ShrubCo breaks law with staged soldiers TV show?

[BR_Parkway]

If the GSA determined that it was illegal for the government to pay Armstrong Williams to spread propoganda boosting No Child Left Behind:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/14/AR2005101400747.html

The Government Accountability Office has concluded that the Education Department engaged in illegal "covert propaganda" by hiring Williams to promote the No Child Left Behind Act without requiring him to disclose that he was being paid. The Education Department's inspector general has also reviewed the Williams deal, which was part of a broader contract that the education agency had with Ketchum, a public relations firm.

then isn't paying soldiers to appear and actually scripting their performances on nationally reported "informal chat" with the troops and having Snotty stand up in the gaggle and deny it was staged the exact same thing? And putting one of the military PR people in there to make it look like she was just 'one of the troops'

I know, no one will do anything about it, but damn - wouldn't it be cheaper for all of us if they'd just suspend the Constitution, lock up the few remaining free press and publish Truth? Don't these stupid, lockstep 'journalists' see that they will be out of jobs too?

[patricia92243]

1. Did the soldiers get PAID? Rehearsing and getting paid are two

different things. I still am not sure it would be illegal if they got paid to be on tv. Just scandalous but not illegal.

[radfringe]

2. Wizard of spin has spoken....

http://radfringe.tripod.com/id1.html

[rosesaylavee]

3. If the press doesn't keep the pressure on this, who will?

It is just amazing that * staged it and it is now becoming old news.

[pecwae]

4. I don't think so

We always prepped our CG or anyone else who was scheduled to have dealings with media reps. We didn't have the exact questions, but ran through likely scenarios according to how the wind was blowing in print and broadcast media. Because Dubya sucks at ad libbing I can see where this event required more PR intervention, but the degree of prepping was pretty shameless. I cannot recall ever scripting for a media event unless you would consider speech writing as such.

Williams is a civilian; the troops belong to the government. I think the is where the real difference lies.