I do not think it was all right for black commentator Armstrong Williams to receive $240,000 to promote the No Child Left Behind Act. This is the second time the Bush Administration has done this type of thing. The first time they did this similar type of thing was for the Medicare prescription drug plan which the Government Accounting office ends up saying that it was a waste of taxpayer money.

For the 240,000 dollars Mr. Williams had to regularly comment on the NCLB bill and also interview the now former Secretary of Education Rod Paige. Williams said this is something he believes in. If he believes in this bill and wants to promote it on his show it is okay with me. I totally do not like the bill and think it should be scrapped. If he wants to interview someone like Rod Paige, fine with me as well. He certainly does not need some contract forcing him to do this stuff.

Getting money from the federal government like this imo does not make you a fair and balanced commentator and is certainly unethical. It can ruin a person’s credibility which is something that does not want to happen to that person. The federal government on the other hand spending money like this is also being unethical and certainly dopes not need to do this at all in order to promote the NCLB program. This too can easily ruin an administration’s credibility which is something that does not want to happen to that administration.

If what he and the Bush administration did was illegal, I certainly do not know. This spending of money was a complete waste and should have never of happened in the first place. It would be in the best interest for Mr. Williams to give back the 240,000 dollars and apologize on air for taking the money in the first place. It will also be in the best interest for Rod Paige and George W. Bush to apologize for spending this money. Bush should also say that he will never spend money like this again.

SOURCES

Toppo, Greg “Education Dept. paid commentator to promote law” USA Today (2005) n. pag. Online. Internet. January 7, 2005
Available: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-01-06-williams-whitehouse_x.htm