John McCain is Outraged!
So now John McCain is full of righteous outrage over what he has announced were "offensive and disgraceful" remarks about Sarah "Pitbull" Palin by Barack Obama.
The disgraceful quote?
Said Obama, on McCain and Bush's policies: "You can put lipstick on a pig. It’s still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It’s still going to stink after eight years."
Oh puh-leeze.
The "lipstick on a pig" quip has been used by Republicans, including John McCain, referring to Hillary Clinton's health care proposals (see clip below). I don't seem to recall a great eruption of rage over perceived sexism then. In fact, Hillary was regularly excoriated by the GOP. Calling her a pig would have seemed mild.
And so the Republicans and their designated slimemeisters carry on that twin tradition of the Big Lie and the Dirty Trick,
The Big Lie: say something so brazenly untrue that people assume no one could make up something that unbelievable. It was Joseph Goebbel's favorite tactic.
It seems to be the GOP's favorite tactic. Richard Nixon, John Ehrlichman, Donald Segretti, H.R. Haldeman and other miscellaneous convicted felons were big fans. These days substitute George W. Bush, the Swift Boaters, Karl Rove, and almost the entire Fox News Network. There isn't anything they wouldn't shamelessly lie about if it served their Machiavellian purposes.
The Big Lie: Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction. Mission Accomplished. John Kerry's war record. Politics didn't enter into considerations over Justice Department firings.
And now: Obama has outrageously insulted Sarah Palin!
McCain and his operatives howl with indignation. What utter bullshit.
The disgraceful quote?
Said Obama, on McCain and Bush's policies: "You can put lipstick on a pig. It’s still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It’s still going to stink after eight years."
Oh puh-leeze.
The "lipstick on a pig" quip has been used by Republicans, including John McCain, referring to Hillary Clinton's health care proposals (see clip below). I don't seem to recall a great eruption of rage over perceived sexism then. In fact, Hillary was regularly excoriated by the GOP. Calling her a pig would have seemed mild.
And so the Republicans and their designated slimemeisters carry on that twin tradition of the Big Lie and the Dirty Trick,
The Big Lie: say something so brazenly untrue that people assume no one could make up something that unbelievable. It was Joseph Goebbel's favorite tactic.
It seems to be the GOP's favorite tactic. Richard Nixon, John Ehrlichman, Donald Segretti, H.R. Haldeman and other miscellaneous convicted felons were big fans. These days substitute George W. Bush, the Swift Boaters, Karl Rove, and almost the entire Fox News Network. There isn't anything they wouldn't shamelessly lie about if it served their Machiavellian purposes.
The Big Lie: Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction. Mission Accomplished. John Kerry's war record. Politics didn't enter into considerations over Justice Department firings.
And now: Obama has outrageously insulted Sarah Palin!
McCain and his operatives howl with indignation. What utter bullshit.
Comments
Remember my post about the guy who was trying to kayak to the North Pole?
In a way, this is similar.
There will be a significant # of people who will never learn that there's plenty of ice at the North Pole. The fact that he didn't make it is irrelevant. He said there's not enough ice to block my way.
McCain and Company have emitted some fake outrage over the lipstick on a pig statement. Very few will remember McCain making similar statements, and very few will stop to do the Bad Policy = Pig, Lipstick = Palin equation.
The misinterpretation is what they wanted to get out there.
Not only does it do the job outlined above, but it makes Obama's team nervous and tentative before being colorful or memorable in the future.
Mission accomplished.
We're 9.6 trillion in debt, and The Bipartisans are filling news cycles with Pig Lipstick.