Sweet column: SEIU official quits Obama ad.

[Omaha Steve]

Source: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

WASHINGTON -- A day after a new television ad debuted for White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) aimed at Iowa voters, the union official in it was removed from the spot at his request.

Chicago-based Tom Balanoff, the president of SEIU Local 1, was in the original version of an ad about Obama's years in Chicago as a community organizer.

It was released on Monday, along with another spot featuring state Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale) -- who is backing Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for president -- who talks about Obama's bipartisan efforts while they served together in Springfield.

The spots, by Obama media strategist David Axelrod, are biographical testimonials about Obama rather than endorsements.

Read more: http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/06/sweet_column_seiu_official_qui.html#more

[Ian David]

1. Burying the lead? n/t

[rhombus]

2. Typical Lynn Sweet. She has to make things look so ominous

Sheesh.

Tom Balanoff has known Obama for a very long time. I can understand his reasons to not want to interfere with SEIU Headquarters. He supports Obama nonetheless, but SEIU hasn't made an official endorsement yet.

This is a non-story.