Obama's Only Executive Experience

NRO: Forget About Bill Ayers. Lets Talk About Obama's Executive Role In The Education Project Ayers Founded

(National Review Online)  This column was written by David Freddoso.

Barack Obama would have you believe that, after 20 years of friendship, he had no idea the Rev. Jeremiah Wright was a bomb-throwing racial demagogue. And that after 15 years of what he described as a close friendship, he had no idea Tony Rezko was a crook.

Similarly, this week, his campaign claimed that when Obama entered William Ayers’s home in 1995 to raise money for a state-senate run, the future presidential hopeful didn’t know Ayers was a former terrorist.

So by his own account, Obama wanders through life completely unaware of his surroundings.

To be fair, there is no conclusive proof that Obama was ever filled in on Ayers. A lot of the most well-known information came out since the fundraiser: Ayers wrote a 2001 memoir claiming credit for bombing the Pentagon. He posed for that famous photograph trampling the American flag. He said that he had not done enough during his terrorist days to force America out of Vietnam. He told the New York Times that the patriotic outburst of national unity after the 9/11 attacks made him “want to puke.”

Perhaps Obama really did know nothing about Ayers’s unrepentant terrorism at that fundraiser, and even that same year, when Obama became the first chairman of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge - an education-reform project Ayers had founded, on whose board Obama would serve until it ended in 2001 (he was chairman until 1999).

But Obama’s work on the Challenge says a lot about the candidate’s leadership abilities.

The Challenge, which operated in 210 Chicago schools between 1996 and 2001, comprises the only serious executive experience in Obama’s career. In 2000, during his failed run for Congress against incumbent Rep. Bobby Rush (D., Ill.), Obama bragged about his role in the project. During a televised debate, Obama argued that his relative lack of experience in office was no reason he would not be a good congressman.

“My experience previous to elected office equips me for the job,” Obama said. “I have chaired major philanthropic efforts in the city, like the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, that gave $50 million to prompt school-reform efforts throughout the city.”

So how did he do?

The final technical report of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge is available online here. We learn that the program received a $50 million grant from the Annenberg Foundation, on the condition that they raise at least twice as much (they did slightly better than the requirement, spending $160 million total when all was said and done) and commission their own evaluation. The report includes a lengthy description of the Challenge’s goals and methods, and a 33-page description of the methodology used to measure its progress. The bottom line is in the report’s executive summary:

Our research indicates that student outcomes in Annenberg schools were much like those in demographically similar non-Annenberg schools and across the Chicago school system as a whole, indicating that among the schools it supported, the Challenge had little impact on student outcomes.

In the last two years of the project, certain schools were identified as “breakthrough” schools. Annenberg’s board dedicated more money and resources to these. The report notes on page 73 (114 in the PDF):

There were virtually no statistically significant differences between Breakthrough and other Annenberg schools in these student outcomes.

Bear in mind that Chicago schools set a pretty low bar to begin with. The four-year graduation rate in the city’s high schools, depending on how you measure it, is as low as 54 percent. According to one recent study, only 6 percent of entering freshmen in Chicago public high schools will obtain college degrees by age 25. Only 31.4 percent of Chicago high-school juniors met or exceeded state standards on the Prairie State Achievement Examination.

Obama’s campaign points out that Barack Obama was only a boy when William Ayers and his friends were plotting bombings and placing bombs. They point out that Obama does not and never has supported terrorism. And they are correct on both points.

But forget about the terrorism. We can assume, albeit charitably, that he had no idea about Ayers even as late as 2000. What’s more important is that Obama was an adult when he was given responsibility for the Annenberg Challenge, that responsibility represents his only significant executive experience, and the Challenge was a waste of $160 million in other people’s money.

With that kind of experience, just think what Obama could do as president of the United States.

[mayfery]

CAN SOME ONE ANSWER THIS:

WHY IF YOU WANT TO APPLIED TO A FEDERAL JOB, THEY CHECK YOUR PAST ALL THE WAY BACK TO FIND YOUR GRADES, AND IF YOU HAVE A TRAFIC TICKET, OR ARE BEHIND ANY OF YOUR PAYMENTS?

AND YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO WORK FOR THE GOVERMENT IF YOU DO

WHY A PERSON LIKE OBAMA WITH ALL OF HIS CLOSE TIES AND LONG REALTIONS WITH ALL OF THIS FELONS, CORRUPTED, TERRORIST AND AMERICAN HATERS THAT HE CALL HIS FRIENDS, MENTORS AND HE IS PROUD OF THEM IS QUALIFIED TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?

[mayfery]

IMAGINE ALL THIS PEAPLE GETING A PLACE ON OBAMA OFICIA CABINET SO THAT HE CAN PAY THEM BACK THE POLITICAL FAVORES THAT HE OWS THEM:

REV. WRIGTH: PERSONAL ADVISER AND MENTOR, DAMING AMERICA

TONY REZCO: TRESURY DEPARTMENT

WILLIAM AYRES: DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL SECURITY

JUST TO MENTION THE ONES THAT WE HEAR THIS WEEK, MAYBE ON THE REST OF THE TIME TO NOV 4 MORE FELONS OR CORRUPTEDFRIENDS OF OBAMA WILL COME OUT AND WE CAN FILL OUT THE REST OF THE TOP POSITIONS

[royalia]

I''m waiting Dee Rob. What is wrong with reading that book? Let''s be specific. Shouln''t a president be informed about the challenges facing the U.S. in the 21st Century?

