White House 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."

The top Democrat on the House Education Committee, Rep. George Miller 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 Justice Clarence Thomas, 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.

**************************

The Dept. of Education is an Executive Agency, which means when they are budgeted, they are included in the Executive Office's proviso language in any General Appropriations Act... I think.

Regardless of whether or not the President and the Executive had any direct administration of these contracts, they should be held accountable. You guys may get your wish, afterall. This is white collar political crime, and if Bush doesn't take care of it, he'll probably get hit with charges, should the money lead back to the Oval. No Child Left Behind is something I personally don't agree with... it was rushed, it's trying to fix the education system in our country pieces-parts... it's mea culpa for Republicans.

Isn't this old news? I thought I heard about this 6 months ago.

Anyway... yeah, promoting propoganda like this is unconscionable and heads should definitely roll.

The actual contract trail to DOE is new. It was on Drudge this morning.

Quint,

You might be confusing this with what the dept of H&HS did to promote the new prescription drug benefit and medicare reform law, which many people felt was propaganda as well, and during an election season no less.

--PunkDavid

Ding Ding Ding Ding

Thank you. That's exactly why I thought I heard this before. H&HS used faux news casts to make the promotions appear as actual news stories also.

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."

*** If you believe in something, you don't need $240,000 to tell people about it - you do it for free.

lol That's exactly what I thought when I read that.

"No Child Left Behind" is a complete failure just as the "War on Drugs" is a complete failure, and throwing any money or support behind either program is a complete waste of time; they might as well flush the money down a toilet. They should retitle "No Child Left Behind" and call it instead "The Dumbing Down of America".

Don't forget the "War on Terror."

I prefer "Many Children Left Behind"

While we are not talking about this type of propaganda...



There definately is something a bit shady about this whole thing.

I noticed this morning this is getting a lot more attention in the media, as it should. It'll be interesting to see where this goes.

YAY FOR GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED EDUCATION!

I was thinking more like, "YAY FOR THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION AND THEIR COVERT PROPAGANDA AND ILLEGAL USE OF TAX DOLLARS!!" If this was Clinton, they'd already have Ken Starr examining everyone's asshole with a microscope.

Illegal use of tax dollars? What? If this program is an illegal use of tax dollars, than the whole system is an illegal use of tax dollars. Let us not forget that Bush didn't write, or sell this. The No Child Left Behind Act is the product of Ted Kennedy. The No Child Left Behind Act is a liberal program. As someone already pointed, and as you conveniently ignored like you always do:

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

Again, we must I reiterate this. LIBERALS AND SCHOOL UNIONS RUN PUBLIC EDUCATION IN AMERICA!

But it's always Bush's fault...

Just because Ted Kennedy originally had the idea to ACTUALLY not leave any children behind, you can't blame him for Bush's education policy.

--PunkDavid

Just like we can't blame Ted Kennedy for inspiring a generation of alcoholics who kill thier babysitters?

Exactly.

Has that been happeneing? I don't read the papers much.

--PunkDavid

Kennedy and other Democrats WROTE the VAST majority of this bill David...They wrote it. This supposed to be Bush's way of showing he was a bi-partisan compassionate conservative, trying to reach out to the Democrats in congress. Stop trying to blame this on Bush, he had very little to do with any of it.

I'm beginning to believe that Bush has very little to do with anything at all that occurs in Washington.