Armstrong Williams, you're caught!

Thank god at least some media outlets are hauling conservative commentator Armstrong Williams across the coals for being paid $240,000 by the Bush administration to promote education reform (of the Bush "No Child Left Behind" variety) on his nationally syndicated television show "and to urge other black journalists to do the same." (The story appeared on the front page of today's USA Today). This is a disgusting breach of journalistic values - period! And then there's the fact that that the $240,000 is government money, i.e., taxpayers' money - something that exercises Josh Marshall's indignation (and mine). And remember, this is not the first time this adminstration has been caught doing this sort of stuff - a point raised again by, yes, USA Today.

Williams' contract was part of a $1 million deal with [PR firm] 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.