Armstrong Williams' Payoff

http://www.iSteve.com/05JanA.htm#armstrong.williams

The Bush Administration takes the direct approach in persuading the punditariat:

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."

It's actually reassuring to learn that not everybody who shills for the Bush Administration's wackier projects is a True Believer.

I guess the definition of an honest pundit these days is one who stays bought.

From what I know of conservative pixel-stained wretches, you could buy the undying loyalty of 60 pundits for $4,000 each just by inviting them to a fancy conference at a tropical resort hotel and letting them give speeches to high government officials who nod appreciatively at their insights.

So, why did somebody in the Education Department pay Armstrong such a vastly inflated sum? Maybe there was a little personal favoritism? The NY Press reported in 1998:

Armstrong Williams, the conservative talk-show host who instigated a firestorm last week by asking the senator from Mississippi [Trent Lott] whether homosexuality is a sin, is being sued for sexual harassment by a former employee who happens to be male. Last year, Stephen Gregory -- the former YMCA personal trainer whom Williams promoted to executive producer of his show -- alleged in his suit that the boss grabbed his buttocks and penis, tried to kiss him, and climbed into his hotel-room bed asking for "affection" while they were traveling together. Williams immediately held a press conference to denounce Gregory's allegations as "false, baseless, and completely without merit." Gregory's attorney, Mickey Wheatley, who says the case will probably proceed to trial this fall, has spoken with Gregory since Williams's news-making interview with Lott. "He's not that political," says Wheatley, "but his reaction was, 'That sounds like Armstrong shooting his mouth off.' " Neither Williams nor his attorney could be reached on deadline.

Here's the outcome of the case.

Beats me what the real story is behind this story.

Steve Sailer's homepage and blog is iSteve.com