HuffPost readers will certainly remember Armstrong Williams, the conservative pundit, and TV talk show host who took $240,000 from the Department of Education to promote the No Child Left Behind Act on his cable program and in other venues, including his syndicated column. He didn't disclose the deal because he couldn't disclose it without exposing the contract as fraudulent. (And possibly illegal; the Government Accounting Office said it violated the ban on "covert propaganda.") When USA Today brought the arrangement to light, everyone fled from it--the contract was disowned by all parties--because it was the political equivalent of payola in the record industry. His syndicated column was dropped, and his cable TV show was later taken off the air.
That was in 2005.
So the other day I'm clicking around the Web, following some links, and I come to the pundits blog at The Hill newspaper, which competes with Roll Call and The Politico in covering the daily business of Congress. There's Armstrong Williams, one of their pundits. What the...? Wanting to know exactly how this guy became a legitimate voice on national affairs again, I contacted The Hill and was told that Hugo Gurdon, editor in chief of The Hill, made the decision himself.
Here's my Q & A with him. Though there is some commentary in my questions I present the results without comment.
Q. When did Amstrong Williams join The Hill's pundits blog?
Hugo Gurdon: His first post was on Jan. 8, 2007.
Q: How did this come about that he was asked to join the pundits blog? Was it his idea? Yours? Someone else's?
Hugo Gurdon: It was our idea. We discussed the pros and cons and decided that we should proceed.
Q: Is it a paid position?
Hugo Gurdon: It is not a paid position.
Q: Why did you feel he deserved to be part of The Hill's pundit blog after what happened in 2005?
Hugo Gurdon: We felt that despite his poor judgment in the events you cite (and which he has acknowledged), Williams nevertheless had interesting views that would add to the mix of opinion on the blog. The blog is bipartisan, as you can see, with Republicans such as Williams, Keene, Donatelli, Christie and Feehery, and Democrats such as Press, Fenn, Davis and Budowsky. The blog was launched about a year and a half after the Williams controversy broke in mid-2005. By then, news and current affairs organizations were beginning again to invite him to give his opinion. We felt it was an appropriate time for him to restart his career as a pundit.
Q: This question requires some background: Not only is taking money from the government without disclosing it a capital offense in journalism, but in the field of public relations, which is the actual service he sold to the Department of Education, what Armstrong Williams did is called "pay for play," and it is also a cardinal sin in that profession, a point that was made at the time by Richard Edelman, CEO of a major PR firm in New York and an industry leader. He blogged about it when he read the USA Today piece:
This kind of pay for play public relations takes us back in time to the days of the press agent who would drop off the new record album and $10 to the deejay. It makes our industry's efforts to "clean up" behavior in newly created PR markets such as China and Russia look decidedly ridiculous (my favorite China anecdote is journalists in the mid 90s asking for $40 in cab fare to attend an interview when the newspaper was across the street from our office).
I know Ray Kotcher and Dave Drobis of Ketchum. I am sure that they would never tolerate this kind of contractual arrangement. I am also confident that they will take steps to assure that it never happens again.
Some things are black and white. We need to set a very high standard of disclosure for our business, with total transparency on funding sources and mission. We should also eschew any practice that calls into question the integrity of the information being disseminated. Let's try to turn this negative for our industry into a positive, by making a long term commitment to the best ethical behavior.
Given that the deal Williams entered into with the Department of Education violated the most basic kind of ethics there are, not in one but in four fields--journalism, broadcasting, government contracting, and public relations-- and given that it was a witting contract he signed for $240,000, and that he was an active participant in it, were you not concerned that among those who knew of these events and remember them today, he would, as a writer, subtract credibility from The Hill? After all, The Hill newspaper isn't a paid for and hidden propagandist for the Bush Administration, is it? Why would you hire someone who is-- okay, was?
Hugo Gurdon: The Hill's credibility is entirely solid. We are a non-ideological and non-partisan news organization, but we allow partisan and ideological opinion on our pages and websites from outside contributors.
Q: Okay, last question: How do you know that Armstrong Williams isn't taking money from people he says nice or interesting things about in his punditry for The Hill? Are you counting on him to disclose? I hope not, because that got some people in trouble last time. Plus, the official, Hill newspaper bio, telling readers who Armstrong Williams is and why we should care what he thinks, doesn't disclose. It makes no mention at all of the pay-for-play episode in 2005 that put him in the national spotlight and forced the Tribune Media Services to terminate its syndication agreement with Williams ("...readers may well ask themselves if the views expressed in his columns are his own, or whether they have been purchased by a third party," said Tribune at the time.)
Was leaving out the entire story The Hill's idea, or is that Armstrong Williams being cute again? And isn't what the Tribune service said then, ""...readers may well ask themselves if the views expressed in his columns are his own, or whether they have been purchased by a third party," as true today for his posts in The Hill's blog?
Hugo Gurdon: The Hill discussed the 2005 controversy with Williams before he began as a pundit in early 2007 and it was understood that he would not be doing that sort of thing again. My judgment is that he is an honorable man who, despite making a poor choice some years ago, nevertheless has something to offer website visitors seeking a wide variety of opinion on the politics of the day.
