Most of the McCain surrogates I've seen have studiously avoided mentioning him in the list of Obama's associates. Sarah Palin has been the only one I've heard go there.

Thompson on Fox: "This has to do with his tolerance level for radicals," he said, mentioning Ayers and the Rev. Wright as his unsavory associates.

Unfortunately, I think the McCain camp's chance to make these arguments against Obama was tonight, and they needed to come from John McCain's own mouth. They lose their gravitas when they come only from surrogates, and the candidate himself is so obviously unwilling to make them.