The folks at FreeRepublic have found an interesting... uh, shall we say coincidence... concerning Barack Obama's widely panned September 9 comments made at a rally in Virginia where he seemed to be saying that Governor Palin was a "pig" by referencing the "lipstick" quote from her acceptance speech at the GOP convention. It is looking like Obama's comments were not off the cuff, but scripted. And, not only were they scripted, but they were stolen without attribution from a Washington Post political cartoon by Tom Toles from September 5. Will the media notice?
Obama tried to quip that "you can put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig" when attacking the McCain/Palin record. But the entire segment, including the previous comments leading up to the insensitive "pig" line, are almost word for word from the Tom Toles cartoon from September 5.
Transcript:
John McCain says he's about change too. Exce- and and so I guess his whole angle is - watch out, George Bush - except for economic policy, healthcare policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy, and Karl-Rove-style politics, we're really gonna shake things up in Washington.
That's not change.
That's that's just callin' sumpin' the same thing somethin' different.
But you know, you can't, you know, you you can put, ah, lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig.
And now for the cartoon...
You can see for yourself that the entire segment before his "pig" quip matches the Toles cartoon nearly word-for-word.
So, now we have a few points to ponder. Will the Obama campaign admit that this whole bit was lifted from Tom Toles? And are we to understand that the Obama campaign is now being programmed by cartoons? And will the Old Media confront Obama on his little theft from a cartoon?
See ya in the funny papers, Barack.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Cool
September 10, 2008 - 05:10 ET by well99I wonder how Obama will explain this.
He won't. You don't think
September 10, 2008 - 05:15 ET by motherbeltHe won't. You don't think anyone in the MSM is actually going to ask him about this, do you?
MB
September 10, 2008 - 05:22 ET by well99True they will cover for him.
So What
September 10, 2008 - 14:12 ET by ChuckM from PAThat quote is old, and lots of people use it, so if Obama uses it, SO WHAT.
I suspect the cartoon will
September 10, 2008 - 05:23 ET by ThisnThatI suspect the cartoon will quietly disappear. The cartoonist might disappear too, or be forced to offer an apology to Obama for pre-stealing his political comment.
___________________________________
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
TNT
September 10, 2008 - 05:29 ET by well99I saved in to the harddrive.Besides the cartoon was done Sept 5.
Two examples...
September 10, 2008 - 05:28 ET by joejm65Two examples of scripted remarks in one statement. First, he ripped off the cartoon, that's obvious. And, the 'lipstick on a pig' line which he's trying to pass off as a common saying was actually the title of a post on mybarackobama.com, dated two days before he actually said it live. Both comments were scripted before he spoke in PA, there's nothing 'off the cuff' about his performances. He's practicing his 'townhall' style so he doesn't get totally crushed at the debates and, so far, it looks like he still has some work to do.
His ums and uhs
September 10, 2008 - 05:30 ET by Warner Todd HustonWhen he gets out of his teleprompter comfort zone, his ums and uhs are horrendous, too.
The Biden Effect
September 10, 2008 - 05:55 ET by sawing battaFolks, this is simply the impact of having known plagiarist, Joe Biden, on your ticket...he's great at lifting other people's work and weaving it into his own speeches...he's simply sharing the love with Barry. what a team.
If this was mccain and palin had been caught cheating like Biden was, would this story be front and center? just askin'
Maybe
September 10, 2008 - 05:57 ET by Warner Todd HustonMaybe Neil Kinnock sent Biden the cartoon and Biden accidentally let Obama see it sitting on a table on the campaign plane?
;)
Media Querying Obama
September 10, 2008 - 05:56 ET by kiwikitIt'll never happen. I still haven't heard anyone ask him to name the 57 states he'd visited. The 'pigs with lipstick' was in a NARAL comment on the day after Sarah's speech, when they equated to the GOP.
Obama's brain on drugs
September 10, 2008 - 06:01 ET by DontFeedTheTrollsWell, you can put lipstick on an idiot, and hand him a microphone, and give him a supporting cast of thousands in the MSM, and dupe millions of Americans with 'hope and change' smoke and mirrors, but in the end, he will still be an idiot.
D
Keep the ILLEGALS out, join NumbersUSA to send free faxes to your reps.
