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Even More Weathermen For Obama - Connections, Connections, Connections
New Zeal blog ^ | Oct 8, 2008 | Trevor Loudon

Posted on 10/09/2008 9:47:40 AM PDT by Interesting Times

In recent posts I have examined former Weather Underground Organistion (WUO) involvement in two interlinked organisations, Movement for a Democratic Society (MDS) and Progressives for Obama (PFO).

In the mid 1970s the Weather Underground published an 158-page statement entitled "Prairie Fire" callng for the "uniting of all revolutionary forces in this country with the ultimate aim to overthrow the Government."=

Founded in August 2006, MDS seems to be just the type of revolutionary unity the WUO was striving for way back then.

The MDS board includes representatives from three of US's most influential (and pro-Obama) Marxist organisations, Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), the Communist Party USA (CPUSA)and Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism (CCDS), plus many former members of Students for a Democratic Society and its terrorist splinter the Weather Underground.

Former WUO members and their allies undoubtedly dominate the organisation.


From Weather Underground to Movement for a Democratic Society, Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn

I have revealed that three former WUO members, Bernardine Dohrn, Mark Rudd and Jeff Jones have served on the MDS board, as have two close friends of Dohrn's husband Bill Ayers, former SDS Maoists Carl Davidson and Mike Klonsky-both very familiar names to Obama watchers.

Bill Ayers himself is a prominent MDS activist, while another board member Thomas Good describes himself as an "unrepentant Weather supporter".

Progressives for Obama is intimately tied to MDS. Four of the six original PFO founders are MDS board members-Carl Davidson (CCDS member), Tom Hayden (former SDS leader) and Bill Fletcher and Barbara Ehrenreich (both DSA leaders).

Mark Rudd and Thomas Good are PFO endorsers as are Klonsky's wife Susan and brother Fred. Good edits the MDS "unofficial" ejournal Next Left Notes, which carries a prominent link to PFO. Jeff Jones and two more former Weathermen, Howie Machtinger (a Next Left Notes contributor) and Steve Tappis have signed a PFO supporters petition.

Another PFO petion signatory is Jennifer Dohrn, sister of WUO leader Bernardine Dohrn.

This post looks more closely at Steve Tappis, Berbardine Dohrn and another MDS board member, Bruce Rubenstein.

Bruce Rubenstein


It turns out that Bruce Rubenstein, is one of three key players in MDS;

According to an article on MDS and the re-born SDS in The Nation April 2007;

Power has resided largely with three figures: historian Paul Buhle, once editor of the original SDS journal Radical America; Thomas Good, a 48-year-old Communist-turned-anarchist who created the new SDS website; and Bruce Rubenstein, a Connecticut personal-injury attorney.

The Nation goes on to comment on tensions within MDS caused by the power of the Weathermen clique;

The Weather controversy erupted when Bernardine Dohrn, a Weather leader who now teaches law at Northwestern University, was invited to speak at the first new SDS conference, held in Providence, Rhode Island, in April 2006. Dohrn received a rousing welcome, but when Bob Ross, an early SDSer, used his talk to lament that "the largest legal and unarmed movement in the history of the West" turned "ineffectually violent and useless," he was received coolly.

At the first new SDS national convention in Chicago, in August, Good opened the proceedings by reading greetings from Dohrn. Moreover, Rubenstein, MDS's treasurer, is unapologetic about his Weather history and says that if it were 1969 he would "do it all over again...
"

Bruce Rubenstein personally recruited former WUO member Mark Rudd to the MDS.

It also turns out that Rubenstein may also be an Obama supporter.

From theHartford Courant.com

Barack Obama's Connecticut campaign drew a capacity crowd of 250 to a kickoff event at Yale's Afro-American Cultural Center today, while Hillary Rodham Clinton rolled out an endorsement by Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy...Bruce Rubenstein of West Hartford, a fundraiser who likes to play both radical and insider, dropped by.

