"I see matters of judgment and truthfulness and ambition," John McCain's running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, said during a rally in Clinton County. She criticized Obama's association with 1960s radical and "unrepentant domestic terrorist" William Ayers.

A shout of "terrorist" and "liar" could be heard from the energetic crowd estimated at 10,500 inside the Roberts Center. The crowd also chanted "Nobama" and "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah" at times.

"I'm sure that some will say, 'Gee, they're gettin' kind of negative,' " Palin said during a 30-minute speech. "No, it's not negativity, it's truthfulness. And American voters deserve to know."

Palin, the Alaska governor, has leveled similar criticism at campaign stops in other states. But it was her first solo rally in Ohio, and neither she nor McCain addressed the subject Wednesday at an event near Cleveland.

With Obama rising in the polls as the economy continues to sink, McCain has increasingly sought to raise doubts about the Illinois senator and issued his strongest personal criticism to date yesterday during a campaign stop in Wisconsin.

McCain told supporters that Obama had not been truthful in describing his relationship with Ayers, who helped found the Weather Underground, a Vietnam protest group that bombed government buildings 40 years ago.

Obama has noted that he was a child at the time and first met Ayers and his wife, ex-radical Bernadine Dohrn, a quarter-century later.

"Look, we don't care about an old, washed-up terrorist and his wife," McCain said. "We need to know the full extent of the relationship." Later, McCain told ABC News: "It's a factor about Sen. Obama's candor and truthfulness with the American people."

The Associated Press and other news organizations have reported that Obama and Ayers, now a college professor who lives in Obama's Chicago neighborhood, are not close but worked together on two nonprofit organizations from the mid-1990s to 2002. In addition, Ayers hosted a small meet-the-candidate event for Obama in 1995 as he first ran for the state Senate.

Responding to McCain's criticism, Obama campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor said: "It's now clear that John McCain would rather launch angry, personal attacks than talk about the economy or defend his risky bailout scheme that hands over billions in taxpayer dollars to the same irresponsible Wall Street banks and lenders that got us into this mess, a scheme that guarantees taxpayers will lose money."

Palin arrived in Wilmington like a rock star, with her motor coach driving inside the Roberts Center as smoke billowed and Eye of the Tiger from Rocky III blared over the loudspeakers.

The crowed erupted as Palin emerged on stage with daughters Willow and Piper and infant son Trig.

Speaking in a region facing the loss of 8,000 DHL-related jobs on a day when the Dow Jones industrial average reached its lowest level in five years, Palin acknowledged the bad economy and pledged to help.

"We cannot promise that every job will stay in the community. I won't promise you that; John McCain won't promise you that," Palin said. "But we do promise that we will do everything within our power to help you, and in a McCain-Palin administration, southwestern Ohio, you gotta know, you will have a friend in the White House."

Palin also told the crowd that despite Obama's insistence that anyone making less than $250,000 a year would not see higher taxes under his economic plan, Obama would raise taxes.

But Palin saved her harshest criticism for Obama's "troubling" association with Ayers.

Dave Bumiller, 48, of Kettering, a technician at a water-treatment plant who attended the rally, said he finds Palin "refreshing" but doesn't think Obama's connection with Ayers is a major issue.

"It's past history," he said.

But Kari Glemaker of Mason, who brought her 16-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter to see "history," said the Ayers issue matters to her.

"People have to be mindful of who they associate with," she said. "It's not do or die, but it adds to the questions about Obama."

Palin is expected to spend time today in Ohio, attending fundraisers at the home of John Barrett in suburban Cincinnati and at the Ritz Carlton in Cleveland.

The Alaska governor also plans a rally Sunday evening in St. Clairsville in eastern Ohio.

Information from the Associated Press was included in this story.

mniquette@dispatch.com