September 15, 2008
Posted: September 15th, 2008 05:24 PM ET

From
McCain said Monday Obama was not calling Palin a pig.
McCain said Monday Obama was not calling Palin a pig.

(CNN) - His campaign team may have held conference calls, released ads and sent a flurry of memos charging that Barack Obama was slurring Sarah Palin when he used the phrase “lipstick on a pig” - but John McCain apparently thinks otherwise.

“Did he call her a pig?" the Republican presidential nominee was asked Monday in a briefing for reporters for the Associated Press and Florida newspapers.

"No,” responded McCain, who called his Democratic counterpart “eloquent.”

“But I know that he chooses his words carefully, and it was the wrong thing to say...

"I didn't like it. So we respond. I think the American people will judge as to whether he and others have treated Governor Palin fairly or not" - but the campaign will continue to respond to what it considers an attack. The Arizona senator also defended Palin’s record on earmarks, taxes and the Bridge to Nowhere.

Last week, he defended the Web ad his campaign had produced that said Obama had disrespected Palin, the Republican VP nominee, when he used the phrase to criticize McCain’s policy positions.

Filed under: Barack Obama • John McCain


Michelle   September 16th, 2008 12:53 am ET

Obama is an eloquent public speaker...and that is all he is...from his own biography...early on he loved feeling the power of speaking to large crowds of people. When are Americans going to wake up and see what Obama is. He is a public speaker and that is it!!! He's fooled all of you into believing, through is well rehearsed speaking, that he can run our country. I'm shocked at how gullible so many Americans are. Talk is cheap people. We need real leaders, not speakers. McCain/Palin 08

Patrick   September 15th, 2008 10:23 pm ET

Thank you Mr. McCain – you are an honorable American. And yes, BO may not have literally called Govenor Palin a pig, but the spirit and intent was there. BO will be an eloquent loser and I look forward to his concession speech. The country will be better off when he moves on to daytime t.v. with his pal Oprah.

Ken   September 15th, 2008 10:21 pm ET

Boy allot of you cannot read...no wonder you are voting for Obama! McCain said

“But I know that he chooses his words carefully, and it was the wrong thing to say…

In other words folks....he suspects Obama's motive for using the pig on a lipstick metaphor. Obama's slick and it looks like allot of you have fallen for this. If you really paid attention to Obama's record and paid attention to what he has done while in office you would really understand who the liar is. Good Luck!

jojodancer1119   September 15th, 2008 10:08 pm ET

It's really unbelievable how inconsistent this man is. I have no respect for him whatsover. I saw him on the View and he completely ignored the tough questions. I suppose he thought he would just come on the show and give that fake @#$ smile and wave his hand and talk about Country First. I lost respect for him when he came home from the war and left his wife who waited for him. He's nothing but a GOLD DIGGER!!!!!

Steve California   September 15th, 2008 10:07 pm ET

Anything to take the focus off his lack of a plan. How about some real issue and less word play!

David_In_NC   September 15th, 2008 10:01 pm ET

...umm... John, then how did that ad attacking him end with the words "I'm John McCain and I approved this message?"

There are only two possibilities: lying or clueless. Which was it? Or is there a third possibility I'm missing? Help me out here. It's looking like the Straight Talk Express is off the rails.

Kaye- Jacksonville FL   September 15th, 2008 10:00 pm ET

That old fart just can't get his story straight, can he? Say one thing, do another...defend my blatant idiocy....poor John McCain, he's heading into the fog?? And poor Sarah Palin, her promising career in the Republican party may just go down in flames with old man McCain.

T-Bone   September 15th, 2008 9:58 pm ET

Robert spells it out. If McCain admits that Obama didn't call Palin a pig, all the indignation and sexism accusations go down the drain and the McCain camp is exposed as feigning outrage for political gain. The only thing left for McCain to dislike is that someone would call his plans out as being the same as the policies we've had for 8 years.

The question is, how many people will only hear about the big spectacle of "Obama calls Palin a pig", but will never hear the quiet resolution of it all being a big political ploy. This shouldn't go down simply as clearing Obama's name, but rather as yet another tarnishing of McCain's character.

Candia   September 15th, 2008 9:58 pm ET

Now that's funny – I could swear he said just the other day that his ads accusing Obama of just that were no lies. And now he says Obama didn't in fact say it. But, he says, it doesn't matter that I lied about it.

Is he confused or doesn't he care that there is a difference between truth and lies, between legitimitate attacks and false accusations?

