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No Pundit Left Behind

Just when you think the investigative journalists at USA Today have permanently gone fishin’ the crown jewel of Gannett’s media empire surprises you. Someone (and you can bet Greg Toppo ain’t telling) suggested that the newspaper file a Freedom of Information Act request about Department of Education expenditures promoting No Child Left Behind. What was uncovered is that through an intermediary the Department funneled $240,000 to commentator Armstrong Williams to plug No Child Left Behind. Williams is black, a self-confessed conservative, but most of all a syndicated columnist. His syndication partner, Tribune, terminated his contract after the story broke. So is this about propaganda? Well, Williams says he wholeheartedly believes in NCLB.
He was eager to promote it, irrespective of financial considerations. As much egg as it puts on his face, this really isn’t about Armstrong Williams. It’s about a very cynical attitude that the Bush Administration has towards African-Americans. This idea was designed to make inroads among African-Americans. Guys like Karl Rove sought to chip away at black support for the Democrats by hyping NLCB. But because of Bush’s dreadful reputation among blacks, the Bush brain trust sought a respective African-American to push the agenda. That does not sound so outrageous until you take a hard look at NLCB.

It was supposedly based on Bush’s educational reforms while governor of Texas. The transition to federal law meant that states had the flexibility to define terms differently, so long as they demonstrated progress on the test. Districts that do not find themselves starved of federal Department of Education funds. This encourages lower standards and for school districts with large numbers of blacks this often means an endless cycle of mediocrity. What are much more popular among blacks are school vouchers.

So while Williams did not say explicitly that NLCB is a prelude to vouchers, implying it certainly would help the Bush Administration’s cause. With Bush’s reelection achieved however, it seems completely possible that NLCB will be discarded or reformed so as to enable school vouchers. Such an idea will not require Armstrong Williams to be it’s pimp however. Thus begging the question how the President plans to ensure that no pundit is left behind.

posted by Thomas at 5:26 PM 0 comments