The Bushies' Unofficial Ministry of Propaganda

That fake 'news story' on the No Child Left Behind Act? Child's Play. Payoffs to conservative columnists? Chump change. The latest revelation is that this administration has spent more than $1.6 billion on several hundred contracts with PR firms and other media outlets since 2003. That's $53 million every month to try and convince Americans to buy into unpopular policies.

To conduct its study, GAO obtained information from seven federal departments on all public relations, advertising, and media contracts during 2003, 2004, and the first two quarters of 2005. GAO found that during that time:

• The Administration spent $1.6 billion on contracts with advertising agencies ($1.4 billion), public relations firms ($197 million), and media organizations and individual members of the media ($15 million).

• The Department of Defense spent the most on media contracts, with contracts worth $1.1 billion. The Department of Health and Human Services spent more than $300 million on these contracts, the Department of Treasury spent $152 million, and the Department of Homeland Security spent $24 million during this period.

The Administration's public relations and advertising contracts spanned a wide range of issues, including Administration priorities like "marriage-related research initiatives," message development presenting "the Army's strategic perspective in the Global War on Terrorism," and an FDA contract to warn the public of the consequences and potential danger of importing prescription drugs from other nations.

Those drugs imported from other nations? They were made here.