This did not happen in 1969, when the candidate in question was 8.
This did not happen in 1995, when the criminal in question was 25 years removed from their violent activity.
No, this happened in 2007 -- just last year -- when the candidate in question was 71, and the felon in question had just been convicted of obstructing justice in a case involving ongoing national security issues.
Scooter Libby was convicted of obstructing justice in an investigation revealing that Libby and others had leaked the identity of an undercover national security officer.
Former President George H.W. Bush once denounced people who engaged in such conduct as "the most insidious of traitors."
Yet, in June 2007, John McCain said this about convicted felon Libby:
I happen to be one who admires Scooter Libby.
This is the man who wants us to be outraged about Bill Ayers?
Bill Ayers' conduct put lives at risk in 1969, and Barack Obama has condemned it as "reprehensible."
Scooter Libby's conduct put lives at risk in 2003, and John McCain said in 2007 he "admires" Libby.
Not only is McCain's embrace of the Ayers issue a transparently desperate attempt to distract attention from the economic crisis, it's enormously dangerous for McCain.
The national security issue of our day is weapons of mass destruction getting in the hands of terrorists.
Bill Ayers has nothing to do with that issue.
Scooter Libby has everything to do with that issue.
And John McCain publicly embraced Scooter Libby just last year.