An unintended benifit...
September 10, 2008 - 06:10 ET by AmericanEnergist...of choosing Joe Biden as his wingman. Joe gets BO great speech-making ideas!
A possible nominee for the Milton Berle 'I swear it's my material' Award!!
:P
www.ArmchairEnergist...
Lets see if I can do it. "My Muslim faith" ... "Pigs."
September 10, 2008 - 06:30 ET by CrashYes, Muslims love to call the us in the west "pigs."
On it's face the quote sounds like an old expression. But, if Barack Hussein Obama didn't know that his audience was laughing because the word "lipstick" ... he's a bigger moron than his speech writers, as are his defenders. Guilt by inference.
Guilt by inference?! How
September 10, 2008 - 06:40 ET by JasonCGuilt by inference?! How delightfully Draconian. Inference is an act performed by the listener, not the speaker. In other words, you suggest that Obama's (or anyone's) guilt is determined by what somebody, anybody, anywhere might read into it.
The similarity of BO's speech to that cartoon is, indeed, a bit close for comfort. I don't know what the statutes on "plagiarizing cartoons for stump speches" are, exactly, especially when the lifted words are so shopworn, cliche, and obvious. Can't say I much care.
The 'pig' comment, however, was in no way -semantically or subtextually - about Palin. To suggest that it was requires some serious linguistic contortions. And to assume that Obama's remark must have been about Palin simply because that aphorism involves lipstick and Palin is the most prominent woman in the campaign - to infer such a thing - suggests more chauvinism and sexism on the part of the person making that accusation than it does on Obama's part.
"They seem to believe that high moral indignation offsets and indeed outweighs all deficiencies of punctuation, grammar, spelling, logic, and style. In support of this notion there's only the entire culture." -R.R.
I thought that yesterday,
September 10, 2008 - 06:50 ET by guefyI thought that yesterday, but I've since changed my mind because of other recent statements.
Jason
September 10, 2008 - 07:17 ET by well99"John McCain says he's about change too. Exce- and and so I guess his whole angle is - watch out, George Bush - except for economic policy, healthcare policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy, and Karl-Rove-style politics, we're really gonna shake things up in Washington."
He left out a few words and added a few.Shopworn?Shoot then someone who googles it should be able to find a couple hundred links right.
I don't entirely understand
September 10, 2008 - 08:42 ET by JasonCI don't entirely understand what you're trying to say here, but my comment was simply that Obama's criticisms of McCain are indeed old, oft-cited, nonspecific characterizations of McCain's politics. Hence, mine was a criticism of Obama.
"They seem to believe that high moral indignation offsets and indeed outweighs all deficiencies of punctuation, grammar, spelling, logic, and style. In support of this notion there's only the entire culture." -R.R.
Jason
September 10, 2008 - 08:49 ET by well99The bottom line is he stole the speech.He was using the caption from a cartoon.As many speech writers as he has and he uses something from a cartoon.That is pathetic.
For sure. The structure
September 10, 2008 - 11:36 ET by JasonCFor sure. The structure of his comment is obviously to similar to the cartoon's for this to be coincidental. I'm simply saying that it's not like he stole some Swiftian bon mots. It's simply a list of McCain's shortcomings, phrased in a particular (though not unique way). I would see it differently if it had been some sort of marvel of wit and rhetoric. I can't imagine why he so closely paraphrased the cartoon, given your correct summary of his writers and such, but the words themselves are so generic that it barely even registers with me.
"They seem to believe that high moral indignation offsets and indeed outweighs all deficiencies of punctuation, grammar, spelling, logic, and style. In support of this notion there's only the entire culture." -R.R.
Pig in a poke
September 10, 2008 - 07:34 ET by DontFeedTheTrollsAnd to assume that Obama's remark must have been about Palin simply because that aphorism involves lipstick and Palin. . .
Hmmm, who was it that said 'the difference between a soccer mom and a pitbull is lipstick'? Palin. Obama's response, 'lipstick on a pig'. So who's the pig, Palin or the pitbull?
D
Keep the ILLEGALS out, join NumbersUSA to send free faxes to your reps.
