NOW can I call him a sellout?

He got more than Rev. Al did!

Education Dept. paid commentator to promote law

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."

Posted by Prometheus 6 on January 7, 2005 - 8:04pm :: Education | Race and Identity
 
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He has a blog.

Vote on his poll...[/snark]

Posted by  Mr.Murder (not verified) on January 8, 2005 - 12:45pm.

"...and getting paid $240,000 helped to reinforce my belief in the President's educational agenda."

Posted by  PTCruiser on January 8, 2005 - 4:43pm.

"The President's educational agenda taught me how low I'd stoop for big money."

Posted by  Prometheus 6 on January 8, 2005 - 8:42pm.

I have no particularly reason to defend Armstrong Williams. I was in his company once and he didn't strike me as a person I wanted to become better acquainted with and my feelings had nothing to do with his politics. That being said, I wonder if his behavior is any worse than folks like Cokie and Steve Roberts, Sam Donaldson, Robert Novak, Chris Matthews and scores of other mainstream journalists who accept thousands of dollars of fees every year for speaking to various trade associations, business groups and corporations. Which reminds me: at one time, in the not too distant past, didn't Br. Williams make a few bucks trying to persuade folks that the apartheid era government of South Africa wasn't quite as bad as it seemed. Does anyone remember his involvement in trying to prettify that model of humane government?

Posted by  PTCruiser on January 8, 2005 - 11:44pm.

That being said, I wonder if his behavior is any worse than folks like Cokie and Steve Roberts, Sam Donaldson, Robert Novak, Chris Matthews and scores of other mainstream journalists who accept thousands of dollars of fees every year for speaking to various trade associations, business groups and corporations.

I don't know. When you're paid to speak, it's known you're a paid spokesman. It probably affects their judgement down the line, but you can take that into account.

Then again, if you're doing THAT much thinking, yo can just figure out what he says is nonsense and let it go.

Posted by  Prometheus 6 on January 9, 2005 - 12:53am.

Maybe I missed it: when did we not call him a sellout?

Posted by  Lexi on January 10, 2005 - 3:56am.

when did we not call him a sellout?

We, the Chaos Lords, have called him sellout since his DNA was first assembled (which, by the way, was initially designed for a salamader...go figure).

Posted by  Prometheus 6 on January 10, 2005 - 11:07am.