And does he think the American people are either too stupid or too numb to care about it?

Tamika   September 15th, 2008 9:57 pm ET

Mc Cain will do anything or say whatever he has to, so he can be President. I don't want that type of guy as my President.

Obama 08

newsforbooklovers   September 15th, 2008 9:39 pm ET

Unfit for Duty

robin   September 15th, 2008 9:39 pm ET

Obviously John McCain doesn't fly economy.

Jay   September 15th, 2008 9:08 pm ET

McCain...... you are an idiot!!!!

Last week he DECLARED that Obama was attacking Palin and made a number of DISTORTED ADS to say so.

AGAIN..... another day, another LIE exposed.

Brian   September 15th, 2008 9:01 pm ET

Get rid of the old guy... he is too Lib for this county we need a conservative like Palin!

Palin '08 "because god wills it"

mike   September 15th, 2008 9:01 pm ET

The Obama supporters loved the use of 'lipstick" because it was a reference to Palin. Obama could have used a different phase to make his point; however, I believe he used the word "lipstick" because Palin used it in her convention speech. No one that I'm aware of stated he called her a "pig" only that the use of the word was disrespectful, intended or otherwise.

Christine   September 15th, 2008 9:00 pm ET

Liar, liar, pants on fire! McCain your campaign is a disgrace. From hero to zero...

SAVING MY MORTGAGE   September 15th, 2008 8:56 pm ET

TINA FEY FOR VP!

Lola0406   September 15th, 2008 8:54 pm ET

Oh I so can't wait until the 2010 midterm elections LOL. When pretty boy of symbolism and no substance becomes President "Uh" and Umm", and has caused further erosion to our economy with spending that will make Bush actually look like a conservative, not to mention us becoming the United States of Weakness and Capitulation, it will be a pleasure to watch the take over of congress once again. One of the absolutes of life, besides Death and Taxes, is that Democrats as Presidents make it so much easier for Republicans to win again.

morrow   September 15th, 2008 8:54 pm ET

My question is whether Obama had regularly been using the 'lipstick on a pig' analogy before Sarah Palin's convention speech. Certainly, based on the crowd reaction when he made his comment, some of them thought he was referring to Palin. If Obama had not been using it in his previous talks then I suspect it was intentional and not just another 'boneheaded mistake'.

BV   September 15th, 2008 8:53 pm ET

Dear Aware...
Your hero's can't even run a campaign with integrity how do you suppose that they are going to run the country with integrity?
Boy, if Obama lacks everything needed to be a President.... you sure have set your standards and qualifications for a VP and President at an all time low. I suspect that a well educated and well spoken man of color has a bite to it that you can't stomach.
Also, the one with the abysmal record is the one that you are so behind. His last eight years are 90% the same as the man whom the majority of the people of this country have given the lowest approval ratting to of any Presdident. So why didn't McCain with all of his 26 years of experience play a different role? Why didn't he offer more reform before now?

Roger from CA   September 15th, 2008 8:52 pm ET

Huh-wah??? He just repeated the position on the View the other day!!

Once again, the McCain camp just makes stuff up to fit their spin.

Lisa, MD   September 15th, 2008 8:52 pm ET

Talk about the issues that's more important than who what where when and why? This poilitical thing is all screwed up the ecomony everything. Jesus will be our savior for sure. :-)

john   September 15th, 2008 8:50 pm ET

thats right GOP voters ask and you will show you are being deceived!! Now if you could only ask your VP choice questions I believe you would be terrified like us Obama supporters and Matt Damon are.......

Susan   September 15th, 2008 8:49 pm ET

A real man would have discredited this from the beginning. Only now that he's taking heat does he "do the right thing." Pathetic.

Robert   September 15th, 2008 8:47 pm ET

Did he call Sarah Palin a pig? "No,” responded McCain, who called his Democratic counterpart “eloquent.”.

"But I know that he chooses his words carefully, and it was the wrong thing to say…

"I didn't like it".

If Obama was not calling Sarah Palin a pig, what exactly is it that McCain didn't like? Obama's eloquence?

dan   September 15th, 2008 8:44 pm ET

Obama knew exactly what he was doing when he made the remark...he paused his statement...waiting for the audience to make the connection. They did roaring with laughter.

Just another example of how disingenuous the democrats are by nature.

