[linskyjack]

If taxpayer's money went to pay for this, then I am one angry American.



White House paid commentator to promote law

Fri Jan 7, 6:56 AM ET


By Greg Toppo, USA TODAY

Seeking to build support among black families for its education reform law, the Bush administration paid a prominent black pundit $240,000 to promote the law on his nationally syndicated television show and to urge other black journalists to do the same.


The campaign, part of an effort to promote No Child Left Behind (NCLB), required commentator Armstrong Williams "to regularly comment on NCLB during the course of his broadcasts," and to interview Education Secretary Rod Paige for TV and radio spots that aired during the show in 2004.

Williams said Thursday he understands that critics could find the arrangement unethical, but "I wanted to do it because it's something I believe in."

The top Democrat on the House Education Committee, Rep. George Miller (news, bio, voting record) of California, called the contract "a very questionable use of taxpayers' money" that is "probably illegal." He said he will ask his Republican counterpart to join him in requesting an investigation.

The contract, detailed in documents obtained by USA TODAY through a Freedom of Information Act request, also shows that the Education Department, through the Ketchum public relations firm, arranged with Williams to use contacts with America's Black Forum, a group of black broadcast journalists, "to encourage the producers to periodically address" NCLB. He persuaded radio and TV personality Steve Harvey to invite Paige onto his show twice. Harvey's manager, Rushion McDonald, confirmed the appearances.

Williams said he does not recall disclosing the contract to audiences on the air but told colleagues about it when urging them to promote NCLB.

"I respect Mr. Williams' statement that this is something he believes in," said Bob Steele, a media ethics expert at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies. "But I would suggest that his commitment to that belief is best exercised through his excellent professional work rather than through contractual obligations with outsiders who are, quite clearly, trying to influence content."

The contract may be illegal "because Congress has prohibited propaganda," or any sort of lobbying for programs funded by the government, said Melanie Sloan of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "And it's propaganda."

White House spokesman Trent Duffy said he couldn't comment because the White House is not involved in departments' contracts.

Ketchum referred questions to the Education Department, whose spokesman, John Gibbons, said the contract followed standard government procedures. He said there are no plans to continue with "similar outreach."

Williams' contract was part of a $1 million deal with Ketchum that produced "video news releases" designed to look like news reports. The Bush administration used similar releases last year to promote its Medicare prescription drug plan, prompting a scolding from the Government Accountability Office, which called them an illegal use of taxpayers' dollars.

Williams, 45, a former aide to U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites) Justice Clarence Thomas (news - web sites), is one of the top black conservative voices in the nation. He hosts The Right Side on TV and radio, and writes op-ed pieces for newspapers, including USA TODAY, while running a public relations firm, Graham Williams Group.

[iltos]

Originally Posted by Linskyjack

White House spokesman Trent Duffy said he couldn't comment because the White House is not involved in departments' contracts.

aka smoke and mirrors

why not just split the money between his viewers an pay 'em directly?

[Stoner]

Heh!

Already posted in my propaganda thread today with your response here:
http://forums.techguy.org/showthread.php?p=2248998

Your source is even the same as mine...........

[Stoner]

Unbelievable, indeed!

[linskyjack]

Geezeeeee I losing it------

[GoneForNow]

Just saw the gentleman on television and he claims he wasn't paid, that advertising time was purchased after he endorsed the Administration's position. Ah, don't shoot the messenger just relaying the report.

[linskyjack]

Trying to figure this out--who bought the advertising time and where did the money come from.

[GoneForNow]

Originally Posted by linskyjack

Trying to figure this out--who bought the advertising time and where did the money come from.

Most federal agencies have a fund for the purpose of purchasing mass media exposure whether to educate the public or to promote a program of the agency. Fairly common, I suspect the money came from the fund maintained by the Dept. of Education.

[Rep]

Originally Posted by gbrumb

Most federal agencies have a fund for the purpose of purchasing mass media exposure whether to educate the public or to promote a program of the agency. Fairly common, I suspect the money came from the fund maintained by the Dept. of Education.

I think I recall an ad sent out by the administration some time ago. I believe it was to promote the prescription drug plan. The ad was made to look like a news cast. It was sent to news stations around the country.

These people are brilliant.

[iltos]

Originally Posted by Rep

These people are brilliant.

clever, rep....clever....brilliant is something else again

[Wet Chicken]

Originally Posted by linskyjack

If taxpayer's money went to pay for this, then I am one angry American.

Well they already said it was taxpayers money, and you already knew that the bush administration was the sleaziest of them all, so don't be so surprised

[Wet Chicken]

Originally Posted by gbrumb

Just saw the gentleman on television and he claims he wasn't paid

Well it couldn't have been Armstrong Williams that you saw because he was interviewed on CNN today and he admitted that it was wrong what he did. Now the bush administration is trying to weasel out of it and saying that they had nothing to do with it There slogan should be "Taking politics and sleaze to a new low - bush 2005"

[Big-K]

Good thing i'm not a taxpayer yet. But as a non-taxpayer, I am a student. Therfore that law affects me directly. I see no good sides to it. I see it as pure crap, much like many of bush's other laws.

[GoneForNow]

Originally Posted by Wet Chicken

Well it couldn't have been Armstrong Williams that you saw because he was interviewed on CNN today and he admitted that it was wrong what he did. Now the bush administration is trying to weasel out of it and saying that they had nothing to do with it There slogan should be "Taking politics and sleaze to a new low - bush 2005"

No, actually what I saw he said it was wrong for the parent company he works for to take the money. He said he did nothing wrong.

[linskyjack]

It would be interesting to see the demographics of William's radio show. I doubt very much that he has loads of listeners in black communities, considering the fact that he is Strom Thrumond's former employee and he is to the right of Attila the Hun. This is most likely another cynical attempt to use right wing media to win people over to the administrations point of view. I just don't like paying for it. We have an educational system in a state of shambles and this is how we are spending taxpayer's money. Can you imagine if the players in this drama were Al Franken and his company? The outcry would be deafening.