The Onion
If you slashdot today you will have seen the White House sent a Cease & Desists letter to The Onion. The Onion is a satirical newspaper the boast headlines like “Study Reveals Pittsburgh Unprepared For Full-Scale Zombie Attack.” Aparently they are using the presidential seal in their graphic for a parody of the presidential weekly radio address.
"It has come to my attention that The Onion is using the presidential seal on its Web site," wrote Grant M. Dixton, associate counsel to the president last month, according to The New York Times. 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." He also said The Onion never applied for an exemption to make fun of the president, which they certainly should have done.
First, you need to apply to make fun of the president? Second, only an idiot would not know they are satire. Ok scratch that. Second, why is anyone in the White House reading The Onion at work?
Update:
Here is part of the responds written by Onion editor-in-chief Scott Dikkers...
Dear Mr. Dixon, (Yes, his name is misspelled)
I greatly appreciate your comments regarding my Weekly Radio Address parody. But I'm surprised the president deems it wise to spend taxpayer money for his lawyer to write letters to The Onion.
If you have a lot of extra money lying around that you don't know what to do with, here are some better ideas for spending it:
1. How about a tax break for satirists?
2. With indictments in 'Plamegate' forthcoming, perhaps a nice going-away present for Karl Rove, Scooter Libby, Vice President Cheney, or whoever the president may be firing. I recommend a subscription to The Onion.
3. It has recently become obvious that there is need for some sort of federal organization to administer the management of emergencies - a hypothetical 'Federal Emergency Management Administration,' if you will. You could spend the money on that.
4. Harriet Miers could really use a scholarship to some kind of rudimentary judge school.
In the event there's any extra money left over after all these projects, then perhaps the president could justify paying lawyers to protect him from comedians.
... leaders like this are a gift to comedians.