Why Durbin is sealing the seal video

Dick Durbin apparently doesn't want you to see his cheerful video suck-up to the nation's top lefties at the Daily Kos convention because the YouTube video was adorned with his official Senate seal. Durbin or somebody else has pulled the video right about the time Illinois blogger Anne Leary's blog post was starting to circulate today.

Using the government seal for political purposes is against the law.

Top conservative blogger Michelle Malkin has the roundup of the story. We'll await an official explanation from the usually accessible Durbin, but until then, here is what the liberal blogosphere and news media were saying about the video when it was first posted. Their comments leave little doubt that Durbin was playing politics, not government, with the video.

From DC: Video from Dick Durbin. Stuck in DC going to Iraq and Afghanistan tomorrow. Talking about Novak. He said heaven was a place with no blogs. DD says thanks for blogs. Changing Dem party and America for the better. Voice not being heard. Helped expose outing of CIA officer, purge not just an overblown matter. Bolton no longer at un because of bloggers. Netroots made him asst maj leader. Restored checks and balances. Just the start on ending Iraq war. Turning up pressure. Progress. Build on it. Netroots critical force in electing a Dem pres. Proud of all Dem candidates and house and senate candidates. They need our help. Challenge them too from time to time. Right now: preserve integrity of Internet. Change the way we pay for elections. National broadband strategy...small d democracy. Not just asking national lobbies. Fair Elections now act. Break dependence on special interest money. public funds to qualified candidates. need more republicans to support. www.fairelections.com. Put America back on track.

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We're currently listening to Senator Dick Durbin's video address in the grand ballroom here at the Hyatt McCormick Place. Durbin is praising the netroots' role in electing Jon Tester and Jim Webb, thanking bloggers for helping defend Ambassador Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame, and inviting the community to participate in dialogue about issues such as municipal broadband.

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Senator Dick Durbin appeared via recording on the giant video screens lavishing praise on liberal bloggers for providing scrutiny and perseverance in covering stories that might have otherwise never surfaced.

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Durbin lauded the "brave bloggers" in the crowd for helping force John Bolton to resign and exposing the White House's role in the Valerie Plame scandal. "If it weren't for the progressive netroots I wouldn't be assistant majority leader," he added, and the crowd whooped.

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He's a no-show, we're told, because he's in D.C. fighting for us. Via video he Calls Chicago home of "broad shoulders and broad minds," describes Bob Novak as Karl Rove's "speed dial number three," and then basically credits all victories to the netroots, who he prefers to dialogue with rather than evil telecom companies. Shocking! He also plugs his own internet diaries, which I don't actually care enough to find to link to.

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Durbin lauded the "brave bloggers" in the crowd for helping force John Bolton to resign and exposing the White House's role in the Valerie Plame scandal. "If it weren't for the progressive netroots I wouldn't be assistant majority leader," he added, and the crowd whooped.

We trust that if Durbin's people were responsible for pulling the video, it was the campaign staff rather than the government staff making the call. Wouldn't want to compound the infraction, right?

Technorati Tags: 2008 election, blogs, Chicago media, corruption, Dick Durbin, Illinois, journalism, liberals