GAO cites Team Bush for Propaganda

The Government Accountability Office warned federal departments last week against using a popular public relations tool that already has landed two agencies in hot water for breaking federal anti-propaganda laws.

In a Feb. 17 memo, Comptroller General David M. Walker reminded department and agency heads that prepackaged news stories that do not identify the government as their source violate provisions in annual appropriations laws that ban covert propaganda.

Washington Post

THe net-net of it? A big "so-what". The offending parties are not going to be "outed" on any scale and by any measure in the "media". They are certainly not going to have a top down administrative chastisement.
It ends up being an appreciated, but brief & meaningless, respite in the litany of willful miscommunications from our government here in the US.

Team Bush? So I suppose you are implying that no democrats would EVER consider propoganda efforts. I mean, we surely can't count the media fabricating an AWOL story as propoganda.

You have already been established in another one of your posts as a liar, for intentionally lying to everyone on this forum. You twisted information to suit your bush hating PROPOGANDA. You lied directly about numbers that unfortuneatly for you were easily checked. Before you start criticising others about propoganda, by using statements that are not directed towards "Bush Team" in the first place. Stop lying to us. Everyone who reads these last posts of yours I checked hopefully did not fall for your lies. I swear, do people like you really think people LIKE ME are stupid? Come on now.

Stop lying by the way...anyone who read this post by the way, and is wondering what lie I am referring to, look here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...


Anyone else find it as Ironic as I do that "Bout Time" is attacking propoganda today?

After Maggie Gallagher, Michael McManus followed by the Jeff "Gannongate" controversy, their's no question in my mind that the white house "karl rove" is in deep propoganda doo-doo. There was a time, not long ago, when the media would have taken a president to task for launching a pre-emptive war under false pretenses. Such skepticism today, though, is viewed as unpatriotic. Direct results of White House reporters becoming good puppies, eager to serve as cheerleaders for Bush's policies. Remember it pays off to be with us, instead of being against us!

Now... They sanguinely carry water for Bush's new Iranian agenda (how manipulative is that?). Every day we are hearing news reports about Iran possibly constructing heavy water nuclear reactors, with no one in the media asking why we should believe these accusations. They're simply accepting it as the truth...

Goooood puppies...

There was a time when if a president lied under oath in front of the whole country, he would have been removed as well.

Its interesting how blind liberal minds are to the reality, that they are part of the political mess as well.

Seapeople, I looked the post, and the article linked, and I don't see how the original poster lied here. I'm addressing THIS thread, not another, since, I don't believe it's relevant.

So instead of addressing the topic, you've first, resorted to character assassination, then, Clinton bash as a diversion. Finally, you end with an insult, with an accusation that's marginally offtopic.

Why not just address the subject at hand?

I am not saying there was a lie directly in this thread, other than directly insinuating only "the bush team".

Democrats are part of the government as well, and this was a general issue.

It is misleading information when you pinpoint only portions of a whole.

In the other thread, there was a direct, and outright lie. A lie used to push forward propoganda. I found it quite ironic, and relevant to point out that the originator of this thread did lie, in efforts to push forward his political agenda. Something he complained about in this thread. That fact alone should be enough to discredit anyone, let alone the insinuations provided in this thread. For you to deny it makes you part of a problem. I hardly think though, after thought, you could deny the hypocritical nature of this thread.

Edit: But then again, you didn't pay attention enough to catch this in the first place on your own. Which means that you believe what you are told without research of your own. So, I take that statement back. I do believe you could deny this thread as being hypoctritical. That would make you a hypocrit too.


[edit on 2/22/2005 by Seapeople]

Originally posted by Seapeople
Its interesting how blind liberal minds are to the reality, that they are part of the political mess as well.

It's interesting how someone who would say this cannot see the forest for the trees.
All polititions lie and propagandize, democrat and repubican, does that mean we should stop trying to call them on it?
It seems that when I criticize Bush one of the first responces I get from the right is something like "I bet you would defend Clinton if he did this" or "you just hate Bush, you rotten Bush-hater"
Instead of talking about who is worse, left or right, how about accepting that the enitire system is flawed, and work to better it. Progress is hinderd by phoney left/right debate.

Certainly, government as a whole, are made up of factions of both parties, but there are times when ultimately the responsiblity and the tone set for the administration lies in their leaders. Especially when addressing the acts of government agencies that are populated with appointed members.

AND, in particular, when promoting specific Republican party line issues, such as the Department of Health and Human Services, and their fake news releases for support of the Medicare Modernization act.

And, why oh why do some people think that it's a legimate tactic to simply discredit the messenger, such as you have done here, and think that negates the issue?

Even if the original poster lied in twenty threads, it doesn't detract from the simple facts stated above. Does this mean absolution for the Democratic Party? Certainly not. Does this mean that they haven't, or are not capable of such things? Again, certainly not.

But that's not what we're talking about here, are we? We're talking about allegations of use of illegal covert propaganda to promote government policy, policy blatently from the current administration's table.

Originally posted by Seapeople
I am not saying there was a lie directly in this thread, other than directly insinuating only "the bush team".

Democrats are part of the government as well, and this was a general issue.

It is misleading information when you pinpoint only portions of a whole.

