Sarah Palin visits the Bay Area

  By Tomas Roman

BURLINGAME, CA (KGO) -- A large crowd of supporters and protestors of Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin turned out on the Peninsula for the Republican vice presidential candidate's only Bay Area appearance.

Just before arriving at a Bay Area fundraiser, Palin defended her comments made on Saturday when she accused Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama of consorting with a terrorist.

"I think it's fair to talk about where Barack Obama kicked off his political career in this guy's living room. And he, of course, being associated with that group, a known domestic terrorist group," Palin said

Palin was referring to Obama's ties with Bill Ayers. Ayers was a founder of the Weather Underground, a radical group during the Vietnam War era. Obama was eight years old during that time. The senator and Ayers now live near each other in Chicago and both worked together at the same Chicago charity in the mid 1990s.

Sunday morning, Palin arrived for a fundraiser at the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame. The streets were lined with a few hundred equally divided and vocal Obama and McCain supporters. Obama supporters thought that Palin's attack Saturday was a sign of McCain's failing campaign.

"I think it's a desperation attack on Obama," said Kathy Lanahan, an Obama supporter.

"It's not an attack. It's an expression of 'we gotta know who we're supporting,'" said McCain supporter Leo Locayo who believes Palin was correct in her criticism of Obama's associations.

Sunday's event was attended by some 600 to 800 people. Locayo says this event will line the Republican coffers for the few weeks left of the race.

"I won't give you a figure, but it's in the millions and it's necessary to take the message to the people and that's what it's all about," said Locayo

Political science associate professor Melissa Michaelson says to be prepared. This kind of attack rhetoric will grow even hotter as we approach the election.

"This is all very predictable. It's the right time in the campaign to go on the attack," said Michaelson.

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