McCain steps up personal criticism of Obama

Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Thursday that questions about Democratic rival Barack Obama's association with a former war protester linked to Vietnam-era bombings are part of a broader issue of honesty.

In his strongest personal criticism since his faltering campaign began casting Obama as an unknown and unacceptable candidate, McCain told supporters in Waukesha, Wis., that Obama had not been truthful in describing his relationship with former radical William Ayers. McCain also said that Obama has "a clear radical, far-left pro-abortion record."

Loud cheers from 4,000 people gathered at a sports complex near Milwaukee greeted McCain's attacks over Ayers, who helped found the Weather Underground, a Vietnam protest group that bombed government buildings 40 years ago. Obama has pointed out that he was a child at the time and first met Ayers and his wife, ex-radical Bernadine Dohrn, a quarter-century later.

"We need to know the full extent of the relationship," McCain told the rally.

Later, McCain told ABC News: "It's a factor about Senator Obama's candor and truthfulness with the American people."

Obama, campaigning in Dayton, Ohio, said McCain's mortgage buyout plan would cost taxpayers billions of dollars and reward bad behavior by lenders.

Obama said McCain's plan would force the government to absorb the full cost of renegotiating mortgages to prevent borrowers from losing their homes. Lenders should share some of the costs, he said.

Obama took another jab at McCain, whose family owns several houses, when he renewed his call to change bankruptcy laws to help hard-pressed borrowers keep their homes.

"Right now, the law lets bankruptcy judges write down your mortgage if you own six or seven homes," he said, "but not if you have only one."

"That might help Sen. McCain sleep easier at night, but it won't do anything for folks like you," Obama told thousands at a baseball stadium.

President Bush signed an order creating a special council to govern the transition to a new administration in January. ... The National Rifle Association is endorsing McCain despite differences with him on gun-show rules and campaign finance restrictions. "He's cast more than 60 votes in the Senate in support of the Second Amendment," said NRA chief Wayne LaPierre