Armstrong Williams

[TheAnvil 0]

Boortz today said that Armstrong Williams is being paid US$250,000 to promote the administration's policies. I do not like that at all. Williams in an excellent columnist and I am quite sorry to see him do such a thing.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[billvon 3,120]

>I do not like that at all. Williams in an excellent columnist and I am
>quite sorry to see him do such a thing.

Agreed. I also worry about statements he's made since then:

-----------------
And then Williams violated a PR rule: he got off-point. "This happens all the time," he told me. "There are others." Really? I said. Other conservative commentators accept money from the Bush administration? I asked Williams for names. "I'm not going to defend myself that way," he said. The issue right now, he explained, was his own mistake. Well, I said, what if I call you up in a few weeks, after this blows over, and then ask you? No, he said.
http://www.thenation.com/capitalgames/index.mhtml?bid=3&pid=2114
-----------------

[Ron 10]

Well it plays bad.

Also I didn't like how the WH said it was the Department of Educations fault.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[Gawain 0]

From his web-site:

Quote

January 9, 2005

Dear readers:

In 2003 I agreed to run a paid advertisement on my syndicated television show promoting the Department of Education's No Child Left behind Act. I subsequently used my column space to support that legislation. This represents an obvious conflict of interests. People have used this conflict of interest to portray my column as being paid for by the Bush Administration. Nothing could be further from the truth.

At the same time, I understand that I exercised bad judgment in running paid advertising for an issue that I frequently write about in my column. People need to know that my column is uncorrupted by any outside influences. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for my bad judgment, and to better explain the circumstances.

In 2003 Ketchum Communications contacted a small public relations firm that I own, Graham Williams Group, to buy advertisement space on a television show that I own and host. The ad was to promote The Department of Education's No Child Left Behind Act plan. I have long felt that school vouchers hold the greatest promise of ending the racial education gap in this country. We need to hold schools accountable for their failures and create incentives to change. That is why I have vigorously supported school vouchers for the past decade in print, on television, during media appearances, and in lectures. I believe that school vouchers represent the greatest chance of stimulating hope for young, inner city school children often of color. In fact, I am a board member of Black Americans for Educational Options (BAEO), because I feel that school choice plans hold the promise of a new civil rights movement.

In the past I have used my column space to convey the promise of school options. I continued to do so, even after receiving money to run a series of advertisements on my television show promoting the No Child Left Behind Act. I now realize that I exercised poor judgment in continuing to write about a topic which my PR firm was being paid to promote.

The fact is, I run a small business. I am CEO and manage the syndication and advertising for my television show. In between juggling my commentaries and media appearances, I stepped over the line. This has never happened before. In fact, my company has never worked on a government contract. Nor have we ever received compensation for an issue that I subsequently reported on. This will never happen again. I now realize that I have to create inseparable boundaries between my role as a small businessman and my role as an independent commentator.

I also understand that people must be able to trust that my commentary is unbiased. Please know that I supported school vouchers long before the Department of Education ran a single ad on my TV Show. I did not change my views just because my PR firm was receiving paid advertising promoting the No Child Left Behind Act. I did however exercise bad judgment by accepting advertising for an issue that I frequently write about in my column. I apologize for this bad judgment, for creating questions in people's minds as to whether my commentary was sincere, and for bringing shame and embarrassment to the newspapers that run my commentary.

I accept full responsibility for my lack of good judgment. I am paying the price. Tribune Media has cancelled my column. And I have learned a valuable lesson. I just want to assure you that this will never happen again, and to ask for your forgiveness.

I hope that we can put this mistake behind us, and that I can continue to bring the same unique and impassioned perspective that I brought to this space in the past.

Sincerely,

Armstrong Williams

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[TheAnvil 0]

You have to wonder what was going through his head when he decided to do such a thing. I mean he is (was for some) a well respected conservative columnist. He should have known that doing such a thing would open him up to ridicule/criticism and dampen any effect that any future column he might write has, regardless of how eloquent. Quite sad. I do like Mr. Williams' writing and will continue to read his columns if he keeps writing them, but it's always going to be in the back of my head that he did this. Truly sad.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[jcd11235 0]

Quote

You have to wonder what was going through his head when he decided to do such a thing.

$$$

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[TheAnvil 0]

Yeah, but I find it odd that someone of his intellect could have such a short term view on things. I've always enjoyed his columns, though I've disagreed with some of them. They've for the most part been very well thought out and insightful.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[jcd11235 0]

Quote

Yeah, but I find it odd that someone of his intellect could have such a short term view on things. I've always enjoyed his columns, though I've disagreed with some of them. They've for the most part been very well thought out and insightful.

