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Home Front: Politix

Obama knocks press on 'made-up controversy'

2008-09-10

Speaking at a high school in Norfolk, Obama took a few moments to address what he calls "the made-up controversy" of the day, Amie Parnes reports.

Obama said the McCain campaign moved to "seize an innocent remark and take it out of context because they knew it's catnip for the news media."

"See, it would be funny, but the news media decided that would be the lead story yesterday. This happens every election cycle. Every four years, this is what we do. This is what they want to spend two of the last 55 days talking about...Enough!" he said.

Obama called the attacks "lies, outrage and swift boat politics."

"These are serious times and they call for a serious debate...spare me all the phony outrage. Spare me all the phony talk about change," he said.

UPDATE: McCain spokesman Brian Rogers responds: "Barack Obama can't campaign with schoolyard insults and then try to claim outrage at the tone of the campaign. His talk of new politics is as empty as his campaign trail promises, and his record of bucking his party and reaching across the aisle simply doesn't exist."

Posted by:Fred

#63 late to this discussion; while the lipstick on a pig comment has been used in past speeches, the fact that it was used by Obama so soon after Palin used the lipstick comment, and listening to the video, the timing of the laughter by the crowd, it was understood IMO who it was directed at.
It'll be interesting to see how the media react to BO's anger at them over this report.

Posted by: Jan 2008-09-10 23:20

#62 Betty, LOL! Maybe it wuz us that read it wrong!

Posted by: Spike Uniter 2008-09-10 22:30

#61 Huh. I should get glasses. I always thought it was Liberalhack.

Posted by: Betty Grating2215 2008-09-10 22:03

#60 I have to agree with Frank G, re LH. Actually, a while ago in one thread, LH claimed something about liberal "compassion". What a cowpie! If LH said "I am a statist by conviction", I would not have a beef as he'd be honest. But the compassion thing... fuggedaboudit. Lost any respect right then.

Posted by: Spike Uniter 2008-09-10 20:14

#59 A friend of mine, a black woman, says the pig remark is primarily a racial slur. I couldn't wrap my head around her explanation, but she said take my word for it. So I am.

She also taken it as a somewhat sexist remark, but still maintaining the racial aspect.

Anyway, she later asked what is the diff between Obama getting elected and Obama not getting elected...

Me: "What?"

Her: "Lipstick!"

Posted by: Spike Uniter 2008-09-10 20:02

#58 Obama says enough is enough and now I'm real curious to see how the press reacts. Will they get back in line?

Originally, I was going to write "Obama cracks the whip..." but I didn't want to be accused of subliminal racism.

Posted by: DK70 the scantily clad 2008-09-10 20:01

#57 LOL - thx Bad...

Posted by: Frank G 2008-09-10 20:01

#56 LH blew it big time IMHO. He's built cautious respect here over many years, with his: "Foreign Policy- strong, Libertarian/Socialist Dem Domestic Policy -strong" comments and stance. I respected that, although I didn't agree with that stance. I could understand where he was coming from. Today was spin-control all the way. I sense a lot of panic among the Donks. Prepare for the everyday/multiple.. "I was a lifetime Republican until the McCain/Palin ticket did...." Moby's (i.e.: "bushlover") as well as the repeating of debunked lies.

Posted by: Frank G 2008-09-10 20:00

#55 You're wrong about Liberalhawk and this link proves his point!

Posted by: badanov 2008-09-10 19:56

#54 I think Mr. Hawk has mised the boat on this one, but what really matters is how the rest of the world perceived it (perception is nine-tenths of the law©) and how the Sarahcuda responds to it in the interviews and sound bites.

I think she'll come off as classy.

Posted by: Bobby 2008-09-10 19:52

#53 So why are Obama and his followers repeating Earl Butz's stupidity of insulting whole classes and groups of people with vile stuff?

Easy: because it's what David Axelrod does. His campaigns are about racial politics, urban elitism, and a divided America. Period. He simply doesn't know any other tricks.

