‘Joker’ poster delights Barack Obama’s critics

A poster showing Barack Obama as the Heath Ledger Joker character is causing a stir in the US.

The striking montage of the President with white face paint and smudged red lipstick has the word "socialism" beneath it — a huge insult for an American president.

Dozens of the posters have been spotted around Los Angeles and have begun to appear in other cities, including Atlanta on the eastern coast, after being featured in the US media.

The website that first featured the poster crashed yesterday because so many people were trying to view the image.

No one has claimed credit for the posters, but conservatives seized on the image with glee.

Right-wing commentator Thomas Lifson wrote on the American Thinker website: "It is starting. Open mockery of Barack Obama, as disillusionment sets in with the man, his policies, and the phony image of a race-healing, brilliant, scholarly, middle-of-the-roader."

Supporters of Mr Obama called the posters "mean-spirited and dangerous".

Earl Ofari from the Los Angeles urban policy unit said: "Depicting the president as demonic and a socialist goes beyond political spoofery."

The dreaded "socialism" word was first levelled at him two weeks ago by Republican chairman Michael Steele. He said the President's attempt to pressure Congress into passing his health care reforms amounted to socialism. In the US there is currently no greater insult for a President than to be accused of adopting socialist policies.