Democrats introduce bill to outlaw Pentagon propagandaMuriel Kane
Published: Monday June 9, 2008

Last April, the New York Times revealed that retired officers serving as military analysts on television news shows had regularly been briefed by the Pentagon and supplied with pro-war and pro-administration talking points.

The program was "temporarily suspended" by the Pentagon a week later. Now four senators have introduced legislation to prevent it from resuming.

Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), John Kerry (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) have introduced S. 3099, titled "A bill to prohibit the use of funds by the Department of Defense for propaganda purposes within the United States not otherwise specifically authorized by law."

"This Administration has a history of pushing propaganda on the American public," Sen. Lautenberg explained. "The American people expect our federal government to tell the nation the truth."

"There is no need for paid cheerleaders to support an argument," added Sen. Menendez.

The bill is a companion measure to an amendment to the military authorization bill which passed the House of Representatives on May 23. The television networks, which avoided reporting on the original New York Times story, have also paid little notice to the House ban.

Following the House passage of the amendment, the inspector general's office at the Department of Defense announced that it would be looking into the program, while the Government Accountability Office said it was already doing so. The Senate bill mandates that both those offices report to Congress within 90 days.

"We're going to make sure the public money isn't used for propaganda campaigns that undermine the public trust," Sen. Kerry stated. "The American people should not have to wonder whether the purportedly non-partisan, expert analysis they see on television might have been shaped by a government propaganda campaign."

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This and impeachment filing? You'd think some Dems have finally figured out where they put their spines!

Yeah, in doing anything but real necessary and needed work of the Congress. They are getting nothing done in there.

Does this mean that FOX news will get taken off of the air??

People always say that no matter which party is in office. You know that right?

Maybe you should run for office since your so into politics. Me I think they ALL are just a bunch of Lying Crooks....

What would you suggest them do? Play Neocon lite for Bush?

Anyone could have told you that Congress was going to become a hostile and unproductive place as King Georges reign of terror starts (hopefully) to wind down.

Not that I agree with not doing the other duties their job entails, but at least you could say they are trying to do something, I don't think I could say the same for Bush after his Support the Troops crap, while dropping the hammer on their getting a raise.

Yeah, but when you came in on 'change' and you've done jack and your approval is in the tank you gotta wonder what the priorities are of people who want to glorify bills on such stupid things. No duh that military analysts have been briefed and supplied, how else are they to get military information? To say that they all became propaganda tools is ridiculous, just like in everything else, some of those military analysts trusted the overwhelming sources and information they got and some did not.


Oh, but it is alright if news reporters report some classified information they got from some unnamed source at the Pentagon, right?

It's just those ex-military guys you can't trust, those evil military men.

Play a less talking head for every article you can dig up wherever you get them.

I dont want Congress doing anything while Bush is in office

I hope they stop the whole damn show until Bush and his crew are gone

Why not? He's a lame duck and can't do anything, right? They have the power of the people now and should save us all from this brutal dictatorship we have all suffered under. They should have the voice and votes to override any evil doing that this great murderous dictator has put on us.

Bush is President and his crew is still in power, after the great deception that I witnessed I dont trust anything the government does

Starsailor--- Do you ever ask yourself why you are always having to tell us "calm down", "its okay", "your exagerrating the facts", and "but,but, but" ?

I wish I had as much trust and faith as you do in the government.

The Founders of this country never trusted government and railed against it even after they themselves became it.

The so called military analysts were presented as being experts on the outside looking in, instead they were recieving their talking points based on a approved by the pentagon basis, just more deception from the media and from the government, not a big shock.

Oh I don't, look at my SAFE Act thread I put up. I just think many of you are going way over the top at times, doing way too much of your own propaganda and get a bit hysterical. I gotta head to work so that will refrain from a longer post, but I don't get all huggy huggy with government.

I don't know about anyone else, but I don't play propaganda, I do my best to talk about what can be proven.
As far as hysterical, It's not paranoia if they're actually doing these things.

They could have a mothersday vote daily, that'll GETTER DONE

Last April, the New York Times revealed that retired officers serving as military analysts on television news shows had regularly been briefed by the Pentagon and supplied with pro-war and pro-administration talking points.

I posted that story on here war about the analyst.
I think it got two comments.

http://www.justsayhi.com/topic/show/127291

Seemed hiker couldnt understand what it was!

I dont think we should give anymore money to these criminals

the whole north american government is a propaganda system.
it all starts from the history text books for elementary school.
where the government does not make proud patriots as every citizen is called to be, but robots who swallow every lie the government sells.
point in case, a vast majority of the american population really believes that the war in Iraq is fair.
And that actually America is defending freedom and democracy.
therefore, the empire of the minds is rulling big time.