Agency paid commentator to
push Bush education plan

From the AP via the Houston Chronicle:

The Bush administration paid a prominent commentator to promote the No Child Left Behind schools law to fellow blacks and to give the education secretary media time, records show.

A company run by Armstrong Williams, the syndicated commentator, was paid $240,000 by the Education Department. The goal was to deliver positive messages about President Bush's education overhaul, using Williams' broad reach with minorities.

The deal, which drew a fast rebuke from Democrats on Capitol Hill, is the latest to put the department on the defensive for the way it has promoted Bush's signature domestic policy.

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I'm not sure what the legal issues involved here are, but it sure does look sleazy, and the left side of the blogosphere is just going nuts over it: the question being asked repeatedly about this is "who else is on the payroll?" Good question.

Although, one must admit, such sleazy journalistic payola scandals really do pale in comparison to something like, say, the entire Fox News organization. Know what I mean?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$