WASHINGTON: Mudslinging - initiated over the weekend by Republican John McCain’s campaign - gathered intensity in the presidential race on Monday as Democrat Barack Obama resurrected his opponent’s links to a financial scandal that earned him a rebuke for poor judgment from Senate colleagues two decades ago.

Reacting to Republican allegations that he “palled around’’ with a 1960s radical, Obama fired back with a Web video about McCain’s role in the Keating Five savings and loan debacle early in the Arizona senator’s Senate career.

The Obama campaign was e-mailing a 13-minute Web “documentary’’ about McCain’s involvement with convicted thrift owner Charles Keating, calling the episode “a window into McCain’s economic past, present and future.’’

With a grave financial crisis dragging the 72-year-old Republican lower in the polls with just four weeks remaining until the Nov 4 presidential elections, the McCain campaign had telegraphed its intention to turn the screws on Obama and declared it wanted to turn the page on the economic turmoil.

The fierce skirmishing broke out after McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov Sarah Palin, claimed in three separate appearances Saturday that Obama sees America as so imperfect “that he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country.’’

The incendiary remarks referred to Obama’s association with 1960sradical Bill Ayers, a founder of the Weather Underground whose members were blamed for several bombings when Obama was a child. Obama has denounced Ayers’ radical views and activities, and there is no evidence they “pal around.’’ Palin, slipping into the traditional attack-dog role of vice presidential candidates with aplomb, defended her remarks on Sunday.

“The comments are about an association that has been known but hasn’t been talked about,’’ Palin said during a trip to California for a fundraiser. “I think it’s fair to talk about where Barack Obama kicked off his political career, in the guy’s living room.’’

Palin’s claim that Obama’s association with Ayers “hasn’t been talked about’’ is not true. Obama was questioned about Ayers during a prime-time Democratic debate against Sen Hillary Rodham Clinton before April’s Pennsylvania primary.

McCain also hit Obama on the Ayers issue during a television news interview that month. Obama’s association with Ayers was regularly brought up by commentators on some cable television news shows, by right-wing radio talk show hosts and on political Web sites.

Palin also criticized Obama’s ties to his incendiary former pastor. In an interview in The New York Times published on Monday, Palin spoke about Obama’s relationship with the Rev Jeremiah Wright, who made anti-American comments.