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The Note: Amid Silliness, Races Take a Pause

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September 11, 2008 8:24 AM

ABC News' Rick Klein reports in Thursday's Note: Cue the serial condemnations: It’s unfair, dirty, nasty, despicable politics. We all hate it, and it has no place in a presidential campaign.

It also just might work.

Team McCain is in over-the-top outrage mode -- shocked, offended, and aghast at the sexism, ageism, fill-in-the-blank-ism being directed at John McCain and Sarah Palin, real and (more than slightly) imagined.

Good luck keeping track of all the indignities (and the McCain campaign would prefer that you didn’t try to keep score).

“Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign launched a broadside against Sen. Barack Obama yesterday, accusing him of a sexist smear, comparing his campaign to a pack of wolves on the prowl against the GOP vice presidential pick, charging that the Democratic nominee favored sex education for kindergarteners, and resurrecting the comments of the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.,” Jonathan Weisman and Peter Slevin write in The Washington Post.

McCain seems content to have the race focus on personality and process -- not, heaven forbid, actual real issues. “Another day. Another roll in the mud,” writes the New York Daily News’ Michael Saul.

Read the rest of The Note -- and get all the latest on the 2008 election, Congress, the White House and the wide world of politics every day -- from Rick Klein by bookmarking this link.

By making discredited and untrue claims about Obama -- and pretending that outrageous, offensive things are being widely circulated about Palin by the Obama campaign -- Team McCain is pushing the limits of its claim to an open, honest, positive campaign.

“I just can't wait for the moment when John McCain -- contrite and suddenly honorable again in victory or defeat -- talks about how things got a little out of control in the passion of the moment,” Time’s Joe Klein writes. “Talk about putting lipstick on a pig.”

“Tactically, it is clear, and it has been frequently noted, that McCain learned well the lessons from his last run in 2000,” ABC’s Andy Fies writes. “McCain may want to keep Bush at a distance ... but not his tactics.” 

“McCain's campaign called Obama's ‘disturbing,’ ‘desperate,’ ‘offensive,’ and ‘disgraceful.’ Obama's campaign fired back with ‘pathetic,' ‘perverse,’ ‘dishonorable,’ and ‘shameful,’” The Boston Globe’s Scott Helman reports. “Though McCain has more often been the aggressor, the back-and-forth -- to borrow a recent McCain campaign description of Obama running mate Joe Biden -- has reached ‘a new low.’”

Continue reading today's Note by clicking HERE.

ABC News' Hope Ditto contributed to this report.

September 11, 2008 in Biden, Joe, Clinton, Bill, McCain, John, Obama, Barack, Palin, Sarah, Paul, Ron, Vote 2008: Democrats, Vote 2008: Republicans, Washington | Permalink | User Comments (32)

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Posted by: ZachJonesIsHome | Sep 11, 2008 8:29:44 AM

From:
Head of State
http://tinyurl.com/6qr95o

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Truth

Mark Halperin, on Anderson Cooper 360, September 9, from Talking Points Memo:

"AC: Mark, has there ever been a vice presidential candidate who has yet to talk to the press at this point in the race?

MH: No. And it's another thing I get that I'm embarrassed about our profession for. She should be held more accountable for that. The "bridge to nowhere" thing is outrageous. And if you press them on that, they falter because they know they can't defend what they're saying. They're saying it on the stump, as a core part of their message. It's in their advertising. I'm not saying the press should be out to get John McCain and Sarah Palin. But if a core part of their message is something that every journalist...journalism organization in the country has looked at and says it's demonstrably false, again, we're not doing our jobs if we just treat this as one of many things that's happening."

Cite:
Head of State
http://tinyurl.com/6qr95o

Posted by: Marie Stewart | Sep 11, 2008 8:37:41 AM

Yes, McCain is "pushing the limits" with those of us that vote the issues. While he is acting like a teenager in puberty, the rest of us are trying to pay bills, fill our cars up with gas, save for college, etc.

Posted by: Parker | Sep 11, 2008 8:44:26 AM

If the McCain campaign is so willing to exaggerate the most trivial comments of others, one wonders how McCain will exaggerate the 'evidence' of "weapons of mass destruction" to justify the invasion of another country.

John McCain has already shown a willingness to 'take Iran out', and distortion of the evidence is exactly how the invasion of Iraq was sold. John McCain was calling for the invasion of Iraq within days of the twin towers, and the evidence for the invasion was 'misleading', 'distorted', and outright lies.

