Legal Don't Make It Ethical

    

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush said on Wednesday that the U.S. government's practice of sending packaged news stories to local television stations was legal and he had no plans to cease it.

His defense of the packages, which are designed to look like television news segments, came after they were deemed a form of covert propaganda by the Government Accountability Office watchdog agency.

GAO, an arm of Congress, said this ran counter to appropriation laws and was a misuse of federal funds.

Bush maintains that the fake news pieces are based upon "facts" and not "advocacy", thus making them legal. The propaganda pieces have been aired without any disclaimer that they are government-produced. Oh yeah, and this is all paid for with your tax money.

» Bush Defends Packaged News Stories from Government