A big deal was made during the last presidential campaign about Obama’s tenuous connection to a former member of the terrorist organization “Weather Undergound”. William Ayers, the man in question, is now a professor of education at the University of Illinois-Chicago and he served in some education board with Obama. He also contributed to his campaign. Somehow this suggested to the Republicans that Obama was a friend of terrorists, purportedly unfit for the presidency.
You would then think, that there should have been more Republican uproar at Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Uruguay, to attend the presidential inauguration of José Mujica. Mujica was an important Tupamaro leader during the early 70’s, spent 14 years in prison, and then pursued a less violent political career. The Tupamaros were the main “revolutionary” group in Uruguay, responsible for a number of kidnappings and killings.
As if that was not enough, Hillary continued on to Buenos Aires, where she met with Argentine president Cristina Fernández, herself a former Montonera. The Montoneros were Argentina’s main subversive organization during the 1970’s. And if that wasn’t enough, Hillary went on to Chile, where she met with former Frente Patriótico Manuel Rodríguez member and current Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.
Hmmm. Perhaps being associated with a former “terrorist” is not a big deal outside of a campaign.