CHICAGO, July 16, 2008

Obama: Mag Cover Insults Muslim Americans

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

  • Play CBS Video Video 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.

  • Video 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."

  • Video 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.

  • Michelle and Barrack Obama and the cover of the July 21 issue of the New Yorker.

    Michelle and Barrack Obama and the cover of the July 21 issue of the New Yorker.  (AP/CBS/The New Yorker)

  • Photo Essay Barack Obama

    A look at the life and meteoric rise of the president-elect.

(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.)

©MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Candidate Profiles & RSS Feeds


Add a Comment See all 267 Comments
by zzzzzzzizi July 17, 2008 4:55 AM EDT
BURNING THE AMERICAN FLAG AND A PICTURE OF OSAMA BIN LADEN IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND YOU FIND THIS FUNNY??????
Reply to this comment
by rowdywicca July 17, 2008 12:51 AM EDT
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!!!
Reply to this comment
by rowdywicca July 17, 2008 12:51 AM EDT
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!!!
Reply to this comment
by johnmcsame July 17, 2008 12:49 AM EDT
Obama should stop denying his muslim faith.
Reply to this comment
by johnmcsame July 17, 2008 12:48 AM EDT
A black man of arab muslim hertiage and who strongly supports black liberation theology is not the right person to lead this nation.
Reply to this comment
by intelliwoman July 17, 2008 12:34 AM EDT
Ah.. Isn''t minute man so cute?
Reply to this comment
by intelliwoman July 17, 2008 12:12 AM EDT
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.
Reply to this comment
by dnsallday July 17, 2008 12:01 AM EDT
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.
Reply to this comment
by dnsallday July 16, 2008 11:59 PM EDT
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)
Reply to this comment
by kstar42 July 16, 2008 11:44 PM EDT
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.............................
Reply to this comment
by ajmarine111 July 16, 2008 11:33 PM EDT
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



All I saw was Obama and his wife on the cover. How does that insult Muslims?
Reply to this comment
by thgdriver July 16, 2008 11:09 PM EDT
When Maria, the reporter from CBS first asked him if he seen the cover and what he thought about it, the empty suit shrugged his shoulders and had a blank look on his face. Why? Because he don''t think well off the cuff. For a minute there I thought he was going to say "present".

Now he had some time to think and his handlers comes up with the usual lame BS.

Reply to this comment
by cfin5 July 16, 2008 10:27 PM EDT
How do you insult a religion that seeks your death if you do not submit, or even if you are not a Shiite, or not a Sunni? They kill each other as fast as they can do it!......Now take a guess about my concerns for the feelings of those who hang around such people.
Reply to this comment
by rowdywicca July 16, 2008 8:55 PM EDT
Obama: Mag Cover Insults Muslim Americans

WHATEVVVVVVERRRRRRRRRR!

What about the damned price of oil?
Reply to this comment
by zerato-2009 July 16, 2008 7:53 PM EDT
As the New York Times reports, the man being tapped by the DNC to head the fundraising for their national convention is well connected lobbyist Steve Farber.
Posted by Ariel133

Has John "No lobbyists in my campaign" Mccain has finally got rid of charlie Black?
Reply to this comment
by ariel133 July 16, 2008 7:45 PM EDT
The leftists of the nutroots went gaga when Barack Obama claimed that he''d stand against taking money from lobbyists with his campaign for president. It was because, of course, he was for a "new era" in politics. He is for "change." Isn''t he special, the nutrooters sigh contentedly.

Well, apparently Obama''s standard of a "new age" in politics doesn''t carry too far into his campaign. Obviously Barack Obama has no real power over the Party from which he claims to head because the Democratic National Convention is being funded by... you guessed it... lobbyists.

As the New York Times reports, the man being tapped by the DNC to head the fundraising for their national convention is well connected lobbyist Steve Farber.
Reply to this comment
by zerato-2009 July 16, 2008 7:37 PM EDT
Was Obama''''s campaign worried about offending Muslims when they wouldn''''t let the Muslim woman sit behind him during a photo shoot a few weeks ago?
Posted by GrammaWhamma

Well It was not obamma''s campaign, it was some volunteers usurping the judgement of strategists and acting on their own. The muslim women accepted the apology and will support Obama
Reply to this comment
by ajmarine111 July 16, 2008 7:34 PM EDT
Was Obama''''s campaign worried about offending Muslims when they wouldn''''t let the Muslim woman sit behind him during a photo shoot a few weeks ago?


Posted by GrammaWhamma at 04:28 PM : Jul 16, 2008


Only after they asked them to move.


But in all fairness, all political photo ops are staged to best help whatever candidate.
Reply to this comment
by grammawhamma July 16, 2008 7:28 PM EDT
Was Obama''s campaign worried about offending Muslims when they wouldn''t let the Muslim woman sit behind him during a photo shoot a few weeks ago?
Reply to this comment
by cold777 July 16, 2008 7:14 PM EDT
It''s kind of funny seeing the conversation stray so far from the topic.
Reply to this comment
See all 267 Comments

Exclusive Webshow

Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie." Watch Now

Latest News
News in Pictures
Scroll Left Scroll Right
Connect with CBS News

Stay connected with the CBS News using your favorite social networks and online news applications: