it is the same point that a lot of these guys make.  Tiring reminding them that women are whole people, not their husband's rib, isn't it?

Letters were sent and appeals were made to Senator Clinton -first - not Bill.

Ask Congressman Jose Rivera. He sent them.

Ask Dylcia Pagan, one of the people pardoned.  She has spoken about it.  I am happy Dylcia was released. I grew up with her and worked for her freedom after she spent 20 years.

But don't be naive.  This will be a major issue.

UM it counts becuase she's using her time in the white house as FIRST LADY as part of her 35 years of experience.

Bill Ayers was never convicted.  Bill Ayers and his wife turned themselves in. Bill Ayers is now a respected person in Chicago.  

Redemption?  Change over time? I have no idea how old anyone is here - but I'd love to hear from anyone who burned draft cards.

And, the WU didn't kill anyone.  They were, at that time committed to acts of sabotage. Several members were killed, by their own actions in the townhouse.

An article in the NY Times came out - by accident on 9/11.  His remarks had nothing to do with 9/11.

This is being distorted.  If we are going to accept "McCarthy" mode - are you now or have you ever known a leftist, radical, black nationalist, vegetarian, person who burned a draft card, person ever arrested for demonstrating...?
We have sunk as low as the Republicans.

Senator Obama was 8 years old when the WU was active.

I knew many of the people who did go underground, and many who did not.  

So what.  

But to pile on to right wing attacks - which Senator Clinton did do, was not okay in my book.

Y'all believe what you want.  But if this goes to Puerto Rico it will be one of the only things talked about.  

Just don't forget I mentioned it.

Here is what Wikipedia has about him:  Ayers is currently a Distinguished Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Education. His interests include teaching for social justice, urban educational reform, narrative and interpretive research, children in trouble with the law, and related issues.[1]

He has edited and written many books and articles on education theory, policy and practice, and has appeared on many panels and symposia. He was tapped by Mayor Richard M. Daley to shape Chicago's now nationally-renowned school reform program.[2]

His degrees include a B.A. from the University of Michigan in American Studies (1968), an M.Ed from Bank Street College in Early Childhood Education, an M.Ed from Teachers College, Columbia University in Early Childhood Education (1987) and an Ed.D from Columbia University in Curriculum and Instruction (1987).[1]

then why does she include Bill's white house terms as part of her 35 years of experience?

are you agreeing with the tactics of the WU?

Who did the WU kill may I ask?

Compare that to the FALN - which is what this thread is about.
If you need help - read here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuerzas_Arm adas_de_Liberaci%C3%B3n_Nacional_%28Puer to_Rico%29

And people who are hiding behind the fig leaf that it was Bill Clinton are the same ones that are so willing to play six degrees of separation with Barack Obama.  Do you think the Republicans are going to have such delicate sensibilities?

Ask Hillary what she thinks of her husband's pardons of the Weather Underground members.  Will she repudiate them?  How about the FALN pardson?  Will she meet with the widows?  

It's not about us, it's about what the GOP will do.  I could care less about either the pardons of the 2 Weather Underground member or the 16 members of the FALN, but what do you think the 527s will do with them?

I repeat.  HRC keeps repeating that BHO has not been vetted.  She is the person who added on to the sham "evidence".

don't "shame on me".

Shame on HRC for not denouncing the politics of "guilt by association". If she wants to make an argument to the supers about who is vetted, and who isn't - and what will come up in the general election if Barack Obama is the nominee then she needs to examine her own closet first.

What would have been a better tactic for her would have been to state that Rovian tactics are unacceptable, that swift-boating and guilt by association will not work against Democrats..etc. etc.

She did not do this.  She will, if she is nominated (which is unlikely but you never know), now be wide open to far more serious "guilts by association" than Barack Obama.

The FALN Clinton connection has already been brought up by the Wall Street Journal, and though it didn't get much play then - it was a sidebar remark - in the general it will be one of the major Faux news points.  

I read a slew of diaries here that piled onto the "oh my...Barack and the terrorists theme".  

Not one person here mentioned the FALN.  Probably because there are very few NY Ricans posting here.
And if there are, few are my age- 60, so they don't remember the Frances Tavern bombings.

Interestingly - most of the PR left in NY DENOUNCED the bombings as ultra-leftist.

