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Magazine Cover Likens Bush to Saddam

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September 21, 2007 4:27 PM

ABC News' Jennifer Parker Reports: Canada's top news magazine has caused a stir with a provocative cover depicting an image of President George W. Bush dressed as Saddam Hussein  -- complete with the former Iraqi dictator's mustache and beret.

The controversial headline to the September 20th Maclean's cover reads "How George Bush Became The New Saddam Hussein," and accompanies a story by freelance writer Patrick Graham about how the Bush administration has decided to embrace former members of Hussein's Baathist regime  -- once considered insurgents by the administration -- in an attempt to ward off Iran and al-Qaeda.

"It's certainly a provocative cover and it's meant to draw attention to the story itself," said Suneel Khanna, Maclean's magazine's director of communications.

Khanna said "there's definitely been a lot of noise in the public space about the cover," with liberal blogs championing the story and conservative blogs arguing the story has a liberal bias.

"Graham's one-sided portrayal of Iraq made the New York Times' coverage look Fair and Balanced," charged Newsbusters, a U.S.-based conservative blog.

"I think it's distasteful, inappropriate, border line outrageous, and it's obviously not serious journalism," said Scotty Greenwood, executive director of the Canadian-American Business Council, a U.S.-based lobby group that promotes trade between Canada and the U.S. "This makes the MoveOn.org ad attacking General Petraeus look like kindergarten," she said. 

Greenwood said the cover may perpetuate stereotypes of Canadians as left-leaning anti-Americans. "It certainly doesn't help Canada-U.S. relations when a leading news magazine chooses to do something like this," Greenwood said. 

The magazine disputed claims it has a left-leaning bias, but acknowledged the piece has a "point-of-view."

"It definitely has a point of view, as much of Maclean's reporting does," Khanna said, "but balance and point of view journalism are not mutually exclusive."

Khanna said the magazine hasn't heard any complaints from it's 10,000 subscribers in the U.S., who get their copies mailed to them by Maclean's parent company Rogers Media Inc.  Maclean's is the most popular news magazine north of the border, with 2.9 million Canadian readers.

With reporting by ABC News' Lindsey Ellerson.

September 21, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (224)

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It is a sad thing to compare President Bush to a mass murderer. I am sorry to see our friends from the north stoop to to this level of hatefulness.

Posted by: RDA | Sep 21, 2007 5:00:09 PM

RDA... truth hurts doesn't it? Take off your rose colored glasses, and you might just see what the rest of us see. Then again, maybe not. You Bushies are set in your ways. His own party is distancing themselves from him, but you sheeple still follow blindly.

Posted by: newzjunky | Sep 21, 2007 5:03:44 PM

I just hope the Senate doesn't waste time to take an idiotic vote condemning the magazine like they did with the moveon ad. There's too much real work to do!!

Posted by: Marilyn | Sep 21, 2007 5:14:39 PM

its about time a magazine stood up to the dictator, who is responsible for the HUNDRED THOUSAND deaths in Irak.

Posted by: joey | Sep 21, 2007 5:15:00 PM

LOL! How true! I just hope that having the world laugh at us is a step up from hating us.

Posted by: Rick | Sep 21, 2007 5:16:03 PM

For the american readers , they can take some Comfort that Macleans is certainly strongly left leaning and secondly by knowing that Macleans has long since gone beyond its best before date.

comparing George bush to Saddam Hussein is only a step away from the old cliche of comparing whatever political leader we dont like these days to Hitler.

Macleans clearly has nothing better to do

Posted by: A Canuck | Sep 21, 2007 5:18:32 PM

GO Canada!!!!

Posted by: Eric | Sep 21, 2007 5:21:10 PM

Bushbaby should feel lucky they did not go with the hitler makeover, which is far more suited to this clown. I just read 3 glaring failures by Gen.Betrayus in Iraq so he and bushbaby should become fast friends. Did Admiral Fallon call Gen.Betrayus a sycophant? What dear republicans would he call your bushbaby moron??????

Posted by: daddy | Sep 21, 2007 5:29:25 PM

So is Bill Clinton a murderer too in view of the military deaths that occurred during his Presidency? Give me a break!

The anti-american left that frequent and post on this site need to take a deep breath and get a life (and a job)...

Just remember that the pendulum in politics is a funny thing. All the hate and vitriole being slung towards our President is going to boom-a-rang back on the next Democrat president (if one is ever elected again).

BTW, I note that ABC does not bother to inform the American public about the state of Macleans. I think more people still read MAD magazine as compared to Macleans.