David   September 15th, 2008 8:35 pm ET

Boo Hoo McCain, go by a bridge in Alaska!

julia   September 15th, 2008 7:40 pm ET

maybe john mccain doesn't have to approve his messages anymore.

aware   September 15th, 2008 7:40 pm ET

Palin is a much quicker study than Obama! He just reacts because he really doesn't get it! He lacks everything a president needs except reading a teleprompter!

Obama obfuscated his way through the primaries and crucified Hillary but not this time!

Enough is enough Obama! You can't attack, whine or lie your way out of your abysmal record anymore! :(

McCain/Palin 08! The team that will deliver authentic reform that Americans can believe in, and they will do it with integrity! :)

glenda   September 15th, 2008 7:37 pm ET

The Pig statement is taking attention away from the issues and is a big waste of everyone's time. It is not worth talking about however, with our economy going down the toilet, both candidates need to look at what the illegals are costing us. Executive Order 13166 to force documents, etc to be put in other languages circa $46.7 Billion yearly, another $23 million to put ballots in other languages. Now add to that the Medicare money spent on ERs and to deliver babies, welfare, idenity theft, loss of our job to illegals and the price keeps going up.
65% of foreign owned companies in this country pay no income taxes, and a large percentage of American Companies pay no income taxes, now add tax breaks for big oil, no wonder we are in bad shape.
Remember when you vote for a candidate you GET the PARTY.

Chad   September 15th, 2008 7:37 pm ET

I thought at the end of his TV ad he said, "I'm John McCain and I approve this message." MCCAIN IS A LIAR!

What a flip flopper, he can't even run his own campaign. How will he run this country ?

Disgraceful!

Daryl from Seattle   September 15th, 2008 7:35 pm ET

So many mistakes being corrected on McCain's end. How come Obama always seems to get things right the 1st time around? He made the right call on the Iraq war, which everyone else now agrees was a mistake. He made the right call on adding brigades to Afghanistan, which Bush followed suit on recently. He called for a campaign of Change and McCain was running on Experience, now McCain is copying the call for Change by calling it "Reform". Good judgement is what we need in the White House now. Not constant mistakes, missteps, and misleading rhetoric.

~Obama-Biden 08~

John McRat   September 15th, 2008 7:34 pm ET

I get it. McCain has wanted to be president his whole life, and there are lots of temptations.

Just as he was tempted to cheat with Cindy Lou, a rich 25 year old who was attracted to him years ago in Hawaii, he is tempted now. On the first major test of his life, he failed. He left his wife and three kids in a New York second for Cindy Lou. And now, on the second major test in his life he’s failing. He's leaving his principles, and morals behind in order to win the White House. I get it, John is weak. Yes, I get it, but John will never get my vote.

Unlike some voters, I want my president to have integrity and moral character. Americans deserve nothing less.

John asked, “Do I leave my wife and kids for a wealthy young woman?” His answer was yes. And now he's asking, “Do I stick to all that I know is decent and honorable, or do I morph into a Rovian rat to win? Once again, John’s answer is yes. He was a rat then, and he's a rat now.

Brenda fl   September 15th, 2008 7:34 pm ET

wow now he is retracting one lie, hope we will see more ....hahahaha

Meka   September 15th, 2008 7:33 pm ET

FIRST TRUTH YOU'VE TOLD, MCCAIN!

Pepou   September 15th, 2008 7:33 pm ET

So he has changed his mind ! On the "View" he said the contrary ! Go figure. The old guy is nuts and unfit for being Commander in Chief.

Anonymous   September 15th, 2008 7:32 pm ET

John McConfused, have you now come to your senses? Well we'll see how long that lasts.

O'BIDEN 08!

mitchell   September 15th, 2008 7:32 pm ET

ummm. yes you did say that mac! now,ur changing your tune,because you know you've been caught again ,in another lie. just stop it!

Nancy   September 15th, 2008 7:32 pm ET

haha! playin guilty... tells us about the economy first.

Comments have been closed for this article

subscribe RSS Icon
About The Ticker

The latest political news from CNN's Best Political Team, with campaign coverage, 24-7. Sign up for our twice daily Ticker emails. Got a news tip or feedback? For complete political coverage, bookmark CNNPolitics.com.

CNN=Politics Screensaver

CNN=Politics ScreensaverTap into the power of The Situation Room. Download this powerful new tool that keeps you posted on the latest political news from the campaign trail.
Download (4.1 MB, PC only)

twitter
Categories
Powered by WordPress.com VIP