Your tax dollars at work

I know that in the context of our massive federal budget, $20 million is sort of like losing a nickel in the seat cusions of your couch, but the Bushistas in the Pentagon have decided to spend that much on this.
Now it's not surprising that the Bush regime thinks of the war in Iraq as a PR problem, rather than a disaster. Monitoring the foreign reporting of the war for the proper "tone" is merely a pointless waste of money. But when it comes to monitoring the U.S. coverage, we cross into a whole new arena. The press then becomes either the handmaiden of the war effort (a job they performed admirably during the run-up and early days of the war) or the enemy of the war effort -- begging the Stephen Colbert question "why do you hate our troops?" if the "tone" of their reporting is not up to Bush standards.
In Bush's America, image is more important than reality, perception than policy, and beliefs than facts. Remember, War is Peace, Love is Hate, and only Big Brother can protect you from the enemy.