In the other thread, there was a direct, and outright lie. A lie used to push forward propoganda.

Do you know what the term "Half Cocked" means? First, in your quoted "established in another post" , reference it there & have it answered there....unless you're after a character assasination agenda.
On this thread , where exactly are there Democrats in the Executive branch of this government ( not counting Norm Mineta)!?! It's a Bush problem with agencies lead by deparment heads brought online with the Bush administration.
A reach back to Clinton Or flaming me is not going to change that.

"The Government Accountability Office warned federal departments"

My meds? Read your own statement. Lying repeatedly is not a good habit. The accountability issue was directed towards all government sources. This includes everyone on a federal level. Including much more than the executive branch. Again, another lie.

You lied in both threads directly now.

Seapeople you act as if proving Bout Time's left wing bias dissmisses the entire argument. If that is so then your own bias dissmisses yours.

would you have us belive that the republican party is not the entity reaping the most benifits from the ads in question?


[edit on 22-2-2005 by Halfofone]

This isn't about left wing bias, at least not my end. I made it clear that I am not attacking the validity of his argument, only his PERSONAL integrity. The only reason I bothered to reply to this thread is because it was about propaganda. I thought it to be quite Ironic, that he criticises someone else for doing the same thing he did. Propoganda, again, is intentionally distorting information to sway political views. Precisely what he did in the referenced post.

Hypocritical.

Keep this on TOPIC!

Originally posted by Seapeople
"The Government Accountability Office warned federal departments"

My meds? Read your own statement. Lying repeatedly is not a good habit. The accountability issue was directed towards all government sources. This includes everyone on a federal level. Including much more than the executive branch. Again, another lie.

You lied in both threads directly now.

Which departments & who heads those departments which motivated Comptroller David Walker to issue the warnings? Here's the hint since you jumped into Bush defense mode and evidently missed reading the link:

Within the last year, the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, has rapped the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Department of Health and Human Services for distributing prepackaged news stories that do not disclose within the story that the government is the source of the material.

Hint: they're both male, both staunch Republicans......no idea? Here :

Drug Control Office Faulted For Issuing Fake News Tapes

Center for Media & Democracy

As for personal integrity, please delude yourself all you want to think you're in a position to question mine.

Maybe I should explain to you what I am doing here.

I am not defending anyone. I am just pointing out your errors. You just percieve that as a bush defense mode.

You intentionally distorted information in another post, which you will not address. I (please note that I have already once explained this) only poted on this thread because I felt it was Ironic for someone to spew political propoganda, and then criticise others for doing it.

I am not addressing the issues. I am addressing a lie. A lie told by you. You can keep twisting me up in some plitical game if you want. I wont get caught up. I will continually point out your lie. That is the only reason I am discussing anything on these two threads. Not their intended content, but your intended deception.

OK, People, Please keep this thread on topic, do not pull others into this one. Debate and argue your case on the thread you are replying to, without trying to belittle each other.

Originally posted by Seapeople That is the only reason I am discussing anything on these two threads. Not their intended content, but your intended deception.

The Vioxx thread has my retort, keep that there. This thread, if you're not posting on the content but make a failed attempt at discrediting me, please do it via U2U and spare everyone else.

On thread - will you take back the false assertion, the lie, that the transgressions of propaganda were bipartisan? When, in fact, they were authorized by the Bush appointee department heads with full budget responsibility? Or do you think that false, or that the GAO made it up?

Seapeople - it's an old story, and very well documented. Plus, the charges just keep piling up.


Bush Used Tax Dollars for Propaganda

The Government Accountability Office reported on Thursday that mock videos produced by the Bush administration "constitute covert propaganda" and violate Federal law. The Bush administration violated the same law last May with Medicare "news" segments targetting the elderly. The Accountability Office also found that federal agencies under the Bush administration distributed editorials and newspaper articles written by government officials without identifying them, which also constitutes "covert propaganda" and violates Federal law.



.

Please just read back over the "discussion" on this thread.

Some ATSer's are screaming "Its the Republicans!"

While others shout back, "Well, its the Democrats too!"

Meanwhile, the line dividing the parties is as unclear as ever. Conservatives are spending like mad, and the democratic party is in shambles. How much longer are Americans going to continue to accept this rotten fish-smelling Us vs. Them mindset? IT IS BOTH PARTIES.

Shame on Washington, D.C. and its culture of corruption. I second Jon Stewart's infamous Crossfire comments:

"You are political hacks.... You are hurting America."

Can the GAO really do anything in this situation anyways? Isn't the real story here the powerlessness of that office. For example, does anyone know what would happen if these particular federal agencies in question were to continue to release unmarked pre-packaged news stories?

We can all sit comfortable in front of our monitors and click reply, maybe even fuss a bit about how the media isn't doing their job. BUT. The US Declaration of Independace would tell us that when the government's gone to corruption, and the media won't do their job, its up to the citizen's to get out in the streets and change the system. How much more will we let them (again, ahem, BOTH PARTIES) get away with?

You have voted PeaceBeWithYou for the Way Above Top Secret award. You have one more vote left for this month.

Thank you!! I've been screaming this too!

The left/right debate only serves to fog the issues.

Both wings of the same bird are flying ever further from the nest.