10 September 2008

Republicans worked the refs with outrage and cries of sexism over an analogy Barak Obama used to describe the way in which the McCain campaign is essentially stealing his "change" message.

Obama said of the McCain campaign's attempt at political cross-dressing today, "You know, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig". The crowd, filled with men and women, rose to their feet and applauded.  To that, Republicans accused Obama of calling Palin a pig in lipstick.

The problem?  McCain used the same expression to describe Hillary Clinton...or more accurately, he was describing her healthcare plan.

He also likened it to wrapping an old fish in new paper and expecting it not to stink. ABC News reports:

"You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called 'change,'" Obama continued, "it's still gonna stink after eight years. We’ve had enough of the same old thing! It’s time to bring about real change to Washington.  And that’s the choice you’ve got in this election."

Republicans accused Obama of specifically talking about Sarah Palin.  For the record, it is misleading to claim Obama called Palin a pig.

What's more, the McCain campaign may want to stay away from making such accusations in light of new information about McCain using the same expression to describe Hillary Clinton's healthcare plan late last year.

ABC News's Jake Tapper reports:

Last October, asked about Sen. Hillary Clinton's health care plan, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was blunt.

McCain said Clinton's proposal was “eerily” similar to the ill-fated plan she devised in 1993.

“I think they put some lipstick on a pig,” he said, “but it’s still a pig.”

A common expression, right?

McCain surely wasn't calling Clinton a pig.

Slate.com found video of McCain using the very same expression here: Apparently it's not common sense when the McCain campaign is trying its hardest to define Palin and distract the media, and thus the public, from some rather controversial parts of Palin's past.

Ironically, as ABC reports, Elizabeth Edwards (John Edwards's wife) used the exact same expression to describe McCain's healthcare plan as well. Was she being sexist towards men? Obviously not.

Some issues the McCain campaign may not want to discuss include Palin sitting in to listen to a highly inflammatory sermon at church from Jews for Jesus director David Brickner. Brickner described terrorist attacks against Israelis as God's "judgment" against them for not embracing Christianity.

Another story being covered online but not by broadcast media as of yet is whether or not Palin and her husband Todd were sympathetic to, or members of, the Alaskan Independence Party. It's true Palin addressed the party's convention as Governor sometime within the last 20 months.

Alaskan Independence Party founder Joe Vogler once said: "I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her damned institutions."

The party advocates the secession of Alaska from the federal government. How will they survive without federal monies? With the profits from their oil and other natural resources, according to their website.

A new and possibly devastating video surfaced of Alaskan Independence Party co-chair Dexter Clark confirming Palin as a member before she became mayor.

During Clark's speech, he also made what could turn out to be incendiary remarks about Palin masking her affiliation with the A.I.P as a Republican so she could rise to power, as some observers note.  On the video, Clark says such tactics are a way to "infiltrate" political parties in power and push the A.I.P's agenda.

VIDEO:
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Full Video here
(youtube)

A new political hot potato revolves around whether or not Palin and the McCain campaign are currently interfering with an ongoing investigation into whether Palin abused her power as Governor to try to get her ex-brother-in-law fired as a state Trooper.

Controversies -- and the list continues to grow -- could have the effect of taking the McCain campaign off message. Right now the distraction is working in the McCain campaign's favor.

History shows, however, death can also come by a thousand cuts; or in this case by a thousand mini-controversies.

While some are getting sidetracked with tempests in teapots, others remain vigilant to keep the focus on growing concerns over Palin's political record and affiliations.

Source Material:
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctpolitics/2008/09/jews_for_jesus.html
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5702697&page=1