Obama to Letterman: 'It's silly season in politics' David Edwards and Nick Juliano

Published: Thursday September 11, 2008





Print This Email This Explains metaphor: Palin 'would be the lipstick,' McCain policies the pig The absurd story of colloquialisms and faux-outrage that refuses to die this week revolves around just what Barack Obama meant by that cliche about lipstick and pigs.



When the Democratic candidate appeared on David Letterman's show Wednesday night, the "controversy" manufactured by John McCain's campaign was among the first topics of discussion.



"This is sort of silly season in politics, not that there's a non-silly season in politics, it just gets sillier," Obama said. "This is a common expression, at least in Illinois. I don't know what you put lipstick on in New York."



Obama reiterated that he did not mean to compare Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin to a farm animal, rather he was using the well worn phrase to demonstrate the Republican ticket's appropriation of his "change" message.



"Just calling them change, calling them different doesn't make it better, hence lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig," Obama said.



Letterman noted that the swift and vicious response from the McCain campaign meant "there had to be a meeting, at some point somewhere along the line, they got together and said, 'You know what? He called our vice presidential candidate a pig." Such a suggestion would be fairly ridiculous, the late-night host said.



"Keep in mind," Obama said, "that had I meant it this way, she would've been the lipstick. The failed policies of John McCain would be the pig."



Obama praised Palin's rapid rise in politics, calling her a "phenomenon" and lamenting that he was the one "who used to be on the cover of Time and Newsweek."



Over the course of his 25-minute interview with Letterman, Obama noted that McCain's choice demonstrated a recognition that the American people wanted change in an array of policy areas, and he argued that he was best to provide it.



This video is from CBS' The Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast September 10, 2008.









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