Bush Flips Out

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No one is compelled to watch either of them.

Bullshit, Larry434. Sinclair Broadcasting Group is demanding that their affiliates interrupt their regular scheduling to play this. So, in essence, these affiliates are being COMPELLED to do just that. And they are specifically trying to present it as a news story in order to avoid the McCain-Feingold laws. There are many rural families in swingstates who will crack another beer, pull up the blanket, and watch this character assassination of Kerry. They will advertise this in advance, and entice their base viewership to watch FOR FREE.

HBO can't "compel" you to watch Farenheit 9/11 if you refuse to pay, unless YOU actually feel "compelled" to pony up the cash and watch Michael's film.

Compel:

3) To exert a strong, irresistible force on; sway: "The land, in a certain, very real way, compels the minds of the people"

If they treat it as NEWS, how can it NOT be compelling? And how can it NOT be illegal?

Larry, what do you think about the Medicare ad that was presented as a news segment? Fine?

Here's a link with more info if you weren't aware of it:

http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=35809

Follow links, you'll get to it. I can provide more specific links if needed.

What I'm curious about is whether you think it was OK.

March 15, 2004
Bush Admin Medicare "Video News Releases" Under Investigation
The Bush Administration is being investigated yet again. This time federal investigators are questioning a Medicare "video news release" according to the New York Times. These videos should not be confused with the commercials that bordered on campaign ads that ran on CBS for a short while before the station decided to pull them. Some would argue that these "video news releases" are even more egregious in that they are news segments with actors posing as journalists reading a script prepared by the White House. The New York Times reports:

"Federal investigators are scrutinizing television segments in which the Bush administration paid people to pose as journalists praising the benefits of the new Medicare law, which would be offered to help elderly Americans with the costs of their prescription medicines.

The videos are intended for use in local television news programs. Several include pictures of President Bush receiving a standing ovation from a crowd cheering as he signed the Medicare law on Dec. 8.

The materials were produced by the Department of Health and Human Services, which called them video news releases, but the source is not identified. Two videos end with the voice of a woman who says, 'In Washington, I'm Karen Ryan reporting.'

But the production company, Home Front Communications, said it had hired her to read a script prepared by the government.

Another video, intended for Hispanic audiences, shows a Bush administration official being interviewed in Spanish by a man who identifies himself as a reporter named Alberto Garcia.

Another segment shows a pharmacist talking to an elderly customer. The pharmacist says the new law 'helps you better afford your medications,' and the customer says, 'It sounds like a good idea." Indeed, the pharmacist says, 'A very good idea.'

The government also prepared scripts that can be used by news anchors introducing what the administration describes as a made-for-television 'story package.'

In one script, the administration suggests that anchors use this language: 'In December, President Bush signed into law the first-ever prescription drug benefit for people with Medicare. Since then, there have been a lot of questions about how the law will help older Americans and people with disabilities. Reporter Karen Ryan helps sort through the details.'

The "reporter" then explains the benefits of the new law."









This development comes on the heels of news reports that the Bush Administration pressured Richard Foster, chief actuary of the Medicare program not to release his forecasts of costs of the recently passed "Medicare reform." The White House told Congress the bill would cost no more than $400 billion over 10 years. Foster estimated the reform package would cost closer to the $551 billion over that same period. On December 8th, Bush signed the measure into law. On January 29th, The White House announced that the new Medicare law would cost $534 billion. Hmm. Sounds fishy to me.

Democrats are pushing for an inquiry into the matter. We'll see if the Republican majority will try to quash this one as they have attempted to do for the several other brewing scandals within the Bush White House.

Didn't see the ad, nor have I read a transcript of it. So I can not comment. Wasn't it voluntarily taken down?

Yup, that is how most of us come to know things...not by direct experience but by reading and talking to others who have had the subject direct experience.

How can Larry434 say:

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Didn't see the ad, nor have I read a transcript of it. So I can not comment. Wasn't it voluntarily taken down?

And yet on another thread, Larry434 said:

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Yup, that is how most of us come to know things...not by direct experience but by reading and talking to others who have had the subject direct experience.

Hmmm... Is a "subject direct experience" compelling? What compels one to read something in order to comment on it?