Democratic leaders in Congress today called on President Bush to stop the alarming use of illegal covert propaganda to promote government policy after two new accounts of such activity surfaced today. In a letter to the President, they pointed out that the use of covert propaganda has been revealed through independent investigations by at least three separate federal agencies. "We are concerned that these three incidents, while serious and disturbing on their own, may not be isolated incidents," the lawmakers wrote to the President. "It would be abhorrent to our system of government if these incidents were part of a deliberate pattern of behavior by your Administration to deceive the public and the media in an effort to further your policy objectives." They called on the President to "publicly renounce the use of covert propaganda to influence public opinion. And we urge you to direct your department and agency heads to immediately disclose all past and on-going efforts to engage in covert propaganda, whether through contracts with commentators, the distribution of video news releases, or other means." The lawmakers pointed out that "covert propaganda to influence public opinion is unethical and dangerous. It violates fundamental principles of open government. And it is illegal." [more] and [more]
F.C.C. to Investigate Commentator Paid to Promote Bush Policy [more]
White House dodging questions on Armstrong Williams scandal [more]
Armstrong Williams: The Biggest Whore of All [more]
AN INSTANT ADVOCATE Williams has called himself a "longtime supporter of No Child Left Behind," but he wrote nothing about the bill in his weekly syndicated column until his contract kicked in late in 2003. He proceeded to write five columns singing the praises of Bush's education policies in the first six months of 2004. In addition, he shilled for NCLB on CNN (10/19/04) and CNBC's the Capital Report (8/9/04). According to Bloomberg's Al Hunt, Williams did some heavy lifting for the bill behind the scenes as well: "Armstrong did deliver his promise," Hunt said, "because I occasionally worked out at a gym and Armstrong's there, and he told me several times, you know, 'Why don't you write about No Child Left Behind.'"
