Obama`s Desperate Equivalency Gambit

(By Timothy Birdnow, American Thinker) - One of the oldest tricks in politics -- at least on the left -- is to accuse your enemy of that which you are most guilty. Barack Obama has been taking a beating based on his personal and political associations, particularly with the terrorist William Ayers, formerly of the Weather Underground, and his campaign has decided not to take it anymore. An article in the Chicago Tribune has launched a counterattack, claiming parity with John McCain`s open friendship with former Watergate burglar G. Gordon Liddy. This line of attack has been making the rounds in left-wing circles, and the Kos crowd think they have found a magic shield to protect their anointed Messiah.

The problem with this argument is that Liddy performed an act of burglary at the behest of his superiors, a matter of political espionage carried out by a soldier who obeyed orders. He did not bomb the Pentagon, Capitol, or try to kill people as Ayers has done. Such a comparison is a stretch, to say the least.

It should also be pointed out that Obama`s voting record is in line with Ayers (Obama having the most liberal voting record in the Senate), while McCain is clearly a center-right legislator, far from Liddy`s viewpoint. Who is influenced by their associations? Obama is a radical in suit and tie; McCain loves poking conservatives in the eyeballs. Liddy may have held a fundraiser for McCain, but there is every reason to believe that Ayers is more than just a casual supporter; he launched Obama`s political career in his home, after all. These are associations that are radically different in terms of degree.