Bush Payola Scandal

[acludem]

HIllary and Daschle didn't use taxpayer money to fund Air America. The Bushies used taxpayer money to buy off pundits. Big, big difference.

acludem

 

[Gem]

acludem,

I agree completely, and stated as much earlier. However, one might question why people like SpillMind were not mad about this during the Clinton years, when such occurrances happened as well, and why he only seems shocked and outraged when it is convenient to be so.

I would also add that many of the arguments about this have little to do with the tax-payer money and more to do with the idea of the Bush-Adminstration "paying people to tout its ideas." We saw Kerry holding "secret meetings" with members of major press organizations in hotel rooms with no outcry from people like Spill, and prominent Democrats in gov't are helping to keep Democratic mouthpieces like moveon.org and Air America in place...

If we are talking about the policy of paying pundits to support adminstration policy...then lets discuss not why the Bush Administration is evil (after all, you would have to say that numerous previous administrations were evil as well), but rather how this system needs to be altered so that pundits must be required to make their financial ties known to the public...

But if this is another Bush-bashing witch hunt...which for so many it is...then I'm afraid its just another case of the pot calling the kettle black. Or at the very least, many of the pots being too uninformed to properly discuss the issue Glad to see that you aren't one of them, ACLU...keep up the good work!

 

[acludem]

When did the Clinton administration actually give specific money to a pundit to write specifically supporting an administration policy? Do you have proof of this? This is what Bush's people did. As far as NPR goes, it is funded partially by taxpayer dollars and partially by the donations of listeners. You can't compare NPR to specifically bribing columnists to propagandize for you.

acludem

 

[no1tovote4]

When did the Clinton administration actually give specific money to a pundit to write specifically supporting an administration policy? Do you have proof of this? This is what Bush's people did. As far as NPR goes, it is funded partially by taxpayer dollars and partially by the donations of listeners. You can't compare NPR to specifically bribing columnists to propagandize for you.

acludem

Here ya go. Clinton Administration paying for particular scenes in television shows and movies.

http://www.reconsider.org/tidbits/2000-01-29 Funny op-ed.htm

We now know that those scary overdose scenes on "ER" were bought and paid for out of McCaffrey's billion-dollar drug-war-chest. What kinds of drug-scare themes and Drug War endorsements can we expect on TV shows in weeks to come?

 

[no1tovote4]

Yes, the Clinton administration was behind payola attempts to get media outlets to push messages that coincided with their ONDCP policy. Indeed, when Joe Lockhart was asked about it....
Link


Q Joe, why is it not payola when the government provides television networks millions in remuneration for reviewing the scripts of some of their programs for antidrug messages, and then it's not announced at any point during the program that the government is not identified as an advertiser which, in effect, it could be considered --...he responded by giving the following defenses:

Ignorance: "I'm not sure I even know what the definition of payola is or how it applies here..." [and though he didn't mention it, you may recall, they weren't entirely clear on the meaning of "is"]


Diversion: "Secondly, you all know that there was legislation passed that provides for a government paid-for antidrug messages on the television networks, on radio networks, in newspapers, at a preferred rate." [yes, but advertisements are clearly advertisements....and not serruptitiously-bought and presented messages]


Admission: "Thirdly, there was an arrangement reached between the people who do the drug policy ads on the networks to work through alternative ways to get the message out." [yes....such an arrangement is called "payola"]


But it's for Your Good: "I think there is a real benefit to getting the message out." [yeah, well, participants in payola usually do think it's a pretty good idea]


And as I said before this is by no means a new invention of the Bush administration. But it seems they are taking an old trick to new levels.

 

[OCA]

Forgive me but has any proof like copies of the checks or any other paper trail been provided to prove this accusation?

Until then I don't believe it and if its proven true I see no problem after the 3 decades plus we've had of the media openly promoting leftist ideals and policies. Can anybody say Dan Rather?