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White House Pays Off Anti-Gay Commentator
(Washington) A prominent black conservative was paid nearly a quarter million dollars by the White House to promote the President's agenda in his columns and nationally syndicated talk show.
Armstrong Williams who regularly attacks gays was given the money to promote the No Child Left Behind law according to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by USA Today.
"I wanted to do it because it's something I believe in," Williams said. He also said that he does not recall disclosing the contract to audiences on the air but told colleagues about it when urging them to promote NCLB.
The contract with the White House may have broken federal law in addition to the ethics of journalism.
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."
Rep. George Miller of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Education Committee Friday called for an investigation.
Williams is a former aide to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. In a column following the November 2 election Williams linked gay rights advocates with organized crime.
"Despite the rhetoric that you hear from the homosexual Cosa Nostra, the lack of support for the gay marriage amendment has nothing to do with prejudice," he wrote.
"It's not about trying to dictate to adults what they should do in the privacy of their own homes. Let's be clear about that. Opposition to the gay marriage amendment isn't about disallowing homosexuals the same basic rights we extend to everyone else. It is about recognizing that marriage between man and woman is the bedrock of our society. It is about the citizens of this country saying, en masse, that they are unwilling to deconstruct certain basic and essential norms in our culture and society."
http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/01/010705payoff.htm
"I wanted to do it because it's something I believe in," Williams said. He also said that he does not recall disclosing the contract to audiences on the air but told colleagues about it when urging them to promote NCLB.
The contract with the White House may have broken federal law in addition to the ethics of journalism.
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."
Rep. George Miller of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Education Committee Friday called for an investigation.
Williams is a former aide to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. In a column following the November 2 election Williams linked gay rights advocates with organized crime.
"Despite the rhetoric that you hear from the homosexual Cosa Nostra, the lack of support for the gay marriage amendment has nothing to do with prejudice," he wrote.
"It's not about trying to dictate to adults what they should do in the privacy of their own homes. Let's be clear about that. Opposition to the gay marriage amendment isn't about disallowing homosexuals the same basic rights we extend to everyone else. It is about recognizing that marriage between man and woman is the bedrock of our society. It is about the citizens of this country saying, en masse, that they are unwilling to deconstruct certain basic and essential norms in our culture and society."
http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/01/010705payoff.htm
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"hide this story"
Sat, Jan 8, 2005 4:04PM
so pointer
Sat, Jan 8, 2005 2:58PM
complete utter lie
Sat, Jan 8, 2005 11:24AM
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