138 Barack H. Obama: The Unauthorized Biographycan figures like Wright, Ayers, Dohrn, and the rest open a window into the process which has
dished up the Manchurian candidacy of Obama.
OBAMA’S NEST OF RACIST AND TERRORIST PROVOCATEURS
The fact that Obama emerges from such a nest of racist and terrorist provocateurs has begun to
dawn on a number of researchers. Steve Diamond writes: ‘The people linked to Senator Obama
grew to political maturity in the extreme wings of the late 60s student and antiwar movements. They
adopted some of the worst forms of sectarian and authoritarian politics. They helped undermine the
emergence of a healthy relationship between students and others in American society who were
becoming interested in alternative views of social, political and economic organization. In fact, at
the time, some far more constructive activists had a hard time comprehending groups like the
Weather Underground. Their tactics were so damaging that some on the left thought that
government or right-wing elements helped create them. There is some evidence, in fact, that that
was true (for example, the Cointelpro effort of the federal government.)’ (Steve Diamond, ‘Who
“sent” Obama?’ globallabor.blogspot.com, April 22, 2008) Correct. The Weathermen were spooks,
provocateurs who knew what they were doing, on some level.
THOMAS AYERS OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL DYNAMICS,
TOP PENTAGON CONTRACTOR AND SPOOK
If we try to identify Obama’s personal patron during the Chicago years, we must conclude that
Obama owed everything to the Ayers family – to ruling class patriarch Thomas Ayers, his son Bill
Ayers the terrorist, to his daughter-in-law Bernardine Dohrn (another terrorist), and to Bill’s brother
John. This is also the finding of Steve Diamond. So, who did “send” Obama? The key I think is his
ties not to well-connected über lawyer Newton Minow ... but more likely to the family of
(in)famous former Weather Underground leader Bill Ayers.
Obama was a community organizer from about 1985 to 1988, when he left Chicago for Harvard
Law School. During that time a critical issue in Chicago politics was the ongoing crisis in the public
schools. A movement was underway from two angles: from below in black, Latino and other
communities for more local control of schools, and from above by business interests who wanted to
cut costs. For a fascinating account and analysis see Dorothy Shipps, “The Invisible Hand: Big
Business and Chicago School Reform,” Teachers College Record, Vol. 99, #1, Fall 1997, pp. 73-
116 or her later excellent book on the subject: School Reform, Corporate Style: Chicago, 1880-2000
(Kansas 2006.)
A 1987 teachers’ strike brought those two sides together to push for a reform act passed by the
Illinois legislature in 1988 that created “Local School Councils” (LSC) to be elected by residents in
a particular school area. According to Shipps, the strike “enrag[ed] parents and provid[ed] the
catalyst for a coalition between community groups and Chicago United [the business lobby] that
was forged in the ensuing year.” (The full story of this complicated process is provided by Shipps in
her book; see Steve Diamond, ‘Who “sent” Obama?’ globallabor.blogspot.com, April 22, 2008)
The central figure, establishment godfather, and spiritus rector of this entire network is Thomas
Ayers, the recently deceased father and protector of Bill Ayers. Thomas Ayers headed
Commonwealth Edison for seven years, ending in 1980. Before reaching the top job, he helped
negotiate the first labor contract between the energy giant and the International Brotherhood of