I've probably read some of his columns, but the name does not ring a bell.
Many people are unable to overlook short term profit or loss in order to see long term implications.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

And people claim liberal bias in the media.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[Gravitymaster 0]

Quote

And people claim liberal bias in the media.

And this proves there isn't?

Williams isn't part of the media. He's a conservative commentator. He makes no bones about who he is and that he is biased. Unlike Dan Rather etc. who hide their bias. Personally, I give more credibility to a person who is unashamed of who he is.

[TheAnvil 0]

Williams isn't a media weenie. He's a political commentator. Liberal bias in the media is res ipsa loquitor.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

Quote

Williams isn't a media weenie. He's a political commentator.

He sounds more like a puppet now. His words will fall upon deaf ears.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[Gravitymaster 0]

Quote

He sounds more like a puppet now. His words will fall upon deaf ears.

Doubtful. I see very little difference between what Williams did for money and what the political hacks on most major news programs do.

If Williams had changed his support for a cause because he was paid, I would agree, but he always supported it.

I find it much more disingenious to engage in manufacturing documents in order to affect a Presidential Election, but I don't hear any calls for Rathers head from the left.

[billvon 3,120]

>He makes no bones about who he is and that he is biased.

Really? Do you feel he is therefore lying when he says:

"I also understand that people must be able to trust that my commentary is unbiased."

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

Quote

Quote

He sounds more like a puppet now. His words will fall upon deaf ears.

Doubtful. I see very little difference between what Williams did for money and what the political hacks on most major news programs do.

If Williams had changed his support for a cause because he was paid, I would agree, but he always supported it.

I find it much more disingenious to engage in manufacturing documents in order to affect a Presidential Election, but I don't hear any calls for Rathers head from the left.

You didn't hear me supporting Rather for what he did. Nor am I calling for William's head. Ethics in the media is a sore point for me.

FWIW - I don't care that was Williams point to begin with. He took the cash, he is a stooge.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[mikkey 0]

What I find interesting is that there no outrage about tax payer money is used by government to buy positive commentary for its policy.

If this would happened down here the government would be in big trouble.

---------------------------------------------------------
When people look like ants - pull. When ants look like people - pray.

[billvon 3,120]

>If this would happened down here the government would be in big trouble.

We're sort of used to it. Our administration produces "news shows" that look like reporters doing stories; they are often used verbatim by TV news shows. Speeches are carefully scripted appearances with audiences pre-selected to react the right way. We even had a "misinformation bureau" (the Office of Strategic Influence) which sent out intentionally false information to news outlets. On our dollar, of course.

[Gravitymaster 0]

Quote

>If this would happened down here the government would be in big trouble.

We're sort of used to it. Our administration produces "news shows" that look like reporters doing stories; they are often used verbatim by TV news shows. Speeches are carefully scripted appearances with audiences pre-selected to react the right way. We even had a "misinformation bureau" (the Office of Strategic Influence) which sent out intentionally false information to news outlets. On our dollar, of course.

This is true Mikkey. It's been going on for years. It's called National Public Radio. It is a tax payer funded outlet set up to spred the Liberal Viewpoint under the guise of "news".
All on our dollar, of course!

[billvon 3,120]

>It's been going on for years. It's called National Public Radio.

Oddly, in a recent study, FOX viewers had the most misconceptions about the war in Iraq and NPR listeners had the least. So perhaps it spreads a liberal viewpoint, but it also reports the news a lot more accurately, which is a good thing.

[dorbie 0]

Quote

>It's been going on for years. It's called National Public Radio.

Oddly, in a recent study, FOX viewers had the most misconceptions about the war in Iraq and NPR listeners had the least. So perhaps it spreads a liberal viewpoint, but it also reports the news a lot more accurately, which is a good thing.

