A struggling economy. Rising unemployment. A crumbling housing market. Ballooning national debt. Disappearing social security and Medicare funds. Surging energy and food prices. Failing financial institutions. A looming environmental catastrophe. Increasing anti-Americanism. Burgeoning terrorist threats.

This is the reality.

No matter your political party or ideology, these are the issues that matter.

And yet, both political campaigns have chosen to spend a fair amount of money and time this week arguing about the phrase 'Lipstick on a pig." It would probably be funny if there weren't so much at stake in this election.

Obama used the phrase in a recent speech, though it is quite clear from the context that he was using it to refer to McCain and his attempt to call himself an 'agent of change' despite the fact that most of his policies are identical to those of the current administration. 'Lipstick on a pig' has been used multiple times in the past by numerous politicians, including at least twice by McCain to describe Hilary Clinton's latest health care plan (The phrase was even the title of a book authored by one of McCain's former advisers).

The assertion by McCain's campaign that Obama was calling Palin a pig is ludicrous.

First of all, Obama didn't even mention Palin's name anywhere near the statement in question. You have to make quite the leap in logic to assert it was a reference, even an oblique one, to her or the speech she gave at the Republican convention.

More importantly, the insult doesn't make sense. Palin is a sexy mama. I'm not at all sure about her qualifications to be President of the United States, but if anything, she's the lipstick here, not the pig.

Personally, I think McCain's campaign is desperately trying to play the gender card here and it seems so beneath the image and substance of the man. I really believe McCain to be a man of high integrity, and I believed him when he insisted earlier that this campaign would be a respectful one focused on the issues.

Yet, I now have serious doubts. I believe McCain's trying to take the high road, feigning innocence while everyone around him engages in the kind of sleazy politics the Republicans are so good at and which, unfortunately, seem to work.

In fact, I'm beginning to believe McCain is the real lipstick in this situation, being smeared on the pig of negative politicking. They are using his good name, his heroic past, his maverick reputation, his long and distinguished legislative career, to try and cover up the fact they are using the same old dirty political playbook in order to get elected.

My hunch is that McCain understands exactly what is going on, and has given at the very least his tacit endorsement of the plan.  And if that's so, then McCain isn't just the lipstick. He's the pig, too.