Those Who Live In Glass Houses Shouldn't Put Lipstick On Pigs

Much has been made of Barack Obama's comment about putting lipstick on a pig. Some have contended that it is a veiled reference to McCain's vice presidential running mate, Sarah Palin. Seen that way, his comments would be an insult.



But John McCain himself made a similar comment:



The point? I am a public speaker. At least three times a week, and often more, I address groups of people. That amounts to a whole lot of hot air. With the making of many words, there is bound to be a blooper or two. Add the element of fatigue and the stress of a presidential election, the viral effect of the internet where any potentially foolish statements made by a politician will take on a life of its own, it is a small wonder that there are not more misstatements being publicized. I'd hate to have some of my off the cuff remarks, feeble attempts at humor, or some of my pulpit bloopers make their appearance on the internet.

Many times, I've said things publicly that I wish I had not. Unlike blogging, when one is speaking, there is no chance to edit statements before the "return" button is pushed. Just a couple of weeks ago, our church held a luncheon welcoming teachers at the school across from our church back for the new school year. Being called on for a few "words of welcome" and to "say the blessin'" I did my best to make the teachers feel appreciated and loved by our church. I should have stopped there. But, no, a fleeting thought of humor entered my mind and exited my mouth. What I was attempting to do was relish aloud the opportunity to have these teachers listen to me for a change after all the years I had to listen to teachers. I had some sort of notion of now being control. I tried to state this fact with a smile and humor. Honestly, I can't recall my exact words, but instead of hoots of laughter all I got was stunned silence, and a feeling of my cheeks suddenly getting red.

So being quick on my feet, I said, "Let's ask the blessing on the food," and proceeded to do so, with high hopes that the food would remove the memory of a foolish preacher trying to make a joke that wasn't well thought out and certainly wasn't funny.

So instead of my disgust, Obama has my sympathy.