How to Protect the Presidential Seal: Threaten *The Onion*

Talk about touchy ... where do these White House factotums get their, ahem, brass?

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. ...

(Read the whole disgusting story at http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/business/24onion.html?ex=1145764800&en=da8771b785b26e13&ei=5087&mkt=bizlink1
Keep in mind that the Times now operates a webwall and you'll have to "sign up" for "free" to get access.)

Tell me I'm not hallucinating this. Not only is the White House so touchy that it will strike back at anyone, even comedians, but that it is now illegal to use the Presidential Seal as part of a satire.

I guess Dubya's family changed the family name from "Mugabe" (or maybe "Djugashvili") to "Bush" somewhere along the line.

--p!

--p!

This time, if you don't like it, tough noogies. :)

--p!

Just one more piece of evidence that the WH is now occupied (deliberate choice of that word) by the most graceless human being ever to claim (ditto) the Oval Office.