The Department of Health and Human Services said Friday that a third conservative columnist was paid to assist in promoting a Bush administration policy.
"There's a growing misperception that taxpayers' money is being used to pay columnists to use their position in the media to portray the administration in a positive light," Horn said. "I felt a compelling need to draw a bright line in order to restore the public's confidence that we are not doing that."
There could be 500 people paid to advertise for the government with tax payers money and the current administration would stick with the same line. Get used to it.
You know, I'm just shaking my head as I watch this whole mess unfold. On one side, we've got Bush doing some questionable funding to promote programs, and on the other we've got the Dems itching to pass a foolish, sweeping law that the Republicans can probably use to kill 15% of overall Government Spending by default.
And the really amusing thing is probably 0.2% of Americans give a rip about this issue at all. Let's face it, paying off Journalists is old hat, whether we're talking under the table cash, sweetheart book deals, or simply increased access to the politicians they cover. Besides, opinion columnists are not even held to the same ethical standards a "real" journalist like Dan Rather would be.
And then there's the whole "boy who cried wolf" factor...
I'm finding it difficult to get too excited about either side in this scandal. Grats, you've finally got a teaspoonful of genuine mud. Sling it as far as you can, Democrats.
If you have good policies, you don't need to pay off journalists to repeat them.
If you're a columnist and a member of an organization devoted to an issue, taking money from the government illegally to offer public support for that issue is no less than fraud - after all, do you REALLY think these folks would be arguing for gay marriage without the kickbacks?
Oh, and Eid, perhaps you've forgotten how far ethics travels in a vacuum.
Just because it has been done in the past and not been caught does not make it any more right now than it was back then, only difference is now that Bush got caught doing it.
And Embar, you are a moron in complete denial about everything. I see you as those cute little hear no evil see no evil monkies, only not so cute and a little less intelligent about the world around you than a monkey.