Baghdad
Republican Party operatives are running the press office of the U.S.-led coalition, the Associated Press reported this week. The Office of Strategic Communications, whose mission is to disseminate information about the Coalition Provisional Authority, is staffed largely by people who used to work for the Bush campaign or for Republican lawmakers. One department is run by Rich Galen, a Republican strategist who once served as press secretary to Dan Quayle and Newt Gingrich. In contrast, the British press operation in Iraq is staffed by civil-service workers, not political appointees. “Iraq is in danger of costing George W. Bush his presidency,” said contractor Gordon Robison, who helped build an Iraqi TV station, “and the CPA’s media staff are determined to see that does not happen.” Press officers said they followed strict guidelines that steered them clear of partisan politics.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
