Barack Obama and John McCain: New Yorker cover is 'tasteless and offensive'

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's campaign is furious over a New Yorker mag cover illustration of a Muslim-garbed Obama fist-bumping his wife, Michelle, wearing an Angela Davis afro, a camo jumpsuit, and a rifle slung over her shoulder. An American flag burns in the fireplace.

Obama's camp calls it "tasteless and offensive." So for that matter does presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain's camp.

The New Yorker insists it's just satire.

The issue, which goes on sale Monday, contains a story about Obama’s political beginnings in Chicago politics. The New Yorker press release says: " ‘The Politics of Fear’ artist Barry Blitt satirizes the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the presidential election to derail Barack Obama’s campaign.”

OK, but does everyone get that? I mean, average folks, outside of the select, elitist group of highly educated, intellectually superior (irony alert) New Yorker readers?

Obama's spokesman Bill Burton: “The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Sen. Obama's right-wing critics have tried to create. But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree."

According to Politico, McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds e-mailed, “We completely agree with the Obama campaign, it’s tasteless and offensive.” Hmmm. Do I hear a suppressed gleeful smile?

What do you think of the New Yorker's Obama cover? Is it a satirical commentary on election-year scare tactics, incendiary racism or just in poor taste and designed to increase magazine sales? Kinda like that Miley Cyrus bare-back photo in Vanity Fair.

Photo: cover courtesy of New Yorker.