Posted by: AzCat 2008-09-10 18:39

#52 The fish thing? Even I know that one. 3dc is right.

Again, it isn't about exactly what Obama said or what he meant, it's about how it was taken by female voters. Obama and his various supporters keep saying and writing things that resonate negatively with that demographic. Each thing, while in itself small, recalls the ones that came before, adding impact. The key phrases this time are "lipstick on a pig" and "old fish"; the rest of Obama's statement gets lost, I'm afraid.

Posted by: trailing wife 2008-09-10 18:33

#51 was it a double entendre when McCain used it?

If you can cite a reliable source that directly ties McCain's use of the phrase to a political attack on a specific woman I'll consider the issue. Hint: you can't.

Posted by: AzCat 2008-09-10 18:32

#50 To jog your memory LiberalHawk...

Earl L. Butz - Sec Ag - Nixon Cab

Butz started by telling a dirty joke involving intercourse between a dog and a skunk. When the conversation turned to politics, Boone, a right-wing Republican, asked Butz why the party of Lincoln was not able to attract more blacks. The Secretary responded with a line so obscene and insulting to blacks that it forced him out of the Cabinet last week and jolted the whole Ford campaign. Butz said that "the only thing the coloreds are looking for in life are tight p - - - - , loose shoes and a warm place to s - - -."

So why are Obama and his followers repeating Earl Butz's stupidity of insulting whole classes and groups of people with vile stuff?

Posted by: 3dc 2008-09-10 18:31

#49 Liberalhawk - re-fish smell - Its a slander that results in the sale of lots of feminine hygiene products. Its as vulgar as you can get without entering seriously demented fetish land.

They way he's talking in a less PC-Correct age used to get a lot more colorful response. One even remembers hints of that in a "blue suede shoes"/"warm place.." joke that once cost a cabinet member a job - oh so many decades ago.

Posted by: 3dc 2008-09-10 18:14

#48 Obama: "Frequently wrong, never in doubt"

/somebody else (Mrs Fowler?) under the bus

Posted by: Frank G 2008-09-10 18:14

#47 You gotta love it. Obama refers to lipstick on a pig and old fish and unless he is too stupid to be President, clearly knew what he was doing.

So instead of coming out and saying he chose his words poorly he further insults us by pretending it wasn't at all what he meant.

Then he asks his surrogates to go out in the media and blame McCain/Palin/TheNewsMedia and anyone and everyone who made the obvious connection for being upset over his poor choice of words. It's all their fault, ya see, because THEY are the ones who are distracting from the key subjects Obama wants to focus on.

This guy is so not ready for prime time.

Posted by: Betty Grating2215 2008-09-10 18:11

#46 That's one of the Democrats' problems, LH, they are still running ahainst Bush, trying to say a McCain-Palin administration would be the same as Bush-Cheney. Other than National Security issues, McCain is not Bush. Palin certainly isn't Cheney. Here is a quote from an Alaskan.
Steven Wells writes:
I've lived in Wasilla for several years and in Alaska for longer than that. I appreciate your focus on Palin's record and the political comments. Politically, I am libertarian and I don't always vote. I did not vote for Sarah Palin because one of the big issues in the 2006 was the gas pipeline. I figured that Tony Knowles had better experience for handling such matters. Palin so far has handled the matter fairly well to my opinion. It is very dangerous to underestimate her. She has handled the Alaska legislature (which is rather like herding cats) and Big Oil deftly and capably.
One matter that has not gotten a great deal of coverage has been Palin's judicial selections. Alaska follows the Missouri plan, so Palin's picks for judges are not on a blank slate. Nonetheless, she has appointed a number of women to the bench, including some current and former public defenders. She has not seemed to really push a strong conservative agenda regarding her judicial appointments.

Posted by: Deacon Blues 2008-09-10 18:03

#45 TW explained that Palin owns the word lipstick cause shes a woman. As is Hillary. I really dont see that using the line in a speech gives her ownership of the word.

