Obama: Mag Cover Insults Muslim Americans
Says New Yorker Cartoon Of Him And His Wife Is "Not What America's All About"
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Is The Obama 'Satire' Funny?
The New Yorker cover depicting Barack Obama as a Muslim radical has sparked a firestorm of controversy - but is it funny? Harry Smith asks that question of political comedian Nancy Giles.
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McCain: New Yorker Was Wrong
In an exclusive interview with Maggie Rodriguez, Sen. John McCain called a New Yorker cover cartoon picturing Barack Obama as a radical "wrong" and "offensive."
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Obamas Portrayed As Terrorists
The New Yorker calls it satire, but many say there's nothing funny about the magazine's latest cover. It paints Barack Obama and his wife as terrorists. Drew Levinson reports.
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Michelle and Barrack Obama and the cover of the July 21 issue of the New Yorker. (AP/CBS/The New Yorker)
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Photo Essay
Barack Obama
A look at the life and meteoric rise of the president-elect.
"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.)
©MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.




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See all 269 CommentsWhat a slick politician.
He passes the buck to the muslims.
Way to go wimp.
Wonder how the "bitter" people who cling to their guns and religion feel now. Talk about a double standard, Obama has now set the bar as high as a pole vaulter. Obama is just an elite liberal, more liberal than anyone in the congress. He always talks down to everyone.
Does anyone really buy Obama''s spin???
Obama is just disgusting.
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Sounds very Fascist to me.
Posted by Platteman at 10:07 AM :
No he doesn''t, you just have to have an IQ higher than mud to understand him.
Swine. Get lives.
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LMAO. What a NAZI you are. Your Fascist views reflect an ignorance that befuttling.
Swine. Get lives. Posted by legacyABQ
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Your comments reflect your stereotyping and make you no better than a Racist is. Continue down that hatred road and tell me how that is working for you?
It''s time to cut out political correctness. I''m sick and tired of being overly concerned about illegals'' feelings, the feelings of non-English speaking foreigners, the inability to profile based on race, height, skin tone, hair color, age! This is becoming a joke and the citizenry of America are taking it in the shorts. Start using English only and no more "press 1 for English". Just a simple question, why is it that Spanish speaking people are the only ones who can''t learn English????? Why not press 1 for French, German, Farsi, etc? Disgusting isn''t it and we''ve just about had it.
And who gets upset about stupid cartoons, anyway?
MUSLIMS.
Posted by ddhinnyc
ddhinnyc, yup you''ve once again proved we are a nation of IDIOTS, and you win today''s prize! Read the article, Obama was not that upset about the cartoon, 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."
a nominee who still thinks Czechoslovakia is a country.
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Everyone knows McCain doesn''t think Czechoslovakia is a country. He just mis-spoke by not saying "former Czechoslovakia." Another group of countries in this region have been officially using FYR...which stands for Former Yugoslavia Republic. So it is easy to stumble on this no matter who you are.
The real issue is the spin Obama and his followers have put on this. Obama has retracted or clarified his statements many times, but McCain isn''t allowed to do that?
The fact is, if you mention Obama''s race it is allegedly a bad thing. However, he feels free to attack McCain on the basis of age. That''s pretty bad and highly discriminatory.
There are 35.9 million people age 65 and over in the US. Each one needs to vote against Obama for under-handed comments by him and his followers against the mature citizens of America.
Dear right wing hacks,
Obama is a Christian and has never been a Muslim or attended a Muslim school. Your swift-boating tactics represent the worst of what the American political discussion has become. If you have to lie, spin, smear and spread fear to win then what you support is not what this country wants or needs. It''s time you put your country before your party.
I HOPE YOU MEANT THIS FOR OBAMA AND HIS LIBERAL LOSERS.
saingingrick said : "It''''''''s time you put your country before your party."
I HOPE YOU MEANT THIS FOR OBAMA AND HIS LIBERAL LOSERS.
