Byron York asks a ‘serious’ question.
If we’re judged by those with whom we associate, here’s a question:
Would you rather be associated with a ’60s radical who plotted to bomb the Pentagon and to this day believes, as he said a few years ago, “I don’t regret setting bombs; I feel we didn’t do enough,” or would you rather be associated with — slight pause, please — Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)?
First, let’s do a little repair to the 60’s radical’s reputation, shall we? From Mayor Daley:
“There are a lot of reasons that Americans are angry about Washington politics. And one more example is the way Senator Obama’s opponents are playing guilt-by-association, tarring him because he happens to know Bill Ayers.
I also know Bill Ayers. He worked with me in shaping our now nationally-renowned school reform program. He is a nationally-recognized distinguished professor of education at the University of Illinois/Chicago and a valued member of the Chicago community.
I don’t condone what he did 40 years ago but I remember that period well. It was a difficult time, but those days are long over. I believe we have too many challenges in Chicago and our country to keep re-fighting 40 year old battles.”
Now, York may choose to dismiss Mayor Daley’s character witnessing here because Prof. Ayers said seven years ago that he did not regret his attempted acts of terrorism. That’s his right. But what are we to make of Tom Coburn’s comment:
“I favor the death penalty for abortionists and other people who take life.”
Never mind the unintentional irony in Coburn’s statement, they are a lot of people that find that position offensive, including the whole universe of people that value life by opposing the death penalty. And Coburn ran for office using that rhetoric a mere four years ago.
So if you ask me who I’d rather associate with between a man whose character is vouched for by the Mayor of Chicago and a man who wants to execute doctors for performing abortions, it isn’t a tough decision. But maybe York doesn’t interpret Coburn’s statement as a terroristic threat. I do.
