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Bush Drugs Ads Found to Violate No Propoganda Rule

The Office of Government Accountability is an investigatory arm of Congress. Thursday it released its finding that Bush's anti-drug videos broke the law:

The Government Accountability Office, an investigative arm of Congress, said on Thursday that the Bush administration violated federal law by producing and distributing television news segments about the effects of drug use among young people.

The accountability office said the videos "constitute covert propaganda" because the government was not identified as the source of the materials, which were distributed by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. They were broadcast by nearly 300 television stations and reached 22 million households, the office said.

The law prevents the Government from using taxpayer money to spread propoganda. The ads were produced by the National Office of Drug Control Policy. What's more, this isn't the first time Bush broke the law.

In May the office found that the Bush administration had violated the same law by producing television news segments that portrayed the new Medicare law as a boon to the elderly.

Update: The full report is here (html).

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  • Normal way of doing business, the bush way. did anyone hear about all the nuke works being closed/shut down, because of missing information? must be a new bush family plan to sell us all to the red chinese, by the way bush has alot of land and homes in that part of the world, maybe its a violation of some law here? no don't think so, after-all he is a real American, isn't he? drug control policy my fat Behind, more like money making policy for the few and politically right people. broke laws mean nothing to bush and family or to this government and its show laws. but maybe the family can make some money on the backs of the homeless and drug dealers?

    Re: Bush Drugs Ads Found to Violate No Propoganda (none / 0) (#2)
    by cp on Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 05:46:25 AM EST
    fred, what planet are you really from, and is it in any known universe? while i'm not at all surprised by this revelation, isn't anti-drug propaganda kind of the government's job? if not them, who? if not now, when? geez, it's a sad day when providing misinformation, disguised as fact, to impressionable youth, is a bad thing! that's what we pay taxes for, dammit! i am at something of a loss as to how the bush family, or its wealthy cronies, would benefit on the backs of the homeless. traditionally, homeless people tend to be universally poor, not a good source of wealth for others. ok, the drug dealers i can see, but only if they're pretty high up on the food chain. again, tradition has it that low-level dealers rarely have much in the way of big cash or really valuable assets in their possession. in their neighborhoods, a few hundred bucks probably seems like a lot, but it isn't to someone like the bush's.

    This headline is ambiguous. It could mean that Bush hasn't violated any propaganda rule, instead of that Bush has violated a No-propaganda rule.

    Re: Bush Drugs Ads Found to Violate No Propoganda (none / 0) (#4)
    by kdog on Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 07:48:59 AM EST
    The war on drugs increases the problems associated with drugs. The war on poverty has increased poverty. The war on terror will increase terror. I see a pattern. Pete Townsend was sorely mistaken when he wrote "We won't get fooled again"

    must be a new bush family plan to sell us all to the red chinese After Clinton and the Chinese, you want to accuse Bush of selling us out to the Chinese?!? The left's hypocricy knows no bounds. Only 13 more days, and we party again. See you at the inaugural!

    So, I wonder what the GAO, or whatever the f*ck (hi, Michael Powell) they're calling themselves these days, would say about this (from Atrios)? Seeking to build support among black families for its education reform law, the Bush administration paid a prominent black pundit $240,000 to promote the law on his nationally syndicated television show and to urge other black journalists to do the same. The campaign, part of an effort to promote No Child Left Behind (NCLB), required commentator Armstrong Williams "to regularly comment on NCLB during the course of his broadcasts," and to interview Education Secretary Rod Paige for TV and radio spots that aired during the show in 2004.

    Re: Bush Drugs Ads Found to Violate No Propoganda (none / 0) (#7)
    by scarshapedstar on Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 07:56:31 AM EST
    Huh. It seems like the right-wing commentors who always call this "liberal whining" and say it's perfectly legal were, how do you say this, dead wrong.

    Federal law prohibits the use of federal money for "publicity or propaganda purposes" not authorized by Congress. ... ...also constitutes a violation of the Antideficiency Act," which prohibits spending in excess of appropriations. What has happened to the Republicans, breaking the law to spend money? My Grandfather is spinning in his grave.

    After Clinton and the Chinese, you want to accuse Bush of selling us out to the Chinese?! Yes.

