"How many US elections are won or lost on the publicity generated by such "unimportant episodes"

Well, Republican Senator George Allen said the word "macaca" which he thought was another term for "BS". The press destroyed him and handed a relatively safe GOP seat to the Dems, gaving them the complete control of Congress.

So, from now on it should be Barack "Lipstick on a Pig" Obama. The partisan new media would do that to their boogiemen the hated Re-pubbies, so why not do it to the Dem.