Putting lipstick on a pig — who said it first?

From the London Times online, this retrospective:

“You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig”

Barack Obama, on Tuesday, on John McCain's campaign adopting his “change” mantra

“I think they put some lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig”

John McCain, in October 2007, on Hillary Clinton's healthcare plan

“John Kerry tries to put a bunch of fancy, fancy talk . . . but there is nothing you can do to really - to really obscure that record. You can try, though . . . We call it putting lipstick on a pig”

Lynne Cheney during the 2004 presidential campaign

“Mr President, it's not that easy. This town is full of people very experienced when it comes to putting lipstick on a pig”

GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Washington in April 2004

From lipsticks to mudslicks in US election - Times Online