent? Ayers and Obama probably sat together at a few dozen meetings over the course of a decade or so, and probably exchanged some work-related emails (or memos) related to the organizations. One such email might have looked like this:

Hey Bill,



I’m just putting together that quarterly presentation for the trustees, and was wondering if you were done with your report. Please try to get that to me by tomorrow at the latest.



Thanks,

Barack

I think Obama was happy to have these board positions, and probably didn’t want to make any waves by alienating another board member. I think Ayers liked Obama, saw that he had potential in politics and probably helped him to get his political career started, likely by hosting some sort of gathering at Ayers’s own house. I think Obama was probably a little wary of Ayers’s past, but since Ayers was such a fixture in local Democratic politics and non-profit circles in Chicago and could help Obama’s career, he didn’t reject that help.

I think the Republicans are justified in questioning Obama’s association with Ayers. When I read about some of the things that Ayers and the Weathermen did, I wonder why Obama didn’t just refuse to work with this guy. Or quit. It’s a legitimate concern because it raises question about Obama’s character. If I found out that someone in my group at work previously bombed some government buildings, even 40 years ago, would I continue to work with that person? Probably not. I don’t know if I would quit my job, but I would probably refuse to work with that person and I think most people of good character would do the same.

But I cringe when I hear some pundits on the right clearly overstate the closeness of Ayers and Obama’s relationship. They just don’t have enough proof to draw the conclusion that they are great friends, to name an example. I think there is so much to go on already, that any exaggeration of the relationship is unnecessary and only backfires because it plays into the other side’s hands.

I also cringe when I read articles like this one from Gail Collins. Collins, apparently an aspiring comedian, is so smug in her characterization of the issue that it makes my blood boil. I think people in the free world are a little sensitive right now when it comes to terrorism, and they might be concerned about the character of a Presidential candidate who previously chose to work with a former domestic terrorist. Her opinion piece demeans anyone who has such concerns.

I’ll probably vote for Obama anyway. I think he’s way too liberal, but he’s certainly the more cerebral candidate and I think he does have a decent sense of fiscal responsibility. My taxes are going to go up a bit, but he’ll bring our troops home and I think he’s the best equipped to handle a crisis. And I like him. But his relationship with Ayers does give me pause, and I think it is perfectly all right for Republicans to keep bringing it up.