Shock and Awe

Well...okay, not awe, but just awful. For that matter, I guess I'm becoming completely desensitized to the current administration's tactics. I'm not surprised anymore by the tricks and tactics used for advancing controversial, dangerous, bad, or just plain stupid policies...and therefore I can only present the following news with the thought of "what's next?"

From the New York Times (via Althouse):

TV Host Says U.S. Paid Him to Back Policy

Armstrong Williams, a prominent conservative commentator who was a protégé of Senator Strom Thurmond and Justice Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court, acknowledged yesterday that he was paid $240,000 by the Department of Education to promote its initiatives on his syndicated television program and to other African-Americans in the news media.

The disclosure of the payment set off a storm of criticism from Democrats over the Bush administration's spending to promote its policies to the public. According to a copy of the contract provided by the department yesterday, Mr. Williams, who also runs a small public relations firm and until yesterday wrote a syndicated newspaper column, was required to broadcast two one-minute advertisements in which Education Secretary Rod Paige extolled the merits of its national standards program, No Child Left Behind.

Make of it what you will...as for me, I'm going to attempt to keep my dinner down.