Jackson Free Press

A must-watch: David Letterman put it to John McCain tonight not just on Sarah Palin, but on why McCain's friendship with terrorist G. Gordon Liddy is different from the Bill Ayers scare his campaign has whipped up. (And note McCain's cheap shot at ACORN again. Pathetic.) Watch:

Previous Comments

ID

139301

Comment

Also, McCain tried to play the victim/race card again with John Lewis, but Letterman didn't let him have it. He should have stayed off Dave's show.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-10-17T00:05:24-06:00

ID

139302

Comment

Here's the background on Liddy by none other than Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein: Does John McCain "pal around with terrorists?" Certainly McCain's continuing "association" and relationship with the convicted Watergate burglar and domestic terrorist G. Gordon Liddy might suggest that is the case, if we are to apply the standards drawn by the McCain campaign. In 1998, Liddy gave a fundraiser in his Scottsdale, Arizona home for McCain's senatorial re-election campaign -- the two posed for photographs together; and as recently as May, 2007, as a presidential candidate, McCain was a guest on Liddy's syndicated radio show. Inexplicably, McCain heaped praise on his host's values. During the segment, McCain said he was "proud" of Liddy, and praised Liddy's "adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great." From the program: LIDDY: Your experience in the Hanoi Hilton is remarkable. I mean, I put in five years in a prison [for masterminding the Watergate burglary, and associated crimes], but it was here in the United States, and they didn't torture - the only torture that I had was being forced to listen to rap music from time to time. McCAIN: Well, you know, I'm proud of you. I'm proud of your family. I'm proud to know your son, Tom, who's a great and wonderful guy. And it's always a pleasure for me to come on your program, Gordon. And congratulations on your continued success and adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great. Which of Liddy's "principles and philosophies" was McCain referring to? Liddy's advocacy of break-ins? Firebombings? Assassinations? Kidnappings? Taking target practice with figures nicknamed Bill and Hillary? During the same period that Bill Ayers was a member of the Weather Underground, Gordon Liddy was making plans to firebomb a Washington think tank, assassinate a prominent journalist, undertake the Watergate burglary, break into the office of Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist, and kidnap anti-war protesters at the 1972 Republican convention. Re: Liddy's "continued success and adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great:" Did McCain mean to include Liddy's instructions to listeners of his radio show in 1994 (around the time Ayres and Obama were on a board together discussing education programs and other plots) on how to shoot Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents (aim for the head)? If ATF agents attempt to curtail a citizen's gun ownership, Liddy counseled, "Well, if the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms comes to disarm you and they are bearing arms, resist them with arms. Go for a head shot; they're going to be wearing bulletproof vests."

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-10-17T00:11:09-06:00

ID

139303

Comment

What terrorist acts did Liddy commit?

Author

BubbaT

Date

2008-10-17T02:14:43-06:00

ID

139305

Comment

What terrorist acts did Liddy commit? posted by BubbaT on 10/17/08 at 03:14 AM Watergate burglar, broke into Democratic National Headquarters, cracked safe, stole documents, illegally wiretapped phones, illegally bugged Democratic Party offices, failed to get away with the above, got caught, convicted felon, ex-convict...just off the top of my head.

Author

HardTravelin

Date

2008-10-17T02:27:28-06:00

ID

139306

Comment

Since when did breaking and entering,illegal wire taps and conspiracy (what he convicted of) become terrorist acts?

Author

BubbaT

Date

2008-10-17T02:42:36-06:00

ID

139307

Comment

I am not defending Liddy, he was Nixon's thug/hitman and is a lowlife human being,I am just wondering what he did and suggested doing that would classify him as a terrorist?

Author

BubbaT

Date

2008-10-17T03:22:24-06:00

ID

139311

Comment

the video link went bye bye

Author

Izzy

Date

2008-10-17T08:23:50-06:00

ID

139314

Comment

I'm looking for another video, but I found this link in the meantime: McCain Defends His Own Association With Unrepentant Criminal: It's Ok, He Went To Jail

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2008-10-17T09:05:41-06:00

ID

139315

Comment

Found these videos: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2008-10-17T09:16:23-06:00

ID

139318

Comment

Bubba, the key argument about William Ayers is that he encouraged others within his organization to bomb targets in the 60's. There is no evidence that he bombed himself. Gordon Liddy encouraged fringe elements to "shoot to kill" ATF agents on his radio show in 1994 (not 40 years ago) and he has never repented those actions nor has he been repudiated by his good friend (their words not mine) Senator McCain. Liddy is also a convicted felon who thought it would be a good idea to assasinate journalists who espoused left leaning positions. If I were one of those targeted that might be terrifying. I guess that makes Liddy a --- terrorist.

