Skip to comments.
D.C. PROPAGANDA (Armstrong Williams)
nypost.com ^
| January 13, 2005
| GEORGE F. WILL
Posted on 01/13/2005 1:18:52 PM PST by Destro
D.C. PROPAGANDA
BY GEORGE F. WILL
January 13, 2005 -- IN communist East Berlin, one sign of the govern ment's swollen self-regard was the cluttering of public spaces with propaganda banners by which the government praised itself for providing socialism. In Washington today, the Department of Education building is an advertisement for its occupants.
Eight entrances are framed by make-believe little red schoolhouses labeled "No Child Left Behind." High on the building's front are two other advertisements for that 2002 law: large banners hector passers-by to visit NoChildLeftBehind.gov.
This building-as-billboard is the workplace of those eager beavers who had this brainstorm: Let's pay a million taxpayer dollars to a public relations firm to manufacture enthusiasm for No Child Left Behind, including a $241,000 payment to columnist and television talk-show host Armstrong Williams for his praise of the legislation. The eager beavers are long on energy but short on judgment.
Just 10 years ago Washington trembled because many Republicans who had won in the cymbal-crash elections of 1994 had vowed to abolish the Education Department. Education, they said, is a quintessentially state and local responsibility. But soon Republicans in Congress and a Republican president were deepening Washington's reach into education. In 1996 Republican appropriators gave the department a 15.7 percent increase in discretionary spending. And No Child Left Behind increased federal education spending more than any increase requested by President Clinton, who was the teachers' unions' poodle. Some of that money went to Williams.
When conservatives break with their principles, they seem to become casual about breaking the law, too.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: armstrongwilliams; georgewill; nclb
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-60 next last
1
posted on
01/13/2005 1:18:53 PM PST
by
Destro
To: rdb3; Khepera; elwoodp; MAKnight; condolinda; mafree; Trueblackman; FRlurker; Teacher317; ...
Black conservative ping
If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)
Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.
2
posted on
01/13/2005 1:20:22 PM PST
by
mhking
(Do not mess with dragons, for thou art crunchy & good with ketchup...)
To: Brilliant
Bring your brilliant self over here. We need your straight-line-parallel-drawing commentary on the publicly-funded NEA/PBS/CPB.
To: mhking
Wasn't there an article here that said the Education Dept did not pay Williams directly?
4
posted on
01/13/2005 1:26:49 PM PST
by
AppyPappy
(If You're Not A Part Of The Solution, There's Good Money To Be Made In Prolonging The Problem.)
To: Destro
I smirk everytime I see those little red schoolhouse awnings down at the DOE.
5
posted on
01/13/2005 1:28:04 PM PST
by
KC_Conspirator
(This space outsourced to India)
To: AppyPappy
Wasn't there an article here that said the Education Dept did not pay Williams directly?I hadn't seen that one.
6
posted on
01/13/2005 1:28:41 PM PST
by
mhking
(Do not mess with dragons, for thou art crunchy & good with ketchup...)
To: AppyPappy
It was direct enough. It was via a PR firm. The excuse is that Armstrong was paid to advertise and it had nothing to do with his opinion columns. Okay, whatever. I suppose newspapers do THAT all the time. But he did not disclose the fact that he was getting paid to advertise for the gov't program (a creepy idea anyway) while he was ALSO writing positive opinion columns about the program.
7
posted on
01/13/2005 1:37:52 PM PST
by
The Ghost of FReepers Past
(Legislatures are so outdated. If you want real political victory, take your issue to court.)
To: Destro
Breaking principles? When Snapple approached Rush to endorse their product because he was already a Snapple fan, is that breaking principles?
8
posted on
01/13/2005 1:40:05 PM PST
by
Mr. Blond
To: Destro
Let's put this in perspective....
How does Propaganda promoting East Berlin Socialism compare to promoting improving Academic programs for schools?
http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg1.html#sec1001
Just look at the Statement of purpose. This program is aimed at improving the education system specifically for Disadvantaged students, immigrant ESL students, and students with learning disabilities.
