GAO Says Propaganda Wrong - Bush Defends It

The GAO, Congress' General Accounting Office, said that prepackaged news releases were against appropriation laws and "was a misuse of federal funds." Bush, of course, fell back on yet another memo from our esteemed Justice Department claiming these practices are completely legal.

President Bush said on Wednesday the U.S. government's practice of sending packaged news stories to local television stations was legal and he had no plans to stop it.

The GAO wasn't buying it:

David Walker, the comptroller general who heads the GAO, said he disagreed with Bush's stance and was "disappointed by the administration's actions."

"This is not just a legal issue, it's also an ethical matter," Walker said. "The taxpayers have a right to know when the government is trying to influence them with their own money."

posted by Sarai @ 5:46 PM