A White House aide was told about potential problems with the Education Department paying a conservative commentator to promote an administration policy but did not prevent the contract from being renewed, according to a new government report. The White House involvement, noted briefly in a report Friday by the Education Department's inspector general, appears to contradict statements by President Bush in January that the White House had no knowledge of the $240,000 contract with Armstrong Williams. The contract's existence was disclosed publicly at that time by USA Today. After it was revealed that Williams was being paid by the administration to promote its No Child Left Behind initiative, the White House moved swiftly to condemn using government funds to pay journalists to advance its policies. The 20-page report by the inspector general provided no indication that Bush or his senior staff knew about the contract when it was issued in late 2003 and renewed in mid-2004. But the report said that shortly before the renewal, a midlevel White House aide received calls from Education officials concerned about the contract's cost, its effectiveness and Williams' dual role as journalist and government public relations man. Despite those discussions, the Education Department renewed the contract. [more]

• News Outlet says Williams is a Republican, Gay Man who Advocates Against Gay Issues [more] em em em: A Black - Gay - Republican= like Roaches for Raid baby.

(Flashback) Uncle Tom Education Secretary Defends Payments
Washington, DC, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Education Secretary Roderick Paige says paying a conservative black commentator to promote the No Child Left Behind law was simply minority outreach. Paige, the nation's first African-American education secretary, said publicity surrounding a $240,000 payment to commentator Armstrong Williams, via a public relations firm with which the department had a contract, was disturbing, the Washington Post reported Friday. Paige also said he was opening an investigation to clarify any unresolved issues so as not to "sully the fine people and the good name of this department." Meanwhile, a Senate Appropriations subcommittee overseeing education spending has asked the department to turn over records relating to the Williams payments. [more]