Posted by Ariel133 at 10:44 AM : Jul 16, 2008
What are you trying to say? Be specific if you can.
OBAMA HAS ALWAYS PUT HIS PARTY BEFORE HIS COUNTRY. THIS IS NOT A TRUE LEADER. MCCAIN, ON THE OTHER HAND, KNOWS BETTER
OBAMA HAS ALWAYS PUT HIS PARTY BEFORE HIS COUNTRY. THIS IS NOT A TRUE LEADER. MCCAIN, ON THE OTHER HAND, KNOWS BETTER
Posted by Ariel133 at 10:47 AM : Jul 16, 2008
Again, what exactly are you talking about? Do you have any examples or are you just making baseless accusations taken from talking point scripts?
1.
"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 . . . ."
If it doesn''t bother him,
what does that say about obama?
Sorry miss/mr CEO of a large corporation--the "majority" of whites in this country are NOT racist bigots like you--many are intelligent and logical enough to recognize the situation this country is in cannot be repaired by the likes of a "I Can Win Any War" McCain mindset.
We need a leader who will not begin a war for oil, we need a leader who has the presence of mind for what is best for OUR country ABOVE what fits into his greedy pockets.
We need a leader who has the forethough to bring pride, honesty and honor back to Americans and has the needs of our country at the forefront of his decision making.
McCain---war--surge--war
Dear Left Wing Hacks,
Your liberal views have done severe damage to America. Most Americans realize that and that is why...
Kerry
Gore
Dukakis
Carter (ousted after one term)
Mondale
McGovern
...have been vanquished by American voters. We don''t like what you offer. People voted for the Devil (GW) rather than elect Kerry, and that is a major statement against American liberal politics.
Obama will be as bad for America as the others.
McCain is strong in the polls not because he is running a visible campaign or even because he is any good. He is likely to win simply because he is not a Left Wing Hack.
Tell me what American Culture Doesnt Offend Muslims.
Does Baseball Hotdogs Offend
Does Alchohol Offend
Does Gyms where men and women work out offend
Does Schools that dont give them 5 times a day to pray to Mecca ...Offend
Does Christmas offend them
Does Hannakah Offend them
Muslims in America cannot and will not assimilate.
Look at Dearborn, Michigan(little Palestine) where they have a loudspeaker in the town that does what Obama calls the most beautiful sound ever, Call to Prayers.
Posted by Obama8years at 11:00 AM : Jul 16, 2008
And your racism is offensive to God and everyone else--
Posted by dowell100 at 10:59 AM
Hahahahahahahaha
Last Friday, Muslims in Dearborn, Michigan, held an anti-American, anti-Israel demonstration. Protestors carried a large model of Jerusalem%u2019s Al-Aqsa Mosque and waved signs bearing slogans such as %u201CUS Hands Off Muslim Land.%u201D But the most arresting image was of a Muslim woman carrying a large sign featuring the face of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Time dims memories. I wonder if any onlooker at the demonstration saw the Khomeini sign and remembered those tense days of the Iranian hostage crisis, when Khomeini%u2019s regime violated the traditional sanctity of the embassy and held 50 Americans for month after month while Jimmy Carter dithered. I wonder if any of the onlookers knew that Khomeini%u2019s triumph in Iran in 1979 embodied the idea that Islamic law was superior to all other ways to order societies, and must be pressed forward by force. As Khomeini himself put it: %u201CIslam makes it incumbent on all adult males, provided they are not disabled or incapacitated, to prepare themselves for the conquest of countries so that the writ of Islam is obeyed in every country in the world....But those who study Islamic Holy War will understand why Islam wants to conquer the whole world.%u201D
Posted by Obama8years at 11:07 AM : Jul 16, 2008
A white guy shot a bunch of Amish school children down the road - a horrible, heinous act any way you look at it.
So I presume "Obama8years" would have me kill him, then all the other white people, and then commit suicide?
