Bush administration hired fake reporters to "report" on Medicare bill
We must remember the high standards that come with high office. This begins [with] careful adherence with the rules. I expect every member of this administration to stay well within the boundaries [that] define legal and ethical conduct. No one in the White House should be afraid to confront the people they work for over ethical concerns, and no one should hesitate to confront me as well.
- George W. Bush, 1.20.01
Gee, whodathunkit? George W. Bush talking the talk, but ultimately failing to walk the walk. This is a man who promised to restore decency and credibility to government, and then has proceeded to prevaricate his way through the past 3+ years. Now, it appears that the Bushies may possibly have violated a federal law in their effort to massage the news.
The videos are intended for use in local television news programs. Several include pictures of President Bush receiving a standing ovation from a crowd cheering as he signed the Medicare law on Dec. 8.
The materials were produced by the Department of Health and Human Services, which called them video news releases, but the source is not identified. Two videos end with the voice of a woman who says, "In Washington, I'm Karen Ryan reporting."
But the production company, Home Front Communications, said it had hired her to read a script prepared by the government.
There's a word for this sort of thing. It's called "propaganda", and it has no place in a free society. Of course, the reality here is that the only thing that matters here is George W. Bush maintaining his grip on the White House. Having already stolen the Presidency once, it would seem that Bush has decided that honesty and fair play can only take him so far.
The reality is certainly a far cry from Bush's inauguration speech. It certainly sounded good at the time. It's just too bad that they were just so many empty words.
