"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" -Oscar Wilde |
"The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth, shall be watered also himself." -- Proverbs 11:25 |
A new Social Security (news - web sites) war room inside the Treasury Department (news - web sites) is pumping out information to sell President Bush (news - web sites)'s plan, much like any political campaign might do. It's part of a coordinated effort by the Bush administration.
The internal, taxpayer-funded campaigning is backed up by television advertisements, grass-roots organizing and lobbying from business and other groups that support the Bush plan.
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004, Pub. L. No. 108-199, div. F, title VI, § 624, 118 Stat. 3, 356 (Jan. 23, 2004) (fiscal year 2004); Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003, Pub. L. No. 108-7, div. J, title VI, § 626, 117 Stat. 11, 470 (Feb. 20, 2003) (fiscal year 2003); and Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2002, Pub. L. No. 107-67, § 626, 115 Stat. 514, 552 (Nov. 12, 2001) (fiscal year 2002).
The language of these provisions is identical: "No part of any appropriation contained in this or any other Act shall be used for publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States not heretofore authorized by the Congress."