Not everyone in Chicago shrugs

New York Times was late to the story--it is after all, an Obama supporter--about Barack Obama and terrorist Bill Ayers, but Chicago never really cared much, said Editor and Publisher back in April. However,

"Chicago's pundit class is not exactly unanimous on shrugging off the Obama/Ayers connection. Steve Chapman, a Chicago Tribune columnist of libertarian bent who also serves on the paper's editorial board, argued Sunday that the relationship, which he said Obama was disingenuously trying to downplay, does matter.

"It's hard to imagine he would be so indulgent if we learned that John McCain had a long association with a former Klansman who used to terrorize African-Americans," Chapman wrote. "Obama's conduct exposes a moral blind spot about these onetime terrorists, who get a pass because they a) fall on the left end of the spectrum and b) haven't planted any bombs lately.

"You can tell a lot about someone from his choice of friends. What this friendship reveals is that when it comes to practicing sound moral hygiene, Obama has work to do and no interest in doing it." "

And it's true, Bill Ayers hasn't planted any bombs lately; but he also has done no jail time like some of his buddies who committed the same crimes. Do you suppose in 20-30 years the families of the the 9/11 victims will be this casual about criminals?

Maybe it's Chicago's image of their hometown boy--it just doesn't gibe with hanging out with terrorists. They see him as a "cautious, conservative, ultra-pragmatic legislator hack."

"But locally, Obama is far more likely to be rapped for being too palsy, or at least endorsing, the feckless president of the Cook County Board, Todd Stroger. Chicago media critic Steve Rhodes, in his blog The Beachwood Reporter, rarely lets slip an opportunity to contrast Obama's national image as a daring leader who will bring "change you can believe in" with his get-along, go-along relationship with city and Cook County political hacks."