Im also not getting the fish reference. A fish kept to long stinks (theres an old phrase about guests, I think) Thats not about Palin either. Its about the Bush admin.

Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-09-10 17:43

#44 you keep trying the same lame talking points, which is really depreciating your status in my mind - it was clear he was referring to HRC's health care plan. HRC had not used the lipstick reference to herself the prior week in a speech watched by...what was it? 38 million people (including your beloved Obama)? Did McCain use the old fish ref too? Pick up your game, you used to better than this

Posted by: Frank G 2008-09-10 17:39

#43 "lipstick on a pig" double entendre

was it a double entendre when McCain used it?

Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-09-10 17:35

#42 Well, since the donks haven't run an ad about it, I guess they might as well go back to throwing bags of piss. Or dropping rocks from bridges down onto passing busses.

These fucking cocksucking motherfucking shit slingers entertain me.

Posted by: Mike N. 2008-09-10 17:34

#41 38 any dems who do that and then complain are hypocritical, yes.

39 - desperate? not at all. I do think Obama is reacting weakly these last few weeks, and Axelrod is mishandling things. You WILL recall Obama was not my preferred candidate, and I never bought that he would win in a landslide, or even that he would do better than hillary. I still think he can recover, and is likely to. he can improve his chances if he takes on some of the clintonista professionals to his campaign

and of course even if McCain wins, im not desperate. I STILL have alot of respect for McCain, despite the last couple of weeks. It could well be that hes still moderate McCain underneath, and he just realizes hes stuck with the GOP as it is, and he will govern from the center.

Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-09-10 17:33

#40 My take: the McCain camp understands that it was just a clumsy snark on Obama's part. But they're happy to keep the issue alive for a news cycle or two because it keeps Obama off his message.

I'd say that's about right Steve but I'd substitute "clumsy attempt to gin up an issue" for "clumsy snark". Obama today is going after the media for talking about his comment and whining that they're intentionally helping McCain.

In light of this new information I see Obama's "lipstick on a pig" double entendre as a straw man that he intentionally set up in order to draw a McCain response so he could: a) whine about McCain not discussing issues; and b) whine about the media bein biased in favor of McCain.

I know how outrageous that second bit is but that's what he's trying to do. IMHO it just shows how tone-deaf Axelrod really is to the national electorate.

Posted by: AzCat 2008-09-10 17:15

#39 feeling desperate much, LH?

I just hope he don't sprain his self. All those contortions make my back hurt!

Posted by: SteveS 2008-09-10 16:59

#38 Also LH, the left is constantly hold McCain for anything any rightie says, so whining that Patterson isn't on Obama's campaign is disingenuous at best if not hypocritical, no?

Posted by: AlanC 2008-09-10 16:44

#37 "but..but...but...uh uh uh uh... you just..you just...uh...hope-n-change!"

/Harvard trained sooper-smart guy

Posted by: Frank G 2008-09-10 16:42

#36 My take: the McCain camp understands that it was just a clumsy snark on Obama's part. But they're happy to keep the issue alive for a news cycle or two because it keeps Obama off his message.

That's been the Unicorn Rider's problem these last few weeks: time and again he's been knocked off message. The McCain has been exploiting this nicely, and Obama isn't experienced enough to understand what's happening to him.

Posted by: Steve White 2008-09-10 16:35

#35 Blacks are not gonna vote Republican so if they are offended by the 'code word' Community Organizer they've got nowhere to go.

Women are equally divided between parties so Obama has a lot to lose if his words are taken to mean (either accidentally or not) that he's slamming Palin as a pig.

Posted by: rjschwarz 2008-09-10 16:27

#34 I know that DB, but Governor Patterson doesnt have a job in the Obama-Biden campaign.

Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-09-10 16:00

#33 LH, the Govornor of New York said using the term "community organizer" is racist.

Posted by: Deacon Blues 2008-09-10 15:57

#32 Maybe he was confused because of his muslim, er, Christian faith.

