Joke makes presidential eyes water

The Bush White House is not only losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the American people. It is also losing its sense of humour.

The administration has just written a cease-and-desist letter to the satirical newspaper The Onion urging it to stop using the presidential seal on its website.

The Onion, which has a cult-like following for its spoofing of the news and political leadership generally (recent headline: "Bush To Appoint Someone To Be In Charge of Country"), is amazed that anyone in the White House has time to worry about the matter.

"I'm surprised the President deems it wise to spend taxpayer money for his lawyer to write letters to The Onion," the paper's editor, Scott Dikkers, wrote back.

Parody and satire are generally understood to be protected speech under the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

But White House Counsel Grant Dixton wrote to The Onion: "The Presidential Seal is not to be used in connection with commercial ventures or products in any way that suggests presidential support or endorsement."

The Onion's lawyer wrote back: "Readers of The Onion know that its incidental use of the Presidential Seal and its complementary parody of the president's weekly radio address are not meant to ... serve as political commentary."

- INDEPENDENT