The Los Angeles Times reports this morning that "the photo that was splashed across the nation's largest tabloid newspapers was less than statesmanlike: Kerry, dressed in a hooded 'bunny suit,' peering out of the hatch that leads to the space shuttle." The Times adds that "the image disrupted the campaign's carefully choreographed rollout of Kerry this week as the Democratic presidential nominee, detracting from a series of events designed to portray him as strong and sure-footed." Reuters reports that Republicans are helping distribute a photo of Kerry "wearing a head-to-toe protective suit in comparison to a famously unflattering photograph of Michael Dukakis in a tank that helped sink his presidential bid in 1988." Democrat George McGovern commented on CNN last night, "He looked like a teletubby." Fox News interviewed Kerry spokesperson Mary Beth Cahill last night, who claimed that after the tour of the NASA facility, "all of a sudden this was a leaked photo. And it is all over the place." Asked Fox, "So the campaign had no idea there would be any photographs?" Cahill, "None. . . .And there was no press there." Later, Fox reported that according to a NASA spokesperson, "a pool photographer was with the group and made pictures. And that the Kerry campaign was shown them before they were posted on NASA's web site."

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