XPost: alt.fan.barbra.streisand, alt.fan.j-garofalo, alt.fan.julia-roberts
XPost: alt.politics.democrats
From: eng@G0LDFARB.C0M
On 29 Jan 2005 15:06:48 -0800, "Leland Milton Goldblatt Are All Repug
Idiots?" wrote:
>Senators to Introduce 'Stop Government Propaganda Act'
>credit: Aya Kawano
>
>
>By Brian Orloff
>
>Published: January 27, 2005 12:10 PM ET
>
>Democts Introduce "Stop Republican Government Propaganda Payola Using
>OUR Taxpayer Dollars'
>
>NEW YORK In response to continued revelations of government-funded
>"journalism" -- ranging from the purported video news releases put out
>by the drug czar's office and the Department of Health and Human
>Services to the recently uncovered payments to columnists Armstrong
>Williams and Maggie Gallagher,who flacked administration programs --
>Sens. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.) will
>introduce a bill, The Stop Government Propaganda Act, in the Senate
>next week.
>
>"It's just not enough to say, 'Please don't do it anymore,'" Alex
>Formuzis, Lautenberg's spokesman, told E&P. "Legislation sometimes is
>required and we believe it is in this case."
>
>The Stop Government Propaganda Act states, "Funds appropriated to an
>Executive branch agency may not be used for publicity or propaganda
>purposes within the United States unless authorized by law."
>
>"It's time for Congress to shut down the Administration's propaganda
>mill," Lautenberg said in a statement. "It has no place in the United
>States Government." The bill is co-sponsored by Sens. Richard Durbin
>(D-Ill.) and Jon Corzine (D-N.J.).
>
>Formuzis told E&P that while the bill is being introduced by Democrats,
>its message and intent is something endorsed by Republicans and
>Democrats alike.
>
>"We only have a few senators on the bill so far, but we hope and expect
>that we'll get a number of others to sign on to the legislation once we
>introduce it," he said. "This is not a Republican or Democratic issue.
>This is an issue about an independent press, and I think that's
>something that will cross party lines."
>
>The act would allow citizens to bring qui tam lawsuits on behalf of the
>United States government when the Department of Justice does not
>respond.
>
>If the matter is taken to court, the bill proposes that the senior
>official responsible would be fined three times the amount of the
>"misspent taxpayer funds" plus an additional fine ranging from $5,000
>to $10,000. And if a citizen's qui tam suit is accepted, the bill
>proposes that the plaintiff receives between 25 and 30% of the proceeds
>of the fine.
>
>"The President said that his cabinet agencies made a mistake when they
>paid commentators to promote his agenda," Kennedy said in a statement.
>"It's more than just a mistake, it's an abuse of taxpayer funds and an
>abuse of the First Amendment and freedom of the press. ... If the
>President is serious about stopping these abuses, he will support this
>legislation."
>
>According to a release, publicity or propaganda is defined in the bill
>as: news releases or publications that do not clearly identify the
>government agency responsible for the content; audio/visual or Internet
>presentations that do not identify the responsible government agency;
>any attempt to manipulate journalists or news organizations; messages
>created to aid a political party or candidate; messages with a
>"self-aggrandizing" purpose or "puffery of the Administration, agency,
>executive branch programs or policies or pending legislation"; and,
>finally, messages that are "so misleading or inaccurate that they
>constitute propaganda."
>
>G. W Bush is the dumbest president we have ever had! He has his
>father's cronies to prop him up. ... Eventually he will crumble,
>things will go bad and we will be happy to have Clinton back!
>
>
>
>Shalom,
>---Prof. Leland Milton Goldblatt, Ph.D. ?
>Reverend Chancellor Leland Milton Goldblatt Ph.D. ED.D. M.F.A, D.Div.
>M.Theo .
>http://www.prof.faithweb.com
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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