Friday, January 7, 2005

Is this legal?

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.

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Story.

I don't know, I'm asking.

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The top Democrat on the House Education Committee, Rep. George Miller of California, called the contract "a very questionable use of taxpayers' money" that is "probably illegal." He said he will ask his Republican counterpart to join him in requesting an investigation.

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If it is, could this be the beginning of 'Watergate II'? I mean, that began as a simple burglary, didn't it? Or are we gonna change the ethics rules to allow the (p)resident to get away with it? Or, with a 49% approval rating, isn't he worth the 'capital'?

Update: 17:15:

Atrios:

Lautenberg, Kennedy, and Reid write to President Bush.

Excerpt:


In addition to the illegality of these actions taken by your Administration, we believe that the act of bribing journalists to bias their news in favor of government policies undermines the integrity of our democracy. Actions like this were common in the Soviet Union, but until now, thought to be long extinguished in our country.


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