Did Obama call Palin a 'pig' and McCain an 'old' stinking fish?

By Rick Moran

The Obama campaign is denying it, of course. And indeed, the context gives their candidate some plausible deniability in that he can claim he was talking about the fake "change" offered by McCain-Palin.

But it is very hard for a reasonable person to come away after listening to both quotes as well as the roaring approval of the crowd and not believe that Obama meant to slime both Palin and McCain.

Here's what he said:

Obama poked fun of McCain and Palin's new "change" mantra.

"You can put lipstick on a pig," he said as the crowd cheered. "It's still a pig."

"You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It's still gonna stink."

"We've had enough of the same old thing."

In the end, they can claim whatever they like about what Obama meant. The fact of the matter is that they were stupid enough to leave a huge opening for the McCain campaign to attack them on it. And that pretty much sums up the Obama campaign the last fortnight: stupidity. The selection of Palin has thrown them for a loop and they haven't a clue how to deal with her, her popularity, or McCain's subsequent surge in support and his own decline.

Every time the Democrats open their mouths about Palin, they stick their foot so far down their own throats that it initiates the gag reflex. Every single line of attack they have taken has exploded in their faces like a Three Stooges phony cigar. They are so flummoxed by her candidacy that Obama is tossing around playground epithets like "pig" and "old fish" and then denying he was referring specifically to his opponents.

Incredible.