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"Poor choice"...
He made a "poor choice."
No disclosure...?
LOL
Even if these guys are trying to be credible, they are totally flubbing it.
But then, who really cares about American media's credibility these days? Peter Arnett?
Williams was acting like he wasn't the typical shill for the conservative movement's number one funder and savior, Sun Myung Moon when Williams said this:
--"What they're doing is buying people," said conservative columnist Armstrong Williams, who was invited to watch a Redskins-Cowboys football game from a Moon organization's luxury box at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium this fall. "They just kept wooing me, calling me." --
haha
Now look at the pictures of Williams shilling for Moon found here:
http://iapprovethismessiah.com/2005/01/armstrong-williams-just-cant-resist.html
Excellent post. Thank you. I heard some blurb about an upcoming msm talk show and they announced that Williams, that whore who took money to tout W's phoney/destructive anti-learning, anti-child "educational program", would be a guest commentator. I didn't watch, as I don't watch most of that garbage. But, I do remember thinking, "isn't that the guy...?" "Am I nuts?" "Do I have him mixed up with someone else?" There is no bottom to the mediocrity of theses people. The Hill is just another fake-news outlet to AVOID.
This is an incredible post. Thanks for sharing the exchange between you and Hugo Gurdon. It's amazing how little he's willing to sell out for...taking on a journalistic pariah few a extra eyeballs. I can't believe Williams isn't living in disgrace...or at least doing loads of community service. And instead he's blogging on The Hill....yikes!
I don't remember what show I first saw Armstrong Williams on as a pundit: it may have been "Hardball" or something on CNN. I'm quite sure it wasn't Keith Olbermann. Whatever, I remember doing a real doubletake. Was this a matter of poor memory re: what he had done, selective memory, or what? I actually was wondering if MY memory was shot! It was as if there had been no scandal at all regarding him taking money for favorably "reporting" the No Child Left Behind program. How far our journalists have fallen, and they act as if they really are totally unaware of it! Or what are they smoking or drinking these days?
sorry I think I answered my own question!!they hate us because we love ALL people. we refuse to hate, so we can't be divided and conquered!!!because we love all peple thier methods don't work on us and they know it.we don't hate mexicans,blacks or the poor and we are not for oppressing and exploiting people.
will someone please ask "why do they hate us ?us liberals that is-straight answer no rhetoric or talking points.
LIBERALS LOVE PEOPLE!!!!ALL PEOPLE-black-white,straight-gay,rich-poor,christian-muslim!!!THATS WHY I AM PROUD TO BE A LIBERAL!!!
anybody and I mean anybody that is critical of liberals can get easy access to media jobs.that is the criteria now. the more you HATE liberals thr better.I think us liberals underestimate these peoples HATRED of us. why do they hate us?because we think and do not accept their delusional rhetoric and lies!!!we are the only ones whostand ib their way!!!!WE LOVE ALL PEOPLE regardless of race,sexual identity,amount of money they have!!!!we will not and can not hate or harm our fellow man,we are not made that way!!!!I am proud to be a liberal!!!
Whar Armstrong did is unforgivable and should nor be tolerated but Steven glass made up stories and he is back in journalism (I think)
All this says to me is journalism sure has there screw ups big time. I hope A.B. stays away from this kind of stuff I am sure she will
I have nevwe noticed her to be biased. I just don't know how shwe ever puts up with tucker carlson. God I sure hope the 08 elections go the way I want them to. Its time to throw the bums out.
Why is Ann Coulter-gist considered an EXPERT in govt or Rush Dumb-down-America ?
Why do conservatives look up to these people ? These voices say what conservatives want to hear and it doesn't even have to be the truth as long as its what they consider as clever anti-liberal speeches usually bound by a character assassination.
can anyone tell me why C-span has decided to go right wing (rethugs 10-1 over democrats)and brian lamb being given an award by george bush on the down low. and why dan rather has not been given a cable news show????liberal bias my ass!!!c-span parades one rethug after another all day!!!
He was also on one of the NPR's Talk of the Nation/Political Junkie back in September. Just him and the host Ken Rudin talking about the Republican "Black debate." I can't tell you anything else about it. At the time even the idea was too rage-inducing to listen in the workplace. Today,Christmas. But if anyone is interested, have at it.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14728202
He wa
Translation: Hugo is smart enough to understand the sordid realities of politics in America. It's always been pay to play. I would imagine he cautioned Armstrong in no uncertain terms that if anyone was going to be payola'd on this blog it will be Hugo Gordon and not the token desperate to repair his career black guy who will most certainly be required to render his services gratis. Or else suffer banishment AGAIN. I mean imagine the nerve of these arrogant minorities trying to horn in on the Gravy Train?
Armstrong Williams spent a considerable period of time as a pundit on an Air America affiliate that regularly advertised him as part of the Air America (Democratic Party) team.
Why should anyone be shocked that Armstrong Williams or his ilk is regularly used? To act as if his pimping for "No Child Gets Ahead" is simply horrible ignores that the Bill passed and has made an already bad educational sytem worse -- passed on a bi-partisan basis, of course. If Amrstrong Williams is a pimp, what are the legislators of both parties who passed the Bill and continue to reauthorize it?
