RIP, George Carlin: if only politicians were as courageous as you

George Carlin, the beloved taboo-busting comedian who became a countercultural icon, died of heart failure at age 71 over the weekend. One of his most famous comic riffs, "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television," caused his arrest and resulted in ~~grade-schoolers giggling at their parents' Carlin LPs in basements nationwide~~ a Supreme Court decision about broadcasting offensive language.

Those seven words are still not allowed on TV today. Imagine all the words Carlin never could have said if he'd been a politician in our prissy, puritanical society. Around election time, politicians (and their wives) learn the hard way what they can and can't say. In honor of Carlin, we humbly suggest the key players in 2008's election know exactly which words they can never say on television.

The Seven Words They Can Never Say on Television

John McCain