Rubenstein was also involved in countering a fake Obama blog;

From the blog Down With Tyranny June 1st 2006;

Everyone who has paid any attention at all to Joe Lieberman's political career knows he is one of the slimiest and low down dirty players in American politics...But posting fake blogs in the name of Barack Obama and Harry Reid is downright bizarre. According to today JOURNAL INQUIRER from north-central Connecticut, the FBI has been brought in on the case. "A Hartford lawyer says the FBI has agreed to investigate postings promoting Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman's re-election on a popular Connecticut-based Internet 'blog' in the names of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. Bruce D. Rubenstein, a former finance chairman for the Democratic State Central Committee and a Lieberman critic, said Wednesday that an agent in the FBI's Meriden office told him the agency would probe the postings on the 'Connecticut Local Politics' Web log... Obama confirms that Lieberman's postings were fake and that he never authorized Lieberman to use his name for anything...

Can we chalk up one more Weatherman for Obama?

Jennifer Dohrn


Jennifer Dohrn was never a proven WUO member, but she was a national leader of the the Praire Fire Organising Committee, the WUO's above ground support network and a spokesman for her terrorist sister.

Later she was married to radical lawyer Haywood Burns, founder of the the "legal arm of the black revolution" the National Conference of Black Lawyers-an affiliate of the Soviet front International Association of Democratic Lawyers.

Burns had close ties to Cuba and was incolved in several other communist fronts including the National Lawyers Guild, Center for Constitutional Rights and the Emergency Civil Liberties Committee.

Burns successfully defended CPUSA radical Angela Davis, who was acquitted of kidnapping and murder charges after the 1970 invasion in 1970 of a California courthouse which killed a judge and three others.

Incidentally, Angela Davis is now a leader of CCDS and was an original MDS board member with Bernadine Dohrn.

Steve Tappis

An original leading Weatherman, with Bill Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, Mark Rudd, Jeff Jones and Howie Machtinger, Steve Tappis was also one of the earliest dropouts.

He has stayed radical all the way however and as recently as September 2008 was involved in a TEACH IN ON THE IRAQ WAR at the University of California Berkeley.

Speakers included Progressives for Obama founder Tom Hayden and PFO website endorsers Daniel Ellsberg, and Immanuel Wallerstein.


Rick Ayers

Described as a "Sixties activist in Chicago", Tappis was a member of the "Teach In" organising group. Coincidentally another group member was was Berkeley Phd student Rick Ayers-another former WUO member and brother of Bill Ayers-fancy that.

Crossroads

Chicago is home to the Crossroads Fund, a foundation that channels money to organisations such as the Ad Hoc Committee on Chicago Police Torture, Feminist Response in Disability Activism, Female Storytellers Igniting Revolution to End Violence, Illinois Safe Schools Alliance (Formerly Coalition for Education on Sexual Orientation), and well known CPUSA/DSA linked organisations such as the Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights and Jobs with Justice. Get the picture?

The Fund is co-chaired by leading Chicago DSA member Bill Barclay while Ali Abunimah, a claimed Obama associate serves on the board.

Steve Tappis is a donor to the Crossroads fund. Other donors in recent times might also be familar to keen Obama watchers.

A view of Crossroad annual reports here and here reveal some interesting names.

They include Obama's personal friends Timuel Black (CCDS member and husband of Progressives for Obama endorser Zenobia Black)and DSA member Quentin Young-present at the famous 1995 meeting at the home of Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn which launched Obama's political career.

Obama financier Bettylu Saltzman is listed as are Progressives for Obama founders Carl Davidson and Tim Carpenter. PFO endorsers Aviva Futorian and Susan Klonsky appear as does MDS board member Mike Klonsky and unsuccessful board nominee Barbara Ransby.

PFO petition signers Ted Pearson (CCDS, former Illinois CPUSA chairman) and Prexy Nesbitt (CPUSA and Black Radical Congress connections) also donate.

Unsurprisingly Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn are also listed (in 2005).

Ayers and Dohrn are not just Crossroads donors, they are active fundraisers.