Stick to claims the data supports. The NPR audience was more informed on a single issue. People seeking sources like NPR would be. I wonder which audiences would get the objective facts right w.r.t. questions about the Killian memo authenticity.

I know what the facts are with certainty I've studied the multiple rounds of detailed evidence and it's utterly damning, you wouldn't get that impression from most news outlets.

This Williams guy screwed up and I almost started this thread myself. I'd hang him out to dry if I thought this was true as reported but it seems that there's been a convenient extrapolation in the reporting. Williams got paid for an infomercial style add. That is not directly linked to his subsequent support for the policy. While it looks bad and his credibility suffers anyone who's heard this guy knows he'd have supported it anyway. There is a bigger issue of the government paying pundits our tax dollars for any policy promotional reason, that's so open to abuse it's unbelievable that anyone would think this is OK. I'll add it to my list of issues with the way government is run.

[jcd11235 0]

Quote

This is true Mikkey. It's been going on for years. It's called National Public Radio. It is a tax payer funded outlet set up to spred the Liberal Viewpoint under the guise of "news".

The problem is that the right confuses the center with the left. Anyone left of Bush is considered liberal, even though he is an extreme right wing neo-con. Most people, and most news organizations, including NPR, fall within the center.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[jcd11235 0]

Quote

There is a bigger issue of the government paying pundits our tax dollars for any policy promotional reason, that's so open to abuse it's unbelievable that anyone would think this is OK.

I don't think its okay.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[mikkey 0]

Quote

Quote

This is true Mikkey. It's been going on for years. It's called National Public Radio. It is a tax payer funded outlet set up to spred the Liberal Viewpoint under the guise of "news".

The problem is that the right confuses the center with the left. Anyone left of Bush is considered liberal, even though he is an extreme right wing neo-con. Most people, and most news organizations, including NPR, fall within the center.

Yes, same when Fox News calls itself "fair and balanced". I been laughing my pants off watching Fox News the last couple of days and seeing their intense CBS bashing.

---------------------------------------------------------
When people look like ants - pull. When ants look like people - pray.

[dorbie 0]

Quote

Yes, same when Fox News calls itself "fair and balanced". I been laughing my pants off watching Fox News the last couple of days and seeing their intense CBS bashing.

CBS deserves bashing for this and I don't care who does it. The only major organization outside Fox that even came close to honesty (at least in one or two broadcasts) on the issue was ABC. Looking at the memo evidence and Rather's careful responses where he chose to ignore key evidence that was already in the public domain it was clear at the time he was whitewashing the stonewall. The report confirms this but it's even worse in parts, for example clear evidence of trying to manipulate the reluctant document examiners into giving the team what they wanted and misrepresenting their views repeatedly. Even now Dan has the audacity to carefully assert the story is true and Mapes ludicrously says the memos are authentic.

CBS deserves bashing for this, not even principally for the story but for their complete lack of real analysis and selection of facts in the aftermath. They sought to deceive in a true case of CYA, calling a Democratic party operative sending faxes an "unimpeachable source" while shielding his identity!

It's hardly worth watching any of the coverage on this now, this was all clear the first time around this merry-go-round when Dan pretended to address the detractors and in fact deliberately misrepresented the case against the memos so he could shoot down his pajamahideen.

There's nothing like sitting watching a newsman defend himself to his audience when you've got the actual facts at your disposal and can see the transparent deception.

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

Quote

Quote

This is true Mikkey. It's been going on for years. It's called National Public Radio. It is a tax payer funded outlet set up to spred the Liberal Viewpoint under the guise of "news".

The problem is that the right confuses the center with the left. Anyone left of Bush is considered liberal, even though he is an extreme right wing neo-con. Most people, and most news organizations, including NPR, fall within the center.

I used to be the producer for a radio show in the early to mid 90's for a group that was very much to the left. They considered NPR to be to far to the right - no joke. One person claimed that NPR was a victim of the Regan administration.

By the time I realized I should transfer those old reel to reels to MP3 it was too late - the tapes had ionized and/or ghosted (I didn't store all of them on the take up reel). I would have loved to have played some of those shows for the conservatives on here. They would have freaked!! I didn't know the left could go that far at the time.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....