Sock sucking for votes

Dana Milbank:

Como se dice "pander" en Español?

The closest translation seems to be saconería, or insincere flattery. In some Latin American countries, the panderer is a sobón, or kiss-up. Others say he's a chupamedias -- literally, one who sucks socks.

But whatever you want to call it, Barack Obama and John McCain were doing it yesterday -- en abundancia .

The candidates appeared separately before the League of United Latin American Citizens at the Washington Hilton, making for a fun-filled afternoon of identity politics. The McCain campaign stocked the audience with posters announcing "Estamos Unidos McCain," while the Obama campaign supplied stickers and posters saying, "Latinos for Obama."

"Sí, se puede!" Obama, who doesn't speak Spanish, said as he arrived on stage.

There was a whole lot of sock-sucking going on.

...

Milbank spares no one in this panderthon. Hispanics will know they have really achieved success in this country when they do not have to organize such events. It is not clear to me that anyone benefits from socks sucking.