Politics

Palin suggests Politico photo of Bachmann is sexist

Jonathan Strong Jonathan Strong, 27, is a reporter for the Daily Caller covering Congress. Previously, he was a reporter for Inside EPA where he wrote about environmental regulation in great detail, and before that a staffer for Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA). Strong graduated from Wheaton College (IL) with a degree in political science in 2006. He is a huge fan of and season ticket holder to the Washington Capitals hockey team. Strong and his wife reside in Arlington.
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Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Thursday she objected to a photo of Rep. Michele Bachmann in the publication Politico by suggesting its use was sexist.

The photo, used to accompany a story about GOP leadership “drama,” showed Bachmann having make-up applied. The accompanying article detailed how Bachmann’s run for Republican Conference Chair against Rep. Jeb Hensarling is a “speed bump” in an otherwise smooth transition process into the House majority for the GOP.

“A photo of Rep Bachmann in a Leadership article [with] the title including a ‘drama’ angle … showing her being made up with cosmetics?!” Palin said in an e-mail to The Daily Caller.

“Would they do this to a male candidate? Kinda’ like the Newsweek cover of me in running shorts. Kinda’ like all these recent articles that mention what I’m wearing or not wearing, yet not one mention of anyone else’s garb in the same article. It gets old, it’s boringly transparent, it’s beyond subtle,” Palin said.

Politico changed out the photo for another of Bachmann later in the morning. “We agreed it wasn’t the best choice of photos, so we changed it,” said Politico executive editor Jim VandeHei.

A spokesman for Bachmann called the photo “inappropriate” but declined to elaborate.

Several readers of the piece noted in comments they found the photo offensive as well, with one calling it “incredibly sexist.”

Initially, Palin tweeted her objection to the photo, saying “Press: why use this Bachmann pic in LEADERSHIP story? Ur 2 transparent.” One Politico reporter, Ken Vogel mocked the remark, saying, “Sarah Palin, photo-editor.” Alex Burns answered Palin’s tweeted question by saying “story’s about her,” referring to Bachmann.

In terms of the leadership fight between Bachmann and Hensarling, Palin said she was not taking a position — not yet, at least.

“I’m taking a position on who gets to sit in the big boy highchair this morning for breakfast… Trig or Tripp?” Palin said, referring to her son and grandson, respectively.

“Leadership in the US Congress this morning? Nah … not ’till after the Cheerios,” Palin said.