Newsweek Editor, You Cad!

The latest Sarah Palin Newsweek cover is causing a stir- IN MY PANTS! Zing... First off, I do not understand how the photo in question made its way from a Runner's World photo shoot to the November 23rd issue of Newsweek. Did industry buzz in the form of, "Hey, Palin's legs are hot and slick looking in this photo- who wants it" make its way around the circuit? Did a bidding war ensue because, wow (see: above pants zing?) Honestly the photo is a little trashy for Newsweek. Are we not supposed to take them seriously anymore? For Runner's World it is about right, contrary to what some may think. She looks like she could be going on a run with those clothes on. What is with the Blackberries, though?
The heat from the photo is apparently so intense that Newsweek editor Jon Meacham has been prompted to respond to critics with an ignorant, paint-yourself-in-a-corner comeback of, "We chose the most interesting image available to us to illustrate the theme of the cover, which is what we always try to do..." I read that as, 'She is certainly hot, and that is about all she has going for her. I am sexist.' My limited knowledge of how magazines are run leads me to the guess that editors have the final say on important things such as what goes on the cover. In this case the editor, Mr. Meacham messed up. He needs to own the decision or go to Us Weekly. Is not one of the accusations most frequently quoted against Palin that she does not take responsibility for her actions? Lastly, when President Obama is on the cover they do not have a photo of him smoking a cigarette or his image superimposed on a questionable birth certificate, do they? Has there been one of Michael Moore eating a cheeseburger? Hillary Clinton stepping on a scrotum with heels on? Rush Limbaugh with pills falling out of his mouth? I feel a twitter #hashtag# frenzy coming on.