Annenberg

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

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Editor, Times-Union:

One of the sources I read for unbiased analysis of the truth in the presidential campaigns is Factcheck.org This organization is supported by the Annenberg Foundation. According to one of your readers, this organization appears to be part of the liberal media that conservatives are apt to write about.

The truth is something else. The Annenberg Foundation was founded by Arthur Annenberg who was a staunch Republican and was appointed ambassador by President Reagan. Arthur's wife is alive and has come out as a supporter of John McCain. According to the organization's Web site, "Its major program areas are education and youth development; arts, culture and humanities; civic and community; health and human services; and animal services and the environment."

This makes life interesting for conspiracy theory people. The Annenberg Foundation supported an educational initiative, which Bill Ayres was part of. So were some college presidents and some CEOs as well as Barack Obama. From what I found, this was a group interested in education and not politics. There were republicans, democrats and independents on the board.

The kicker is that a proposal of Bill Ayers was termed "A radical proposal." However, this was with respect to educational procedures. The word radical has numerous meanings and I am sure the person who called the proposal radical now wishes a different word had been chosen since Bill Ayers was involved with the project.

But to connect this use of the word radical with a political radical is sheer nonsense. Anyone who proposes a major (radical) policy shift, a radical change in governmental financial policies or has a radical mastectomy would be labeled a political radical by this reasoning. The ridiculousness of this is obvious.

So, is Factcheck.org biased because it is funded by the Annenberg Foundation that funded a group that funded an Ayres project but which was established by a conservative Republican whose wife supports McCain?

If you want to learn about the Annenberg Foundation and see the various initiatives it has funded, check out Annenbergfoundation.org I will continue to go to Factcheck.org for unbiased analysis and I recommend you do likewise.

James Streator

Claypool, via e-mail[[In-content Ad]]

Editor, Times-Union:

One of the sources I read for unbiased analysis of the truth in the presidential campaigns is Factcheck.org This organization is supported by the Annenberg Foundation. According to one of your readers, this organization appears to be part of the liberal media that conservatives are apt to write about.

The truth is something else. The Annenberg Foundation was founded by Arthur Annenberg who was a staunch Republican and was appointed ambassador by President Reagan. Arthur's wife is alive and has come out as a supporter of John McCain. According to the organization's Web site, "Its major program areas are education and youth development; arts, culture and humanities; civic and community; health and human services; and animal services and the environment."

This makes life interesting for conspiracy theory people. The Annenberg Foundation supported an educational initiative, which Bill Ayres was part of. So were some college presidents and some CEOs as well as Barack Obama. From what I found, this was a group interested in education and not politics. There were republicans, democrats and independents on the board.

The kicker is that a proposal of Bill Ayers was termed "A radical proposal." However, this was with respect to educational procedures. The word radical has numerous meanings and I am sure the person who called the proposal radical now wishes a different word had been chosen since Bill Ayers was involved with the project.

But to connect this use of the word radical with a political radical is sheer nonsense. Anyone who proposes a major (radical) policy shift, a radical change in governmental financial policies or has a radical mastectomy would be labeled a political radical by this reasoning. The ridiculousness of this is obvious.

So, is Factcheck.org biased because it is funded by the Annenberg Foundation that funded a group that funded an Ayres project but which was established by a conservative Republican whose wife supports McCain?

If you want to learn about the Annenberg Foundation and see the various initiatives it has funded, check out Annenbergfoundation.org I will continue to go to Factcheck.org for unbiased analysis and I recommend you do likewise.

James Streator

Claypool, via e-mail[[In-content Ad]]
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