Mocking and 'hocking'

Was it fair to turn New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine into a street peddler in print? (http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003677872) The Asbury Park Press illustrated a story about the state's toll roads with a picture of Corzine symbolically "hocking" (selling) cars and highways as he held open a tweed coat. (http://www.newseum.org/media/dfp/pdf25/NJ_APP.pdf) The illustration's edginess seemed better suited for an alternative weekly, but I was bothered more by how it was presented. The image was peculiar enough that someone might have known it was a computer-created compilation, but I think the disclaimer - "Photo illustration" - should have been much more prominent. The doctored image was dominant above the fold; the disclaimer was in small type below the fold. Clarity should have trumped page design.