Craig Newmark: "Pentagon Pundit Scandal Broke the Law"

Posted April 29, 2008 | 10:00 AM (EST)

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Hey, you probably read about how the White House paid retired generals to deceive people.

Funny story... turns out that it sure looks illegal.

The Pentagon military analyst program unveiled in last week's expose by David Barstow in the New York Times was not just unethical but illegal. It violates, for starters, specific restrictions that Congress has been placing in its annual appropriation bills every year since 1951. According to those restrictions, "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."

- burnt See Profile I'm a Fan of burnt

If Congress fails to reassert its authority on this particular point of issue, I believe we'll see many more attempts to abuse Executive Office power through national propaganda schemes. The only course of action that I believe will have any affect is to doggedly investigate, prosecute when the facts are exposed... and reregulate corporate media ownership to FCC standards and levels that once insured non-domination of key markets.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:02 PM on 04/29/2008

- Cloud7Raymaker See Profile I'm a Fan of Cloud7Raymaker

Ok, so who do we hire to investigate & prosecute this criminal act? Really. Something must be done, if we don't enforce the law at some point then the written law really does become just a piece of paper...

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:44 PM on 04/29/2008

- mediamarv See Profile I'm a Fan of mediamarv

What's the point? Bushco's DOJ will not prosecute... we will have to wait until we have a Democratic controlled Senate and House, with veto proof majorities before these asshat republican stooges get their deserved punishment.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:32 AM on 04/29/2008

- OnTheOtherBeach See Profile I'm a Fan of OnTheOtherBeach

What has happened to our sense of outrage?

Forty years ago, we'd have taken to the streets over this.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:23 AM on 04/29/2008

- hopeless277 See Profile I'm a Fan of hopeless277

How many times do I have to remind you people. THE LAW COVERING REPUBLICANS HAS BEEN RECINDED. ALL OF THEM. FOREVER. Congress will not enforce the law, the president will not enforce the law, the DOJ will not enforce the law, the courts will not enforce the law. THERE ARE NO MORE LAWS THAT APPLY TO REPUBLICANS. Geeze, people, if you paid attention once in a while I wouldn't have to keep reminding you.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:07 AM on 04/29/2008

- Durango See Profile I'm a Fan of Durango

Don't know when or how that happened but it does seem to be the case.

Also all rules of civility have been recinded for Republicans. As well as all sense of shame, no matter how loathsome their behavior. See: Newt Gingrich, Bill Bennett, Rush Limbaug, Bob Novak ad nauseum.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:22 PM on 04/29/2008

- Durango See Profile I'm a Fan of Durango

Kind of funny how the fact that the Pentagon violated the law went right over everyones head.

Everyone in the Corporate Media that is. Not mine.

Is it that the Media is so used to violations of the law by the Bush Administration that what's the big deal about another one?

Or the fact that the very institutions that are supposed to deliver the news that the law was violated are the same ones implicated in the crime?

American Media.Bringing you only the finest, and cheapest Propaganda.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:46 AM on 04/29/2008

- PierreLeClerke See Profile I'm a Fan of PierreLeClerke

And tomorrows announced crime will be ..................
And still you sit still America. When will you rise from your deep dark slumber?

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:32 AM on 04/29/2008

- fred123 See Profile I'm a Fan of fred123

You need to do a little more research to prove your point - If you go through the several military appropriations bills that are in effect you will find that the DOD in general, each service, and sometimes specific commands within each service have designated budgets for public relations, information affairs (the Imbed Program in Iraq, for instance), and other similar activities. They are specific, approved appropriations, and meet the "heretofore authorized by Congress" boilerplate restriction you cite above.

Now, DOD budgeting is a tricky business, and it is possible that this program inappropriately drew funds from some source that it shouldn't have. It could be, but I don't know. Without doing an exhaustive audit to pull that string, I couldn't say for sure. Neither can anyone else. Why don't you do a little more digging before you jump to conclusions?

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:43 AM on 04/29/2008