Go figure... Bush Administration illegally using a quarter of a million dollars in public funds to propagandize the "No Child Left Behind" act (only to not fund it after it passed). This form of promotion has already been deemed unethical and illegal by the GAO twice before. But, as we know... laws have no influence on the Bush Administration.
Education Department Paid Journalist (Link)
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration paid a prominent black journalist to promote President Bush (news - web sites)'s education law and give Education Secretary Rod Paige media time, records show.
Armstrong Williams, a nationally syndicated radio, print and television personality, was paid $240,000 by the Education Department to promote the No Child Left Behind Act.
The contract required Williams' company, the Graham Williams Group, to produce radio and TV ads that promote the controversial law and feature one-minute "reads" by Paige. The deal also allowed Paige and other department officials to appear as studio guests with Williams.
Williams, one of the leading black conservative voices in the country, was also to use his influence with other black journalists to get them to talk about No Child Left Behind.
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5 comments:
Good story, but does it have legs?
I mean, doesn't every adminisration do the same?
Regardless, the open windows are important.
I would have to agree with the previous commentor. I would be absolutely shocked if I could find one administration out of the last 30 years who did not do this (or something else of "questionable legality" - that was a good term from Hollywood) in the name of the "greater good".
Listening to Jonah Goldberg today speak about it, it does not sound like any other administrations have done this (or at least never got caught). He was saying that if he or other conservatives had ever caught Clinton doing this he would have had a field day. So, no, I don't think previous administrations have done it.
Dingo,
I heard about it on NPR, but I was under the impression that Armstrong Williams was a pundit type, not a journalist. I thought he was sort of a Rush Limbaughish radio guy. I've heard him talk a couple of times, and he seemed decent enough - but I couldn't believe he'd be dumb enough to accept a payment. It definitely blows his credibility, IMO.
I know there have been incidents where other administrations paid out of public funds to do things that were questionable (some jobs program under Clinton, for instance), but I can't call to mind any case where a media type was paid to promote a certain program. According to NPR Williams had been on a few TV programs, had pushed the NCLB program, and had not disclosed his financial interest. That seemed to be the issue to them. It's definitely one to me.
Look at it this way - by Monday someone will have come up with a long list of reasons why this is not a problem. It should be enjoyable to watch this forming.
whether he was a pundit or a journalists, I think is a poor use of tax dollars. And, I really don't think that there is all that much of a difference. Bob Novak and Paul Begala are both pundits and journalists. Where do you draw the line. I don't think it is fair for either of them to be on the take from the government, much less without full disclosure of their dealings.
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