First of all, it would seem
September 10, 2008 - 08:40 ET by JasonCFirst of all, it would seem that Palin's unminced statement that soccer moms are dogs with lipstick is a bit more offensive than anything Obama said. Second, it is just as likely that Obama was using a 50-year-old aphorism and that Palin's use of the word lipstick is an unfortunate coincidence that simply suggests shenanigans. Maybe I'm naive. But if you want to argue that Obama was underhandedly calling her a pig, despite the fact that her name does not appear in the statement, it will require argument, not simply accepting what Warner or Sean Hannity claims.
"They seem to believe that high moral indignation offsets and indeed outweighs all deficiencies of punctuation, grammar, spelling, logic, and style. In support of this notion there's only the entire culture." -R.R.
Jeeze what disingenuous crap you spew
September 10, 2008 - 08:58 ET by Warner Todd HustonJason, you are a spin artist so filled with dog crap that it boggles the mind.
This was simple, partisan, foolishness. A JOKE, dude... it was a joke. And further, it hurt no one because it was self-deprecating! Even worse, you know full well that you just totally damaged your credibility. You act as if you are better than this sort of brainless claptrap. Obviously you don't know yourself so well.
Except that she made it a signature phrase. It has been oft repeated and is now tired directly to her to people in the political loop. Obama knows this. He KNOWS that the phrase is linked inexorably with Palin, now, regardless of how long the saying has been about. If Palin had never made the lip stick reference, Obama's quip would have been just rhetoric.
It is disingenuous of both Obama AND you to pretend otherwise.
And, notice all the stumbling he did around the lip stick comment? He KNEW he was in dangerous territory. That is why all the ums and uhs and stumbling.
But, he counted on back benders and excuse makers like you to help him obscure the truth of the matter. It was the same sort of lie Obama used with the "McCainw ants to be in Iraq 100 years" garbage and the same sort of people -- like you -- he counted on to smooth his lie into an assumption of truth.
Face it. You are worse than a Karl Rove because you claim to be his better, yet use his sort of tactics every day right here on NewsBusters.
Hypocrite.
"I went to the fights and a hockey game broke out!"
September 10, 2008 - 09:17 ET by Crash"First of all, it would seem that Palin's unminced statement that soccer moms are dogs with lipstick is a bit more offensive than anything Obama said." Nope.
The direct set up eliminates that argument. She didn't say "dogs", she said "pit bull." Pit bulls are known as vicious fighters and that is the correlation; therefor hockey moms are fighters.
Last I checked, pit bulls
September 10, 2008 - 11:50 ET by JasonCLast I checked, pit bulls were canine. Try comparing your wife or girlfriend to a specific breed of dog, even if you mean it nicely: "Your as sweet as a Larador Retriever" - "Cute as a poodle". I do not foresee this going over well.
Yeah, I see your point and all, but how is Palin's statement any different than Obama's, especially since Obama's is an old, old saying. It's a complete double standard.
Isn't it likely that Obama faltered as he began to say what he said because he realized just then the knee-jerk inferences that could be made from it? That just as he started to say what he was going to say he realized "Oh crap that pompous ass Hannity is going to dedicate a whole show to this"? Why on earth would he do this on purpose? It doesn't make sense. That would only appeal to a particularly rabid subset of the people who will vote for him anyway. Give the man a little credit.
Warner, your remarks to me are unwarranted and silly. First of all, Palin has been on the scene for a week and a half. I'm not sure we can start calling anything her "signature line" yet. She does not yet have a monopoly on certain forms of rhetoric (no matter how crass or 'self-deprecating'). More to the point, Obama's speech did not, contextually or otherwise, involve any reference to Palin. But because she mentioned lipstick once, it is a lock that Obama is calling HER a pig. Nope, sorry, not gonna fly. You can point out the similarities and the implications all day long, but it is something else entirely to claim that you are privy to Obama's intentions.
Three more quick things:
Worse than Karl Rove? How to take that, coming from a conservative? The mind reels.
If I was one of those people who comes on NB every day, my head would have exploded long ago.
Hypocrite? How? In order to be hypocritical there would have to be some fundamental contradiction in my argument. In case you couldn't parse this, I'm not actually criticizing Palin for comparing hockey moms to dogs. Just puzzled that that is somehow considered more acceptable in the context of this conversation.
