Obama Says McCain-Palin Proposals Are Like Putting "Lipstick on a Pig"
(LEBANON, Va.) Barack Obama used an analogy tonight as he explained why the McCain-Palin campaign doesn't represent change, setting off supporters of Sarah Palin, who suggested Obama was being sexist.
He started out with his standard stump: "John McCain says he's about change too and so I guess his whole angle is 'watch out George Bush - except for economic policy, health care policy, tax policy, education, policy, foreign policy and Karl Rove style politics – we're really gonna shake things up in Washington.' That's not change."
But then Obama interjected a little humor into his argument, "That's just calling something the same thing, something different. But you know you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig."
And as the crowd laughed, he 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."
Just moments after the comments, the Republicans held their first ever "Truth Squad" call to condemn the remarks.
Former Massachusetts Governor 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."
Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs responded, "Please. That's ridiculous."