On This Date in Bush History-11/29: Free Press/Fake Press

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On This Date in Bush History-11/29: Free Press vs Fake Press

"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." Abraham Lincoln

In today's "On This Date in Bush History", the Bush Administration Pays a GOP-Friendly Group Millions to Help Undermine the Democratic Goal of a Free Press in Iraq

2005: Today's LA Times reports that the State Dept. runs worthy workshops such as "The Role of Press in a Democratic Society" in Iraq. Today's LA Times also reports that these principles are being undermined. Newspaper articles are being written by the US military and planted as straight news in the Iraqi press, with the papers involved often being paid by the US to do so. A senior Pentagon official said "Here we are trying to create the principles of democracy in Iraq. ... And we're breaking all the first principles of democracy when we're doing it".

The U.S. news manipulation effort is managed by a GOP connected company, the Lincoln Group. Their first Iraq contract was worth about $6 million "a blockbuster - in terms of dollars - for PR" according to the editor of the PR industry journal "O'Dwyer's Newsletter". In 2005 they received a new contract, this time for $100 million! Beth Daley of the Project on Government Oversight said, "Any time we see leaders who cultivate political influence for a particular party suddenly receive major government contracts, it sends up red flags".

So here we have President Bush spending millions to do an end run around the principals of a free press in Iraq. A grateful nation thanks you, Mr. President. In addition, your fellow Republicans in the Lincoln Group, counting their (or is it the public's) millions, are no doubt even more grateful.

Read more in the 2008 Calendar: http://www.PoorGeorgesAlmanac.com/onThisDate.htm