"They seem to believe that high moral indignation offsets and indeed outweighs all deficiencies of punctuation, grammar, spelling, logic, and style. In support of this notion there's only the entire culture." -R.R.
Jason.....I will make this real simple to.....
September 10, 2008 - 13:01 ET by BEGRUNTunderstand. Whether he meant it or not....it is the PERCEPTION that your average american got, especially looking at the audience reaction to the statement. That is the bottom line. Should he have used another analogy, especially within a week of Palins speech? Damn right he should of!! For someone who is supposed to be the smartest guy in the room......this was a bone head move. If he didnt say it off the cuff, whoever wrote it for him should be fired immediately. At the very least it was in bad taste.
"If a man does his best, what else is there"?
General George S. Patton Jr.
Not sure we can call this her signature?
September 10, 2008 - 13:16 ET by BlondeOkay, Jason. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt that you didn't see her speech at the RNC, or this particular clip of it.
She was doing a bit of bio about herself (and the teleprompter wigged out apparently)....she said "I'm a hockey mom". Then going off script (and I'm paraphrasing here), said with an obvious question mark "The difference between a pitbull and a hockey mom?"
Then, she pointed at her mouth. "Lipstick".
So you are just wrong about the the signature thing.
Admit it or not, I don't particularly care.
But Obama knew exactly what can of worms he was opening when he made that remark. He just couldn't help himself.
BTW, I'm not particularly offended by the remark, just the "lack of judgement" and denials....that offends me.
David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
OK fine. Have it your
September 10, 2008 - 13:29 ET by JasonCOK fine. Have it your way. It's her signature.
All that means is that your party's VP candidate's signature line involves the improbable combination of 'hockey moms', vicious dogs, and 'lipstick'. Kudos.
"They seem to believe that high moral indignation offsets and indeed outweighs all deficiencies of punctuation, grammar, spelling, logic, and style. In support of this notion there's only the entire culture." -R.R.
Thank you
September 10, 2008 - 13:35 ET by BlondeI like tenacity in a conservative.
I thought you liberals were so nuanced that you'd grasp the obvious in the symbolism....I didn't think I'd need to spell that out for you. Oh well.
David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
Fair enough Blonde. If
September 10, 2008 - 15:27 ET by JasonCFair enough Blonde. If you're happy with it, I'm happy for you.
"They seem to believe that high moral indignation offsets and indeed outweighs all deficiencies of punctuation, grammar, spelling, logic, and style. In support of this notion there's only the entire culture." -R.R.
wow
September 10, 2008 - 09:08 ET by candanceWhen Obama brags about being more famous than Paris Hilton, he's being "self depricating." When Palin compares herself to a ferocious dog, she's insulting hockey moms.
I'm dizzy just from thinking about that spin.
Can we use the same logic
September 10, 2008 - 07:54 ET by T-Bone Mass"...to infer such a thing - suggests more chauvinism and sexism on the part of the person making that accusation than it does on Obama's part..."
Can we use this same logic with the "veiled racial remarks" charges from the left?
I don't see why
September 10, 2008 - 08:36 ET by JasonCI don't see why not.
"They seem to believe that high moral indignation offsets and indeed outweighs all deficiencies of punctuation, grammar, spelling, logic, and style. In support of this notion there's only the entire culture." -R.R.
He isn't very honest, but he's obvious at least.
September 10, 2008 - 08:46 ET by CrashWatch the tape of the speech (if you haven't already). Notice the moment he say's "lipstick" the audience behind him starts to chuckle. Magician's use this "forcing" technique all of the time. It was a calculated move (speech).
To be fair...
September 10, 2008 - 06:31 ET by c5thenThe core saying "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig" has been around at least since the 1940's and probably before that too.
However, the leadup to using that phrase shure does sound an awful lot like the cartoon.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
I've changed my mind.
September 10, 2008 - 06:48 ET by guefyI've changed my mind. Yesterday I posted that I didn't really think O said Palin was a pig. After just a few hours I now believe he did. Especially seeing that he's getting his talking points from a cartoon. What a joke, literally!
I still don't think that
September 10, 2008 - 07:02 ET by FoolicanI still don't think that the comment was intended for Palin, though the audience made it out to be. But I can see him making this "restatement" at a campaign rally...
