Buying of News by Bush's Aides Is Ruled Illegal

[kweerwolf]

Federal auditors said on Friday that the Bush administration violated the law by buying favorable news coverage of President Bush's education policies, by making payments to the conservative commentator Armstrong Williams and by hiring a public relations company to analyze media perceptions of the Republican Party.

In a blistering report, the investigators, from the Government Accountability Office, said the administration had disseminated "covert propaganda" in the United States, in violation of a statutory ban.

The contract with Mr. Williams and the general contours of the public relations campaign had been known for months. The report Friday provided the first definitive ruling on the legality of the activities.

Lawyers from the accountability office, an independent nonpartisan arm of Congress, found that the administration systematically analyzed news articles to see if they carried the message, "The Bush administration/the G.O.P. is committed to education."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/01/politics/01educ.html

[grannylib]

1. So when will we get to see the Imbecile, Cheney the Dick, the whole

damn lot, marched out of the White House in shackles??
Isn't that a lovely picture to imagine?
*sigh* One can dream of justice I guess; God knows we'll never see it happen.

[Book Lover]

2. Until I see them imprisoned, it's just words (nm)

[napi21]

3. So what happens next? I suspect some DOJ dept has to file

charges, or monething. Who's going to pick up the ball? Or is this just going to fall down and die?

[jarnocan]

4. so many lies and smears you wonder...

will there ever be justice? It is just all so incredible.
I hope we come up with an action based on this too- so they can't just ignore it.

[texpatriot2004]

5. A previous DU thread on this subject

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1817973&mesg_id=1819332

[MaryBear]

6. Dem Congress Members, now is the time!

Do something!

The ruling comes with no penalty,
but under federal law the department is
supposed to report the violations to
the White House and Congress.