Obama Equates his Public Financing Lie to the Declaration of Independence

You have to give the Obama campaign points for hutzpah. Granted Obama's decision to bypass public financing after he signed a pledge to take it is probably smart politics. However, his web site is now marketting that broken promise as a declaration of, "Independence from a broken system". I suppose stating 'I lied, but please send me money anyways' would not be that effective a fundraiser, but it certainly would be more honest than pretending that this was some sort of noble decision. Referencing the Declaration of Independence to cover up this old school political maneuver is clever and shady.

Graphic on entry page at BarackObama.com

Oops! Obama's Faux Presidential Podium

At best this is bad form to 'play president' behind a spin off of the presidential seal. At worst it is illegal as laws state,

Whoever, except as authorized under regulations promulgated by the President and published in the Federal Register, knowingly manufactures, reproduces, sells, or purchases for resale, either separately or appended to any article manufactured or sold, any likeness of the seals of the President or Vice President, or any substantial part thereof, except for manufacture or sale of the article for the official use of the Government of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

Now I don't think anyone is going to put Obama in the klink for this one, but he and his campaign may be getting a little full of themselves to think it is appropriate to use iconography in this way.