Could Armstrong Williams be opening a door we can't let close?

[Buddyblazon]

We have probably all heard about the...ahem...enterprising Mr. Williams. Just in case you've been under a rock...see below.





http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/01/08/bush.journalist/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Tribune Media Services will stop distributing columns written by conservative commentator Armstrong Williams because he received money to promote President Bush's education programs, the company said.



Williams confirmed Friday that he received $240,000 from the Department of Education in exchange for promoting No Child Left Behind, the centerpiece of Bush's education agenda. Williams said the payment was merely for advertising time.



"He's lost his credibility," said Barbara Ciara, another vice president of the NABJ. "He's tainted fruit. And he's unfairly indicted all commentators who have their own independent opinion, don't need a script from the administration and don't need to be paid off."




Now my question is:

Could Williams be opening a door for progressives?


With his actions, why shouldn't we use it as a basis to question other right wing pundits?

As the news of this has swelled, I think we should ride this wave. I didn't expect this story to become as big as it has given all the other issues we've been trying to get into the MSM the past couple of months. Then they pick this one up, and run with it. Not the story we wanted focus on (because we just didn't know) but it most certainly contains all the material that should require our attention:

It was immoral, unethical, was perpetrated by a CONservative....and leads back to this administration (the ED).

So here are some of the questions that rise to the top of my gray matter that I believe would arise in Mom and Pop America's craniums:

Did Bush know about this? (derrrrrrr)

Is Williams the only Conservative pundit to engage in this type of payola? (double derrrrrr)

How many more took part in similar behavior?


I believe we need to use it to get MSM to start investigating other pundits. Wipe out some of their propaganda machine, and through association, make the whole lot look like the immoral SOB's that you and I have already figured out.

Whatya think?



edited subject for spelling

[imenja]

1. There is lots more dirt under that Bush

Whether Bush personally knew doesn't strike me as relevant. He depended on propaganda, essentially lies, to promote his failed policy. I heard some reporters on Meet the Press today speculate that there would be many Freedom of Information requests over the next few weeks. They think there are more pundits on Bush's payroll.
The media loves to talk about themselves. Thats, in my opinion, why this has gotten so much press. They are also desperate to claim they are different from Armstrong. He, Andrea Mitchell said on Meet the Press, did not become a columnist through the typical journalistic path. He's not, in their view, a real journalist.

[Buddyblazon]

2. Couldn't we use our resources here at DU to fan the flames?

We have so many diverse members. We have some pull.

We need to make sure this gets as much momentum as possible.

[imenja]

3. what did you have in mind?

Do you know how to identify other pundits who are moles? It seems to me the key would be to prove it's more widespread than Armstrong.
I have no pull, but I can write letters to news outlets. Other members doubtless are more influential.

[Sleepless In NY]

6. Is this the same Armstrong involved in a sex scandal with

one of his workers...sexual harassement of a male employee, wasn't it? Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. And if I'm right, does anyone know the full story? Thanks.

[imenja]

7. I don't know

This one is African-American. His face is on the DU homepage. I haven't heard of the scandal to which you refer.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. yes it is

someone posted this on a thread about Williams Friday night. Something about a personal trainer of his suing him.

[Sleepless In NY]

16. proud2Blib I found something too, Williams may be as dirty as Kerik

Armstrong Williams

This black conservative radio show host gained minor recognition in 1991 as one of Clarence Thomas's most outspoken defenders.
And in 1998 it was on his show that Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott made his inane remarks comparing gays to alcoholics and kleptomaniacs.
But in 1997 he got some publicity he wished he hadn't. Armstrong was sued by a former male employee who accused him of more than 50 incidents of sexual harassment.

In a $200,000 lawsuit, Stephen Gregory alleged that Armstrong kissed him on the mouth, grabbed his buttocks and genitals, and climbed into bed with him on business trips.

Armstrong failed to get the suit dismissed in 1998. Stephen had an affidavit from a guy who said Armstrong propositioned him in 1996. He also had testimony from an ex-intern who had to brush off his advances on his first day on the job.
http://home.earthlink.net/~zkkatz/page88.html

[Buddyblazon]

8. Well...I'm not sure.

I have little if any pull.

I just brought it up because it crossed my mind. I hadn't even thought about the ways to keep it going.

I was hoping for a little brainstorming session here that could get us an action list. Where else better to bring it up to than in our thinktank that is DU.

Well...I guess we need to get out the meme:
"Taking payola from a seated administration to spread THEIR message...makes a pundit invalid."

