Putting lipstick on a pig is very familiar statement for McCain and Obama.
According to St. Pete Times (more)
On Feb. 1, 2007, McCain blasted a Senate resolution that would have criticized President Bush’s strategy in Iraq: “It gets down to whether you support what is being done in this new strategy or you don’t,” McCain said. “You can put lipstick on a pig, (but) it’s still a pig, in my view.”
In Iowa on Oct. 11, 2007, McCain attacked Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s health care plan with: “I think they put some lipstick on a pig,” McCain said, “but it’s still a pig.”
Obama has used it before too: In September 2007, Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson quoted Obama using the phrase to discuss Iraq policy: P”George Bush has given a mission to General Petraeus, and he has done his best to try to figure out how to put lipstick on a pig.”