In fall of 2005, Crossroads Fundworked closely with donors and boardmembers to put together houseparties featuring discussion on critical community issues, and also raise money for Crossroads Fund. Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, along with Yvonne Welbon and Dorian Warren hosted a group of donors and friends as they engaged in a lively discussion about political participation in Chicago...

Interstingly, when Crossroads held anniversay celebrations last year they established a 25th Anniversary Host Committee.

Honorary Hosts included Congressman Danny Davis and Alderman Helen Shiller, Alderman Joseph A. Moore, Cook County Clerk David Orr and of course Senator Barack Obama.

One wonders if Barack hosted Bill and Bernardine?


TOPICS: Conspiracy; Government; Politics; Society
KEYWORDS: 2008; ayers; bernardinedohrn; democraticsocialists; democrats; dsa; elections; newzeal; nobama08; obama; obamatruthfile; weatherunderground; williamayers
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New Zealand's Trevor Loudon continues his superb research into Obama's connections to the Weather Underground.
1 posted on 10/09/2008 9:47:41 AM PDT by Interesting Times
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To: Howlin; eddie willers; cajungirl; wirestripper; Southflanknorthpawsis; Peach; prairiebreeze; ...

Obama’s radical friends ping.


2 posted on 10/09/2008 9:48:49 AM PDT by Interesting Times (For the truth about "swiftboating" see ToSetTheRecordStraight.com)
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To: Interesting Times
Thanks for the ping. If these remarks by Ayers in Venezuela in 2006 are correct, Obama should be asked to renounce him immediately.
3 posted on 10/09/2008 9:54:57 AM PDT by kabar (.)
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To: Interesting Times

Bob Ross was Dean of Faculty at Clark University in Worcester, MA until recently.


4 posted on 10/09/2008 9:56:14 AM PDT by DBrow
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To: Interesting Times

BTTT


5 posted on 10/09/2008 9:57:09 AM PDT by E.G.C. (To read a freeper's FR postings, click on his or her screen name and then "In Forum".)
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To: Interesting Times

http://www.antiauthoritarian.net/NLN/photo-gallery/2006_ne_regional/

here is the webpage for the SDS conference in 2006.


6 posted on 10/09/2008 9:58:03 AM PDT by DBrow
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To: Interesting Times; All
"This is a guy [Bill Ayers] who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of English in Chicago who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from. He's not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis."

Source: ABC News - Transcript: Obama and Clinton Debate, April 16, 2008
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/DemocraticDebate/Story?id=4670271&page=2

________________________________________________________

[Obama] is named Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge founded by Bill Ayers
(article typo has Ayers instead of Obama)

In late 1993, Bill Ayers, now an associate professor of education at the University of Illinois Chicago Circle Campus, organized a team to put together a grant proposal to secure nearly $50 million from the Annenberg Challenge. The money was to be used by Ayers and co. to bolster the radical Local School Councils reform project that Ayers and Obama had championed back in 1988 through the ABCs.

The grant application was successful and in early 1995 Barack Obama was named chairman of the board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. Ayers was named co-chair of the Challenge’s operative and strategic body, the Chicago School Reform Collaborative. Ayers and Obama work together for the next five years on raising an additional $60 million in matching money from local foundations and corporations and using the money to intervene in the governance of the Chicago public schools.

The Challenge through a multi-million dollar Leadership Development Initiative intervened in the School Council elections in the middle of what was known as the Chicago School Wars. At the same time Chicago Mayor Richard Daley was pushing, successfully, to gut the power of the Councils.

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/08/12/the-obama-ayers-top-ten-highlights-of-the-20-year-obama-ayers-connection/

________________________________________________________

"The Small Schools Workshop was founded in 1991 at the University of Illinois at Chicago to provide support for teachers who were trying to create new smaller learning environments. Its director is Michael Klonsky, a former professor of education at UIC."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Schools_Workshop

________________________________________________________

Some background on Bill Ayers' SDS comrade, Michael Klonsky
(Chicago Annenberg Challenge-related)

"One of Bill Ayers’ and Bernardine Dohrn’s comrades in the late 60s Students for a Democratic Society was Mike Klonsky. When Dohrn and Ayers moved in one direction toward the violent tactics of the Weather Underground, Klonsky, in the wake of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, dropped the pro-Russian communist politics of his parents and became a committed Maoist. As leader of the Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) in 1977 [not to be confused with Communist Party USA. CPML no longer exists, CPUSA formed decades earlier and is still around-ETL], he travelled to Beijing and was toasted by the senior Beijing leadership.

