The President Endorses This Blog
You might have thought that the White House had enough on its plate late last month, what with its search for a new Supreme Court nominee, the continuing war in Iraq and the C.I.A. leak investigation. But it found time to add another item to its agenda – stopping The Onion, the satirical newspaper, from using the presidential seal.
The newspaper regularly produces a parody of President Bush’s weekly radio address on its Web site (www.theonion.com/content/node/40121), where it has a picture of President Bush and the official insignia.
“It has come to my attention that The Onion is using the presidential seal on its Web site,” Grant M. Dixton, associate counsel to the president, wrote to The Onion on Sept. 28. (At the time, Mr. Dixton’s office was also helping Mr. Bush find a Supreme Court nominee; days later his boss, Harriet E. Miers, was nominated.)
Citing the United States Code, Mr. Dixton wrote that the seal “is not to be used in connection with commercial ventures or products in any way that suggests presidential support or endorsement.” Exceptions may be made, he noted, but The Onion had never applied for such an exception.
Silly Onion. Everyone knows the President reads and endorses Emergent Chaos, not the Onion. Who’d read anything with such a silly name?
From The New York Times, “Protecting the Presidential Seal. No Joke.”
PS: Dear Mr. Dixon, I’d like an exception for satirical use, but couldn’t find a form on your web site.
This is the premise for a new blockbuster this summer… same concept as Men In Black that get their information from tabloids… the new movie will have the president get it from The Onion… Things like building a bridge between Canada and Mexico… HEY! that’s a fantastic idea!
Dick Cheney tried the same thing with Whitehouse.org (an hysterical and NSFW site). However, he failed to note that the seal as used at that whitehouse.org had a vulture in the center.
http://www.buzzflash.com/interviews/03/03/14_wh.html
Ever notice how some people can’t take a joke? ;^)
I think the phrase you’re looking for is “People Hate Being Laughed At.” 🙂
Madam Hillary also said the Bush administration “will go down in history as one of the worst that has ever governed our country.” While Hillary is certainly qualified to comment on what the all-time worst presidential administrations were, having had firsthand experience in one of them, I think she might want to avoid the phrase “go down in history.”