McCain Advisor wrote book Lipstick on a Pig

Hardball's Chris Matthews nails Republican spin on "lipstick on a pig" when he pulls out the book of that title and its supported meaning by the author, a former Press Secretary to John McCain.

Matthews shows the McCain campaign ad twice for the Republican guest who won't admit Obama has not called Palin a pig... let alone the quip used by Obama did not even reference Palin in its context.

Matthews plays the full segment of Obama's remarks leading up to the lipstick cliche. He questions another guest, a Congresswoman, about Republicans who have used the same phrase, including former senator Rick Santorum.

In response, the guest brings up another matter, saying she's heard word that Obama's campaign has traveled to Alaska to dig up dirt on Palin.

Matthews asks whether Republicans never engage in opposition research.

Unfortunately, Matthews hasn't noted the word likely stems from a John Fund report which according to the following TPM site has been 'discredited.'

Note: On Fox 'n Friends this morning the trio discussed the Obama comment and the McCain ad. As the ad ran, the screen described the Obama quip as Obama on Palin...

McCain Ad Cites Discredited Claim That Dems Sent Team to Dig Up Palin Dirt
By Zachary Roth - September 10, 2008, 12:37PM
Yesterday, John Fund of the Wall Street Journal reported that "Democrats have airdropped a mini-army of 30 lawyers, investigators and opposition researchers into Anchorage, the state capital Juneau and Mrs. Palin's hometown of Wasilla to dig into her record and background."

The story was quickly seized on by Republicans eager to portray a Democratic vendetta against Palin. Sean Hannity repeated it on Fox last night. And now the McCain campaign has released an ad that cites Fund's report, and depicts the Democratic investigators as wolves on the prowl.

There's only one problem: It appears not to be true. Within hours, the DNC's research director, Mark Gehrke, had issued a blanket denial, to The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder, who reported: "'Not a single person from DC or Chicago has traveled to Alaska to do research,' [Gehrke] writes. Not a single Obama staffer, not a DNC staffer, not a hired gun, he says." Gehrke repeated that denial to TPM's Election Central just now.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/mccain_ad_cites_discredited_claim_th.php