New York Captures Barack, Michelle

Barack and Michelle caught by New Yorker in a candid, unguarded moment as they do their signature "fist-bump . .

The New Yorker says it’s satire. It certainly will be candy for cable news.

At a press availability Sunday afternoon in San Diego, Senator Obama was asked, according to the diligent Maria Gavrilovic of CBS News: “The upcoming issue of the New Yorker, the July 21st issue, has a picture of you, depicting you and your wife on the cover. Have you seen it? If not, I can show it to you on my computer. It shows your wife Michelle with an Afro and an AK 47 and the two of you doing the fist bump with you in a sort of turban-type thing on top. I wondered if you’ve seen it or if you want to see it or if you have a response to it?”

Obama (shrugs incredulously): “I have no response to that.”

Remember Sen. George Allen's "Macaca Moment?" It cost him his Senate Seat in VA (he lost by 9,000 votes out of millions cast). Many of the images of Obama and Michelle are harmful to his campaign, which doesn't make me the least bit unhappy. The photos (National Anthem and many others) capture people in a way our finely crafted arguments never will. the New Yorker cover is NOT good news for Barack.

Is it fair? As JFK said, "Life is unfair."

Are we engaged in the politics of fear, as the New Yorker story suggests? It was not us who advocating invading Pakistan (an ally of sorts that has nuclear weapons); it was not us eho suggested re-invading Iraq; it was not us who said we would do "everything . . . EVERYTHING" to prevent Iran from building a nuke. If Barack is really running for GWB's third term, as the WSJ said, he's off to a great start.

Rranklin Roosevelt said we should avoid "nameless, unreasoning fear." Ours has a name (BHO) and it is not unreasonable.