[royalia]

"Why cant C. Powell & T.B Pickens be running instead?"

I do agree that Powell and Pickens would make good leaders. I think Pickens is older than McCain though.

[royalia]

Bring it on Limbots! I''ve got plenty more where that came from.

[royalia]

What is wrong with reading the Post American World? Do you know what it''s about? Here''s the first part of the review of Amazon: ""This is not a book about the decline of America, but rather about the rise of everyone else." So begins Fareed Zakaria''s important new work on the era we are now entering."

I''d call reading this book important for those who want to be INFORMED and understand trends in the global economy and geopolitics. You and Palin can keep reading the Limbaugh Letter and Winnie the Pooh while the rest of educate ourselves.

[royalia]

Check out this article about the House of Saud and funding of terrorism. Remember who is BFF with the House of Saud? The House of Bush!

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_/ai_80309425

[deerob74]

Thank God CBS has the backbone to tell it like it is! Did anyone see the photo of Obama carrying his new reading material, The Post-America World? This man has been recruited to destroy the United States of America. Johnny, get your gun! Be ready to defend our homeland from foreign invaders! Pray to God McCain wins this election, or we will once again be fighting for our independence on our own land.

[royalia]

One thing Obama and Bush have in common. Obama''s aquaintance wanted to bomb the Pentagon. A family member of one of the Bush''s major business partners in the Carlyle Group was responsible for 9/11. The Saudi Royal Family has been funding radical madrassas all over the world to appease the Wahabbist sect of Islam that runs religion in Saudi Arabia. The Bushes have been doing business with the Saudi Royal Family for decades. Can you say treason?

[royalia]

Here''''''''s a little quote from my google search about Bush/bin Laden/Carlyle Group:

"The Bin Laden Group was also heavily invested in the Carlyle Group, the "private equity" firm (and major arms merchant) that, like Bechtel, specializes in the sell-off of public services and other government-insider deals. Carlyle''''''''s best-known bagman, George Bush I, used to make ritual pilgrimages to bin Laden family headquarters in Saudi Arabia to procure their potent baksheesh. When Carlyle''''''''s post-Sept. 11 orgy of war-profiteering began drawing unwanted attention, however, the bin Ladens cashed in their Carlyle chips and, officially, ended the partnership."

[skysoldier75]

What exactly is a maverick?

Not a follower, but not a leader either. If people followed him, he would, by definition, be a leader, not a maverick.

A maverick is somebody who just doesn''t really fit in anywhere -- someone who''s off all on their own somewhere.

It took Bush 8 years to become a politically isolated loner -- McCain is determined to be an isolated loner from day one.

It''s going to take an enormous amount of bipartisan support to fix all of our nation''s current problems. McCain doesn''t even seem to have the support of his own party, let alone within the opposition party.

Being a maverick during such tough political times really doesn''t sound like a big plus to me. It sounds a lot more like serious trouble down the road.

[Netterz]

Any good lawyer is trained to baffle & bull$hit there way thru ANYTHING to WIN. Take a few Dale Carnegie classes, become an eloquent speaker, not a big deal. Never running a company, a City, even a State, IS a big deal.

Barrack Hussein Obama, an elite socialist, hand picked & endorsed by long term Senior Demo''s, that no one has really HEARD of, reality is they should to have there pork filled pockets & a$$es booted from there coveted positions, allowed 2 terms as Jr, 2 Sr, then out like most other political positions.

If I go to a church & don''t agree with what I hear, I leave, not attend for 20+ yrs, marry there, have my children Baptized there.

Political Career launched in Ayers home. Worked together many yrs. What scholar of American Law, wouldn''t know Ayers as one of the main men of W.U, a Proud Domestic Terrorist? No one in his Elite Political Circle mentioned this?

A CLOSE friend, REZKO, whom he represented, but claims he didn''t know Tony was a slum-lord & criminal? If a good lawyer is representing you, they ask everything you have EVER done, said, even if you sneezed wrong, since the day you were born.

Prove you are NOT as stupid as he believes you are & don''t vote for him. Please WAKE UP!

Why cant C. Powell & T.B Pickens be running instead?

[sparks224]

Nov 4th 2008
High Noon for Democracy

Millions of people will attempt to vote for Barack Obama,
thousands of Republican lawyers will attempt to stop them.

[sparks224]

Nov 4th 2008
High Noon for Democracy

Millions of people will attempt to vote for Barack Obama,
thousands of Republican lawyers will attempt to stop them.

[sparks224]

Nov 4th 2008
High Noon for Democracy

Millions of people will attempt to vote for Barack Obama,
thousands of Republican lawyers will attempt to stop them.

[sparks224]

Nov 4th 2008
High Noon for Democracy

Millions of people will attempt to vote for Barack Obama,
thousands of Republican lawyers will attempt to stop them.

[sparks224]

Nov 4th 2008
High Noon for Democracy

Millions of people will attempt to vote for Barack Obama,
thousands of Republican lawyers will attempt to stop them.

[sparks224]

Nov 4th 2008
High Noon for Democracy

Millions of people will attempt to vote for Barack Obama,
thousands of Republican lawyers will attempt to stop them.

[sparks224]

Nov 4th 2008
High Noon for Democracy

Millions of people will attempt to vote for Barack Obama,
thousands of Republican lawyers will attempt to stop them.

[sparks224]

Nov 4th 2008
High Noon for Democracy

Millions of people will attempt to vote for Barack Obama,
thousands of Republican lawyers will attempt to stop them.