Posted by: anymouse 2008-09-10 15:54

#31 If the left can claim that community organizer is racist, the right can claim the lipstick remark is sexist.

Did the Dems run an ad complaining about the Comm Organizer remarks being racist?

Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-09-10 15:41

#30 I concur w/LH on this.

I can't stand obomba but I really don't think the lipstick on a pig remark was meant for Palin. It's a common phrase. The right should let this one go. We look as dumb as the left for prattering on about this.

We need to stick to his tangible established f*ckups like Ayers & Rezko. Also, if obama is all about transparent gov't why won't he release his birth cert? I don't think it's because of the muslim or citizenship angle. I think it's because it will show he was illegit.

Posted by: Broadhead6 2008-09-10 15:31

#29 Whether she is "the lipstick" on McCain's campaign pig or she is a pig-with-lipstick in THEIR UNDERSTANDING is really neither here nor there. I think the reaction show's they were taking it as a statement by Barack Obama that she is little more than window dressing.
I personally ment she is no more than windo dressing but it still was a personal attack that people will remember.

Posted by: Deacon Blues 2008-09-10 15:28

#28 If the left can claim that community organizer is racist, the right can claim the lipstick remark is sexist.

Unfortunately, donks get so worked up over politics that they can't see it as tit-for-tat. They get all foamed at the mouth and throw bags of piss.

Posted by: Mike N. 2008-09-10 15:25

#27 I have no doubt there were lots of sophomoric snickers when they figured out how to get back at the Hockey mom.

Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2008-09-10 15:14

#26 I think it shows that Obama is incredibly un-careful with words when he's working without a Teleprompter

I heard it was, in fact, on a TelePrompTer. Not off the cuff at all.

His audience, after he said it, sure reacted like it was a direct reference to Palin. Would an audience find that particularly funny had it not been for Sarah Palin's joke about hockey mom's and pit bulls?

Whether she is "the lipstick" on McCain's campaign pig or she is a pig-with-lipstick in THEIR UNDERSTANDING is really neither here nor there. I think the reaction show's they were taking it as a statement by Barack Obama that she is little more than window dressing.

Do I think Governor Palin is having a snit about it? Nope. Not for a moment. Am I having a snit about it? Nope. But it is funny to watch Democrats play this kind of "No I did not beat my wife" defense for once.

Posted by: Grenter, Protector of the Geats 2008-09-10 14:58

#25 I don't agree with him much (well, at all...) but I will say he comes back with his point of view without screaming as most on the left seem to do. Got to give him at least a gold star for that.

Posted by: tipover 2008-09-10 14:56

#24 #21 LH - Obama's comment proves conclusively that he's either: a) and idiot; b) a misogynist; or c) both an idiot and a misogynist. Take your pick. Posted by AzCat 2008-09-10 14:14|| Front Page|| ||Comments Top

Uppity, misogynistic idiot. There, I said it.

Posted by: Besoeker 2008-09-10 14:43

#23 Obama knocks press on 'made-up controversy'

It's not nice Obama, to take a swipe at your most ardent and loyal Base.

Posted by: Red Dawg 2008-09-10 14:41

#22 feeling desperate much, LH?

Posted by: Frank G 2008-09-10 14:19

#21 LH - Obama's comment proves conclusively that he's either: a) and idiot; b) a misogynist; or c) both an idiot and a misogynist. Take your pick.

Posted by: AzCat 2008-09-10 14:14

#20 Galactic Coordinator Cravins3959 is moi.

Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-09-10 14:11

#19 No, Code Keeper.
The MSM will keep it alive to "prove" how thin skinned the Repubs are.

Of course, every time they do it women will also be reminded of "Sweetie" and "Bros before Hos".

Posted by: Frozen Al 2008-09-10 14:11

#18 Its a common American phrase.

