I will never understand politics

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Nedra Pickler, Associated Press
Lipstick quip causing a stir:

Then either in response to Palin, or not in response to Palin, [O]bama told an audience Tuesday that GOP presidential nominee John McCain says he'll change Washington, but he's just like President Bush.

"You can put lipstick on a pig," he said to an outbreak of laughter, shouts and raucous applause from his audience, clearly drawing a connection to Palin's joke even if it's not what Obama meant. "It's still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It's still going to stink after eight years."

McCain's campaign called the comments "offensive and disgraceful" and said Obama owes Palin an apology. Obama's campaign said he wasn't referring to Palin and said the GOP camp was engaging in a "pathetic attempt to play the gender card."


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I know Obama and other politicians, including McCain himself, have used this phrase long before Palin's joke in her speech. But at the same time, for someone as intelligent as Obama is and given the timing of this comment, I have a very hard time believing he didn't mean it the way it sounded. That being said, since when are fish, pigs, and lipstick issues at the heart of the campaign?

I wish both candidates would focus on issues and steer clear of the smear.