Dubya caught faking it: caught hiring actors to pose as TV reporters

[Cannikin]

George W. is so anxious to get good news coverage he's been caught hiring actors to pose as TV reporters to recreate news conferences to make them look more positive.

The General Accounting Office, an investigative arm of Congress, is investigating a handout video sent to local TV stations around the country that purports to be a news clip of the President being cheered as he signs the Medicare law on Dec 8. The clip comes complete with a reporter voice-over and standup by a woman who says, "In Washington, I'm Karen Ryan reporting."

A separate Spanish langue version was also sent to Hispanic stations. Both were produced by the Department of Health and Human Services, which called them video news releases.

But, when one suspicious news director did some sleuthing it was discovered that the "reporter" is an actress as were the other journalists pictured at a supposed news conference and even the cheering onlookers were shills.

Home Front Communications confirms that "Karen Ryan" was auditioned and hired her to read a script prepared by the administration.

Read the last paragraph:
http://www.365gay.com/entertainment/news&gossip/dis.htm

[radfringe]

1. more smoke-mirrors from the Hocus-POTUS

recently it came to light that the medicare "NEWS" story featurer "reporters" who were actually actors posing as reporters and reading from a bush* admin "script"

Prior to that - the controversial 9-11 campaign ad featured firemen who were also actors

----

five other instances of HOCUS-POTUS come to mind:

-- 2000 Florida re-count: a now fairly known photo shows a group of "voters" storming the re-count room. these voters were GOP stooges of various ranks within the GOP machine

-- 2001 taxcut: at a rally to shove the taxcut through Congress, bush* appeared on stage with a group of "reg'ler 'muricans" . Turns out these "reg'ler 'muricans" were part of the bush* team and were instructed to play dress-up like a "reg'ler 'muricans"

-- 2002 Made in where?: at yet another "rally" to push a taxcut through - bush* appeared with a staged backdrop of boxes that were stamped "made in USA". A behind the scenes look, showed that these boxes were actually marked as "MADE IN CHINA"

-- 2003 "Mission Accomplished" banner: First story cited that the crew of the Lincoln made the banner and put it up. Later we find that bush* inc. provided the banner

-- 2003 Lincoln Jet Landing: Originally we were told that the Lincoln was "too far out to sea" to accomodate another ship transporting bush* to the Lincoln - hence he was "flown" in on a jet.
However, we then find out that the coast line was easily in site when bush* "landed". Meanwhile it was never adequately explained that if the Lincoln was sooooo far out to sea - then how did the bush* advance crew get on the ship?

[booksenkatz]

5. Don't forget the recent "no speak English" rally

I forgot where it was/the occasion, but the fiercely pro-Bush rah-rah crowd was composed of individuals who admitted they didn't even speak English. Perhaps someone can expound on that event.

This entire cabal is like a really lame community theatre production. (I should know, I've been involved in a few of those, LOL!)

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. And don't forget this Republican rally in Orlando that only allows

Republicans and Independents.

[kskiska]

19. And then there was the time…

…when crowd members were asked to abandon their suit jackets and don hard hats, to pose as "workers."

…when guys in *'s audience were asked to take their ties off.

…when a videotape of a gathering was manipulated so the audience would appear more diverse. This was noticed by a man in the crowd who viewed the tape and noticed that his wife, who had been sitting next to him, had been replaced by a black woman.

[Vitruvius]

22. Links re Bu$h "no speak English" rally:

Link to article: http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-livit0312,0,5859209.column?coll=ny-news-columnists ;

link to DU thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=39508

The most wretched thing about the whole episode: they were exploited immigrant workers, toiling in a disgusting sweatshop; low pay, no benefits, no health insurance -- then the bossman orders them to cheer for Bu$h.

And Bu$h had the gall to tout their sweatshop jobs a proof that his economic policy (tax cuts for the rich) is creating jobs.

Vitruvius

P.S: That sweatshop -- an auto parts factory -- has received tax breaks from the Rethugnican-run state and town gov'ts, and development monies from the state. And the rich owner's getting a big fat personal tax cut from Bu$h.

And that's what the Rethugs have planned for all of us. Sweatshop jobs, low pay, no benefits for us, while they give themselves tax breaks and gov't subsidies. And every so often they'll order us out to cheer the unelected dictator -- Bu$h.

it sounds a lot like living under a CIA-installed government in the third world...

[keithyboy]

17. No, not "smorke and mirrors" but more lies and deceptions...call it right

This should be called in to all the media outlets since they want some real news!! I will start with FOX!

[foreigncorrespondent]

2. ROFLMAO!

Nothing better than seeing that weasle caught with his pants down.

Thanks for posting this, Cannikin.

[Cannikin]

3. The last sentence was interesting...

"Federal law prohibits the use of federal money for "publicity or propaganda purposes" not authorized by Congress."

[cboy4]

4. I know!! FAKE FAKE FAKE for a

SELECTED SELECTED SELECTED administration!
I brought this up in an earlier post, yet someone
else wrote: (below)

I'm definitely upset about the use of actors!!
It's crooked, dishonest, bla bla bla...


Demobrat (1000+ posts) Tue Mar-16-04 04:37 PM
Response to Reply #8

10. Using actors in a TV commercial can be rationalized.
Most people won't get too upset about that. I want them caught in a big, fat lie.

[SideshowScott]

6. HA! Thats funny..I hope this makes it to the national press!

It really shows what Bush thinks about the press.Fake for his benifet..Why did'nt he just get Fox news to do it..I know they would jump at the chance to help master!

[Disturbed]

7. Another law broken.

Shrubco has broken many laws. Will they be prosecuted?

[ozymandius]

8. Where does Bush find the time?

Was precious presidential time appropriated to stage these events? If so - between these media-ops, Nascar races and rodeo events, one has to wonder when Bush has time to nap.

[sendero]

9. Everything....

... this gang does is theatre. They could care less whether their policies are good for the country - they do whatever they want based on the unfortunately all-too-true theory that they can spin the message to the point that the average American has no clue what is actually going on.

One wonders just how bad things have to get in this country before everyone wakes up and pays attention to what these morons are doing instead of the bogus movie they are creating.

[Art_from_Ark]

13. Makes you wonder

If they would go to these lengths for piddly stuff like this, could they also fake videos that featured bearded super villains?

[jpgray]

10. NYT led with this--other things were sent up to drive it away (nt)

[ElsewheresDaughter]

12. may they all ( bushco*) rot in the 11th level of hell that awaits them!

and that they have earned :puke:

[jeanmarc]

14. Perhaps

Dummya didn't like the acting by the real reporters reading scripted lines at his press conferences? You can't blame him, they are crummy actors. ;)

[BabsSong]

15. My first reaction is what don't 'real' reporters then report on this story

That's what is the ultimate sad. Now you know it and I know it but no one else will. Listen to the callers on C-Span raving on and on about how honest Bush is. They have no-WMD's squat in their faces but that's just proof to them that Bush is honest, apparently. It will take Dem talking heads and the Kerry camp to bring it up in order for it to make news. Unfortunately, it's just stuff like this that they, too, let pass. This is the kind of stuff 'ammo' is made of not position papers.

[opihimoimoi]

16. The Psuedo Prez and his Psuedo Staff caught once more in a LIE

Can America do WORSE for a Prez? Hardly

[Cannikin]

18. kick

[Cannikin]

20. kick

[DrWeird]

21. Does this violate campaign finance laws?

I mean I only know what I saw on the Daily Show, but aren't the basically cheerleading for the Bush administration? They sure didn't have the disclaimers that campaign commercials have.

Any experts out there?

[havocmom]

23. Good question

and a kick in hope of an answer.