(CNN) – It's not every day a President of the United States lands shirtless on a magazine cover.
But the May issue of Washingtonian Magazine, to hit newsstands Wednesday, is causing a bit of a sizzle inside the beltway. President Obama graces the cover, shirtless, in an issue that focuses on "26 Reasons to Love Living Here."
The number two reason: "Our new neighbor is hot."
The particular photo choice, taken while Obama was vacationing in Hawaii over Christmas last year, is certainly an unconventional pick to showcase the commander-in-chief.
But Garrett Gaffe, editor-at-large for the magazine, told CNN the picture is appropriate because, "our feeling was that this wasn't an ordinary presidency."
"The Obamas, through their involvement in Washington, are helping to showcase just how exciting it is to be in Washington right now" he said. "We use the word 'hot' tongue in cheek with the photo."
"He is a buff president that the paparazzi enjoy taking photos of," said Gaffe.
Contacted by CNN, the White House declined to comment on the magazine's cover.
From CNN Politics
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Not cool...not bad, but not cool.
He's our President for goodness sakes....goodness sakes...hmmm....lol
I'm glad. He's gorgeous! And smart. Some people have it all.
Anything to make a dollar; well, at least the sale of the magazine will stimulate the economy with a five month old photograph of the President on vacation with his family in HI.
Translation: Our magazine is crap so we need to do something to attract attention.
The picture itself is not offensive... but , I agree, its our president- lets treat the presidency with respect it deserves. This is not the oval office frat party of the Clinton era.
Haha, I think it's pretty funny. Sure, it's nice to have some reverence for the Oval Office, but it's also good to ignore that reverence some of the time. It's all in good fun.
And I don't care which party you belong to, he looks *good* there.
I bet it would not have been Mcain on the cover had he been president.
Lol!
I am pround of the choice Ameriacans made-Brain and beauty!
This was ok for a TMZ twitter when President Obama was vacationing but it should not be on the cover of a magazine.
It will only cause problems for the SS since this one was gotten by a papaz trespassing on a private beach. Now that he has made money of the photo, now others will be doing the same thing.
Why not go all the way?
Poor taste by the Washingtonian.
While it is a very nice picture. I am not quite sure it is appropriate.
Bad form. Poor taste indeed. What a slap to the dignity of the office
*sigh*
Smooth, obvious, lowest-common-denominator move by Washingtonian.
I wish I could expect better of the glossies, but I should come to expect that these days every magazine cover looks like Star or Us Weekly.
It is cool. Yes, he is our president, but he is a person as well. I think Obama changes the way how we can see the president of the United States.
Maybe he should be shown sunbathing with his buddy Chavez.
Maybe while they laugh about all the money they've leeched from us....
And I thought the last president was a bum.... sheesh.
And your motive must be to sell magazines! Show some respect!!
poor taste...........perhaps a little dignity???
Very disrespectful.
The cover is in poor taste becaue he is the president; however, we all know that the bottom line is the "all mighty dollar." Shame on the magazine, you have stooped to tabloid!!!
This picture shows just what a joke Obama is for a president.
What a statement. We have a Paris Hilton or Britney Spears for president. Congrats America, you failed at picking a leader. If more people focused on what this guys really doing instead of what kind of dog he picks as a family pet, how his wife dresses, what he looks like with out a friggin' shirt on I mean come on folks when will America focus on the key issues instead of this celebrity status?
If America really was color blind this guy wouldn't be the media darling he's become and then maybe America would start taking their representatives in all areas of government a little more seriously. We're in for it now...
This magazine cover is a disgrace to the office of the presidency. Wouldn't the photo of a smiling Obama patting Hugo Chavez on the back have sent a more dignified message?
I'm 68 years old . This country has gone over the edge to amoral stupidity to say nothing of gutter taste!!
And the bar keeps sinking lower.
so what