Sticks And Stones

Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain spent five years sick, hungry, tortured, and often near death in a North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp.

He is a man of extraordinary strength who survived what lesser individuals would not survive. So why is he whining like a child while on the campaign trail?

There's an old saying that "all's fair in love and war," and often times the word "politics" is added to that phrase. So, here's the deal.

At the Republican National Convention, McCain's running mate Governor Sarah Palin, stated the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull is lipstick. It got a loud roar of applause from Palin's family and the rest of the party faithful attending the convention.

Surely she knew her biting speech that night could open the door to potential attacks from her Democratic opponents and their supporters. And Tuesday, when that lipstick line caused a verbal barrage from opposing nominee Senator Barack Obama, no one could be surprised ... least of all Palin and her political partner McCain.

In Virginia, Obama was mocking McCain's promise to bring change to Washington. He claimed McCain is just like President George W. Bush. And then the line of the day was uttered.

"You can put lipstick on a pig ... it's still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It's still going to stink after eight years," Obama said, as the crowd erupted into shouts and applause.

All of a sudden, like a little kid running to tattle to mamma, McCain's campaign shouted foul, called the remark "offensive and disgraceful," and claimed Obama owed an apology to Palin.

Somebody needs to remind McCain and his campaign officials what was taught in Political Science 101 ... winning is everything, and everything is fair game. Somebody also needs to remind the Republicans that one doesn't open a door, if one doesn't want the opponent to walk through that open door.

Obama claims the remark was not targeting Palin, but instead was directed to McCain's claim to being an agent of change and a maverick. Does anybody really believe that?

Truth is, this is a political campaign ... a fight to the finish to gain the two most powerful jobs in the United States. McCain, Palin, Obama, and Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden are seeking to become the leaders of the free world. Let's face it, these four people are in search of power and history. Consequently, they will do anything -- anything they can get away with -- to pander to the voters and win November's election.

To whine over the "lipstick" remark is petty, childish, and ridiculous. It is reminiscent of the principal reciting the pre-school rhyme of "sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me."

Do Americans really want a president and vice president who whine over words that bite? What will happen -- if McCain and Palin win -- when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says something nasty, or if Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi issues a threat to veto a White House backed measure? Will the duo call their mothers, dispatch the Secret Service, or call out an elite Army unit?

The Republicans need to grow thick skin and wait their turn to get even, because the Democrats will, sooner or later, do something upon which the McCain and Palin ticket will capitalize.

" ... or so this news junkie thinks!"