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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on Saturday accused Democrat Barack Obama of "palling around with terrorists" because of his association with a former 1960s radical, stepping up the campaign's effort to portray Obama as unacceptable to American voters.
Palin's reference was to Bill Ayers, one of the founders of the group the Weather Underground. Its members took credit for bombings, including nonfatal explosions at the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol, during the tumultuous Vietnam War era four decades ago. Obama, who was a child when the group was active, served on a charity board with Ayers several years ago and has denounced his radical views and activities.
The Republican campaign, falling behind Obama in polls, plans to make attacks on Obama's character a centerpiece of presidential candidate John McCain's message with a month remaining before Election Day.
Palin told a group of donors at a private airport, "Our opponent ... is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect, imperfect enough, that he's palling around with terrorists who would target their own country." She also said, "This is not a man who sees America as you see America and as I see America."
Palin, Alaska's governor, said that donors on a greeting line had encouraged her and McCain to get tougher on Obama. She said an aide then advised her, "Sarah, the gloves are off, the heels are on, go get to them."
The escalated effort to attack Obama's character dovetails with TV ads by outside groups questioning Obama's ties to Ayers, convicted former Obama fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko and Obama's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Ayers is a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He and Obama live in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood and served together on the board of the Woods Fund, a Chicago-based charity that develops community groups to help the poor. Obama left the board in December 2002.
Obama was the first chairman of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, a school-reform group of which Ayers was a founder. Ayers also held a meet-the-candidate event at his home for Obama when Obama first ran for office in the mid-1990s.
Palin cited a New York Times story published Saturday that detailed Obama's relationship with Ayers. In an interview with CBS News earlier in the week, Palin didn't name any newspapers or magazines that had shaped her view of the world.
Summing up its findings, the Times wrote: "A review of records of the schools project and interviews with a dozen people who know both men, suggest that Mr. Obama, 47, has played down his contacts with Mr. Ayers, 63. But the two men do not appear to have been close. Nor has Mr. Obama ever expressed sympathy for the radical views and actions of Mr. Ayers, whom he has called 'somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8.'"
Earlier Saturday, Palin spent 35 minutes at a diner in Greenwood Village where she met with Blue Star Moms, a support group of families whose sons or daughters are serving in the armed forces. Reporters were allowed in the diner for less than five minutes before being ushered out by the campaign.
Palin, whose 19-year-old son, Track, deployed last month as a private with an Army combat team, was overheard at one point commiserating with one of the mothers: "Any time I ask my son how he's doing, he says, 'Mom, I'm in the Army now.'"
Taking one question from reporters about competing in battleground states, Palin repeated her wish that the campaign had not pulled out of Michigan, a prominent state in presidential elections where Obama leads by double-digit percentage points in recent polls.
"As I said the other day, I would sure love to get to run to Michigan and make sure that Michigan knows that we haven't given up there," she said. "We care much about Michigan and every other state. I wish there were more hours in the day so that we could travel all over this great country and start speaking to more Americans. So, not worried about it but just desiring more time and, you know, to put more effort into each one of these states."
As someone who aspires to be the next President, his character is fair game. Nobody in that position is above scrutiny for any reason.... same thing goes for McCain. Bring it on.
I don't think you want to go there. Keating 5, leaving his disfigured wife for a beauty queen, etc.
Sorry, the Democrats don't need to. When a Democrat is ahead by 2 points in North Carolina, he can take the higher road and not get down in the mud.
I don't think you want to go there. Keating 5, leaving his disfigured wife for a beauty queen, etc.
As someone who aspires to be the next President, his character is fair game. Nobody in that position is above scrutiny for any reason.... same thing goes for McCain. Bring it on.
Sure....by all means go there, why not? Let's open this up.
If someone is told to let sleeping dogs lie, it means that they shouldn't disturb a situation as it would result in trouble or complications.
McCain and Palin need to remember to ... 'Let sleeping dogs lie'
When you are slinging mud - expect to be in the middle of the mudpile, when it is all over and done with.
sure... politics is a full contact team sport...why not trash it up.
it's not like there are any REAL issues to discuss, so get in the gutter, right?
I'm beginning to think supporting the repubs is a moral failing. reminds me of hocky in the 80's... the rangers always played ugly... because they didn't have the talent. then there was mike bossy on the islanders who played the most beautiful game... because he knew he could place the puck wherever he wanted it.
and who were the stanley cup champs from 1980 to 1984?
Hint... the rangers went 50 years without a cup.
McCain and Palin need to remember to ... 'Let sleeping dogs lie'
When you are slinging mud - expect to be in the middle of the mudpile, when it is all over and done with.
What can I say?
You Rep's
IMO there are more "skeletons in the closet" for the McCain/Palin, than Obama. Especially that 'lady' from Alaska that flipflops just as much if not more than McCain ... but ... he is Johnny on the Spot to protect her when needed .... but what happens if she become's your President who protect's her then ..... aka who is next in line to cover her a$$? .... you seem to forget little details like that .... "Don'cha?"
Have you heard one statement made by Biden that needed to be corrected or monitored by Obama. Be my quest if you can find one, and link that puppy for all of us to see.
And yes .... we are voting for the pair of them, be it McCain/Palin or Obama/Biden .... if you like it or not!
Hey, someone has to properly vet Obama.
y'all should worry about vetting palin...
someone who actually knew something would have been nice.
oh never mind... i forgot you guys like having things run by joesixpack...
McCain is desperate. Even Clinton never went here. I remember McCain said something along the lines of "He's probably attacking me because he's behind in the polls. I understand that and it's ok." That line completely made Guiliani's attack on him in the state of Florida irrelevant. Obama should do something along the same lines.
Palin says Obama 'palling around' with terrorists
