U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.)
Conservatives claim Newsweek deliberately used a wild-eyed photo of Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann on the cover. Newsweek

People on all sides of the political debates are crying foul over Michele Bachmann's Newsweek cover photo.

The photo shows the GOP presidential hopeful smiling and staring straight ahead with a wide-eyed gaze that has shocked political friends and foes alike.

News organizations and bloggers have labeled the photo as "sexist" and compared it to the time Newsweek featured then-vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on the cover, striking a pose while wearing her gym clothes.

Conservative blogger Michelle Malkin blasted the photo and Newsweek editor Tina Brown.

"Who's in charge of Newsweek cover graphics now - a Media Matters Soros Monkey? A random Daily Kos commenter? Keith Olbermann's intern's intern?" Malkin wrote on her blog.

Newsweek stands by Bachmann's cover photo. "Many of the photographs taken for the feature showed Bachmann with similar intensity," Brown said in a statement.

Newsweek included a link to photo outtakes on The Daily Beast's Twitter feed. Most of the outtakes published feature Bachmann with a similar amount of enthusiasm. She is leaning forward in many of the photos and appears mightily focused on the person in front of her.

Bachmann and her team have not yet commented on the photo.

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