Obama camp ditches its take on presidential seal

Unveiled Friday, the seal was the subject of criticism -- and some mirth -- but Barack Obama's campaign isn't the only one that's come up with its own version.

Published June 23, 2008 11:49PM (EDT)

When he spoke to a collection of Democratic governors last Friday, the podium at which Barack Obama bore a seal that looked awfully familiar. It wasn't quite the official presidential seal, but an adaptation for Obama's campaign. A Latin motto on it read, "Vero Possumus" -- "Yes, we can," in English. Today, the Obama camp announced that the seal will not be seen again.

In the meantime, though, Obama's campaign got an earful about it -- there was some was outright criticism, but mostly it was a lot of mocking. Certainly the reaction was all but entirely negative. That apparently wasn't enough for some Republicans, though. McCain blogger Michael Goldfarb, late of the Weekly Standard, went so far as to suggest that the adaptation of the seal was illegal.

Turns out that if Goldfarb is right, there are a few Republicans who might want to think about getting a lawyer. As ABC News' Jake Tapper reports -- in an item Obama spokesman Bill Burton brought to my attention -- the National Republican Senatorial Committee uses similarly adapted seals as logos for three of its membership levels.


By Alex Koppelman

Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon.

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2008 Elections Barack Obama John Mccain R-ariz.