"And the notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8 years old, somehow reflects on me and my values doesn't make much sense."

At Bill Ayers home in 1995, Illinois State Sen. Alice Palmer, who planned to run for Congress, introduced Obama to some of her long-time supporters as her chosen successor. According to the New York Times story, it was one of several neighborhood events held that year on Obama's behalf, and it was not the first. Obama campaign officials also note the event at Ayers' home was not a fundraiser. And they claim that Obama did not know Ayers' history with the Weather Underground at that time. They did not say when Obama found that out.

Shouldn't such an educated man, a lawyer, have known about Ayers and the Weather Underground and avoided contact?