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phnompehn phnompehn is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2004
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Old Mar 17th, 2004, 11:43 PM        White House's Fake Commercials?
Ok, I've heard rumors that the White House released fake news reports with actors posing as news reporters, about medicare to TV affiliates. I heard it earlier today, and just heard it again on the Daily Show. Strange thing is, I can't find anything about on any of the news networks or on any of the major websites. If anyone out there has a link to a credible article, maybe from the AP or Reuters, post it. I want info on this.

If in fact the administration did create fake news reports, they would be getting hell for it right now all over the networks. You don't get away with that. It's either bogus to begin with, or a massive cover-up. I just want to get my facts straight on it either way.

For now, since I couldn't find anything else, here is an editorial on it. I've conviniently bolded the part I'm talking about for you.

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http://<br /> <a href="http://www.s....DTL</a><br />

EDITORIAL
Bush's Medicare deceit

AFTER FIRST covering up and then misrepresenting the facts about the new Medicare prescription drug benefit, the Bush administration is now shamelessly working to further mislead the public by staging phony "news reports" about how well the law will work.

Last November, during the heat of the congressional debate on the law, the White House reportedly threatened to fire a top Medicare official if he told the truth about the cost of what President Bush described as a $400 billion Medicare bill.

Medicare's chief actuary, Robert S. Foster, said it was clear from the start that the actual cost would be substantially more -- as high as $534 billion. And, he said, the White House was aware of that in June, five months ahead of the debate.

Although, by law, the actuary is charged with providing nonpartisan counsel to lawmakers, Foster said he was silenced by the White House to prevent Congress from getting the true figures. Threatened with "severe'' personal consequences, he was instead ordered to withhold the information, even if Congress asked for it.

Absent the damning cost data, the bill (bitterly contentious even among Republicans) barely eked by, passing in the House, 216 to 215. With cost as the sticking point, the likely outcome would have been reversed, if all the facts had been known. Democrats had argued that the law didn't significantly help seniors and gave drugmakers too much clout. Republicans said seniors didn't gain significantly from the much costlier plan.

In order to sell the complicated and skimpy plan to seniors, the Department of Health and Human Services is paying actors to pose as journalists in bogus TV "news'' reports. Videos have been sent to TV stations, along with government-prepared scripts for news anchors to read. The idea is to make propaganda appear to be unbiased news during prime-time viewing.

It's a covert effort to exploit both the press and public. Coupled with the misinformation about the bill, it paints an alarming picture of a White House unconstrained about using deceit.

Repeatedly manipulating data to stifle honest debate, stirs up disquieting recollections of another White House, disgraced by lies and dirty tricks.
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