Author

FreeClif

Date

2008-10-17T09:37:34-06:00

ID

139341

Comment

Right, Whitley. Watergate is bad enough, but Liddy has a long un-apologetic history of calling for terroristic violence against his political opponents. And McCain told him he was "proud" of him last year during McCain's campaign for the presidency. It is sheer hypocrisy (and a racist double standard) to criticize Obama because of Ayers, but not McCain because of Liddy. Media Matters said this about Letterman nailing McCain: Finally, for the first time this year, a prominent media figure asked John McCain about his relationship with G. Gordon Liddy last night. The lack of media attention to the Liddy-McCain relationship is one of the clearest double standards in recent political history. McCain and the news media have devoted an extraordinary amount of attention to Barack Obama's ties to Bill Ayers, yet until last night, McCain hadn't been asked a single question* about his ties to Liddy, a convicted felon who has instructed his listeners on how best to shoot law-enforcement agents. Liddy has held a fundraiser for McCain at his home and describes the Arizona senator as an "old friend"; McCain has said he is "proud" of Liddy. Imagine for a moment that Barack Obama had said he was "proud" of an "old friend" who urged people to shoot law-enforcement agents in the head. Do you think maybe he would have been asked a question or three about it? Do you think maybe there would have been more than the occasional passing mention in the news of the relationship? Of course there would have been. Yet McCain hasn't been questioned about Liddy. The media have largely ignored the relationship, even while working themselves into a frenzy about Obama and Ayers. McCain's relationship with Liddy is obviously newsworthy in its own right, but coupled with his attacks on Obama over Ayers, it's a textbook case of hypocrisy -- exactly the sort of thing that political reporters supposedly drool over. But not when it's John McCain. When it's John McCain, the nation's leading news organizations band together in what is, in effect, a blackout of information that could be damaging to their longtime favorite.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-10-18T09:03:49-06:00

ID

139342

Comment

Here is a Chicago Tribute columnist on the record for criticizing Obama-Ayers: I was quoted in Saturday's New York Times story criticizing Barack Obama's long association with someone he should shun: former Weather Underground bomber William Ayers. John McCain and Sarah Palin have good reason to fault Obama for overlooking Ayers' indefensible past. But while they're at it, they should also explain to the American people why McCain has been friends with another violent political extremist: Gordon Liddy. Liddy, who worked for President Nixon's campaign, was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison for multiple crimes in burglarizing the Democratic National Committee office in the Watergate building--part of a broader plot to steal the 1972 election through sabotage, illegal spying and other dirty tricks. He even planned the murder of a journalist, though that idea was overruled. Bombings? He proposed the firebombing of a liberal think tank. Liddy, now a conservative radio host, has never expressed regret for this attempt to subvert the Constitution. Nor has he developed any respect for the law. After the 1993 raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, he endorsed the shooting of federal agents: "Kill the sons of bitches." Yet none of this bothers McCain. Liddy has contributed thousands of dollars to his campaigns, held a fundraiser for McCain at his home and hosted the senator on his radio show, where McCain said, "I'm proud of you." Exactly which part of Liddy's record is McCain proud of?

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-10-18T09:05:59-06:00

ID

139343

Comment

As the nasty and misleading robocalls continue, he Las Vegas Sun captures the hypocrisy of McCain supporters, as well as the lack of reporting about McCain-Liddy: Republicans aren’t finished with the attack, as evidenced by the Nevada ad, which links Obama and terrorism. The ad shows Obama’s photo next to a quote from Ayers: “I don’t regret setting bombs. I feel we didn’t do enough.” Ayers was referring to his anti-Vietnam activities and the quote was published — coincidently — in The New York Times hours before the 9/11 attacks. But the quote is not attributed to Ayers and could be thought to have been said by Obama, because of the proximity of the text to Obama’s picture. A reader might unwittingly think Obama said he wished he’d bombed more on Sept. 11. When asked what she hopes voters will take from the ad, Sue Lowden, chairwoman of the Republican Party, said, “The associations of a candidate are important, and the public can decide for themselves how important it is that someone associates with a certain someone.” When asked what she thought about McCain’s association with convicted Watergate conspirator G. Gordon Liddy, who hosted a fundraiser for McCain, Lowden replied, “This is the first time I’m hearing about it, so I’m not sure if it bothers me.” She described as unfair any insinuation that the ads could lead a disturbed person to violently lash out at Obama. Presidential historians warned of the tone of the attacks, however. “It’s reckless,” said Robert Dallek, a biographer of Richard Nixon. “It plays on our worst fears,” he said.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-10-18T09:09:21-06:00

ID

139352

Comment

Part of the tragic situation the country is in these days is that just about everything is considered a kind of terrorism. A kid forgets and brings his pocket knife or her bottle of aspirin into school; a dumb joke in an airport or bank; a bottle of shampoo; your shoes; dissenting opinions; books from your public library, non judeo-christian religious texts...it's about the government controlling us, not our safety.

Author

HardTravelin

Date

2008-10-18T23:03:53-06:00

ID

139353

Comment

Agreed. Letting lab animals out of their cages is "eco-terrorism," and treated by the Department of Justice with the same seriousness it gives al-Qaeda. Bill Ayers blowing up a few statues 40 years ago to protest the Vietnam War is seen as comparable to suicide bombers sending planes into the World Trade Center. It's all very Orwellian. I'm thinking a good number of people watched coverage of the 9/11 attacks and, before the buildings even finished falling, had discovered the word "terrorism" and thought "Oh, boy--this'll be just like the McCarthy years!" Didn't quite work out that way, but there's still time. If Obama wins the election, though, I think we'll be able to rest easier. And there have certainly been a few times in our country's history when it came closer to fascism than it did during the early Bush years. Not many, but a few.

Author

Tom Head

Date

2008-10-18T23:46:41-06:00