Don’t think that I’m going to be able to read this all in one sitting; nor do I wish to given much away. That said, I think I’m going to try to go for the overall theme and then a specific think that "hits" with me.
Thus far, this is a "chock-a-block" if Chapter 1 is a good indication. Certainly during the campaign, Obama and crew downplayed ANY involvement with the terrorist known as Bill Ayers. Formerly of the SDS, then a leader in the Weatherman terrorist group (responsible for 30 bombings during those turbulent 60s and 70s), the Brenda Elliot and Aaron Klein bring out a lot of the historical details that establishes one thing cold-stone-clear: Obama and Ayers knew each other for along time, often worked closely with each other, and funded each other’s organizations through multiple and highly linked leftist, radical organizations. And all of them were radical, socialist / communist philosophically based and Alinsky styled.
This journalist and this blogger were able to figure this all out. Yet, the Left leaning media could not? Or were all too willing to believe the Obama logic "head fakes" like this (page 2):
"And the notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8 years old, somehow reflects on me and my values doesn’t make much sense…"
The impression? "You must be nuts to believe I’m all but in bed with this terrorist and his ideology – I was only 8!" – yet, the actual history says this head fake, while technically defensible, says nothing about how Ayers philosophically continued to continue to destroy America from the inside by merely changing from tactics to physically hurt America to destroying a critical foundation – its educational system (er, that’s my addition – not in the book).
The part that "hit" me? Part of the chapter outlines the importance of Obama’s childhood church – the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu. Upon returning to Hawa’ii upon the death of his grandmother in November, 2008, the Pastor reminded him he had attended the church as a child (page 5).
"Obama’s eyes lit up, and he turned to his wife, Michelle, and said, "Hey, that’s right. This is where I went to Sunday School."
Which caused me to daydream of the church I grew up in (and where I met TMEW as a grad student), Trinity Baptist in Brockton, MA. It was a "different" kind of church to look at from both the inside and out as part of it used to be a mansion of a wealthy family and then had a traditional sanctuary, chapel, Sunday School rooms, and a Fellowship Hall added on (and very oriented in the Evangelical tradition theologically). I remember the places that I used to "hide" in the older parts of the old building (up in the attic, the cellar, parts of the multi-car garage (turned into a youth area). Yes, I pretty much knew all of the quick ways to "there there from here" and generally not be noticed in doing so.
And then it hit me – most kids’ memories of such are rock solid – Obama had to be told that this was his church? While the Pastor said that the upper parts of the church had been remodeled, that leaves me to believe that the general outline / architecture had not. And Obama didn’t recognize it?
I find that, well, hard to believe. Is his memory that bad? Or is it part of the continual Obama metamorphasis – change to fit the time and need and like a snake or lobster after molting, leave the old behind? Or does it match up with what we saw with his 20 years with Rev. Wright – there but not "really there"?
Even as this church is known for being a radical church then, and still?
And so it unfolds…I have events the next couple of nights, but the reading will continue.
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