When the crazy left of the 70s died in the 80s, Klonsky went to graduate school in education in Florida and then moved to Chicago.

While driving a cab there he [Michael Klonsky] was recruited by his old friend Bill Ayers to head up a new project called the Small Schools Workshop in 1991. It’s offices were in the Department of Education building at the University of Illinois Chicago Circle Campus where Ayers taught.

In 1995 the newly formed Chicago Annenberg Challenge headed by Ayers and Obama gave the Workshop a grant of $175,000.

The Annenberg Challenge also had its office space in the same building as Ayers Department and the Workshop, rent free courtesy of the University.

In 2008 Klonsky ran a blog on the official Obama campaign website on education policy and “social justice” teaching. When discussion of the Klonsky blog emerged in the blogosphere, it was promptly shut down by the campaign and all of the posts made by Klonsky were removed from the site."

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/08/12/the-obama-ayers-top-ten-highlights-of-the-20-year-obama-ayers-connection/

________________________________________________________

In 1977, the October League was reorganized as the Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) [again, not Communist Party USA (CPUSA) -ETL] and former SDS activist Michael Klonsky became party chairman. Also in 1977, Klonsky traveled to China and the CPML was recognized by the Chinese Communist Party as its official sister party in America.

(snip)

In January 1981, Michael Klonsky resigned as party chairman, and the CPML disbanded that same year.

The previous Red Encyclopedia description of the CPML was incorrectly combined with that of the Communist Party USA (Marxist-Leninist).

http://reds.linefeed.org/past.html

________________________________________________________

From Investor's Business Daily (IBD), August 27, 2008:

"Ayers, now a tenured distinguished professor of education at UIC, works to educate teachers in socialist revolutionary ideology, urging that it be passed on to impressionable students.

One of Ayer's descriptions for a course called 'Improving Learning Environments' says prospective K-12 teachers need to 'be aware of the social and moral universe we inhabit and ... be a teacher capable of hope and struggle, outrage and action, teaching for social justice and liberation.

The Annenberg papers are quite extensive — 132 boxes containing 947 file folders with 70 linear feet of material. They undoubtedly contain more surprises regarding Obama's relationship with Ayers, one of many relationships Obama has sought to hide.'..."

Article: Annenberg Papers: Putting On Ayers?
http://www.ibdeditorial.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=304729375940845

________________________________________________________


Voice of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA [Maoist]
Revolution #63, October 1, 2006

Interview with Bill Ayers:
"On Progressive Education, Critical Thinking and the Cowardice of Some in Dangerous Times"

http://rwor.org/a/063/ayers-en.html

________________________________________________________

From Sept 11, 2001, New York Times article/interview with Obama associate and friend, William/Bill Ayers.
Article title: "No Regrets for a Love Of Explosives; In a Memoir of Sorts, a War Protester Talks of Life With the Weathermen"

"Mr. Ayers, who in 1970 was said to have summed up the Weatherman philosophy as:

'Kill all the rich people. Break up their cars and apartments. Bring the revolution home, kill your parents, that's where it's really at,' is today distinguished professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

New York Times, September 11, 2001:
"No Regrets for a Love Of Explosives; In a Memoir of Sorts, a War Protester Talks of Life With the Weathermen"
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F02E1DE1438F932A2575AC0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1

________________________________________________________

Bill Ayers TODAY (April 6, 2008), from his own red communist star-headed website, begging to debate communism vs capitalism with Sean Hannity and STILL calling for revolution!


