When Steve Brodner emailed to let me know that the Norman Rockwell Museum was giving him "the full Monte," as he put it, I marveled at the timing. The exhibition of over 100 of his political illustrations, as well as his recent animated videos, opens in Stockbridge, Massachusetts this weekend, just a few days after Barack Obama claimed the Democratic party's nomination for the presidential race.

When I caught up with Steve by phone this afternoon, I asked what he thought of the latest buzz about Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett Packard who was spectacularly ousted for mismanagement, and who, as a top player in the McCain team is now focused on attracting women voters who had supported Hillary Clinton.

Without a measurable pause, Steve launched a bristling monologue that I, for one, hope turns up in visual form on The Naked Campaign video series Steve creates for The New Yorker magazine online.

"McCain is an anti-choice, pro-war, lobbyist-loving, self-contradicting, right-wing Republican. I don't think women who supported Hillary will go with the Republicans after what's gone down. After eight years of Bush," he continued, "the Republican party is holding in their hands the wreckage of public and foreign policy that's hard to imagine has ever existed in this country. Bush changed everything, and in the process is probably destroying his party. The only way the Republicans can win is to get rid of this. Or to change the way it's perceived. But so far, there's no indication that they know how to do this."

Left: Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Right: Hollywood Politicos. Copyright Steve Brodner, all rights reserved; courtesy the Norman Rockwell Museum.

This is what makes Steve Brodner one of the most provocative and influential political illustrator of our time: his ability to verbally articulate the sources of conflict that makes for great caricature. "Professional satirists," he says, "are endowed with a perverse pleasure mechanism; we're like bloodhounds who become elated at closing in on a body. And we provide, I think, a similar public service."

A self-described "equal opportunity offender," Steve says, "The last 30 years in American political life have been characterized by war, scandal, deception, hypocrisy and corruption followed by more war and scandal. It's been fun. And I'm deeply honored to have my work shown in this temple of illustration. In one of the galleries, my drawings are on hung the other side of the wall where Rockwell's 'The Four Freedoms' series is displayed."

"Raw Nerve! The Political Art of Steve Brodner" is on view at the Norman Rockwell Museum from June 7 to October 26, 2008. Steve gives a talk at the opening on Saturday, June 7 at 6:30 pm. The opening festivities, from 6 to 8 pm, are free for members; admission for others is $15, which includes non-partisan snacks and a payola bar. Steve Brodner will return on July 17 to comment on American politics and the 2008 presidential campaign from his unique perspective. Please check the website for details about this and other public programs.