    Re: Bush Drugs Ads Found to Violate No Propoganda (none / 0) (#10)
    by desertswine on Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 08:57:20 AM EST
    Yeah, that quarter million they gave to Armstrong Williams was taxpayer money.

    Re: Bush Drugs Ads Found to Violate No Propoganda (none / 0) (#11)
    by cp on Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 09:15:06 AM EST
    "Only 13 more days, and we party again." j, would that be when you drink the kool aid, castrate yourself, and await the mother ship taking you away? hell, i'd pay to watch that! lol

    After Clinton and the Chinese, you want to accuse Bush of selling us out to the Chinese?! Yes. That is why the dems continue to lose. Only 13 more days and we party again! See you at the inaugural!

    Re: Bush Drugs Ads Found to Violate No Propoganda (none / 0) (#13)
    by desertswine on Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 10:01:49 AM EST
    What an annoyance. Get a flyswatter.

    Man you guys are so original. And then the conservative J4 demonstrates the height of originality Two reasons dems keep losing. 1) You try to take republican points and twist them to fit your agenda-i.e. "moral values" 2) Your ideas suck. You're mama! Children these days

    Re: Bush Drugs Ads Found to Violate No Propoganda (none / 0) (#15)
    by Peaches on Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 10:39:40 AM EST
    Sorry, above post by your's truly!

    You're mama! Boy, what a retort. That is some deep thinking. You must be a college professor. Like I said, the American people heard the Democrats message, the message got out. The American people rejected that message. Only 13 more days and we party again! See you at the inaugural!

    J: Your world... The message was not rejected, a 4% margin of victory does not "designate a mandate". Yeah lefties got some issues, we freely admit that, but you guys on the right, you believe the lie that you yourselves create, now that truly amazing.

    Yeah lefties got some issues, we freely admit that, but you guys on the right, you believe the lie that you yourselves create, now that truly amazing.
    Well, gee, who is in power? Face facts, 2 messages were put in front of the American people, one was accepted and one was rejected. It is as simple as that genious. So, you believe the people are stupid for voting for Bush (got duped)? Keep on thinking that and the republicans will stay in power. Only 13 more days and we party again! See you at the inaugural! [Ed. this is your last comment for today, you hit the limit of four. If you continue to comment today, they will be deleted and you will be banned from the site.]

    haha. I read J's comments and had to laugh. Yea, sure Repugs say it first, but they only say it to cover their asses when they do the opposite. Bush: "I believe in a strong dollar" Reality: he doesn't, he just lets it slide. Repugs: "moral values, moral values" Reality: They want to gut the ethics committee so they can be even more unethical than they already are. the list goes on and on, but bah, i'm wastin' my time on this card carrying member of blindfolds for bush. so yea, go on, enjoy your 40 million dollar party, its on us, literally...

    you know, godblessmerka... i am willing to wager that j4564 is not going to be at the inaugural. i doubt that j4564 is invited. so, i don't know who he or she is trying to impress...

    Re: Bush Drugs Ads Found to Violate No Propoganda (none / 0) (#21)
    by Peaches on Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 02:41:44 PM EST
    J4 is not even old enough to get her driver's license.

    Re: Bush Drugs Ads Found to Violate No Propoganda (none / 0) (#22)
    by pigwiggle on Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 02:49:23 PM EST
    “so yea, go on, enjoy your 40 million dollar party, its on us, literally...” No, it really isn’t. Congress only apportions money to cover the actual inauguration. The extra $35 million or so comes from private donations and event entrance charges. Additionally, the price of this inauguration is hardly extravagant relative to past presidents, Democratic and Republican. So, it isn’t on you, unless you plan to attend.

    Here's another one http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-01-06-williams-whitehouse_x.htm

    Re: Bush Drugs Ads Found to Violate No Propoganda (none / 0) (#24)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Jan 08, 2005 at 11:03:38 AM EST
    J, In 13 days! You can settle in and watch the festivities with your lube and kleenex. Ace, I've seen the light thanks to you. You're so convincing. I now see that George Bush is a benevolent man with only the best of intentions for his country. By the way, what is your current assessment of the "war" in Iraq?