To act as if his pimping for "No Child Left Behind" is simply horrible ignores the fact that nearly all of the MSM pundits, Russert, Gibson, Brian Williams, Matthews and on and on pimped for getting us into this war and (with the exception of Matthews and Keith Olbermann) continue to pimp to keep us in the war -- knowingly lying to get us in and keep us there. Their actions dwarf Armstrong Williams's sins --and that's no defense of Armstrong Williams.
Now the mainstream pundits regularly act as if any of the three Democratic frontrunners are anti-war candidates when all 3 refuse to commit to getting out all troops by 2013. Talk about pimping.
On the corruptionometer Armstrong Williams rates about a 6.5, while nearly all of the rest of the online, MSM and cable commentators and pundits, including nearly all of the Air America Democratic Party pimps, have broken the corruption measuring machine with their naked, lying pimping.
It pains me to hear him talk or read anything he writes...he's just awful
If GW Bush can cost America about $10 Trillion is it any wonder that Armstrong Williams who only took us for a paltry $240,000 can come back to sell his name, morality and ethics on the open market?
The MSM rarely cares about such matters till it is threatened by loss of income.
Perhaps every time Williams posts he should be asked who paid him and how much?
I assume the ownership of The Hill swings to the right but I do not know that for sure. Maybe someone out there can clarify the matter. (On the right, being a liar and scoundrel is unacceptable only if you are a lefty, otherwise it is just a minor slip and after a fe hundred more slips, you will have your wrist slapped.)
Poor Armstrong Williams. He is a black voice for neoconmen. They don't have many and need to recycle them often. Don't you understand? Besides, being a black man, he can't be a head coach in the NFL so how does he make a living? He sheds scruples and becomes a neoconman conman, that's how. Know him and despise him.
Most Americans will remember Armstrong Williams as the Black guy who fought Rocky Balboa in one of those movies.....
He'll go along just fine with his life and career so long as nobody makes the connection between him and his complicity in Britney Spear's sister's pregnancy.
Enjoy.
In the end IOKIYAR
Recently I was listening to a re-broadcast of a Bill Moyers interview with Phil Donahue. Phil said that when his show was on, he was told by MSNBC that he would be REQUIRED to have a right wing conservative opinion on everytime he had a liberal one but the reverse was not true. He could have conservatives on without a liberal but not the other way. Then I recalled that all of my favorite shows now, the Diane Rhem show on NPR and many others always have guests from either the Heritage Foundation,CATO institute, Hudson Institute or American Enterprise (to name a precious few of the fronts for the corporate Big House)and they have made propaganda truly mainstream. So I am not surprised that Armstrong Williams, who never had an original thought since he was born, is back in full grace while Phil Donahue can't get arrested. Can anybody besides me hear the goose-stepping growing louder?
Just another neo dervish on the tube (spin spin spin never let the truth in)
Who is that Alexandra woman who is on Tucker almost every nite? She is getting her 15 mins. Yes, I saw that Williams guy back, blatting on. And Karl Rove in Newsweek!!!! That is a waste of my mother's money, to give us that magazine now. They also had a column by a woman who wished her doctor would just tell her what to do and not make her think. We are going backwards, people!
"The Hill" .. Is owned by Rupert Murdoch.
Opinions are like assholes - everyones got one.
Frnakly the 'pundits' can go away. I'm insulted by them more than concerned about their 'insightful' thoughts.
'Just the facts ma'am'. I've got my own brain.
When these idiots start telling US 'how it is' I know they have no idea what they are talking about (or have been blowing some 'higher' being).
Of course that list does not include Keith Oooh! Keep bitchin' Keith- you're hot when you're pissed! Not to mention, I absoultely agree- couldn't have said it better myself.
Missed ya last week. Maybe a little X-mas eve gift for US tonight?
In the grand scheme of things, The Hill is small potatoes. What is more troubling is that throughout the major media there are unqalified and/or unethical members of the press, and numberous conflicts of interest that are never revealed. For example:
Time
Peter Beinart - Time Columnist, Cable TV Talking Head, and Iraq war cheerleader extraordinaire. Bill Moyers asked Beinart what qualified him to be a political journalist. Beinart explained that he wasn't a beat reporter, but he's done "a lot of reading of other people's reporting and reading of what officials were saying."
Newsweek
Karl Rove - Outside of Newsweek Managing Editor Jon Meacham and The Washington Post Co (which owns Newsweek), does anyone really need an explanation why there's a ethical problem with Rove writing columns?
ABC News
General Jack Keene - Keene is ABC's "Military Expert". He has been a military advisor to George Bush, and is currently a military advisor to Hillary Clinton. Jack Keane is employed by the URS Corporation, the largest global engineering design firm and a leading U.S. government contractor. Keane also sits on the Board of Directors of General Dynamics (the sixth largest defense contractor in the world), and he's also a member of the Department of Defense Policy Board, which was chaired by none other than Richard Perle. None of this information is shared with the viewer when Keene provides his "expertise".
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Posted December 23, 2007 | 12:33 PM (EST)