Which was why many leftists and activists were startled when Clinton granted clemency.

If you want to deal with handing out shame points - let's set the record straight.

shame on the Clinton campaign for attempting to paint Barack Obama as somehow soft on "terrorists".

shame on the Clinton campaign for bringing this up - with only a few days to go before the PA primary.

shame on the Clinton campaign for doing Repug work.

If you think that the uncommitted supers are going to applaud this assist to Republican's - think again.

Doubtful they are as blissfully unaware of the damage she is sowing as many of you seem to be.

Thankfully, there are  people like Mayor Daley who have dismissed the WU non-event.  

Former FALN members made their positions perfectly clear:

"These are the graying vestiges of 1960s and '70s Puerto Rican revolutionary
 activity, people who barely lived here but fought to forge an independent island
 nation. Six weeks after President Clinton granted 11 imprisoned radicals
 clemency in exchange for pledges of non-violence, three told The Herald in their
 first in-depth interviews that they regret nothing and remain committed to Puerto
 Rican independence. "

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/puer torico/heroes.htm

See the transcripts of house hearings:
http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/gro /hgo60935.000/hgo60935_0.htm

Today we are going to focus on the President's decision to offer clemency to members of a Puerto Rican terrorist group, the FALN. Our system is based on checks and balances. The Congress can pass legislation, but the President can veto it. The President is the Commander in Chief, but only Congress can declare war. But there is one area where the President's power is absolute: the power to grant clemency.
    There is nothing the Congress can do about it. There is nothing the courts can do about it. Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution states, ''He shall have the power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States except in cases of impeachment.''
    Can we have some order, please.
    This is an important responsibility. It is a power that the President has to exercise with a great deal of caution. Before the FALN terrorists, President Clinton had received more than 3,000 petitions for clemency and he had only granted 3 of them. Then on August 11th, the President offered clemency to 16 members of the FALN, a terrorist group seeking independence for Puerto Rico. Almost a month later, 14 of the 16 people accepted the President's offer and were released from prison.
    This whole issue has ignited a firestorm of controversy. The FALN was involved in 130 bombings, 5 people were killed, 84 were injured. What we want to know is why did the President make this decision? What is the public benefit? Who advised him on this issue? Was the FBI consulted? The Bureau of Prisons? That is why we are holding this hearing today.

First, we are going to examine what the FALN is. One of the arguments for granting clemency is that these 16 people were not directly involved in any acts of violence. Well, I want to briefly review what they were convicted of.
    Most of these people were convicted of things like seditious conspiracy and conspiracy to obstruct interstate commerce. Let's take a look at exactly what that means. Eight of these people were arrested together in Chicago. They were caught in a stolen van carrying illegal weapons. They were parked near the home of a wealthy businessman named Henry Crown. It is believed they were going to kidnap him. The only thing that stopped them was their arrest.
    They were convicted in Federal court. As they were sentenced they shouted threats to the judge. Here is what they said according to the court transcript: ''You are lucky we cannot take you right now. Our people will continue to use righteous violence. Revolutionary justice can be fierce, mark my words. We are going to fight, revolutionary justice will take care of you and everybody else.'' That is what they said to the judge. Now these are the people who were just granted clemency.
    Three other FALN members were planning to break one of their leaders out of Leavenworth Prison. They had two safe houses in Chicago where they had thousands of rounds of ammunition, blasting caps, detonating cord, dynamite and numerous weapons.
    They had a schematic diagram of the prison hidden under the floorboards in the kitchen of the house. The only thing that stopped them was their arrest. The FBI has a videotape of two of these people in one of their safe houses actually making a bomb. And I think we ought to show that to everyone who is in attendance here today. These are two of the members making a bomb. This is an official FBI tape.
    [Videotape.]
    Mr. BURTON. Who are these people? These are the people who were just granted clemency. Four of the people who were granted clemency were arrested for their involvement in the armed robbery of an armored car in Connecticut. They are part of a splinter group called in Spanish the machete wielders. This group has claimed responsibility for the murder of a San Juan police officer, ambushing a Navy bus and killing two sailors and shooting a United States Army officer in Fort Buchanan in Puerto Rico. These are the people the President offered clemency to and released from prison.