Barack Obama on the Sarah Palin 'lipstick' brouhaha: 'phony outrage'

Barack Obama today forcefully scoffed at the bid by the John McCain camp to make political hay out of his now-notorious "lipstick on a pig" comment, dismissing as "phony outrage" the flap over what he called an "innocent remark."

He also called it "the latest made-up controversy" and "catnip for the news media" that serves to distract attention from the serious issues of the day (he gets credit for not referring to the dust-up as, dare we say it, a pig in a poke).

Appearing in Norfolk, Va., Obama prefaced a speech on education policy to confront the umbrage taken by the McCain forces over the crack he made Tuesday in another part of Virginia (he also noted that the Republicans had been quick to produce what he termed an "outrageous" Web ad that calls him to task on the matter).

[UDDATE: The ad, while still available on the McCain web site, has vanished from YouTube, due to a copyright claim. See below for more detail.]

Given the proximity of Obama's "lipstick" imagery to Sarah Palin -- in her speech that swept the GOP off its feet last week, referring to herself as a pit bull with lipstick -- McCain aides and other Republicans were quick to trash him for what one called a "schoolyard insult."

They also, of course, demanded an apology. But Obama, not surprisingly, would have none of that. This is how he explained what he said: "I’m talking about John McCain’s economic policies. I say this is more of the same. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. And suddenly they say, 'Oh, you must be talking about the governor of Alaska.'"

Not so, he said. Indeed, he called the insistence that he was none-too-charitably referring to Palin part of the "lies and phony outrage and 'Swift boat' politics" that mark Republican campaign tactics.

Coincidentally, Palin and McCain headlined a rally in northern Virginia just minutes after the Obama appearance in the southern part of the state. Palin, in introducing McCain, made no reference to the lipstick cause celebre.

We doubt, however, that this will be the end of it.

-- Don Frederick

[UPDATE: The ad, after juxtaposing Palin's pit bull/lipstick joke with Obama's lipstick/pig comment, flashed to CBS anchorwoman Katie Couric decrying sexism -- a snippet from a high-profile commentary she delivered months ago about media coverage of Hillary Clinton! Without making that clear, that ad's narrator says of Obama: "Ready To Lead? No. Ready To Smear? Yes." YouTube yanked the spot because CBS claimed a copyright violation. The McCain folks, The Times' Maeve Reston reports, dispute that, arguing the Couric clip is not covered by a copyright protection. 

Comments

[tom]

of course if i was mccain i would not want to talk about the issues and the last 8 years of the republican administration..mccain has nothing new to offer..still even using the same karl rove politics

[Bob Elliott]

Why doesn't Obama explain why he and Joe Biden voted "for" the Bridge to Nowhere" instead of sending that money to the Katrina victums when they were asked to do so? Just because Palin was for it until she became Govenor, then she voted against it, kinda shows who the "real change" candidate is, is. Threw that 'is, is' comment in there to get Bill's attention.

[becky]

Obama should never be trusted. point blank. Nothing more to it. he has no class and no honor for this country. His only goal is to be the first African American president in our country. If you are going to claim to bring change to this country, then state your claim. quit wasting time smearing Palin, McCain, and their families. It makes you sounds like trash, look like trash, and people will begin to view you simply as trash. You are a disgrace to the white house.

[Luke Gilmore]

Please tell me why the news media is even taking this bait thrown out by the Karl Rove inspired Rethuglicans?

We have 150,000 loyal American troops on multiple tours in the most dangerous country in the world, with no end in sight. We have a mortgage meltdown going on. We have the highest unemployment rate in 30 years, we have no healthcare for 49,000,000 Americans- and this whocalled who, what ,stuff is making the headlines?

McCain/Palin have no solutions on the important issues so their campaign resorts to this nonsense to distract us.

Not this time

[21stCwoman]

I think Obama was throwing a compliment – pigs are much nicer creatures than pitbulls. As for all these riduculous sexist charges, get a life and a thicker skin! If we women in the private sector whined like this our businesses would come to a crashing halt.

[Weary]

This is such b.s. The comment wasn't directed at Palin. McCain used the very same expression less than a year ago in one of his campaign speeches. Come on. Don't fall for this crap.

[Rodney Lamprey]

Why is McCain hiding his pig from interviews with the media? Doesn't McCain want the public to see his true pig? Palin is the Queen of Alaska Pork, but no one is calling her a pig. It is sad to see McCain's campaign so completely taken over by the Bush team that it has become a campaign of slime. There is no straight talk now, if there ever was.

[P.Peterson]

Senator McCain - Please stop the nasty comments and talk about the problems we have to fix. Let Sarah go off on her own and remember to run for office you have to be able to take the flack and not be so indignent about every little comment. Regards . a polite Independent voter.

[Willard]

As a female, I have used that old saying, in relating to a particular situation, at least 100 times. Barak Obama meant no malice against Palin. If Republicans think otherwise they're dumber than a mud fence.

[thebob.bob]

Obama says it best:

I love this country too much to let them take over another election with lies and phony outrage and Swift Boat politics. Enough is enough."

"We've got an energy crisis," .... "We have an education system that is not working for too many of our children and making us less competitive. We have an economy that is creating hardship for families all across America. We've got two wars going on, veterans coming home not being cared for -- and this is what they want to talk about.

"You know who ends up losing at the end of the day? It's not the Democratic candidate. It's not the Republican candidate. It's you, the American people. Because then we go another year, or another four years or another eight years without addressing the issues that matter to you."

A coherent, logical statement by a politician! Now that's a change!

