Obama Accuses McCain Of "Phony Outrage"

Democrat Says It Is A "Made-Up Controversy" After McCain Camp Lashes Out Over Comment About "Lipstick On A Pig"

(CBS/ AP)  Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Wednesday accused Republican John McCain's campaign of using "lies and phony outrage and Swift-boat politics" in claiming he used a sexist comment against vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Calling it "the latest made-up controversy by the John McCain campaign," Obama responded to the Republicans' charge that he was referring to Palin when he used the phrase "lipstick on a pig" at a campaign stop Tuesday.

"I don't care what they say about me. But 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," he said.

Obama's reference was to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, an outside group that in 2004 made unsubstantiated allegations about Democratic nominee John Kerry's decorated military record in Vietnam.

On Tuesday, Obama criticized McCain's economic policies as similar to those of President Bush, saying: "You can put lipstick on a pig ... it's still a pig."

CBS News reporter Maria Gavrilovic reports that as the crowd laughed, Obama added: "You can you can, wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change, it’s still going to stink after 8 years. We’ve had enough of the same old thing."

The McCain campaign contended that the comments were directed at Palin, the GOP's first woman on a presidential ticket. In her acceptance speech last week, she had referred to herself in a joke about lipstick being the only difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull.

Accusing Obama of "smearing" Palin in "offensive and disgraceful" comments, the McCain campaign demanded an apology - though McCain himself used the folksy metaphor a few times last year, including once to describe Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's health care plan.

(Check out this post in our Horserace blog to see examples of McCain and other Republicans using the phrase.)

Just moments after the comments, the Republicans held their first ever "Truth Squad" call to condemn the remarks, reports Gavrilovic. Former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift interpreted Obama's remarks to mean that he called Palin a "pig" and McCain an "old fish."

When pressed on why she assumed that Obama was comparing Palin to a pig, Swift referred to Palin's "pit bull in lipstick" joke at the convention. She added, "as far as I know she is the only candidate that wears lipstick" and this "seems like a very gendered remark." (Read more from Gavrilovic.)

The McCain campaign on Wednesday issued an Internet ad that said Obama was talking about Palin and said of Obama: "Ready to lead? No. Ready to smear? Yes."

Obama began a discussion of education at a Norfolk high school on Wednesday by assailing McCain's campaign.

"What their campaign has done this morning is the same game that has made people sick and tired of politics in this country. They seize on an innocent remark, try to take it out of context, throw up an outrageous ad because they know that it's catnip for the news media," Obama said.

Obama's campaign has accused the GOP camp of engaging in a "pathetic attempt to play the gender card." In an e-mail to reporters Wednesday, the campaign noted two other instances of McCain using the phrase "lipstick on a pig" and its use by other Republicans such as House Minority Leader John Boehner and Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl.

"This is just the kind of discussion that the Obama campaign does not want to be caught up in right now, whether it’s a manufactured controversy or not" said CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs. "Every day in which the contest appears to be one between Obama and Sarah Palin is a good day for John McCain."

[existinguser]

Holly hsit, if she becomes President we are all doomed! She is clueless%u2026 Maybe she should go back to Alaska and raise her kids, and leave this game of high stakes chess to adults. And, perhaps, if she comes back in four years (after she%u2019s learned the basics) I would consider voting for her. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z75QSExE0jU

[kopana]

I just hope there is a little blue bird left to sing...as there will be no polar bears from Palin''s actions:

Palin: Sued the Bush Administration''s Department of Interior for listing the Polar Bear as endangered wnats to drill in the North Slope where the polar bear habitat is.

Go Obama!!!! Our only hope for a future

[heartwords]

I saw a little blue bird sitting in a great oak tree singing a song of freedom. Then came a hunter with his sling shot loaded and ready to fire.

Will he choose to take the life of this sweet bird. Or let the bird live to continue singing the song of freedom.

FREEDOM.. UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL.. NATIONS ARE WATCHING!!!

CHOOSE WISELY..

WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, THAT THEY ARE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR WITH CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS, THAT AMONG THESE ARE LIFE, LIBERY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS...

Sarah are you & Senator McCain really going to shake up Washington??

Will you do something about the due nothing Washington crowd??

Will you clean up the messes and stand for what is right??

If you really can... WE THE PEOPLE of this Great Country will STAND with you.

We''''''''re ready for a real CHANGE.

Are you & Senator McCain ready to make the changes???

SARAH.. be our voice.. be strong & courageous.

[olydem58]

Blame stop you making your family look stupid. Oh yea your a rasist simple as that. If you want to debate facts lets go but you are afraid of the facts

[olydem58]

Bottom of his class = McCain Top of his class = Obama One more thing the only time McCain was a leader he blew it so what makes anyone think he can be president he will blow that too and not like the GOP did with the oils lobbies not because he does not want to because at his age he can''t

[olydem58]

Facts facts facts GOP don''t like them at all they just get in the way. It would be nice if we debated them. The people deserve it or are you going to cheat again. America is in trouble we are heading to a civil war a real one that we can not come back from. GOP you are to blame the poor the beaten down will not take it any more

[esskill]

Unreleased Pics of Senator John Macain Being Released as a POW from the Swedish television (http://www.svt.se/svt/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=22584&a=1243689&lid=puff_1243756&lpos=lasmer)

Taken by a swedish journalist

Best regards

Esskil Andersson

[esskill]

Unreleased Pics of Senator John Macain Being Released as a POW from the Swedish television (http://www.svt.se/svt/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=22584&a=1243689&lid=puff_1243756&lpos=lasmer)

Taken by a swedish journalist

Best regards

Esskil Andersson

[frootloophhh]

As a Vietnam Era Vet, who served on the USS Shangri-la, I''m sick of McCain-s bogus POW over inflated Hero rep.
#1: All POWs are heroes...not just McCain.
#2: While as a POW, McCain broke Articles 3 & 5 of the Military Code of Justice.

He allowed himself to be given favorable treatment...many times. (Art.3)
He made propaganda vid''s for the NVC (Art. 5)

BTW: He admit to this in his book, But you don''t see him acknowledging it now.....on the campaign trail.

Now don''t get me wrong. As a POW, like all the POWs he went threw some hell. He is a hero.

And I certainly don''t hold any ill will for busting Art. 3 & 5. Many POWs did. If imprisoned, I would have busted the MCC.

But, sticks in my throat is his pompous, arrogant, deceiving way he has milked this POW status for 4 decades.

[dds08]

Sarah Palin is not running for president of the hockey team booster club or the PTA %u2013 she is on a national ticket as a candidate for Vice President of the United States. Her qualification as a hockey mom will be meaningless in the face of a world crisis. Lies %u2013 not half truths or some other euphuism %u2013 about her record and accomplishments further diminish our nation%u2019s credibility at home and abroad. Her obvious lack of education, exposure and experience will provide no expertise, advice or counsel to a President. We really don%u2019t know Sarah Palin and by keeping all of us at bay with fictitious homespun stories about her prowess as a seller on EBay and feigned righteous indignation on just about everything else, does not address her positions or knowledge of the profound issues that face this country. Please do not allow the republicans to obstruct necessary critical examination of the candidates of both parties by focusing on minutia and ignore the significant issues that face us as a nation. Governance is VERY serious business and we should treat it as such. Let us all be less concerned about a pig in lipstick and very, very wary of buying a pig in a poke.