THE New Yorker magazine’s cover portrays Barack Obama wearing a turban and fist bumping his gun-toting wife. The Stars and Stripes burns in the fireplace. A portrait of Osama bin Laden takes pride of place on the mantelpiece.

It’s not a photo. It’s a cartoon. Obama campaign spokesman, Bill Burton, takes a look:

“The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama’s right-wing critics have tried to create. But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive –- and we agree.”

A press release says the artist Barry Blitt “satirizes the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the presidential election to derail Barack Obama’s campaign.”

The cover has been described as “offensive” and “trash” and “just as bad as Fox News” - all by journalists keen to examaine evey detail of the Race (oops!) for the White House.

But the best laugh is to be had when David Remnick, the mag’s editor, tells Rachel Sklar:

“Obviously I wouldn’t have run a cover just to get attention…”

Why, that’s as clear as the bomb vest under Obama’s man dress…

Note: Isn’t it extremist Muslims who get uspet by cartoons?

Posted: 14th, July 2008 | In: Anorak In New York, Barack Obama, Politicians, Race For The White House. Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0