[jeanne spivey]

I think Obama is being disingenuous when he describes the public reaction to his foolish "pig-in-lipstick" statement as "phony outrage." With Palin's self-referential and much-talked about "pit bull in lipstick" just days old, there's no way that Obama wasn't talking about her when he made that ill-considered remark. And his attempt to cover his tracks, makes him look childish. It's going to lose him quite a few votes.

[Cecil Manning]

So "sweetie" Hussein Obama is comparing Palin to a pig. Well, Obama is a plain dumb jackass. He's not only arrogant, egotistical, self servicing liar, but he does not like whites or women. We'll never know Obama; he and others have hidden himself so well and there has to be reasons for that.

[Brenda]

I agree phoney outrage. McCain has no agenda. All this talk about lipstick is a joke. McCain camp should be ashamed. No agenda, so they make up lies to fuel the uneducated public and media. People WAKE UP...

[Larry E Garrett]

Sdomeone told me that Governor Patterson said, "Although I am Blind, I can see the difference between a pig and a pit bull!

[Gideon]

The difference between McCain, Bush and Palin? Lipstick.

Obama '08

[Joseph]

Bah humbug! The election is between McCaine and Obama, not some lipstick mama and Obama.

[Jennifer]

Phony indeed. Was the McCain campaign outraged when John McCain used the very same phrase to talk about Hillary Clinton's healthcare plan last Fall?

http;//youtube.com/watch/v=BR8lhMMhr8W

Gotcha lyin' again, McCain campaign.

Obama lowers taxes for 95% of working families- everyone making less than $250,000 per year. McCain lowers taxes on those making more than 2.6 Million per year. Obama eliminates- that means NO TAX, period- for seniors making less than $50,000 per year. Under Obama, tax rates will be similar to those Reagan instituted during his administration. Apparently McCain camp lies about taxes, too.

Obama said no to lobbyists, McCain has a whole bunch- including those lobbying for Exon and the Republic of Georgia- actually sitting on his campaign bus! McCain camp cannot tell the truth about this either.

If they're willing to lie about things like this to get elected,what else will they be willing to lie about?

I thought McCain would be a better man than this.

[Richard P. McDonough]

More nonsense from the party of Rove, hatred, and incompetence.
The democrats just need to run on the are you better of now than you were eight years ago question. It is clear we are ot.
We are at our highest unemployment figure in years, we are expending billions on a senseless war, we have lost thousands of American lives, we are 35th in the world in health care, down the ladder in education, our institutions and our bridges are crumbling, ordinary workers are losing jobs and incomes while executive salaries are obscenely large, and this has all happened on the republic Bush-Cheney-McCain watch.
This should not be a contest, for goodness sake. It should be a foregone conclusion that the scoundrels will be swept out.
Instead we have the press treating McCain-Palin as if they were an intelligent and rational force. Shameful.

[joan ca]

That picture of palin that resembles Rosie the riviteer, sure looks like an Italian salute to me. Perhaps she is saying something to all of America?

[Ted]

Obama is a hypocrite...he talks about the pig etc. with lipstick and it doesn't change, that it's still a pig...his reference was directed straight at Sarah Palin...no if ands or buts...then he tries to run it out by saying the Republicans are making a big issue out of nothing...he's the problem by stating his personal attacks on Sahara then trying to spin them...

[scootmandubious]

The GOP tactics and hypocrisy remain disgusting and unacceptable. And they keep parading lies.

I have a fully sourced piece on the lies about the Bridge to Nowhere, which Palin keeps repeating. Maybe they think if you repeat it enough it will become true.

Maybe Dems need to say, if you call it a lie enough, America might wake up.

My fully referenced piece on the lies about the Bridge to Nowhere is at:
http://scootmandubious.blogspot.com/2008/09/debunking-lies-of-mccain-palin-bridge.html

As far as GOP hypocrisy, John Stewart hit it out of the park. If you missed his video from the other night it is here:
http://scootmandubious.blogspot.com/2008/09/republican-hypocrisy-john-stewarts-home.html

[helmut j napieracz]

what is the matter with mccain,didn't he use the exact same quote about hillarys health plan.if all they can do is come up with karl rove politics then they won't get my vote.oh yes how many missions did you fly in your bomber over north viet nam?what position were you in at your grad. class at annapolis? i bet it wasn't #1,or mabey it was second from last.the only maverick i ever heard of was tom cruise in top gun,and he flew a F14 which was an interceptor.lets realy check your military record.i commend you on your service in the military,but don't get carried away with the BS

[Maggie Knowles]

Don Frederick and Andrew Malcom - are you guys going to provide any analysis on candidates and the issues?

It would be helpful to the American people if you could report on a problem we have in this country with all elections.

LOBBYISTS.

There's a team of lobbyists between me and my representatives, at the national, state, regional, county, and city levels.

How about a blog post about that and what the candidates views are regarding this very important issue?

[Johnette Taylor]

I am a yellow dog democrat, 69 yr. old white female from Arkansas. It scares me to death to imagine that Ms. Palin is one melanoma away from becoming our president.She is the very one that brought up the "lipstick" controversy. Hooray for Obama for going after it.The GOP is so mean spirited under the guidance of Karl Rove. We know now that is why he left the White House so he could be their attack dog. It's going to backfire on them tho. We all know what happened in 2000 with Florida and Jeb Bush as Governor. Thanks.

[Tracy]

The Republicans are full of lies and deceit...as the days progress on I become more outrage by the McCain/Palin team. Here's one you will not make a fool of....