Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama visited David Letterman last night, where the two men broke down the senator's "lipstick on a pig" comment from earlier in the week and the outrage it had sparked.
Addressing a crowd in Lebanon, VA., on Tuesday, Obama dismissed John McCain's promise of change. Reeling off a litany of issues on which he said McCain's views were essentially the same as Pres. Bush's, Obama concluded, "You can put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig."
Almost immediately, Team McCain went into attack mode, accusing Obama of sexism. They claimed Obama's comment was a clear reference to Palin's joke during her address at the Republican National Convention, when she fired up the crowd by explaining the difference between a bull dog and hockey mom was lipstick, as she pointed to her own crimson lips. It was clear to them that Obama had called her a pig and demanded an apology.
On Wednesday night Obama explained to Letterman that if he had in fact meant the comment as an attack on Palin, to follow the logic, the Alaska governor would "Technically ... be the lipstick. The failed policies of John McCain would be the pig."
Asked by the "Late Show" host if he stood by his contention that republicans were overreacting, Obama stuck to his guns.
"Absolutely ... Look, this is, uh, this is sort of silly season in politics. Not that there's a non-silly season."
