Chris
08-13-2013, 03:50 PM
What Obama is doing is not just hypocritical but unethical and ought to be illegal.
White House’s daily emails use tax dollars to boost Obama’s image (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/aug/12/white-houses-daily-emails-use-tax-dollars-to-boost/)
President Obama often rails against “perpetual campaigns” in politics, but the White House is increasingly waging a partisan-edged campaign funded by taxpayers through a flood of daily emails to the public in support of his agenda.
Whether the topic is gun control or immigration reform, the White House is using taxpayer dollars for staff and equipment to promote Mr. Obama’s image and frequently to target his opponents in Congress for scorn through a series of e-newsletters.
...Some government watchdogs say the White House, by using federal employees and equipment to produce this partisan-themed campaign, is testing ethical boundaries.
...Franked mail, which is paid by the government, involves mailings of more than 500 missives from an elected official to constituents. Lawmakers often use it to boost their image.
Regulations set by the Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards bar lawmakers from unsolicited mass mailings, either email or “snail mail,” that criticize policy or legislation in a “partisan, politicized or personalized” manner.
...The mass mailings may not go out within 90 days of a primary or general election. But those rules don’t cover the executive branch, and the White House emails such as the Daily Snapshot are not “unsolicited.” Recipients subscribe to them simply by signing up on the White House website.
Pete Sepp, executive vice president of the National Taxpayers Union, said it’s questionable whether some of the White House emails would be permitted if congressional franking rules applied to them....
White House’s daily emails use tax dollars to boost Obama’s image (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/aug/12/white-houses-daily-emails-use-tax-dollars-to-boost/)
President Obama often rails against “perpetual campaigns” in politics, but the White House is increasingly waging a partisan-edged campaign funded by taxpayers through a flood of daily emails to the public in support of his agenda.
Whether the topic is gun control or immigration reform, the White House is using taxpayer dollars for staff and equipment to promote Mr. Obama’s image and frequently to target his opponents in Congress for scorn through a series of e-newsletters.
...Some government watchdogs say the White House, by using federal employees and equipment to produce this partisan-themed campaign, is testing ethical boundaries.
...Franked mail, which is paid by the government, involves mailings of more than 500 missives from an elected official to constituents. Lawmakers often use it to boost their image.
Regulations set by the Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards bar lawmakers from unsolicited mass mailings, either email or “snail mail,” that criticize policy or legislation in a “partisan, politicized or personalized” manner.
...The mass mailings may not go out within 90 days of a primary or general election. But those rules don’t cover the executive branch, and the White House emails such as the Daily Snapshot are not “unsolicited.” Recipients subscribe to them simply by signing up on the White House website.
Pete Sepp, executive vice president of the National Taxpayers Union, said it’s questionable whether some of the White House emails would be permitted if congressional franking rules applied to them....