New Vocabulary 4: "Barack Obama's Remarks in St. Paul"

From New York Times, "Barack Obama's Remarks in St. Paul," June 3, 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/03/us/politics/03text-obama.html

* tout: (v) to advertise, make known or praise something or someone repeatedly, especially as a way of encouraging their sale, popularity or development.

"My differences with him -- my differences with him are not personal. They are with the policies he has proposed in this campaign, because while John McCain can legitimately tout moments of independence from his party in the past, such independence has not been the hallmark of his presidential campaign."


* innuendo: (n) a remark or remarks that suggest something sexual or something unpleasant but do not refer to it directly.

"But what you don't deserve is another election that's governed by fear, and innuendo, and division. "


* bludgeon: (v) 1. to hit someone hard and repeatedly with a heavy weapon. 2. to force someone to do something.

"What you won't hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge and patriotism as a bludgeon... "