Obama: "Sarah Palin thinks I was calling her a pig with... you know, lipstick on it. Well, that wasn't the intent of my comment... (pause) ... but you know, if you think the hunting boot fits, wear it. (applause) Heh. And by the way, McCain, I didn't know you liked to fish. I know sometimes you're fishing for compliments, but... (applause) You know, I like NASCAR and fishing as must as the next guy. That doesn't mean I think the next guy should be running for president, especially if he's just like the last eight years of disaster and terror. (thunderous applause and cheering)
Subject to avoid
September 10, 2008 - 07:18 ET by sanskritgWhether or not Obama read the comic or someone read the comic and paraphrased the idea back to him should be irrelevant to Republicans.
If McCain or Republican surrogates go after this plagiarist line, it will only hurt them because the cartoon makes a visual case stronger than what Obama actually said.
Bad idea.
You are quite wrong, actually
September 10, 2008 - 07:20 ET by Warner Todd HustonIf this became an issue, the actually source and original point would be completely forgotten. The focus quite naturally would be "what did Barack know about this cartoon, and how soon did he know it?"
The cartoon itself and its message will be so far out of the picture that no one will notice it.
Empty Black Suit
September 10, 2008 - 07:45 ET by ChasvsHe's got NOTHING! -- Enough said.
I find it kind of
September 10, 2008 - 07:46 ET by Indiana JoeI find it kind of interesting that, according to the transcript, all of the "ahs" and "ums" are concentrated in the "lipstick on a pig" remark. The previous paras are clean. Hmm, why would he be so nervous about making that remark if it really was as innocent as is being claimed?
I was actually going to post that "lipstick on a pig" is a standard way of referring to change that isn't really change. But all that nervousness for that one line... I bet he knew how it would be taken, and I think he meant it that way.
"... smells like... victory." - Robert Duvall
Stealing intellectual
September 10, 2008 - 07:47 ET by stancoyleStealing intellectual capital, I can see Biden's hands all over this one!
Think of it as
September 10, 2008 - 08:12 ET by VonuAn idea tax.
Obama learned plagiarism long before he added Biden
September 10, 2008 - 07:57 ET by kevinm13Biden is a known plagiarist of Neil Kinnock speeches. Who knows what else he has plagiarized.
Obama has already plagiarized speeches and phrases from others. Taking from political cartoons in the Washington Post is original but not unexpected for a guy who doesn't have a thought of his own and refuses to debate one on one with McCain.
The comment about the lipstick and the pig should be looped and put into a campaign ad with the beginning showing Governor Palin asking about the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull and finishing and I mean that literally, with Obama and his lipstick and pig comment. That would seal the campaign for McCain/Palin.
Damn you, Carl Rove!!!
September 10, 2008 - 07:58 ET by richflanjHe knew Obama would get the WP, and he knew Obama would read and like the cartoon, and he knew his speechwriters would put that in the speech, and he knew Obama would screw up the joke, and he knew that Obama and his campaign would use the lipstick comment as an indirect swipe at Sarah Palin, and he knew the MSM would try to give him cover that wouldn't really work.
Carl Rove knew all of this. It's all HIS fault. He must have planted the cartoon, written the speech, hypnotically induced Obama into screwing up the joke, etc.
So, does that about cover the the mindset of the KOSsacks?
<sarc off>
Actually the expression is
September 10, 2008 - 07:59 ET by stancoyleActually the expression is " Put a silk dress on a Pig and you still have a pig". His changing of the quote was done to refer back to the original creator about the "Lipstick on a Pig " quote.....and the answers is Palin.
I guarantee if John McCain had said that about Hillary or Michelle, there would be a fire storm by the MSM on McCain to drop out of the race for making such statements. Where is the outrage?
Obvious plagiarism
September 10, 2008 - 08:23 ET by Cool ArrowLooks like old Teddy Joe RuxBiden is teaching Flipper Obama all his tricks. What might we hear next?
Rocky & Bullwinkle '08
The plagiarists
September 10, 2008 - 16:01 ET by NorthCoasterNOW COMING TO Democratic rallys around the country:
"THE PLAGIARISTS"
Starring;
BARAK OBAMA as THE ONE
JOE BIDEN as his faithful follower JOSEPH
-Promising to astound the audience with the wit and wisdom of others without atribution.
