New Yorker's Obama cover sparks outrage

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Tuesday, July 15, 2008

2008 United States Presidential Election

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• 30 June 2009: After much contention Al Franken wins Minnesota Senate seat
• 20 January 2009: Obama succeeds Bush as 44th president of the United States
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• 17 January 2009: Man arrested in Mississippi over Internet assassination threats against Barack Obama
• 17 January 2009: Cadillac unveils Obama's 'Beast', the 2009 Presidential State Car

The New Yorker's July 21, 2008 cover illustration by Barry Blitt.

Controversy surrounds a cartoon on the cover of the latest issue of The New Yorker magazine, which portrays United States Presidential contender Barack Obama and his wife Michelle as terrorists.

In the cartoon, Obama dons a robe and turban, while Michelle is dressed in fatigues and carries a gun. The two are in the Oval Office giving each other a fist bump, a greeting which one Fox News Channel commentator has previously called a "terrorist fist jab", while an American flag burns in the fireplace in the background.

The New Yorker indicated that Barry Blitt's cartoon was intended to lampoon "the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the Presidential election to derail Barack Obama’s campaign." Editor David Remnick noted that satire is a useful tool in bringing sensitive issues to people's attention.

Statements from both Obama's campaign office and that of prospective Republican candidate John McCain, however, have condemned the cover as "tasteless and offensive".

The publication continues to defend its position that the cover is a work of satire.

This audio file was created from the text revision dated 2008-07-16 and may not reflect subsequent text edits to this report. (audio help)

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Sources

• "Obama campaign says New Yorker cartoon goes too far". CBC News, July 14, 2008
• "Obama campaign outraged by New Yorker cover". Agence France-Presse, July 14, 2008
• "New Yorker Obama Cover Sparks Uproar". CBS News, July 14, 2008
• Press Release: "In this week’s New Yorker". The New Yorker, July 13, 2008

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