USA Today got some heat today for getting a bit zealous with the Photoshop on a photo of Condoleezza Rice they ran on the web last week. Conservative columnist Michelle Malkin noted today that the photo USA Today ran (above right) differed from another version found elsewhere on the web. She says she e-mailed Managing Editor for Graphics & Photography Richard Curtis, and included his e-mail address. Many links from the right side of the blogosphere ensued (including big kahunas like Instapundit and Power Line), so Curtis' e-mail box is most likely full and piping hot.

USAT updated the story's page at 3:10 EDT today with the pre-sharpened photo and an editor's note at the top of the story:

Editor's note: The photo of Condoleezza Rice that originally accompanied this story was altered in a manner that did not meet USA TODAY's editorial standards. The photo has been replaced by a properly adjusted copy. Photos published online are routinely cropped for size and adjusted for brightness and sharpness to optimize their appearance. In this case, after sharpening the photo for clarity, the editor brightened a portion of Rice's face, giving her eyes an unnatural appearance. This resulted in a distortion of the original not in keeping with our editorial standards.

Update: E&P weighs in with a quote from USAT spokesman Steve Anderson.

"It's considered an honest mistake and the person was not disciplined," Anderson said, declining to identify the online editor who made the change. He added that no complaints or inquiries had come from Rice's office or AP.

Although the altered photo was first posted one week ago, the newspaper did not replace it with the original version until Wednesday, Anderson said. He said the move was made after inquiries "in the hundreds" came in about the alteration, while numerous blogs also began posting comments about the situation.