Yes, I've heard it. I've also heard older men in conversation address younger men as 'My, boy......' And if you can think you can sell a pile that the MSM and left wouldn't castigate and fill the air with 'racist' if John McCain gaffed that during a debate or exchange, then you can sell that bridge in San Francisco. We have made certain words and contexts forbidden by the PC police. Now it's "coming home to roost". Like I said, they dish it out, but can't take it.

Posted by: Galactic Coordinator Cravins3959 2008-09-10 14:11

#17 This Macaca will go into the media's black hole and soon be forgotten.

Posted by: code keeper 2008-09-10 14:05

#16 could be, NS.

Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-09-10 14:01

#15 Harry Reid.

Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2008-09-10 14:00

#14 #12

he said a fish still stinks after 8 years. Has Palin been governor for 8 years? I dont think so.

Whose been in office for eight years that Obama might think has caused stink, whose policies are a pig that cant be prettifed with lipstick. Hmm, who could it be. Could it be someone the GOP hardly mentioned at their convention? Someone McCain and Palin avoid mentioning? I wonder who could it be? Any guesses?

Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-09-10 13:59

#13 The One really knows how to keep these silly gaffes alive. If he were a trunk, he'dve apologized by now and moved on even if the MSM didn't. But he wants to give it legs. And lips. For lipstick. He's going to fold in the debates. McGovernesque.

Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2008-09-10 13:54

#12 LH
If NoBama had just used the lipstick on a pig analogy, notwithstanding the Palin Hockeymom-pitbull-lipstick comment, your reasoning might fly. But he followed the lipstick comment with the old fish comment...so clearly, they were swipes at Palin and McCain on a personal level. The outrage is justified. After years of enduring democrats playing the race, card, the republicans played the girl card. See how it works.....

Posted by: NoMoreBS 2008-09-10 13:53

#11 Both sides are firing at each other, hot and heavy. Personally, I think it was just a poorly chosen phrase that a lawyer would think was pretty cleaver but completely blind to how other people would see it. But it is what it is.
This is nothing compared to what we will see in 30 days.

Posted by: DarthVader 2008-09-10 13:51

#10 Counting down to explosive diva moment from The One. Ten......nine......eight......

Posted by: Swamp Blondie in the Cornfields 2008-09-10 13:42

#9 Tomorrow, liberalhawk, by Charles Gibson.

Posted by: Darrell 2008-09-10 13:17

#8 Well we know it won't be Oprah...

Posted by: tu3031 2008-09-10 13:17

#7 I think it shows that Obama is incredibly un-careful with words when he's working without a Teleprompter

When is Palin going to be interviewed by someone other than Us magazine?

Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-09-10 13:15

#6 These silly women are in a tizzy over nothing. They don't need to worry their pretty little heads over this.

/B.O.

Yeah, THAT'L work. ROTFLMAO

Women heard what women heard. Women voters. B.O. is making serial unforced errors. Not ready to lead indeed.

Posted by: Minister of funny walks 2008-09-10 13:13

#5 ...and if McCain did something this boneheaded, Obama's people would be shouting from the rooftops. Sauce, goose, gander.

I don't think the remark shows that Obama is a sexist pig. I think it shows that Obama is incredibly un-careful with words when he's working without a Teleprompter, that Sarah Palin has him rattled and flailing, and that he has no class.

Posted by: Mike 2008-09-10 13:12

#4 Macaca, whether it was meant as a racial insult or simply as a non-racial insult, was clearly directed at a particular individual, IIRC. Do you want me to dig up the details?

Lipstick on a pig was a reference to the GOP, not to Palin in particular from what I understand. Its a common American phrase.

What I say above still stands, if this were Hillary you guys would be all over how silly this is.

Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-09-10 13:12

#3 Macaca - LH

How did the left and MSM play that one? They can dish it out, they can't take it.

Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-09-10 13:09

#2 If Hillary had been getting upset about something this silly, youd all be digging into Hillary for victimization politics, PCness, etc.

Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-09-10 13:06

#1 If Hillary had been getting upset about something this silly, youd all be digging into Hillary for victimization politics, PCness, etc.

Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-09-10 13:06

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