Clearly from the willingness of McCain's campaign to distort issues, lie about the record, and mislead with their comments, McCain cannot be trusted on the situation with Iran.

Posted by: James | Sep 11, 2008 8:51:57 AM

Misleading attack ads Of McCain Campaign sinks into silliness.

Win or lose, John McCain's pride will tremble.

Posted by: Peace | Sep 11, 2008 8:55:37 AM

Weather or not the term "lipstick on a pig" is a common expression is certainly a sexist expression.

Far more sexist than saying someone's voting record on Iraq is a racist comment. Obama and the MSM had no problem stocking the fires of false racism accusations against the most successful Democratic president in living memory who has spent his entire adult life fighting racism.

Spare me the fake outrage Mr Obama.

Posted by: s.b. | Sep 11, 2008 8:55:58 AM

He will use every tactic he can ,he can not win this race so he will take the action off what we the people want to hear for from him it is the same ole crap that Bush has and Palin is more like Bush then he is .He can put lipstick on her butt for all I care What color does he want????????I want to know what he is doing to help the American people.

Posted by: indp voter | Sep 11, 2008 8:58:02 AM

and the man who brought us the last 8 years

is back ion Mccain's payroll.

remember the manipulation cover-ups and lies that faked us into all the tragic mistakes over the past 8 years...

well the architect has just been found receiving those moneys again.

2000 and 2004...

Karl Rove is trying to steal your nation again.

don't let them...

Posted by: dl | Sep 11, 2008 9:06:09 AM

no answers

no changes

just Karl Rove behind the scenes fooling all the stupid people again.

save our country...throw these slimey nation manipulating scum bags out.

Posted by: dl | Sep 11, 2008 9:07:37 AM

The Republican fascists have no plan (other than follow the same, tired road to nowhere of the last eight years) so they turn to histrionics and obfuscation! "WAHHH!! WAAHHHH!!! They're asking questions on real issues! They're picking on me!!" WAHHH! WAHHHH!"

Posted by: Victoria | Sep 11, 2008 9:08:19 AM

The "war on terror" is a fraud.

Expose the 9/11 Big Lie.

http://www.ae911truth.org/

Posted by: wtcbrother | Sep 11, 2008 9:09:10 AM

McCain would rather win an election than advocate for the American people.

Posted by: Parker | Sep 11, 2008 9:14:34 AM

Not a balanced article from Rick Klein:
Obama campaign are behind rediculous claims:
(First two point are enough for any gentlemen to bash Obama.Obama started it as before convention McCain Maintain his healthy environment):
1. "Ageism" - What will happen when something happen to McCain when Palin was selected
2. "Sexism"- Biden's Sarcastic remark to Palin's daugther, "Novelty", "Lipstick","Abortion" as a resume
3. "Religion"- "Jesus was a Community Organizer"- Palin compared her resume with Obama's. So, Obama compared his resume with Jesus.
4. "Beastism" - Often calling McCain a Pig

Posted by: Tim | Sep 11, 2008 9:19:27 AM

Posted by: Tim | Sep 11, 2008 9:19:27 AM
Not a balanced article from Rick Klein:
Obama campaign are behind rediculous claims:
==========================================

You cite the following as evidence that that Obama campaign is as guilty as McCain:

Alleged remarks about "McCain's old-age", alleged sexist remarks, Obama's allegedly comparing himself favorably to Jesus, Obama's allegedly calling McCain a pig (something you call "beastism").

1. The question of "what might happen if something happened to McCain (he is old, he has suffered from skin-cancer), is not a smear, it is a legitimate question.

2. I do not recall either Obama or Biden making any remarks AT ALL about Palin's daughter. Bloggers have done so, but Obama has expressly stated he thinks candidates' families are off limits.

Addressing Palin's or McCain's positions on matters of public policy like Roe v. Wade is legitimate - not sexism.

3. Religion. Obama has never compared himself favorably or otherwise to any religious figure, certainly NOT to Jesus. Others have, usually comedians or conservative commentators trying to make Obama look foolish.

4. Obama has NEVER called McCain or Palin a pig.

These are the facts. I don't suppose you'll HONOR them, but then what does the McCain/Palin known about honor.

Apparently nothing.