-Listen as they stumble about without a prompter.
-Hear them take off on wild flights of verbal fantasy.
-Follow their answers to questions answered the way they choose.
-Prepare for the rapturous ending.
another famous quote
September 10, 2008 - 09:01 ET by candanceThat's not change you can believe in; it's change you can xerox.
-Hillary Clinton
Can
September 10, 2008 - 15:39 ET by MrShyIt was brilliant lines like this that catapulted Shrillary to the Democratic nomination.
:p
Obama... a total fraud. Palin... a total hottie.
Palin is a no nonsense "pitbull" Obama is a yappy snappy
September 10, 2008 - 09:57 ET by antivenom.frchihuahua...
When it gets dog to the big dogs running...Obama and Biden will either be left on the porch licking their ????
As I recall Obama hates dogs too...I think that is prevalent among early training and brain washing of youths in Muslim schools.
I think he might not consider himself a Muslim...but he is certainly playing to the Muslim crowd with sound bites.
I also recall MUSLIMS really detest and hate women too.
HMMMMM pattern developing...
OHHH and as for the plagerism...par for the course...Biden and Obama are both theives "of ideas and talking points"
Audio
September 10, 2008 - 10:14 ET by chiefeditorHave you heard the comment? Hear it, and then judge how disingenuous Barack Obama is being about what he meant.
"My muslim Faith."
September 10, 2008 - 10:47 ET by CrashPlay the whole clip starting with the plagiarized portion.
I do believe his audience picks it up as him calling his Palin a pig. I also think the line was place there to attract attention. The crafting of the speech suggests that he was saying that McCain can put a women on his ticket (lipstick), but, Republican's/Rove/Bush/McCain are pigs.
Some of the audio clips I.............
September 10, 2008 - 10:24 ET by BEGRUNTheard this morning....Obama is railing with rightous indignation. This is REALLY going to PO people......they expect an apology, and they get HIS anger........as I said before....he's sinking like a stone, and he's doing himself no favors now. He should fire his entire campaign staff over this one.
"If a man does his best, what else is there"?
General George S. Patton Jr.
I don't believe in coincidences.
September 10, 2008 - 11:20 ET by CrashWe hear that his campaign is running short on cash. So his speech writers no only use text from a cartoon, they insure that it gets run by adding "lipstick on a pig." And look who's getting free coverage. We know that the MSM will avoid calling the first part plagiarism, but, that won't stop them from putting this part of message out: "John McCain says he's about change too. Exce- and and so I guess his whole angle is - watch out, George Bush - except for economic policy, healthcare policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy, and Karl-Rove-style politics, we're really gonna shake things up in Washington. That's not change." Which is written like a campaign commercial attack.
Funds
September 10, 2008 - 16:53 ET by joejm65'We hear that his campaign is running short on cash.'
I think that plays a huge role in what we're seeing now. Obama can't be passive and then go to his supporters and ask for money. Obama is taking Kerry's advice to fight back and not get 'swiftboated' like he did in 2004, even though Kerry has had 4 years to 'fight back' against those charges and hasn't done a damn thing...
Front Page, Warner. Congrats!
September 10, 2008 - 18:16 ET by JoelCTCongratulations, WTH, you made the front page of FoxNews.com!
You're in the big time, now.
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/10/obama-repeatedly-quotes-cartoonist-while-on-campaign-trail/
There we go...
September 10, 2008 - 19:34 ET by Warner Todd HustonHa, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout.
Jedi Huston
September 10, 2008 - 23:01 ET by Cool ArrowDon't let your head swell.
With great power comes great responsibility.
Use these powers only for good.
Rocky & Bullwinkle '08
None Of You Even Knew That Obama Loves Tom Toles?
September 10, 2008 - 22:54 ET by The7SticksI've know for at least a week that Obama regularly refers to some Tom Toles cartoons. It's not that hard to find out if you regularly go to comics-related websites the way I do, like DailyCartoonist.com or ComicsReporter.com. They are treasure troves in news on every aspect of the comics industry, whether it's comic books, comic strips, political cartoons. Some of the best investigating on the Mohammed cartoon controversey has come from these websites, so they're worth a look.
Speaking of which, how I miss For Better Or For Worse... I loved that strip.