Campaign '08

LEBANON, Va. (CBS) ― Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Wednesday accused Republican John McCain's campaign of using "lies and phony outrage and Swift-boat politics" in claiming he used a sexist comment against vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Calling it "the latest made-up controversy by the John McCain campaign," Obama responded to the Republicans' charge that he was referring to Palin when he used the phrase "lipstick on a pig" at a campaign stop Tuesday.

"I don't care what they say about me. But I love this country too much to let them take over another election with lies and phony outrage and Swift-boat politics. Enough is enough," he said.

Obama's reference was to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, an outside group that in 2004 made unsubstantiated allegations about Democratic nominee John Kerry's decorated military record in Vietnam.

On Tuesday, Obama criticized McCain's economic policies as similar to those of President Bush, saying: "You can put lipstick on a pig ... it's still a pig. 

CBS News reporter Maria Gavrilovic reports that as the crowd laughed, Obama added: "You can you can, wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change, it's still going to stink after 8 years. We've had enough of the same old thing."

The McCain campaign contended that the comments were directed at Palin, the GOP's first woman on a presidential ticket. In her acceptance speech last week, she had referred to herself in a joke about lipstick being the only difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull.

Accusing Obama of "smearing" Palin in "offensive and disgraceful" comments, the McCain campaign demanded an apology — though McCain himself used the folksy metaphor a few times last year, including once to describe Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's health care plan.

Just moments after Obama's comments, the Republicans held their first ever "Truth Squad" call to condemn the remarks, reports Gavrilovic. Former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift interpreted Obama's remarks to mean that he called Palin a "pig" and McCain an "old fish."

When pressed on why she assumed that Obama was comparing Palin to a pig, Swift referred to Palin's "pit bull in lipstick" joke at the convention. She added, "as far as I know she is the only candidate that wears lipstick" and this "seems like a very gendered remark."

The McCain campaign on Wednesday issued an Internet ad that said Obama was talking about Palin and said of Obama: "Ready to lead? No. Ready to smear? Yes."

Obama began a discussion of education at a Norfolk high school on Wednesday by assailing McCain's campaign.

"What their campaign has done this morning is the same game that has made people sick and tired of politics in this country. They seize on an innocent remark, try to take it out of context, throw up an outrageous ad because they know that it's catnip for the news media," Obama said.

Obama's campaign has accused the GOP camp of engaging in a "pathetic attempt to play the gender card." In an e-mail to reporters Wednesday, the campaign noted two other instances of McCain using the phrase "lipstick on a pig" and its use by other Republicans such as House Minority Leader John Boehner and Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl.

According to CBSNews.com political reporter Brian Montopoli, Obama joins a long list of politicians and public figures who have used the very same phrase. Here is a short list:

"I think they put some lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig." – John McCain, in reference to Hillary Clinton's health care plan, last year.

"George Bush has given a mission to General Petraeus, and he has done his best to try to figure out how to put lipstick on a pig." – Barack Obama, last year.

"Or as we say out in our home state of Wyoming, you can put all the lipstick you want on a pig, but it's still a pig." – Dick Cheney, 2004.

"It's all about withdrawal or not withdrawal, okay? I mean that's what it's all about. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig." – John McCain, last year.

"You can put lipstick and earrings on a hog and call it Monique, but it's still a pig." – Texas Gov. Ann Richards.

"John Kerry tries to put a bunch of fancy, fancy talk...but there is nothing you can do to really -- to really obscure that record. You can try, though. And in Wyoming, we've got a saying for what it is when you keep trying to make something that's not so good look good, we call it putting lipstick on a pig." – Lynne Cheney, 2004.

"It gets down to whether you support what's being done in this new strategy or you don't. You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig in my view." – John McCain, last year.

Mike Huckabee defended Obama in a conference call Wednesday, reports Montopoli. "I do not think he was referring to Sarah Palin; he didn't reference her," Huckabee said.

The Obama campaign also emailed to reporters quotes from more than 10 Republican officials who have used the phrase, among them House Minority Leader John Boehner and Former Republican Senator Rick Santorum.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)