Creeping intrusiveness

[paineinthearse]

This afternoon I watched CSPAN coverage the Democrat's Senate Policy Committee, where James Roosevelt testied he had written a letter to * objecting his administration's use of his grandfather's image in their social security propaganda commercials.

This evening I was searhing for a copy of the letter when I found an Associated Press article:

FDR's grandson protests Social Security ad By JIM ABRAMS

It's not unusual for an AP story to be picked up by many newspapers. What is unusual is that their web pages are stikingly similar in layout, but more so, at the bottom of each is a link ("on the web") to Progress for America: http://www.progressforamerica.com/pfa/

PFA produced and prominately features that tear jerking "Ashley's story" that came out in late October:



What is PFA?
"Progress for America, Inc. ("PFA") is a diverse coalition of concerned citizens, businesses, nonprofit organizations and community leaders who promote public policies that improve the lives of every American. PFA promotes nonpartisan policies that stimulate the economy, reduce tax burdens on American families and businesses, and encourage free trade....Heading into the next legislative session and beyond, it has become apparent that liberal special interest groups are forming organizations whose single goal is to attack and defame the issue agenda of President George W. Bush and other leaders who are working to enact conservative, common sense public policies that benefit all Americans. PFA is an issue advocacy/grassroots organization committed to keeping the issue record straight and serves as a conservative “Issue Truth Squad.” It is the only such organization in the country!..."

What papers have similar layout and the PFA link?
Weblink / owner
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/politics/10637893.htm / Knight Ritter
http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/politics/10637893.htm / Knight Ritter
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/10637893.htm?1c / Knight Ritter
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/10637893.htm?1c / Knight Ritter
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/10637893.htm / Knight Ritter
...and 22 others.

The link to PFA is not set off as a ad; it has the appearance of a news link associated with the AP story.

Sleazy journalism or an intentional device on the part of Knight Ritter to lure the reader unwittingly to a right-wing influence group?

p.s. I never did find a copy of Roosevelt's letter.

[Acryliccalico]

1. Now they are trying to hijack our progressive name

:wtf: