Is Ayers really a "reformer" as the MSM paints him? (updated)

The New York Times whitewashed Bill Ayers as someone engaged in "school reform". Tom Brokaw referred to Ayers as an educational reformer on Meet the Press. How accurate is this moniker? Not very.

Scott Johnson of Powerline notices how absurd this characterization and draws upon the work of Sol Stern -- easily the most knowledgeable person about Bill Ayers:

Calling Bill Ayers a school reformer is a bit like calling Joseph Stalin an agricultural reformer.

For instance, at a November 2006 education forum in Caracas, Venezuela, with President Hugo Chávez at his side, Ayers proclaimed his support for "the profound educational reforms under way here in Venezuela under the leadership of President Chávez. We share the belief that education is the motor-force of revolution. . . . I look forward to seeing how you continue to overcome the failings of capitalist education as you seek to create something truly new and deeply humane."

Ayers concluded his speech by declaring that "Venezuela is poised to offer the world a new model of education-a humanizing and revolutionary model whose twin missions are enlightenment and liberation," and then, as in days of old, raised his fist and chanted: "Viva Presidente Chávez! Viva la Revolucion Bolivariana! Hasta la Victoria Siempre!"

In fact, Ayers looks at schools as nurseries to create a new cadre of children filled with an ideology that is anti-free enterprise and anti-American. To this end he has long been engaged in efforts to change the curriculum of our graduate schools of education so as to train teachers to spread his message and ideology to young children.

Update from Thomas Lifson:

Investor's Business Daily makes the same points today in an excellent editorial, asking if Bill Ayers may be the next Secretary of Education.

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