Talking about wasting government money -- conservative commentator Armstrong Williams was paid $240,000 by the Department of Education in order to promote the Bush administration's "No Child Left Behind" policy.
Now, referring to Williams as a "journalist" is iffy at best, as any of the commentators with an obvious political slant -- be it right or left -- should not be taken all that seriously. But the fact that Williams was writing opinion pieces and appearing on CNN while getting paid to promote an idea is downright scandalous. Of course, many Republicans who promote their party line are indeed going to benefit their own bottom line, but this is too much.
However, a greater uproar should be made over the fact that the government is spending money to promote such things. It's a law -- why do you need to try to persuade people it's good? If it were just about getting out information, it would be one thing, but the use of a commentator -- who shares an opinion in the hopes of swaying others -- shows that that is truly not the bottom line.
What this is all about is trying to sway a block of voters (African-Americans, as Williams is black) who are extremely suspicious of any Bush policy. It's about personal political gain, pure and simple.
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