PIG GATE

Putting lipstick on a pig — who said it first?

“You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig”
Barack Obama, on Tuesday, on John McCain's campaign adopting his “change” mantra
“I think they put some lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig”
John McCain, in October 2007, on Hillary Clinton's healthcare plan
“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 . . . We call it putting lipstick on a pig”
Lynne Cheney during the 2004 presidential campaign
“Mr President, it's not that easy. This town is full of people very experienced when it comes to putting lipstick on a pig”
GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Washington in April 2004
Source: Times archives