Posted by: Robert Marley | Sep 21, 2007 5:31:17 PM

While I am by nature a little put off by stuff like this I do have to say it got my attention and to be frank I learned soemthing. I sort of turn off anymore when the war comes up. I don't see where my point of view is really covered and I do see us in this mess forever!

So it did give me a smile and I did get a laugh out of it, so I guess they can say "Mission accomplished" huh?

Posted by: Bonnie J Kimberly | Sep 21, 2007 5:31:50 PM

That cover picture and article must have OLD MAN Bush cryin' buckets. Never mind Barbara. Hell, nothing bothers her; even if her son is compared to Saddam. And Laura must really be ticked. George W is such a loser. And he doesn't even realize it. How in the hell does that man sleep at night?

Posted by: CHUCK PARTON | Sep 21, 2007 5:32:54 PM

I really think it is sad to have a so-called ally(when it lines your pockets up north) from our work and do absolutely nothing about it except print a picture of our leader in a pathetic attempt to sway opinion. Now don't get me wrong, I am NOT a Bush supporter or of the IRAQ war. But when you are dealt with the cards you are given and he isn't going anywhere. You just have to lay the groundwork for change, positive change. In no way shape or form will this one: change our attitude about the war but resent the Canadians for trying to make us change our opinion. Would you appreciate it if we were standing at the border yelling "Liberate Quebec!" What is your internal business is yours and ours is ours....

Posted by: Shawn | Sep 21, 2007 5:35:03 PM

This story is a bit ridiculous. Bush is no Saddam, the two aren't even in the same category. Saddam tyrannized his own people through ignorance and fear. The only person Bush tyrannizes is himself with his funny Bushisms. I sure will miss Bush when he leaves office, as I so enjoy the Bushisms, its what makes this presidency unique.

Posted by: RobertJB | Sep 21, 2007 5:44:21 PM

Its what the US Press should have done if they had the "guts!!! Good Show Canada at least you still have freedom of the Press!!!!!!

Posted by: Camille Pagnotta | Sep 21, 2007 5:44:44 PM

everyone can talk all the smack they want about Bush and the US. But I find it funny that no country can survive on it's own without any kind of assistance from the US. When Canada gets attacked by Al Qaeda, they will come crying to Bush to bomb the horrible countries responsible. Get over it idiots the US is the best, and everyone comes to us for help only when it's convenient for them!

Posted by: Jesse | Sep 21, 2007 5:48:59 PM

I'm glad to see the press from other countries criticize the American government in this way. The USA government has perpetrated an unforgivable slaughter of the Iraqi population for oil. (Bush didn't do this on his own) If our government had used the funds spent on this war to finance fuel replacements, we would be less than 5 years from the freedom of the shackles of crude oil

Posted by: NANCY SAIN | Sep 21, 2007 5:51:38 PM

Canada wishes it had the significance of the United States. Sorry, Canada, maybe when you grow up you can play with the big boys.

Posted by: Lola | Sep 21, 2007 5:52:41 PM

Personally, I see two sides to this.

On one hand, Bush and his party have triggered a war where 3,000 people or more have died thus far, and the fighting will not stop. I don't think even Hussain killed as much people as have been lost to this useless war.

In contrast, don't any of you think it's a bit extreme? Yes, this war is a mistake. Yes, people are dead because of a stubborn president who's more like a dictator. But it is neither our duty to criticize nor judge, but to bring healing and hope to others. Especially in this time of need for both Americans who have family out there fighting for this country...and the innocent Iraqis who have died by our gunfire. - patronofhealin07

Posted by: PatronofHealin07 | Sep 21, 2007 5:52:52 PM

It's great how our ABC degrades our President by giving free press to this foreign c-r-a-p magazine.......You can disagree with the President without this type of extreme insult………. There is no-comparison.... this is just raw left-wing extremist HATE .. Based on this... I guess that would make Billary... who voted to go take action... and still thinks it was the right thing to... Ms. Suddam....

Posted by: FidoNY | Sep 21, 2007 5:57:02 PM

So - I'll bet the majority of you are moveon supporters, right? Yeah, that's a bunch of respectable characters. Nonstop character assassinations and slander.
You're all just po'd that a republican is in office so you make up lies and slander non-stop. I used to be a registered dem - but after seeing the nonstop extreme hatred from the left, never again. IF a liberal becomes president in 08 -- just wait for the crap to hit the fan. AND there will be lots of it.

Posted by: Jeff | Sep 21, 2007 5:57:48 PM

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