The Lipstick On A Pig Debate

Pundits on both sides are going ballistic over Barack Obama's usage of a common metaphor for dressing up an old idea.

"Let's just list this for a second. John McCain says he's about change, too. Except -- 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. That's just calling some -- the same thing, something different. But you know, you can -- you know, you can put lipstick on a pig; it's still a pig."

McCain's people are screaming "sexism!" because Sarah Palin recent joked, "What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick." McCain himself previously used the expression to describe Hillary's policies. Still, when I first heard Obama say it, I did immediately flash to Palin's comment and think, "Uh oh." Below is the Obama's "lipstick" speech and McCain's immediate attack ad denouncing the comment as sexist.

I'm quite sure that Obama didn't mean to call Palin a pig, but I'm also quite sure regrets using the expression.

UPDATE: CBS News has forced John McCain's campaign to pull above-posted lipstick video from YouTube for illegally using the image of Katie Couric. Bam! The ad remains on McCain's site.