If we could get people saying the same thing about Conservative pundits...organizations like Fox would lose credibility and hopefully they would lose some listeners.

I suppose emails to editors will be important. Lead them to believe that we cannot take their word seriously...as obviously right wing pundits are speaking for somebody else. I believe treatment like this could lead them to try to weed out the bunk ones. In order to distance themselves.

I suppose if we focused like we usually do (i.e. emails, rating up stories, LTE...) it would at LEAST help the story along.

As far as what other actions we can take...I'm open for suggestions.

[imenja]

14. I wonder whom they have paid to promote social security reform?

I bet they have paid someone, and perhaps more than one. It's hard to tell, since so many pundits repeat verbatim the White House line.
We need to get the Democratic pundits to repeat the message that Bush had to pay to get someone to support his message. Spreading it all over the blogs would be a start.

[nashville_brook]

5. throws all RW commentary in question -- HA! love it! n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. yeah me too

They can no longer claim the media has a liberal bias. This is proof they are paid to have a * bias. LOL

[Buddyblazon]

13. I DIDN'T EVEN THINK OF THAT!

BRILLIANT!

It invalidates their entire meme!

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. In a lot of ways

this Armstrong Williams mess is a blessing in disguise.

It pains me to say this because I am a teacher and I am appalled at the waste of revenue. But if this exposes the RW and the shrub admin for the whores that they are, then it's probably one of the best things that could have happened.

[Buddyblazon]

12. Thanks Nashville....

thats what I was thinking.


When I think of this story, I think:

"Beggars can't be choosers". Its not the story we chose. Its the story that chose us. And although we may not have chosen it, it's a doozie. And it's being served up to us on a silver platter.

and

"The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away". It is time for the populace to take away the power that these liars voices have.

[Erika]

4. Murdoch/Fox

among the giants to give to Bush. I think their political message and payments were passed down to O'Reilly, Hannity & Colmes, etc. Anyone who viewed Outfoxed knows Fox is a pimp for Bush and his far right wing ideology.

Armstrong shows that it's not about skin color, blacks can become political whores just as easily as whites. But the 240K he took from taxpayers to promote Bush's views, was a touch much. The black and white journalists are abandoning him and Fox News is running scared.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. It doesn't matter whether shrub knew or not

he's the boss.

Remember that sign on Truman's desk:
The Buck Stops Here

That's the way the world works. When the little people screw up, the boss gets in trouble too. It's the American way :)

[imenja]

15. funny how the buck never stops with Bush

It's always someone else's fault, especially Clinton's.
Whatever happened to the Republican message of personal responsibility?

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. The freepers I know are already

comparing this to the Chinese scandal during the Clinton admin.

[radfringe]

17. Al Hunt suggested there are more Bush employees masquerading as journalist

More Whores?
http://rogerailes.blogspot.com/2005_01_09_rogerailes_archive.html#110529815096481119

On today's Republican Roundtable aka Press the Meat, Al Hunt suggested there are more Bush employees masquerading as journalists.

MR. HUNT: Well, I don't know what the law is. It strikes me that it's not a very good use of taxpayers' money. It's certainly as egregious a journalist violation as one could engage in. Mr. Williams' column was yanked, as it should be. I will say this. Armstrong did deliver his promise, because I occasionally worked out at a gym and Armstrong's there, and he told me several times, you know, "Why don't you write about No Child Left Behind." I don't know if I'm going to be on one of those government expense accounts or not but...

MR. RUSSERT: How many columns did you do?

MR. HUNT: I didn't do any. So I let him down. I'm sorry, Armstrong. Listen, I'll tell you this. I'll bet that there will be a great market for FOIR, Freedom of Information Requests, in the next couple weeks because I suspect Armstrong Williams is not alone. There have been other people who've been doing this.

[imenja]

18. I hope they expose many more of them

I can't wait. Fox will no doubt attribute the whole thing to a liberal media conspiracy, but this is something the Dem's should be able to use: Bush's policies are so bad he needs to pay people to support them.
What I wonder, is who did Bush pay to champion Social Security reform?

[Buddyblazon]

20. Just wanted to bump this during the daytime....

and get people's input.


I just feel like maybe we need to make sure that this story doesn't die.

The brass ring here is not one...but many individuals and institutions. Rush, O'Reilly, Coulter, Fox. I think we should help to make sure their work is invalidated. For today and the rest of their natural lives.