Over the past week it''s been reported that two charities in Dearborn were raided by the FBI. One of those charities, Goodwill Charitable Organization, was shut down for funding terrorism. According to the Detroit Free Press, the second charity,
Al-Mabbarat Charitable Organization- USA, had its computers seized and its operations hindered even though it has not been tied to terrorist operations.
Obama is a Christian and has never been a Muslim or attended a Muslim school. Your swift-boating tactics represent the worst of what the American political discussion has become. If you have to lie, spin, smear and spread fear to win then what you support is not what this country wants or needs. It''''s time you put your country before your party.
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Posted by singingrick at 10:42 AM : Jul 16, 2008
BEST POST OF THE YEAR! Well done, singingrick!
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A white guy shot a bunch of Amish school children down the road - a horrible, heinous act any way you look at it.
So I presume "Obama8years" would have me kill him, then all the other white people, and then commit suicide?
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A white guy shot a bunch of Amish school children down the road - a horrible, heinous act any way you look at it.
So I presume "Obama8years" would have me kill him, then all the other white people, and then commit suicide?
what does that say about obama?
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Posted by rushlimpdrug at 10:50 AM : Jul 16, 2008
It says that he''s an adult and a real American!
And so would all the right-wing neocon nutjobs like those who post here.
Posted by Obama8years at 11
What do you think make up this country? We are a country of many ethnic backgrounds--many at one time have been unacceptable at one time or another--the Japanese, Irish, Italians and Germans to name a few.
What makes this country so great and separates us from the rest of the world, is the fact that we have so much diversion and we all accept each other for what we are.
We respect each others differences and on the most part, understand them.
Islam is a new venture for us--and anyone with and degree of intelligence knows, not all Muslims are terrorists--and until the people who have not allowed them to become familiar with the "average" Muslim--there will be the "fear" you display.
They are "different" but being "different" isn''t always bad.
Posted by Obama8years at 11:15 AM : Jul 16, 2008
Ahhhh...so it is not the quality of the bestial act, but the quantity?
So tell me: How many white, nominally "Christian" people have to commit murder and/or rape and/or child molestation before you would have me go a''huntin''?
Posted by Nancy_Naive at 11:
And let us not forget the poorly disfigured ex-wife he couldn''t be seen with anymore.
And the Republicans will deliver us from the watelands (oh, wait - it was the Republicans who created the wasteland)
Consumer prices shot up in June at the second-fastest pace in 26 years with two-thirds of the surge blamed on soaring energy prices. (But it''''ll be fixed by offshore drilling, right?)
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Yes, I remember 26 years ago. Democrat Jimmy Carter was in office and home mortague rates we 18% plus. No one could buld or buy a house back then either. Did I mention that Jimmy Carter was a Democrat?
We may be in a slowdown now, but we will go into a prolonged economic depression if Obama is elected.
He follows the same liberal economic agenda as Carter and other Democrats (tax people to death)and the inexperienced Obama will make the same mistakes about economic matter.
America has very dark economic days ahead if Obama is elected. The last 8 years will look like the glory days by comparison.
"Obama occasionally followed his stepfather to the mosque for Friday prayers, a few neighbors said" %u2013 confirming that he did pray in the mosque.
"Obama''s 3rd-grade teacher at the Catholic school, who lived near the family [said that] %u2018Rarely, Barry went to the mosque with Lolo''" %u2013 confirming that Obama attended mosque services.
All this matters, for if Obama once was a Muslim, he is now what Islamic law calls a murtadd (apostate), an ex-Muslim converted to another religion who must be executed. Were he elected president of the United States, this status, clearly, would have large potential implications for his relationship with the Muslim world.
In sum: Obama was an irregularly practicing Muslim who rarely or occasionally prayed with his step-father in a mosque. This precisely substantiates my statement that he "for some years had a reasonably Muslim upbringing under the auspices of his Indonesian step-father."
Therefore, what MMfA calls the "Obama-Muslim falsehood" is in fact confirmed by both articles as truthful and accurate.
Calling this a falsehood is in itself a falsehood.
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