White House vs. The Onion: Okay, now they're just being weenies.

[BloodyWilliam]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/business/24onion.html

(Through bugmenot you can log in with the user/pass "twernt/twernt")

"It has come to my attention that The Onion is using the presidential seal on its Web site," Grant M. Dixton, associate counsel to the president, wrote to The Onion on Sept. 28. (At the time, Mr. Dixton's office was also helping Mr. Bush find a Supreme Court nominee; days later his boss, Harriet E. Miers, was nominated.)

Citing the United States Code, Mr. Dixton wrote that the seal "is not to be used in connection with commercial ventures or products in any way that suggests presidential support or endorsement." Exceptions may be made, he noted, but The Onion had never applied for such an exception.

The Onion was amused. "I'm surprised the president deems it wise to spend taxpayer money for his lawyer to write letters to The Onion," Scott Dikkers, editor in chief, wrote to Mr. Dixton. He suggested the money be used instead for tax breaks for satirists.

More formally, The Onion's lawyers responded that the paper's readers - it prints about 500,000 copies weekly, and three million people read it online - are well aware that The Onion is a joke.

"It is inconceivable that anyone would think that, by using the seal, The Onion intends to 'convey... sponsorship or approval' by the president," wrote Rochelle H. Klaskin, the paper's lawyer, who went on to note that a headline in the current issue made the point: "Bush to Appoint Someone to Be in Charge of Country."

<snip>

Wow. They really don't have anything better to do, do they?

[Richardo]

1. What's their position on whitehouse.com?

They must not know about that one.

[Red_Viking]

2. They modified the seal

It has a turkey vulture in the middle, and some different text. Looks similar, but it's different. That's probably how they get away with not being hassled, although every single thing on their site should enrage the nutcases in charge!

By the way, it's whitehouse.org.

I don't see how this challenge could possibly stand up. The Onion is so obviously satire! They truly are a pack of thin-skinned weenies.

Peace,

RV

[Deep13]

3. "The Onion is so obviously satire!"

Um, so Pittsburg ISN'T in danger of a zombie attack?
:shrug:

[Der Blaue Engel]

5. Oh, no, that one's true

:evilgrin:

[AspenRose]

4. Touchy touchy touchy

Since WHEN does this administration care about the rule of law?

[Danger Duck]

6. Our tax dollars hard at work

It's nice seeing someone laugh at these jack booted jackasses instead of playing the "I'm scared" card. WE need more of this!!! Less outrage over the right trying to silent people through fear, and more mocking them while saying "ewwwwwww! The righty is trying to silence me! I'm so scared!"

I love these guys at the Onion. So American, so funny. That's the perfect way to say fuck you to the uber bullies and oil guzzling chunder heads in the wickity wack whitehouse. Mock them, laugh them, don't respect them, and for Christ's sake, don't fear them. Don't let them intimidate you. Gleefully stand on the barrel of wine, drop your pants, and piss on thier proverbial or literal parade.

For the record, I don't endorse peaing on anything other then White House administration officals, without the prior consent of said person or persons personal proertys consent, through act or deed.

[Buddyblazon]

7. THE ONION'S SATIRE???

You mean Jesus ISN'T making a return to the NBA?

[Oeditpus Rex]

8. 'Despite the seriousness of the Bush White House,

more than one Bush staffer reads The Onion and enjoys it thoroughly," (Duffy) said. "We do have a sense of humor, believe it or not."

Yeah, we saw examples of it at Abu Ghraib. :puke:

[MADem]

9. Geez. childish in the extreme, and selective, to boot

You can buy all sorts of Presidential Seal crap on GOP sites. The Onion isn't selling anything with the seal, are they?

Push come to shove, make the eagle look the other way, and there ya go. No one will notice, they never do.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

10. Did these guys also get the WH nastygram?

Buy a large Presidential Seal carved from mahogany.

You can get a real podium Seal from the Reagan era, or a clock with the Seal as its face, or a Presidential Seal wristwatch or crystal plate from this place (scroll down). And don't forget to get your Presidential Seal key chain, refrigerator magnet, paperweight, and even an image for kids to color.

I'll bet none of these companies got a letter from the WH lawyer because they weren't making fun of the Boy King.

Poor Onion. If only they'd had this Presidential Seal Warning on their computer they could have avoided all this.