The big news in Missouri last night was the announcement by Missouri Governor Matt Blunt that he would not be seeking re-election in 2008.

Of note, Governor Blunt helped announce his plans via a YouTube message which already has more than 3,700 views:

The video made its debut at MattBlunt.com and was immediately picked up by political blogs on the Right, Left and mainstream media throughout Missouri (and nation) including JohnCombest.com, Political Fix, and even DailyKos.

To my knowledge, this is the first time a candidate has ever announced his/her plans NOT to seek re-election via YouTube.

Blunt clearly used YouTube to ensure that his message and plans were not mangled by thirty-second sound bytes. As he says in the opening of the video, "...Melanie and I want to speak directly with you about the future..."

This is an important day in the world of YouTube politics.

[Disclosure: Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, a likely candidate for Governor, is a DAG client.]