What is the story behind ';you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig';?

It's an expression that means something hasn't changed even if you've dressed it up to look like something different. Like if you gave an old run down car a paint job, for example. The paint job is the lipstick, the run down car is the pig. It's still an old run down car is the point.





In his example McCain's policies are the pig, calling it ';change'; is the lipstick. The only reason this even got headlines was Palin recently used the word ';lipstick'; in her convention speech. If you actually look at the quote it doesn't even remotely refer to Palin. I think its one of the lowest points of the election that it got so much attention.What is the story behind ';you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig';?
In my speach, when I was talking about my experience about being a hockey mom, I said, ';You know what the difference is between a hockey mom and a pitbull? Lipstick.';





Two days later Obama said ';You can put Lipstick on a Pig but it's still a pig.';





In the context of what he said it wasn't really referring to me, but the timing was so bad that everyone listening thought that he meant to say it with the double meaning.What is the story behind ';you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig';?
Obama used the phrase in reference to McCain/Palin's plan for ';change';. Republicans played the gender card and acted as if he was calling Palin a pig.





McCain had used the phrase earlier this year in reference to Hillary's health care plan.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMPYkNQlJ…





Just dirty politics.





At least Mike Huckabee was reasonable: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXokM9Tax…
Obama is saying that even if he wore lipstick he would still be a pig. He's hard to understand because he hasn't learned how to tell the truth yet. Probably has to do with his communist father.
Obama has a problem with strong women.





He had problems with Hillary and now Governor Palin.





A pattern that is hard to ignore.
he's a freak. he will say freaky things.