McCain: Ayers will come up in debate

John McCain said Tuesday that Barack Obama is “probably ensured” that his association with 1960s radical William Ayers will come up in Wednesday’s debate.

“I was astonished to hear him say that he was surprised that I didn’t have the guts” to bring up Ayers, McCain said on KMOX, a St. Louis radio station.


“I think he is probably ensured that it will come up this time.”

McCain was responding to Obama’s charge last week that the Arizona senator was willing to make attacks on the campaign trail that he would not say in person.

“I am surprised that, you know, we've been seeing some pretty over-the-top attacks coming out of the McCain campaign over the last several days, that he wasn't willing to say it to my face,” Obama said. “But I guess we've got one last debate. So presumably, if he ends up feeling that he needs to, he will raise it during the debate.”

Obama has also accused McCain of trying to score “cheap political points” by bringing up Ayers.

Despite challenging Obama on the association, McCain insisted that he does not care about the “old washed-up terrorist” but said that the Illinois Democrat is not “being truthful” about the relationship.