Barack Obama had no response to the cover of the July 21st issue of The New Yorker Magazine, seen below, except to shrug incredulously and tell reporters, “I have no response to that.”

The cartoon features Barack and Michelle Obama celebrating with a fist bump in the Oval Office in front of a portrait of Osama bin Laden and an American flag burning in the fireplace. Mrs. Obama is portrayed as a militant radical, while Obama appears foreign. The image reflects, some might say mocks, the rumors that have plagued the couple over the last 18 months.

While the candidate declined comment, his campaign did not. “The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama’s right wing critics have tried to create. But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree,” spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement.

The magazine features a lengthy article on “how Chicago shaped Obama.”

At an 8,000 person rally in Hidalgo, TX, Sen Clinton told the mostly Hispanic crowd of about 8,000 to vote early and vote often - twice, to be specific. She’s hoping to lock in support with earlu voting, which started on Tuesday. And she’s trying to win th arcane second vote in the state, a post-primary caucus that’s open only to those who have already voted. The campaign distributed flyers telling South Texans “don’t forget to vote twice!”

While she was considerably more tame in her criticism of her rival Barack Obama, she did throw out what could be a VERY subtle jab at his wife Michelle, who said this week that all the support for her husband has made her “really proud” of her country for the first time. Towards the end of the Hidalgo event, Senator Clinton said “This country has given me so many opportunities, so many blessings. I am proud of the United States of America and what we stand for and what we can achieve.” Expressions of pride aren’t out of character for the senator, but the phrasing and the timing of this particular line are interesting. Thoughts?

The Obama campaign is downplaying Michelle Obama’s comments yesterday that “for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.”

Some believe this comment means Mrs. Obama has not felt pride for her country. What is the Obama campaign saying?

Traveling Press Secretary Jen Psaki sent the following statement:

“Of course Michelle Obama is proud of her country, which is why she and Barack Obama talk constantly about how their story wouldn’t be possible in any other nation on Earth. What she meant is that she’s really proud at this moment because for the first time in a long time, thousands of Americans who’ve never participated in politics before are coming out in record numbers to build a grassroots movement for change.”

What do you think?

Brookfield, WI — During her introduction of Sen. John McCain at a rally Tuesday, his wife Cindy took a shot at controversial comments recently made by another 2008 spouse.

“I am proud of my country. I don’t know about you? If you heard those words earlier, I am very proud of my country,” Mrs. McCain said while revving up the crowd and introducing her husband.

When asked at a media availability afterward if they were responding to Michelle Obama’s comments Monday that this election is the “first time” she was “really proud” of her country, Sen. McCain deferred to his wife–who reiterated her previous words.

“I just wanted to make the statement that I have and always will be proud of my country,” McCain said.

Speaking in Wisconsin Monday, Michelle Obama caused a stir when she said, “for the first time in my adult lifetime I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.”

*** 4pm ET Update*** Cindy McCain was asked to expound upon her thoughts about Obama’s remarks at an availability in Columbus, OH this afternoon but again resisted—instead repeating her earlier comments.

“I always have been and will always be extremely proud of my country. I have led an extremely fortunate life. It was nothing more than that. I am just extremely proud to be an American,” she said.

At a campaign stop in Emmetsburg, Iowa, on Monday, a man raised his hand and told John Edwards that Michelle Obama said he was a great candidate, but couldn’t win because he didn’t have enough money. Mrs. Obama’s remark, he said, was made at an event in Pocahontas, Iowa.

The man’s account—though not confirmed—elicited a strong response from the Senator.

“We’re not going to have an auction in Iowa, we’re going to have an election,” he said. “I just want to say how unbelievably weak it is to be arguing that you should be the candidate because you have more money than the other candidate.”

Edwards continued to chastise those who divert attention from the issues and focus only on a candidate’s war chest. Yet, fair or not, his campaign financing has become the subject of debate among political strategists, who question whether or not he can compete effectively in the larger state primaries. Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama reached $27,859,861 and $21,343,292 in the third quarter, respectively—and are expected to have each raised over $100 million by the year’s end on their presidential campaigns. Edwards, whose campaign is publicly financed, raised $7,157,233 in the third quarter, and is expected to close the year with about $44 million.

“When you’re resorting to arguments about how much money somebody has, you’re in a bad place,” he said. “When I win the Iowa caucuses, the money will pour in. It’s how it always works.”

Offering a final exclamation mark, Elizabeth Edwards, who was seated directly behind him, stood up and took the microphone.

“You may not be surprised,” she said to her husband, “but I am surprised and disappointed in Michelle.”