Bush administration promotion of Medicare changes broke law, GAO says

[Newsjock]

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0519medicareads-ON.html

Mark Sherman
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration's promotion of the new Medicare law through videos made to look like news reports violated a prohibition against using public money for propaganda, Congress' General Accounting Office said Wednesday.

The materials in English and Spanish were produced by the Health and Human Services Department, but did not identify their source. The videos, or parts of them, aired on at least 40 TV stations in March, the department said.

The GAO report was issued just as the administration was trying to blunt criticism of the new law by trumpeting discounts for people who use Medicare-approved drug cards when filling their prescriptions.

While there were several components to the video news releases, GAO faulted the administration for distributing seemingly independent, ready-to-air reports that did not inform viewers that they came from the government.

more

[Coventina]

1. IMPEACH HIM NOW!

NOW!

[wackywill]

24. Think this through

Right now I believe JFK will win the election hands down. However with Bush out of the way via impeachment someone like Bill Frist or is it Frisk (Senate Majority Leader) could be nominated and then I'm not sure about JFK's chances.
I want the resident out of our whitehouse also but I want a Democrat there instead of another Repub!
Let's just wait, try the SOB after the election when there's no chance of pardon, lockup the dirty SOB and his gang of cowards and thugs then throw away the key!
Think about it......then smile!

[Pastiche423]

26. JFK is dead

He died on November 22, 1963.

[4_Legs_Good]

2. Woo hooo!!

They're getting called on this one. Fantastic!!!

david

[bigtime]

3. and the penalty will be...?

something harsh, I'm sure, like maybe no fruit cup tonight.

[Jacobin]

6. yawn

How many laws do these guys break a day? Hard to keep track. With the rubber stamp congress in inaction, they have nary a care in the world.

[koopie57]

12. well, maybe I will have to

put on my blue polyester dress and give * a hummer. It is my patriotic duty. I will wear a hidden mic and drink a bottle of gin first.

[Jacobin]

27. I'm impressed with the lengths you would go to for our country!!!

You would "go down" in history as a martyr, like Joan of Arc!!!

Would you please????

Great Idea. Sometimes I think it's the only way the majority of people would want him impeached.

:toast:

[NMDemDist2]

29. I'd save the gin til after, you'll need it to clean your palate

and hopefully wipe your memory clean too

[snippy]

19. Maybe Bush will give up sweets again.

Like he did during the initial phase of the invasion of Iraq.

"People who know Bush well say the strain of war is palpable. . . . He's being hard on himself; he gave up sweets just before the war began."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-04-01-bush-cover_x.htm

[proud patriot]

4. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee !

Leave Now bush

[Cocoa]

5. so much wrongdoing involved in this law

bribery, illegal propaganda, lying to Congress, etc.

[Wind Dancer]

9. Unfortunately,

it's business as usual by this admin.

[wishlist]

7. and once again Congress will do nothing about this law breaking admin.

that should be impeached and the media won't say much about this breach of public trust either.

[MARALE]

11. I agree

He should have been impeached long ago. The lying, the illegal war, 911, etc... I am so mad right now at this admin. We liberals have a right to hate when we put up with this #$%*:nuke:

Sorry, had to vent...

[xultar]

8. Ooops! Looks like BushCo is gonna be someone's Prison Beeatch!

[Beaverhausen]

10. No Blow job? no story

sorry...no one will care as long as no sex was involved.:eyes:

[snippy]

15. Bush fucks the American people everyday. Does that count?

He does it in the Oval Office too.

[MSgt213]

13. Those criminals in the White House could give a damn what the GAO says

unless of course it supports their criminal activities.

[snippy]

14. Another day, another felony. How very republican. n/t

[Mountainman]

16. Well let's take back the effect they had on people

This administration knows it's lying and breaking the law. So what when the damage is always done before they get found out.

[Just Me]

17. I am gettin' a bottle of wine to celebrate!!!!

FINALLY!!! One ACT of justice.

Of course, the punishment won't fit the crime. BUT, at least, this is one just act!!!

WOOOOOO HOOOOO!!!!

:kick:

[maggrwaggr]

18. Bush broke the law?? no way!!

Not the god-fearing man who restored honor and integrity to the white house! SAy it isn't so!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

20. They aired in Alabama....pissed me off.

[Lou_C]

21. When are they going to go down?

The * crime administration has broken so many laws and gotten away with it that it sickens me to be an American right now.

When are they going down and when will they all be charged with war crimes and impeachment?

[AZCat]

22. So what now?

From the article:
Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., who asked for the GAO inquiry, said President Bush's re-election campaign should repay the government for the cost of the videos. Lautenberg said he will introduce legislation to force the reimbursement.

"These funds were meant to help our seniors, not the President's re-election campaign," he said.
</snip>

Breaking the law has to be remedied by passing legislation? Nobody's going to prosecute? WTF?!

Doesn't the GAO have any teeth - can't they refer this to at least the Justice Deptartment? (not that it would do any good)

Edit: Spelling

[Just Me]

23. Kickola *LOL*!!!!

[Sticky]

25. Kerry's Response Nails It!

Kerry Statement on GAO Video News Release Decision

Today's GAO decision that the Administration inappropriately used the Medicare Trust Fund for political advertisements is another example of how this White House has misrepresented its Medicare plan. From its inception, this bill has been a boondoggle for the drug companies and has been burdened by scandal after scandal. It's too bad that this Administration spends Medicare funds on convincing seniors that its failed drug card will give them real discounts instead of actually providing our seniors with real relief.


"America's seniors deserve a president who will ensure access to low-cost, safe prescription drugs - not a president who uses taxpayer dollars to try to pull the wool over their eyes."


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usnw/20040519/pl_usnw/kerry_statement_on_gao_video_news_release_decision177_xml

-----
As Mary pat says, Rate it a 5!

[PurityOfEssence]

28. Cheney goes turkey shooting: "Goebbels Goebbels Goebbels"

Then he kills off the pint of Wild Turkey and sneers "take me to your liter" as he careens off, blasting at anything that moves.

Convicted propagandists, it's got sort of a ring to it, doesn't it?

They're either deliberate distortionists, or they don't know the difference between news and fantasy theatre; either way, they're unfit for office.

[Just Me]

35. Good one *LOL*!!!!

[gasperc]

30. yeah, I wrote my senators on this

let's keep thier feet to the fire

[maddezmom]

31. Lautenberg calls for bush/cheney to pay back the taxpayers!!!

~snip~
Democrats, meanwhile, pointed to the GAO findings as another cloud over the passage of the controversial new Medicare law.

"It was bad enough to conceal the cost of the Medicare drug bill from the Congress and the American people," said Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions ranking member Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., referring to a related controversy over differing estimates of the cost of the Medicare bill. "It is worse to use Medicare funds for illegal propaganda to try to turn this lemon of a bill into lemonade for the Bush campaign."

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., who requested the initial GAO probe into the fliers, said he would introduce emergency legislation today requiring the Bush-Cheney campaign to return taxpayer dollars spent on the VNRs to Medicare.

"The Bush administration has illegally spent Medicare funds on covert political activities," Lautenberg said. "The Bush-Cheney campaign should pay every dime they spent on these fake news stories back to our seniors. These funds were meant to help our seniors, not the president's re-election campaign."

~snip~
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0504/052004cdam1.htm

[indepat]

32. Law, shmaw!

[onehandle]

33. This was front page news here in Georgia today.

I couldn't believe it.

[seemslikeadream]

34. kiss it goodbye!