Bush Administration Pays People to Pose as Journalists

I don' t know if this has already been posted but here goes:

U.S. Videos, for TV News, Come Under Scrutiny
By ROBERT PEAR

Published: March 15, 2004


WASHINGTON, March 14 � Federal investigators are scrutinizing television segments in which the Bush administration paid people to pose as journalists praising the benefits of the new Medicare law, which would be offered to help elderly Americans with the costs of their prescription medicines.

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.

Another video, intended for Hispanic audiences, shows a Bush administration official being interviewed in Spanish by a man who identifies himself as a reporter named Alberto Garcia.

Another segment shows a pharmacist talking to an elderly customer. The pharmacist says the new law "helps you better afford your medications," and the customer says, "It sounds like a good idea." Indeed, the pharmacist says, "A very good idea."

To read the rest you must get a free account with the New York Times. Here is the direct link nevertheless. It doesn't take too long to set up an account, 20 seconds at least. I recommend you do, its a good read.

This article just goes to show that Bush is willing to do anything to make himself look good (not that I'm saying that this sort of thing hasn't been done in the past by other Presidents : ).

I guess this was already posted or no one thought it was interesting, lol. Or, people already expect this type of thing from Bush; OR, it just makes common sense.

It could also be that no one wants to sign up for a free account on NYTimes. To bad I just can't post the full article on here. The article is only two pages that amount to a full one page article when put together.

The place I saw the most coverage of this was on the Daily Show. Seems Jon Stewart was offened, he is the fake journalist and now Bush is stepping all over his toes.

I find this to be a horrific thing, especially since so many news stations ran it like a real network feed.

Oh and am I surprised? No, faking information is certainly nothing new for the Bush admin...

Ticks me off, but is par for the course in the amoral Bush administration. The man doesn't know the first thing about what is right, moral, or just.

As the article states: Federal investigators are scrutinizing....

How does scrutinizing equate to guilt or even wrongdoing?

Let's see, if your the judge, I'm assuming here that scrutinizing automatically equates to guilt? BAM, case closed? Condemned to hell? Oh wait, some of the same people here that pleaded that Bin Laden is not guilty till proven in a court of law are outright implying that Bush is guilty because this situation is being scrutinized? In such a case as this, the evidence at hand would convict the former before the latter.


seekerof

Originally posted by Seekerof
As the article states: Federal investigators are scrutinizing....

How does scrutinizing equate to guilt or even wrongdoing?

Let's see, if your the judge, I'm assuming here that scrutinizing automatically equates to guilt? BAM, case closed? Condemned to hell? Oh wait, some of the same people here that pleaded that Bin Laden is not guilty till proven in a court of law are outright implying that Bush is guilty because this situation is being scrutinized? In such a case as this, the evidence at hand would convict the former before the latter.

seekerof

ARE YOU TALKING TO ME!! Cause if you are, this is the story........I AM NOT ABOUT TO MISS A CANCE TO SLAM THE EVIL ADMINISTRATION OF KING GEORGE.

I really do find this absolutely insane.

I actually saw footage of one of the fake reports, its hard to tell the difference between fake and real.

Honestly I'm not shocked that the government did this, but it's good to know that somebody is talking about it.

Somebody other than us crazy conspiracy-theorists.
I am shocked, however, that its not more talked about. And this just stirs up even more distrust...what if this is a huge lie as well? Lying about a lie? Sure it seems pointless, but sheesh you never know.

I'm surprised this isn't sturring up more controversey here on ATS though.