Seriously, where's my money?
Marriage is good. It's great. I know I can stretch that into a column. That's worth at least a grand, right?
The revelations of government-funded propaganda are coming daily now. Salon's Eric Boehlert checks in today with the tale of newspaper columnist Mike McManus, who took $10,000 in tax money from the Department of Health and Human Services to promote the Bush administration's marriage initiative and hid the contract from his readers when touting the plan. (See also Gallagher, Maggie; Williams, Armstrong.)
Unlike Gallagher, who embarrassed herself in The Washington Post by asking the reporter if her actions actually violated any ethical standards, McManus was unavailable for comment on his day in the sun. Regardless, you'll be fascinated to know the name of McManus' column: "Ethics & Religion."
Better shorten that name a little bit now.
Sens. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., have reacted to this disturbing and growing trend by announcing they will introduce the Stop Government Propaganda Act next week. The bill says, "Funds appropriated to an [e]xecutive branch agency may not be used for publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States unless authorized by law." It would also allow citizens to sue violators on the government's behalf if the Justice Department was lax in enforcing the law.
I see no reason for that bill to face any opposition. The good of the entire nation demands that we protect our media's independence.
The revelations of government-funded propaganda are coming daily now. Salon's Eric Boehlert checks in today with the tale of newspaper columnist Mike McManus, who took $10,000 in tax money from the Department of Health and Human Services to promote the Bush administration's marriage initiative and hid the contract from his readers when touting the plan. (See also Gallagher, Maggie; Williams, Armstrong.)
Unlike Gallagher, who embarrassed herself in The Washington Post by asking the reporter if her actions actually violated any ethical standards, McManus was unavailable for comment on his day in the sun. Regardless, you'll be fascinated to know the name of McManus' column: "Ethics & Religion."
Better shorten that name a little bit now.
Sens. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., have reacted to this disturbing and growing trend by announcing they will introduce the Stop Government Propaganda Act next week. The bill says, "Funds appropriated to an [e]xecutive branch agency may not be used for publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States unless authorized by law." It would also allow citizens to sue violators on the government's behalf if the Justice Department was lax in enforcing the law.
I see no reason for that bill to face any opposition. The good of the entire nation demands that we protect our media's independence.
posted by Alabamian at 11:25 PM
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