The Billiken's Bluff

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.

Rep. George Miller of California, called the contract "a very questionable use of taxpayers' money". In fact, 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."

[From US of A Today]




Earlier today I saw Armstrong Williams interviewed on CNN. Williams was backpedaling, trying to explain why he served as a lackey for the Bush Administration's NCLB initiative. It looks as if Williams has been left to take the fall on this one. The Bush Administration wants to make sure that No Child is Left Behind, but they certainly have no qualms about Leaving Armstrong Behind.

(Now if I was Jon Stewart I could have put a little more punch in that last punchline.)