Should Ayers sue the mccane campaign for slander?

[panader0]

As pointed out in ck4829's earlier post, Ayers was never convicted of anything. Now mcpalin is calling him a "terrorist".
Seems like slander to me, and it would be a blow the repugs.

[Hugabear]

1. Absolutely

n/t

[Lerkfish]

2. yes. its a slanderous accusation.

[ixion]

3. yes, and since it's in print as well, he can sue for libel

he's a free citizen, not a "terrorist", and calling him one is a bogus accusation that should be met with fierce reproach.

[JonLP24]

4. Also, what constitutes terrorism?

Blowing up buildings with 2 lb bombs that doesn't kill or injure anyone? :shrug:

[GodlessBiker]

5. I agree, it is a slanderous accusation. But if Ayers took the stand, what would he admit to?

[NOLALady]

6. Not now.

He should do it after the election.

[KharmaTrain]

8. Agreed,,,

Senator Obama needs to stay above this slime attack. Just remember what happened when Reverend Wright came forward...he was pounded by the corporate media, and Ayers would surely become a magnet as well. Ayers has nothing to gain at this point to try to fight the 60's and play into the game the GOOP is trying to spin.

After the election, I'd love to hear from Mr. Ayers.

Cheers...

[Donald Ian Rankin]

7. Given that his memoirs admit to participating in bombings, probably not...

Trying to defend Ayers is not an effective way of defending Obama.

[still_one]

13. no kidding. In addition, it would take issues off the front page, and create

an uncessary distraction

[cali]

9. bwahahaha. I can't stand revisionism wherever it comes from- oh and

he wouldn't have a legal leg to stand on.

Look, I respect Ayers as a scholar and expert on early childhood ed, but he was a founding member of an organization that planned and advocated violent overthrow of the U.S. government. He planned and helped carry out bombing attacks. At one point, he advocated killing other Americans. Whether you agree or disagree with his goals and tactics, those are just facts. And furthermore, he was on the FBI's most wanted list.

Ayers wasn't convicted because of prosecutorial misconduct- and that's a good thing; there's no excuse for that. He also was aided by having a very rich and very powerful father. And not being convicted of something is not the same as being innocent of charges.

Plenty of dems have referred to Ayers as a terrorist. Should Ayers sue all of them as well?

[still_one]

10. Ayers belonged to the weather underground, which was a domestic

terrorist organization

Whether he was convicted of anything is not the point, he belonged to an organization which bombed various facilities in the country

You point that assertion would be a blow to the republicans is wrong, it would be a blow to the Obama campaign, because it would take the real issues off table

[torbird]

14. Didn't just belong. Was a leader of.

But, today, he is a cuddly, old, gray-haired, professor/grandpa in Chicago.

Ayers needs to do a 60 Minutes interview or something. He's harmless (but very sharp, witty, and politically insightful), and he has history on his side -- a lot of people wanted to fight the government in the 1960s and that viewpoint, coupled with the decades-long reexamination of Vietnam, makes Ayers a sympathetic figure.

[still_one]

16. A lot people did protest, but didn't bomb and kill people. The weather underground

was NEVER admired by the majority of the protesters then.

He is NOT a sympathetic figure, and there is a reason why Obama distances himself from him

[taterguy]

11. A suit would just bring more attention to the accusation

And based on Sullivan v NY Times, Ayers might not win

[madrchsod]

12. ayers has more important things to do than to sue

johnny boy over the "terrorist" remark. his work will no be diminished in the eyes of those who he has helped and the people he works with.

i always thought the weathermen were dumb asses not terrorists.

[rurallib]

15. I hope he sues McCane for everything he's got and gets the

beer distributorship.
Not possible but I can dream.

[Toucano]

17. Not the campaign, but FoxNews and Murdoch. n/t

[pipi_k]

18. There's more than a little irony here, I think...

Imagine that...

representatives of a political party whose members have been terrorizing Americans for the past 7+ years.


Fear, fear, fear....

terrorists, terrorists, terrorists...

Don't vote for Democrats unless you want another 9/11 type attack!!!

Color-coded warning system

9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11


We must fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here



And more


I wonder how many Americans ended up dying from stress-related causes as a result of being terrorized like this?

Probably more than the Weathermen ever (or even Al Qaeda) ever personally killed, that's for sure...


And these fuckers have the nerve to talk about terrorists????


They make me sick.

[stillcool]

19. This isn't about Ayers

and what he did 40 years ago. I'm sure he's used to being vilified. This is about using Ayers to trash and smear Obama, by a false association.