...but I'm not bitter. ;)

[spanone]

21. Who else is bought and paid for????????

[Buddyblazon]

23. Those are the words that need to be coming out of EVERY Americans...

mouth.

"They're using OUR money...to feed us propaganda?"

First of all...most sheople I don't think even realize it IS propaganda. So that should be high on our priorty list. Getting people to realize how truly frightening stuff like this is. And make them put 2 and 2 together in their heads.

[Taxloss]

22. New noun: an "Armstrong"

Armstrong: a writer or pundit in the pay of the Bush administration.

Usage: "O'Reilly is so clearly an armstrong" ... "How many armstrongs are there?"

[Buddyblazon]

25. Nice.....

Funny...because me and my friends here in Denver use Marty Schottenheimers (Browns coach for years...now with San Diego) name in place when people pull boners...or generally act like idiots.

"That guy is such a Schottenheimer."

"Dude...you really pulled a Schottenheimer."


Ours is a joke...but the "Armstrong" is for real.

I'd like us to uncover the dirt on Rush....and change the word to a "Limbaugh".

[nostamj]

24. bigger scandal is....

who did they PAY to sell the WMD and Saddam/9-11 bullshit that mislead us into a horrible war? with still growing and apparently endless losses of life and money

[Buddyblazon]

26. You got it....

this story has got some serious wheels.

It can go just about anywhere. WMDS, NCLB, Social Security, WOT, Tort Reform....and on and on.

[txaslftist]

27. This shouldn't come as a surprise...

Anyone who listens to FAUX radio or FAUX news has to be aware that they are purely shills for the Bush Administration. When conservative and libertarian pundits across the internet are trashing this administration for not really being conservative, for being pro-big government and pro-corporate to a nauseating extent. It makes no sense for these 'conservative' pundits to have fallen in line with everything the Bushistas say with no dissent.

The answer? They are administration shills, pure and simple, bought and paid for by either Murdoch or Bush.

[Buddyblazon]

28. Of course....

at least it IS apparent...to politically folks...like you and me.

But what about the flocks of sheople that listen...without any type of reasoning skills, without any type of awareness, and that are hearing EXACTLY what they want to hear? Those are the people that need to be forced into enlightenment. If that means they have to hear from their friends how the people they listen to are bought and paid for, if they have to be SHAMED into realizing that they have been regurgitatin lies...then so be it.

There are not many of us that realize. Its not even our entire party. Just those of us that are paying attention. We can't assume that other people know...we have to make sure they do.

[Cocoa]

29. no question about it

this isn't just uncomfortable for the republicans, but also for the whore media.

After they made such a stink about Dan Rather, how will they handle this? The first example was the brief and uncomfortable segment on "Meet the Press" yesterday, whose panel included Byron York, who himself could EASILY be among the paid whores.

[Cocoa]

30. People for the American Way is organizing action!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=109x17214

[Buddyblazon]

31. Well since Cocoa's not going to do it....I will.

Directly from Cocoa's link...and in he/she/he-she's words:



Go to the site, there are links to click to take action.

http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=17653

<snip>

Help break the administration of its nasty propaganda habit:

1) Tell your members of Congress to call for a top-to-bottom investigation of the Education Department's contract and all similar schemes at other federal agencies. Tell them this isn't about right and left, it's about right and wrong.

2) Demand that the Department of Education do everything it can to get back the $240,000 it paid to Armstrong Williams. Remind Department officials that you paid your taxes in good faith to fund educational programs for the children in your community, not to pay for propaganda.

There's plenty of blame to go around, but our tax dollars are another matter. President Bush has underfunded No Child Left Behind by billions each year since it passed. Meanwhile, his administration has spent large sums on propaganda intended to be fed to us as real news. They even spent our tax dollars to produce ratings of how truly independent news organizations were covering Bush's programs and policies.

Help restore accountability, ethics and financial sanity to our government. Write Congress and demand that they get tough with the Bush administration. Americans shouldn't have to get their news wondering, "How much did the government pay them to say that?"





Thanks Cocoa.


Gotta go do some work...but will be checking back in a few hours.

[Buddyblazon]

32. Kick

CAN I KICK IT?!

[imenja]

34. idea for using this

We tell the news stations that we want them to compel pundits to sign legal statements declaring they are not being paid in order to promote a point of view. We also tell newspapers we expect their columnists to do the same.

[tsuki]

35. Sounds like ammo to bring back the "fairness doctrine."

[radfringe]

36. new 'toon -- Press Puppies

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http://radfringe.tripod.com/