'Colossal failure' as an executive

It seems that everybody is understating Barack Obama's executive experience. Well, actually, Obama does have executive experience worth noting.

In a local TV interview in 2000 Obama said, "I've chaired major philanthropic efforts in the city like the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, that gave fifty million dollars to prompt school reform efforts throughout the city." Even this is understated since there was another $60 million in matching funds.

Williams Ayers initiated the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, which was kicked off in January 1995. Barack Obama was appointed as the first chairman of CAC until he stepped down in 1999. He continued to serve on the board together with Ayers.

Remember Bill Ayers? He is an unrepentant terrorist against the U.S. He and his wife Bernadine Dohrn were part of the Weather Underground that bombed the Pentagon, the Capitol and other buildings. He was quoted in the NY Times (ironically on 9/11/2001) saying "I don't regret setting bombs. I feel we didn't do enough."

According to a 1999 report by CAC's own research arm "the Challenge had little impact on school improvement and student outcomes."

Obama also served together with Ayers on the board of the Woods Fund of Chicago (see above). And Obama's political career was launched in the home of Ayers and Dohrn at a "Meet the Candidate" event in 1995 where he subsequently became a state senator in Illinois. During the Democratic debate, George Stephanopoulous asked Obama about his association with Ayers. Obama responded, "This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of English in Chicago who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from. He's not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis."

In fairness to everyone, let's make sure that Obama's resume is complete, even if it includes a colossal failure as an executive. And even if it clearly links him with a terrorist "thrown under the bus."

Dave Deetjen

Naperville