Posted by: Campaign to elect McCain/Palin '08 | Sep 11, 2008 9:46:51 AM

Ok, let's be civil and give Barack Hussein Obama the benefit of the doubt--that he really didn't mean the 'lipstick on a pig' comment was directed at Sarah Palin (don't believe it, but ok, let's go from there)

Do we REALLY want a president who makes such language gaffs representing us in the foreign arena? He made this huge blunder, which, despite whether or not he intended it, offended a great many people.

What will happen when he's talking with foreigners leaders, some of whom will need interpreters because language is an issue to begin with? Will he make such blunders and ruin relations with those folks? Harvard grad aside (you'd think Harvard would have taught him better), he just doesn't have the command of language necessary in this volatile world.

The 'lipstick on a pig' offended many unarmed, reasonable, Americans. What happens when he verbally messes up and offends armed known enemies of America?

Scary.

Posted by: Even giving Obama the benefit of the doubt | Sep 11, 2008 9:57:59 AM

Who's a Pig?

Brain Exercises to keep aging brains limber;-)

1.
"Spots" are to a "Leopard"

AS

"-----" are to a "Tiger".

Sen. McCain slaps the word "change" on a policy that has not "changed", but has remained exactly the same. This is like...
"putting lipstick on a pig: Its still a pig".

In this analogy.

1. The Pig is....

a. rolling in the mud
b. not "kosher"
c. the former Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska
d. a bird, a plane.....an animal that can fly!
e. McCain's old policies.

2. The lipstick is...

a. a pitbull
b. a hockey mom
c. the former Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska
e. bright red
f. the word "change"

Please choose the answer that best fits. You have until the second Tuesday in November.


Posted by: niccolo m@cchiavelli | Sep 11, 2008 10:01:48 AM

"Weather or not the term "lipstick on a pig" is a common expression is certainly a sexist expression."

Not really, no. The point of the expression is that you CAN'T change what a pig is by putting lipstick on it (i.e. there's more difference between pigs and women than just lipstick). By comparison, it would be sexist to say, just to pull an example out of the air, that you COULD turn a pitbull into a hockey mom by putting lipstick on it (there's no other differences between them).

That's not to say the expression can't be used in a sexist way at all. If someone says "I was going to get a new dress for my wife, but what's the point of putting lipstick on a pig? It's still a pig." that would be sexist. But applying the expression to John McCain calling his policies 'change'? Not sexist.

But if you ignore all that, and you really think it is sexist, why weren't you yelling when John McCain was using it?

Posted by: Aengil | Sep 11, 2008 10:11:18 AM

All the McCain supporters who continue to pretend that Obama truly meant to call Palin a pig, answer this then:

When McCain used the EXACT same phrase, "lipstick on a pig", on Hillary Clinton, was he also calling Hillary a pig?

You can't have it one way or another.
Even Meghan McCain says her father uses the expression, and the video evidence of McCain using "lipstick on a pig" on Hillary is on You tube.

Spare us the faux outrage. You're only pretending to be offended because Obama said it. Here's a news flash: MCCAIN SAID IT TO A WOMAN FIRST and that woman was HILLARY.

Posted by: Gee Whizz | Sep 11, 2008 10:21:20 AM

TO CATCH A PREDATOR
-------------------

In his new Ad slamming Obama's vote in favor of legislation allowing for "AGE APPROPRIATE K-12 sex ed", Sen. John McCain is apparently going after a new segment of the American voting public...

America's Pedophiles.

The legislation encouraged local communities to develop their OWN policies on teaching kids - especially vulnerable kids in kindergarten - how to recognize and protect themselves against sexual predators.

In opposing this legislation, Sen. John McCain is clearly opposed to teaching kids how to avoid pedophiles.

ergo...

Sen John McCain is more interested in helping pedophiles than he is helping kids.

Sen. John McCain - the Pedophile's candidate for President!

Posted by: Pedophiles for McCain/Palin '08 | Sep 11, 2008 10:22:08 AM

All the McCain supporters who continue to pretend that Obama truly meant to call Palin a pig, answer this then:

When McCain used the EXACT same phrase, "lipstick on a pig", on Hillary Clinton, was he also calling Hillary a pig?

You can't have it one way or another.
Even Meghan McCain says her father uses the expression, and the video evidence of McCain using "lipstick on a pig" on Hillary is on You tube.

Spare us the faux outrage. You're only pretending to be offended because Obama said it. Here's a news flash: MCCAIN said it to a woman first and that woman was HILLARY.

Posted by: Gee Whizz | Sep 11, 2008 10:23:21 AM

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