Obama: Mag Cover Insults Muslim Americans

Says New Yorker Cartoon Of Him And His Wife Is "Not What America's All About"

(CBS/AP)  Democrat Barack Obama said Tuesday that the New Yorker magazine's satirical cover depicting him and his wife as flag-burning, fist-bumping radicals doesn't bother him but that it was an insult to Muslim Americans.

"You know, there are wonderful Muslim Americans all across the country who are doing wonderful things," the presidential candidate told CNN's Larry King. "And for this to be used as sort of an insult, or to raise suspicions about me, I think is unfortunate. And it's not what America's all about."

Obama blamed himself for not being forceful enough in challenging some of the rumors about him, including that he is Muslim. Obama is Christian.

The son of a Kenyan father, Obama lived in the largely Muslim nation of Indonesia as a child. He dealt with similar questions in February after a photo surfaced of him wearing traditional Kenyan clothing during a visit to Africa in 2006.

The cover of the magazine, which hit newsstands Monday, depicts Obama in traditional Muslim clothing - sandals, robe and turban - while his wife, Michelle, has an assault rifle slung over one shoulder and is dressed in camouflage and combat boots with her hair in an Afro. A flag burns in a fireplace behind them as they bump fists, and a portrait of Osama bin Laden hangs above the mantel.

New Yorker Editor David Remnick told the Huffington Post Web site the cover was chosen because it had something to say.

When first asked about it on Sunday, Obama declined comment. His spokesman, Bill Burton, said it was "tasteless and offensive."

Obama said he's developed "a pretty thick skin" running for president and has "seen and heard worse."

"I do think that, you know, in attempting to satirize something, they probably fueled some misconceptions about me instead," he said. "But, you know, that was their editorial judgment. And as I said, ultimately, it's a cartoon, it's not where the American people are spending a lot of their time thinking about."

In an interview with CBS News' The Early Show on Tuesday, Republican John McCain denounced the magazine cover.

"If it's an attempt at satire, it's wrong," McCain told Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez. "It's wrong and it's offensive." (Watch the full interview with McCain.)

[zzzzzzzizi]

BURNING THE AMERICAN FLAG AND A PICTURE OF OSAMA BIN LADEN IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND YOU FIND THIS FUNNY??????

[rowdywicca]

Strange isn''t it...where was the uproar when all the Hillary Clinton cartoons came out...the one with the "B***ch" word on it, the one with the "C" word on it...where was your outrage when the bigoted media said ***** LIKE THIS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcdnlNZg2iM

And NOT ONE OF YOU OBJECTED!

And you''re whining over a satirical cartoon...that basically tells it like it is with these Chicago goons!

Whatta bunch of hypocrites!!!

[rowdywicca]

Strange isn''t it...where was the uproar when all the Hillary Clinton cartoons came out...the one with the "B***ch" word on it, the one with the "C" word on it...where was your outrage when the bigoted media said ***** LIKE THIS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcdnlNZg2iM

And NOT ONE OF YOU OBJECTED!

And you''re whining over a satirical cartoon...that basically tells it like it is with these Chicago goons!

Whatta bunch of hypocrites!!!

[johnmcsame]

Obama should stop denying his muslim faith.

[johnmcsame]

A black man of arab muslim hertiage and who strongly supports black liberation theology is not the right person to lead this nation.

[intelliwoman]

Ah.. Isn''t minute man so cute?

[intelliwoman]

Obama8years-
I''ve attended Easter mass at a friend''s Catholic church but I''m not a Catholic and attended a service at my mother''s Lutheran church but I''m not a Lutheran and my son''s "godmother" is Jewish and I''ve been present when she has recited Hebrew and lit Chanukah candles but
I''m not Jewish. But you say idiotic things so clearly you are an idiot.

[dnsallday]

If Iraq was not a threat to us, then why did the us remove last week, 550 tons of %u201Cyellowcake%u201D -- the seed material for higher-grade nuclear enrichment. Why is Iran refining uranium for nuclear weapons. Which they will not have a problem using on us. Where will you liberals be when they nuke New York.

Posted by willyhenail
********************************************************
Things like this make it easier to understand why we ended up with a coward like George Bush for President for the past 7 years.

The dumbing down of America has been an outstanding success.

[dnsallday]

Ariel133
Really impressed with your cut and paste skills.
Same misinformation copied on all the blogs. Time to change your user name, you have zero credibility.
(unless your reading skills are so poor, that you really can''t understand what you are reading)

[kstar42]

This just reminds me of dumb and dumber. Now I know I won''t be voting come this november.....or should I just say eanie, meanie, minie, moe? I think I''ll just write in Hillary Clinton.............................