And it was a PR firm that employed Armstrong, Regardless, lets remember that the NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND act seeks to help students get ahead.
9
posted on
01/13/2005 1:40:18 PM PST
by
LauraleeBraswell
(“"Hi, I'm Richard Gere and I'm speaking for the entire world.” -Richard Gere)
To: Destro
Along with this, another thing the Republicans ought to be doing and what they promised at one time and that was the get rid of the Department of Education and return it to the states. With education BEING run by government and the NEA, EVERY CHILD WILL BE LEFT BEHIND!
10
posted on
01/13/2005 1:43:41 PM PST
by
yoe
(John Kerry, the Quintessential looser - the embodiment of arrogance and stupidity!)
To: LauraleeBraswell
Oh, there you go trying to make sense of the hyperbole herein.....
; ]
To: Destro
I simply do not believe that this is the first time that a branch of government paid a media turd, conservative OR neocommunist, to advocate a particular position.
One of the basics of a media occupation is that you use your ability to influence readers/viewers to enrich yourself, from books to syndication to "specials" to promotions to anchor man. It is why the NYT began (in the early '70s, I believe) to allow reporters to use bylines, so that they could profit in other areas by their work with the paper.
Are there no other examples of a government agency apying a media type who is also advocating a position that the agency supports?
12
posted on
01/13/2005 1:49:43 PM PST
by
Tacis
(Democrats! - When You Need America Blamed Or A Pool Peed In!!)
To: Mr. Blond
It's illegal for the govt to pay for such advocacy. "no part of any appropriation contained in this Act shall be used for publicity or propaganda purposes not authorized by the Congress" and appropriated funds may not be used "in a general propaganda effort designed to aid a political party or candidates."
13
posted on
01/13/2005 1:50:03 PM PST
by
Destro
(Know your enemy! Help fight Islamic terrorism by visiting johnathangaltfilms.com and jihadwatch.org)
To: LauraleeBraswell
no part of any appropriation contained in this Act shall be used for publicity or propaganda purposes not authorized by the Congress" and appropriated funds may not be used "in a general propaganda effort designed to aid a political party or candidates."
14
posted on
01/13/2005 1:50:34 PM PST
by
Destro
(Know your enemy! Help fight Islamic terrorism by visiting johnathangaltfilms.com and jihadwatch.org)
To: Destro
Two words for Georgie Boy: Conrad Black.
15
posted on
01/13/2005 1:52:08 PM PST
by
notigar
To: Destro
So then it is the Department of Education that is at fault.
They employed the PR firm.
16
posted on
01/13/2005 1:53:42 PM PST
by
LauraleeBraswell
(“"Hi, I'm Richard Gere and I'm speaking for the entire world.” -Richard Gere)
To: yoe
Privatization of school districts would be best. Let the schools compete for the best teachers, and the students, compete for school.
How could a Voucher program get passed?
17
posted on
01/13/2005 1:55:39 PM PST
by
LauraleeBraswell
(“"Hi, I'm Richard Gere and I'm speaking for the entire world.” -Richard Gere)
To: LauraleeBraswell
Armstrong Williams needs to return our tax dollars(which were illegally paid to him) and someone(s) at Education needs to get fired.
18
posted on
01/13/2005 1:57:03 PM PST
by
Destro
(Know your enemy! Help fight Islamic terrorism by visiting johnathangaltfilms.com and jihadwatch.org)
To: Destro
Money was federally given to the Department of Education and it was the Department of Education that allocated the use of those funds to a PR firm.
Am I missing something. Was the Department of education told what to do with this money? I feel that Bush is getting blamed for this.
19
posted on
01/13/2005 2:01:36 PM PST
by
LauraleeBraswell
(“"Hi, I'm Richard Gere and I'm speaking for the entire world.” -Richard Gere)
To: Destro
And we know that the teaching profession is Liberal. Who runs the Department of education?
20
posted on
01/13/2005 2:02:15 PM PST
by
LauraleeBraswell
(“"Hi, I'm Richard Gere and I'm speaking for the entire world.” -Richard Gere)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-60 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson