Incredible. This is right on par with his Ministry of Truth.
Via Judicial Watch:
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it obtained documents from the Obama Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) showing that the Obama White House helped coordinate a multimillion dollar taxpayer-funded campaign to use Internet search engines such as Google and Yahoo to drive web traffic to a government website promoting the Affordable Health Care Act (also known as Obamacare). The expressed purpose of this campaign is to increase public support for the president’s health care overhaul among key Obama campaign demographics, specifically Hispanics, blacks, and women.
The 2,328 pages of records, obtained by Judicial Watch pursuant to a March 23, 2011, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit (Judicial Watch v. Department of Health and Human Services (No. 11-608)), include internal correspondence between officials at the HHS office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA), as well as communications with representatives from The Ogilvy Group, the public relations firm hired by the Obama administration to manage the Obamacare campaign. The following are highlights from the documents:
“The Obama HHS launched a campaign to track Internet searches and to use online search engines such as Google and Yahoo to drive traffic to a government website promoting Obama’s healthcare overhaul. Using “pay-per-click” advertising tools, such as Google Adwords, HHS purposely targeted for influence people searching the term “Obamacare,” a word that has been described as “disparaging” by political agents of the president.”
One HHS email details:
“A few keyword groups continue to be top performers, and have subsequently driven most of the traffic to the campaign websites:
Affordable Care Act, including such terms as health care reform, government health insurance, Obamacare, and affordable care act.
Health Insurance Group, including terms as health insurance.
Health Care Group, including terms as health care.
While other keyword groups have not performed as well, and are not driving significant traffic to the campaign websites:
Health Insurance, Health insurance options, Medical Insurance, and Insurance companies.”
According to a budget summary prepared by Ogilvy, from October 2010 through February 2011, the Obama administration spent $1,435,009 on these online advertisements alone, including advertising campaigns with Google and Yahoo, almost $300,000 per month.
According to a December 10, 2010, email from Margo Gillman, Senior VP of Ogilvy Public Relations to Jenny Backus, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and the Principal Deputy for Strategy and Planning for HHS, the Obama White House was involved in coordinating the HHS propaganda campaign:
“Just a quick note to see if you have any feedback/direction on how we should proceed with the radio and TV concepts that were presented a few weeks ago. You mentioned on our last call that you were planning to discuss them with the White House on either Friday or yesterday. We would appreciate any guidance that you can provide, so we can determine immediate next steps and a production schedule. Also, we are awaiting your feedback on the overarching strategic campaign plan.”
……A number of documents address the need to target the Obamacare propaganda campaign to Hispanics, blacks, and women. For example, according to an email from Chris Beakey, Vice President of Ogilvy PR Worldwide, to HHS officials on December 16, 2010, summarizing a conference call, “You want to utilize the bulk of their paid media efforts (which would include expenditures for Radio One and Univision) on media that reaches African Americans and Hispanics. The money will go farther and these audiences continue to be a top priority.” A January 18, 2011, email from Ogilvy to HHS New Media Communications Director Julia Eisman notes with respect to a Spanish banner ad campaign, “I realize we really can’t use the blond mom and child for this audience.”
Documents Uncovered
- Full document production (2300 pages, ~250MB) – August 5, 2011
When you can’t convince 54% of Americans that the unConstitutional ObamaCare has merit, then use their tax money to target minorities who are apparently a monolithic, easily manipulated voting bloc. The entitlement culture will always expect a hand out, and the Dems will always be there to give it to them. Why work when you can suck off the public teat? That’s the message to blacks and Hispanics. The soft bigotry of low expectations. Your color entitles you to special treatment. You’re downtrodden because the eeeeevil white folks made you ‘needy’. Don’t worry about getting a job, working class blond mom will do that and pay for your welfare, to boot.
Related articles
- White House’s Online Spin Doctors and Propaganda Artists (thepatriotperspective.wordpress.com)
- Great news: Obama says it’s okay to use the term “ObamaCare” (hotair.com)
- Surprise! HHS still granting ObamaCare waivers (hotair.com)