Barack Obama's connection to William Ayers

Obama's connection to a former radical

The issue: Barack Obama is acquainted with William Ayers, a University of Illinois at Chicago professor who in 1969 co-founded the radical Weather Underground and helped plant bombs, including one at the U.S. Capitol. After spending the 1970s on the run, he turned himself in. Federal prosecutors later dropped charges because of illegal surveillance and other misconduct.

Ayers, 63, is an education professor who has worked to improve Chicago schools and counts Mayor Richard M. Daley among his defenders.

Obama was a child when the Weather Underground was active; he and Ayers became acquainted in 1995. That year, as Obama embarked on his first Illinois state Senate run, Ayers and his wife, Weather Underground co-founder Bernardine Dohrn, hosted a house party to introduce him to Democrats. Ayers later gave Obama a $200 campaign donation. They served on two philanthropic boards together.

Obama has described Ayers as a "guy" he knows from his neighborhood and someone with whom he served on boards, but not one of his advisors.

Why the McCain campaign says it matters: Obama's decision to associate with Ayers raises questions about his judgment. McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, has said that Obama is someone who would "pal around with terrorists," and that Obama "sees America as imperfect enough to work with a former domestic terrorist who targeted his own country."

Why the Obama campaign says it doesn't matter: Obama is not close to Ayers. McCain is focusing on Ayers "to cover up McCain's erratic response to the most urgent economic crisis facing our nation since the Great Depression," said Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt.

Source: Dan Morain, Times staff writer