AN ATTEMPT by the Republican nominee, John McCain, to depict his rival Barack Obama as a shallow, publicity-seeking celebrity, little better than Paris Hilton or Britney Spears, has triggered a storm of criticism from commentators and outrage from an unusual quarter: Hilton's grandfather. According to reports, the McCain campaign office received a furious phone call from William Barron Hilton who took issue with the comparison between Senator Obama and his granddaughter.