Remember ten days ago or so when Palin mocked Biden's age? This of course made us wonder how much she respected her party's nominee for president. This weekend Palin accused Obama of associating with terrorists, which I hope is such a shockingly untrue accusation that there will be serious blowback. Palin's weekend attack on Obama has two very strong negatives: It makes her ticket look cheap and spiteful; and it again opens the door to unflattering comparisons with McCain.

Palin's use of the media while complaining about it may have contributed to a growing impatience with her inability to address subjects substantively. Given the many questions about her, the recent attack strategy has Republicans wondering about the campaign's direction. Interestingly we rarely hear anything about integrity in this context. The discussion seems to be entirely focused on efficacy of what were once thought unworthy methods. Thankfully some media feel it is incumbent on them to at least check the truth of scurrilous accusations.

McCain has a long and somewhat convoluted history in the Senate. He is much more ripe for the guilt by association attack than Obama.

Look at this discussion of one of McCain's associations:

In opening the door of past associations she has exposed an area of extreme vulnerability to McCain. McCain actually was one of the Keating Five at the heart of the financial crisis of the 1980's and early 1990's.

Palin is accusing Obama of association with a terrorist by his being on the board of directors of a nonprofit, public service corporation when also sitting on the board was a university professor who had helped found the Weathermen in the 1960's. That's it. There was no further association. It's actually rather high praise for an individual if that is the closest association the person has ever had with a person who had a questionable background. Would you do better?

In contrast to Obama, McCain was in the middle of our last financial crisis, from 1988 to 1991. He was one of the Keating Five who caused havoc with the economy and McCain was never exonerated from the charges, but never criminally charged either. His role was investigated by the Senate and the F.B.I. which concluded that he had bad judgment but that there was not enough evidence of criminal activity on his part to sanction him.

This guilt by association accusation triggered a multimedia assault by the Obama campaign, featuring the video on this website. Politico has a review of the this counterattack.

As many others have pointed out Palin seems to find more to fear in Obama's sitting near this professor at the annual meeting than her husband's membership in an American government hating secessionist group.