Governator's own brand of faux news

irishgrl · #1 03-12-2005, 11:53 AM

Ahnuld makes fake "news"
Calif. Gov. 'News' Videos Cause a Stir
The Associated Press

Friday 11 March 2005

Sacramento - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration has acknowledged making several videos masquerading as news stories to promote its agenda, creating an uproar from Democrats and labor leaders in a controversy parallel to one ignited by the Bush administration.

"When the governor produces official government propaganda and tries to fake it to look like news it's very, very corrosive to democratic values," said Barry Broad, a labor lobbyist who compared it to efforts by totalitarian regimes.

Criticism initially focused on a video promoting labor regulations altering workers' meal breaks. But the administration later said it made videos on Schwarzenegger's efforts to reshape state government, stall rules that would increase nurse staffing at hospitals and alter teacher pay and tenure requirements, said aides to Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles.

Critics said the tailored-for-TV-news videos amount to taxpayer-funded campaign propaganda.

Last year, the federal Government Accountability Office said the Bush administration violated a prohibition against using public money for propaganda when it created videos made to resemble news reports promoting Medicare changes.

Deputy Legislative Counsel Cecilia Moddelmog told a Senate budget subcommittee Thursday that she doubted the Schwarzenegger administration had the authority to produce the videos.

The videos included suggested opening remarks for a news anchor, a narrative by a state employee and interviews with supporters of the administration policies. It's not evident to viewers who produced them and no opposition is expressed.

"In essence, those are all mock news stories," Romero said.

Administration officials said the videos were news releases and lawyers considered them legal. The administration said only portions of the videos were broadcast, but two stations identified by officials denied using the material.

Sen. John Campbell of Irvine, an ally of the governor and fellow Republican, said the Legislature produces its own video releases.

"This whole thing is like a charade," he said. "Every one of us does a lot of propaganda on lots of things every day."

macfanken · #2 03-12-2005, 12:28 PM

Shrub got away with it, why not Anuld?

SuzeQuze · #3 03-12-2005, 04:19 PM

Boston Legal's show tomorrow will feature some stuff about Faux News but they had to get rid of all mentions of Fox in the episode. This could be good.

amber · #4 03-12-2005, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

Boston Legal's show tomorrow will feature some stuff about Faux News but they had to get rid of all mentions of Fox in the episode. This could be good.

That should be good.
On another note, I hate this slimy administration....

belladonna. · #5 03-12-2005, 05:05 PM

i laugh everytime i see the word governator.

poor arnold, he's such a joke.

dissention · #6 03-12-2005, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by belladonna.

i laugh everytime i see the word governator.

poor arnold, he's such a joke.

My particular favorite is The Gropenfueher.

belladonna. · #7 03-12-2005, 05:12 PM

if i knew what that meant i might like it more

amber · #8 03-12-2005, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by belladonna.

if i knew what that meant i might like it more

Women have made allegations that he sexually harrassed them. - Groped them. He has a German accent, so Gropenfuehrer... - fuehrer is what Hitler was called, I think...
See?

belladonna. · #9 03-12-2005, 05:16 PM

sigh

sometimes, i am such an idiot

amber · #10 03-12-2005, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by belladonna.

sigh

sometimes, i am such an idiot

meh.

we can't know everything all the time, right?

gldstwmn · #11 03-12-2005, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amber

Women have made allegations that he sexually harrassed them. - Groped them. He has a German accent, so Gropenfuehrer... - fuehrer is what Hitler was called, I think...
See?

Yes but the correct spelling is fuhrer.
Since we're on the subject, his father was a Nazi.

dissention · #12 03-12-2005, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

Yes but the correct spelling is fuhrer.
Since we're on the subject, his father was a Nazi.

Yup, and The Gropenfuhrer saw the tanks invade Austria first-hand, too.

Just like he saw that fabulous debate with Nixon on the boob tube when he first came to the US and couldn't speak a lick of English.

amber · #13 03-12-2005, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

Yes but the correct spelling is fuhrer.
Since we're on the subject, his father was a Nazi.

actually, I found this: oops!!

füh·rer also fueh·rer ( P ) Pronunciation Key (fyrr)
n.
A leader, especially one exercising the powers of a tyrant.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[German, from Middle High German vüerer, from vüeren, to lead, from Old High German fuoren. See per-2 in Indo-European Roots.]

irishgrl · #14 03-13-2005, 08:54 AM

first Jason, now Amber with the dicshunairy!

hmmm "fyrr" sounds more like Fur to me! maybe they should have said "pronounced: furor" that makes more sense anyway!

SuzeQuze · #15 03-13-2005, 09:31 AM

What bothers me most about Ahnold's and Shrub's fake news is that they saw nothing wrong with doing this. I find it very disturbing that they do not see how damaging that is to our democracy.