Palin defends Obama 'terrorist pal' jibe
Sarah Palin has defended her attack on Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama after accusing him of “palling around with terrorists”.
The Republican vice presidential nominee said last night it was legitimate to raise Mr Obama’s association with 1960s radical Bill Ayers.
She said: “The comments are about an association that has been known but hasn’t been talked about. It’s important to talk about how Barack Obama kicked off his political career in the guy’s living room.”
She repeated the claim at separate campaign stops on Saturday, adding that Mr Obama “is not a man who sees America as you see America and as I see America”.
Mrs Palin’s comments highlighted Mr Obama’s association with a former 1960s radical, William Ayers, a founder of the Weather Underground. Its members took credit for bombings, including attacks on the Pentagon and the US Capitol during the Vietnam War. Mr Obama has denounced Mr Ayers’ radical views and activities.
Mr Obama and Mr Ayers live in the same Chicago neighbourhood and served on a charity board together.
Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt told CNN television that the candidate and Mr Ayers have not spoken by phone or exchanged email messages since Mr Obama went to the US Senate in 2005. They last met in an encounter on the street in their Hyde Park neighbourhood more than a year ago, he said.
Mr Obama hit back at a North Carolina campaign stop saying: “Senator McCain and his operatives are gambling that he can distract you with smears rather than talk to you about substance.”
“They’d rather try to tear our campaign down than lift this country up. It’s what you do when you’re out of touch, out of ideas, and running out of time.”
A new poll published today showed that Mr Obama was leading Mr McCain in Ohio by 49 % to 42 % among likely voters.
The state is critical to victory when voters cast presidential ballots in just four weeks. Ohio helped tip the balance to President George Bush in 2000 and its backing kept him in the White House in 2004.
The escalated effort to attack Mr Obama’s character dovetails with TV ads by outside groups questioning his ties to Mr Ayers, convicted former Obama fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko and Mr Obama’s former pastor, the Rev Jeremiah Wright, who made anti-American remarks in his sermons.
