Shilling for Bush (3/29/2005)

Last month, we got a dose of humor with the story of James Guckert, also known as Jeff Gannon. He's the guy who asked questions at the President's press conferences not to get information, but to boost Bush and to slime opponents. Remember when Guckert, referring to Senators Reid and Clinton, asked Bush , "How are you going to work with people who seem to have divorced themselves from reality?" It turns out that Guckert's reality is what's questionable. Guckert, AKA Gannon, was employed by two partisan websites—Talon News and GOP-USA. Thorough research by Media Matters for America found that Talon "News" is mostly recycled Republican National Committee and White House press releases, frequently overlapping with GOP-USA; neither is a genuine media company with a circulation or a readership. For over two years, Guckert was admitted to the press conferences under his fake name, Jeff Gannon. Is White House security so inept that they didn't know Gannon was a fake name? Or did they intend to plant a fake journalist to shill for the President?

AND Guckert, who claims to be a Christian and a family values advocate, advertised himself on the Internet as a $200-an-hour gay escort, featuring X-rated photos of himself. Yet he tried to slime John Kerry's presidential campaign by saying Kerry "might someday be known as the first gay president." He said he used the fake name Gannon because Guckert is too hard to pronounce. Guckert dismisses his exposure (pun intended) saying that his privacy should be respected, he's a real journalist, his background should not be held against him, and God has forgiven him.

But unfortunately Guckert is merely part of a growing White House propaganda machine that scripts and fakes the news. Several conservative syndicated newspaper columnists, though paid by the Bush team to promote its agenda, did not disclose their payments nor Bush connections to their readers. Armstrong Williams received $240,000 from the Department of Education to hype "No Child Left Behind." Maggie Gallagher was paid $21,000 by the Department of Health and Human Services to promote the Bush marriage initiative, and another $20,000 to write a report "Can Government Strengthen Marriage?" funded by the Justice Department through a private agency. Charles Krauthammer consulted on the President's inaugural speech, later praising it on Fox news as "revolutionary." Robert Novak failed to disclose that his son is the marketing director for Regnery which published "Unfit for Command," – a slime attack on John Kerry that Novak then promoted. Novak also failed to disclose that Regnery publishes his subscription newsletter. And by the way, why isn't Novak being prosecuted for revealing the identity of a CIA agent? That's a federal crime!

Equally dishonest were the pre-packaged, government-paid video news releases, featuring fake reporters Karen Ryan and Alberto Garcia, promoting Bush's Medicare plan. In fact, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Census Bureau, the National Drug Policy, and other departments have all produced fake news videos. The Government Accountability Office said this violates federal law, which prohibits "covert propaganda" bought with taxpayer money.

Producing scripted events is another Bush propaganda machine specialty. During his campaign, only loyal supporters, required to sign an affidavit, were admitted to so-called public events. Now, as Bush holds town hall meetings on Social Security, we again see tightly controlled audiences and questions, all scripted to lavish praise on him. Is Bush afraid of meeting the real public, or is he displaying arrogant power? Either way, we the American public had better take notice as government accountability shrinks but propaganda grows.

- Judith Kohler

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