The State department exploits .... Bono?

courtesy ThinkProgress.

The US State department shamelessly used U2's Bono to falsely trumpet the administration's achievements for the HIV pandemic in Africa. This is what they say :

"Bono, lead singer of the Irish band U2 and longtime activist for aid to Africa, echoed Geldof’s praise for President Bush as he told an American television interviewer June 26, “[Bush] has already doubled and tripled aid to Africa .… I think he has done an incredible job, his administration, on AIDS. 250,000 Africans are on anti-viral drugs; they literally owe their lives to America.”

Except Bono never said that. What the State department did is clip together parts of Bono's statements from two different interviews to give the impression that this was what he wanted to convey. And, the most hideous aspect of the thing is, they actually extracted the first part of this statement from one where he was, if not actually criticizing, at least being cautiously skeptical about Bush, not fawning all over him as the State department's website seems to depict.

"Question: Which of the G8 leaders do you think remains the toughest nut to crack?

Bono: The most important and toughest nut is still President Bush. He feels he’s already doubled and tripled aid to Africa, which he started from far too low a place. He can stand there and say he paid at the office already. He shouldn’t because he’ll be left out of the history books. But it’s hard for him because of the expense of the war and the debts."

See what they did? That is blatant dishonesty. And this is is the State Department for crying out loud. But I guess, when the moral rot starts from the top, it spreads to everything below as well.