integrity

Inte(l)Grity.
Evidence 3B for the case of The People against Machiavelli. 3A, you'll remember, was the fake news bit promoting Bush's prescription drug plan. Now, let us marvel at the audacity of paying off a prominent op-ed columnist to push your domestic policy agenda. Unless it is to correct an error in USA Today's report of the facts, I can't see appreciating any defense to this use of our tax dollars.

Seeking to build support among black families for its education reform law, the Bush administration paid a prominent black pundit $240,000 to promote the law on his nationally syndicated television show and to urge other black journalists to do the same.
...
The contract, detailed in documents obtained by USA TODAY through a Freedom of Information Act request, also shows that the Education Department, through the Ketchum public relations firm, arranged with Williams to use contacts with America's Black Forum, a group of black broadcast journalists, "to encourage the producers to periodically address" NCLB. He persuaded radio and TV personality Steve Harvey to invite Paige onto his show twice. Harvey's manager, Rushion McDonald, confirmed the appearances.

Williams said he does not recall disclosing the contract to audiences on the air but told colleagues about it when urging them to promote NCLB.
...
Williams' contract was part of a $1 million deal with Ketchum that produced "video news releases" designed to look like news reports. The Bush administration used similar releases last year to promote its Medicare prescription drug plan, prompting a scolding from the Government Accountability Office, which called them an illegal use of taxpayers' dollars.

Williams, 45, a former aide to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is one of the top black conservative voices in the nation. He hosts The Right Side on TV and radio, and writes op-ed pieces for newspapers, including USA TODAY, while running a public relations firm, Graham Williams Group.

It is one thing to have an intellectual investment in a policy. This is another thing altogether.

To be clear, this is not about catching someone red-handed. To be fair, I am very interested in research on this kind of thing happening generally, be it Democratics' or Republican PR work. I had heard, when the fake news promoting the HHR plan came out, that such government submitted "info-peices" were not altogether uncommon. But I have not found other examples. Go to it, folks.

The scandle is in the bigger picture- it is that what should be thoughtful debate about policy has become something for sale. And sales = manipulation. Buying off this commentator is the same thing as paying a big breasted 17 year old to sell potato chips. That is what our civic discussion is becoming. And this administration is at the cutting edge of the new advertising.

Update
Josh Marshall, knowingly I'm sure, takes up my request to dig into the frequency of this near propaganda. See his post, here (it's the second down, I believe).