He Sure Isn't the Comedian-in-Chief

Big news day today... worthy of a double-posting.

The White House has asked The Onion, widely regarded as America's Finest News Source, to stop using the Presidential Seal in its "articles" about the president... presumably because they "disrespect" the Office.

Hmmm... there seem to be some First Amendment problems with the Executive Branch telling a newspaper, albeit a parody newspaper, to stop doing something. Plus, as the EIC of The Onion pointed out "I've been seeing the presidential seal used in comedy programs [i.e. Saturday Night Live has used it a lot] most of my life and to my knowledge none of them have been asked not to use it by the White House."

Do you think the White House would mind if The Onion was saying good things about the president?

Update: I just saw the New York Times story on this. I think the reporter kind of hit the nail on the head with her lead paragraph

You might have thought that the White House had enough on its plate late last month, what with its search for a new Supreme Court nominee, the continuing war in Iraq and the C.I.A. leak investigation. But it found time to add another item to its agenda - stopping The Onion, the satirical newspaper, from using the presidential seal.

I wonder if the White House shut it down because Bush's feelings were hurt.