Republican vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin has attacked Democrat rival Barack Obama for "palling around with terrorists." The claim from the Alaskan Governor referred to the Illinois senator's connections to William Ayers, a former Sixties radical and now professor at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Republican vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin has attacked Democrat rival Barack Obama for "palling around with terrorists."

The claim from the Alaskan Governor referred to the Illinois senator's connections to William Ayers, a former Sixties radical and now professor at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Ayers, 63, was a co-founder of the Weather Underground terrorist group, which claimed responsibility for several bombings in the US during the Vietnam War.

Addressing a fundraiser in Colorado on Saturday, Governor Palin said of Senator Obama: "This is not a man who sees America as you see America, and as I see America. Our opponent, though, 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.

"Americans need to know this. ... I think, OK we gotta get the word out. This is in fairness to the electorate we gotta start telling people what the other side represents."

The self-described "pitbull with lipstick" made the comments in light of a newspaper investigation into Senator Obama's links to Mr Ayers.

The 44-year-old Governor's remarks drew on a front-page story in the New York Times the same day detailing the two men's relationship, including the time they served together on a charity board a number of years ago.

The Democrat senator, 47, and the ex-radical, who both live in Chicago's Hyde Park district, sat on the board of the Woods Fund, a charity aimed at bolstering groups that support the poor.

Senator Obama departed the board in December 2002.

Ayers hosted a political gathering for Obama at his home when the one-term senator first ran for political office in the 1990s.

However, he has already distanced himself from Ayers, describing his past behaviour as "detestable".

The New York Times concluded the two men had not been "close".

A Democrat spokesman characterised the charge as a sign the McCain campaign was more concerned with personal attacks than talking policy.

Hari Sevugan said: "What's clear is that John McCain and Sarah Palin would rather spend their time tearing down Barack Obama than laying out a plan to build up our economy."

Palin's remarks recall a previous attempt to question the Democratic presidential candidate's character by citing his association with a controversial figure.

Earlier this year, videos surfaced showing Chicago Reverend Jeremiah Wright denouncing the United States in his sermons. He described the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks as: "America's chickens are coming home to roost."

Rev Wright was Senator Obama's pastor and conservative commentators demanded Obama disown the minister.

Obama called Rev Wright's outbursts "divisive and destructive."