"Imperialism. I’m against it, and if Sean Hannity and others were honest, this is the ground they would fight me on. Capitalism played its role historically and is exhausted as a force for progress: built on exploitation, theft, conquest, war, and racism, capitalism and imperialism must be defeated and a world revolution—a revolution against war and racism and materialism, a revolution based on human solidarity and love, cooperation and the common good —must win.

We begin by releasing our most hopeful dreams and our most radical imaginations: a better world is both possible and necessary.

Source: Bill Ayers' own website:
http://billayers.wordpress.com/2008/04/page/2/

________________________________________________________

7 posted on 10/09/2008 10:00:23 AM PDT by ETL (Smoking gun evidence on ALL the ObamaRat-commie connections at my newly revised FR Home/About page)
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To: DBrow

Thanks.


8 posted on 10/09/2008 10:00:31 AM PDT by Interesting Times (For the truth about "swiftboating" see ToSetTheRecordStraight.com)
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To: Interesting Times
Guy on the left is definitely on something.

He's got Geoffrey Dahmer eyes.

9 posted on 10/09/2008 10:01:01 AM PDT by McGruff (Sarah. We crave red meat. Red meat!)
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To: Interesting Times

Yes, thanks! Great job! Great info!


10 posted on 10/09/2008 10:02:46 AM PDT by ETL (Smoking gun evidence on ALL the ObamaRat-commie connections at my newly revised FR Home/About page)
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To: Interesting Times

Thanks for the ping!


11 posted on 10/09/2008 10:04:39 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: ETL

bttt


12 posted on 10/09/2008 10:06:52 AM PDT by 1035rep
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To: Interesting Times
Just imagine a Lincoln bedroom sleep over with an Obama presidency. Pictures of Che painted on the wall with the rest of the graffiti. Foot washers facing east, Burka's in the closet, etc.
13 posted on 10/09/2008 10:16:13 AM PDT by chuckles
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To: Interesting Times

One problem with this research is that Tom Hayden is dead, he can’t be on any board.


14 posted on 10/09/2008 11:15:48 AM PDT by Eva (CHANGE- the post modern euphemism for Marxist revolution.)
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To: Interesting Times


Penetrating Insights into the Obvious
15 posted on 10/09/2008 11:29:51 AM PDT by MichaelAsher54
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To: Eva
One problem with this research is that Tom Hayden is dead, he can’t be on any board.

Not so.

It's always best to double-check things you're pretty sure about before posting them...

16 posted on 10/09/2008 12:09:54 PM PDT by Interesting Times (For the truth about "swiftboating" see ToSetTheRecordStraight.com)
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To: Interesting Times

Tom Hayden-
principal organizer of Students for a Democratic Society

Collaborated with North Vietnamese Communists during the Vietnam War

Organized riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago

Married Jane Fonda and organized with her a successful lobby to cut off U.S. aid to Cambodia and Vietnam

Former Democratic Assemblyman and Senator in California

Blames U.S. policies for 9/11 terrorist attacks


17 posted on 10/09/2008 12:51:57 PM PDT by okokie (40 days of Prayer and fasting to end abortion Sept 24-Nov 2 http://www.40daysforlife.com/splash.cfm)
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To: Interesting Times

You’re right. Someone brought this up on the radio recently and the talk show host pointed out that Hayden was dead. I was thinking that it was Rush, but now, I’m thinking that it must have been O’Reilly, or our local liberal talker.

I also saw that Hayden is an occasional lecturer at Occidental college, one of Obama’s alma maters.


18 posted on 10/09/2008 1:10:09 PM PDT by Eva (CHANGE- the post modern euphemism for Marxist revolution.)
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To: Interesting Times

Thanks for the ping!

Obama isn’t just an empty suit, he’s a Suit-Bomb trying to sneak into the White House.


19 posted on 10/09/2008 1:23:14 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Obama isn't just an empty suit, he's a Suit-Bomb trying to sneak into the White House.)
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To: Interesting Times

Yep - a great bunch of radicals, terrorists and other’s who hate the USA supporting Barrack. When will his worshippers come out of their trance?


20 posted on 10/09/2008 1:36:03 PM PDT by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink)
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