Armstrong Williams not the only "pundit" violating ethics

[BrklynLiberal]

from www.tvnewslies.org:

TVNL Editor's Comments: There is a lot of noise regarding the “pundit” who was paid by the Bush administration to push the no child left behind program. Of course, this is a blatant violation of journalistic ethics (a phrase that has become an oxymoron recently), but do you know that there is a better example of this violation at, you guessed it….FOX News! William Krisol is a regular face on FOX, most notably on Brit Hume’s show. FOX touts Kristol as the editor of the Weekly Standard, which is true. But a more notable credit that FOX has never mentioned to their viewers is that Kristol is the chairman, let me repeat that…CHAIRMAN of the Project for a New American Century (PNAC). In other words Kristol is one of the authors of the neocon agenda and he is propped up in front of a “news” watching audience as a pundit/journalist who is simply sharing his views on the events of the day. In other words, he is a shill. FYI there were 10 PNAC members in the Bush administration. Several have left like Richard Perle and John Bolton (just announced). But many remain in place, in essence running the show; like Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz. Kristol is the CHAIRMAN of their organization. Think about it!

[Octafish]

1. Touchdown. "It's the hegemony, stupid."

Their comrade in arms and business Osama gave them the reason -- check, EXCUSE -- to go for it.

History will show U.S. lusted after oil

LINDA MCQUAIG

Decades from now, historians will likely calmly discuss the war currently raging in Iraq, and identify oil as one of the key factors that led to it.

They will point to the growing U.S. dependence on foreign oil, the importance of oil in the rising competition between the U.S. and China, and the huge untapped store of oil lying unprotected under the Iraqi sand. It will all probably seem fairly obvious.

Just don't expect to hear this sort of discussion now, however, when it might actually make a difference.

In fact, a year-and-a-half into the U.S. occupation of Iraq, with the carnage over there spiralling ever more out of control, don't expect media discussions of Iraq to stray much beyond the issue of "fighting terrorism."

SNIP...

It implies that those at the very top of the U.S. government willingly sacrificed countless lives to further a cause that has nothing to do with liberty or democracy.

CONTINUED...

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1103802174249&call_pageid=968256290204&col=968350116795

[rodeodance]

2. But does the WH pay him?

[AlCzervik]

3. I think that more will come out on other "Pundits"

there is no way that it's not being looked into very closely, it's only a matter of time before it comes out.

[gratuitous]

4. It now becomes a fair question

Every talking chucklehead on every program should be asked and be required to answer whether he or she is receiving any money from the administration for his or her opinion.

Full financial disclosure for these whores: Who's paying them and how much?

[punpirate]

5. There's a slight difference here...

... in that Williams was paid by the government to promote the government view, something that he did not disclose to his editors, syndicators or readers.

Kristol, on the other hand, is promoting his own views, to the public through Fox, and to the government, through his organization, the PNAC.

If it turns out Kristol is being paid by the government to promote the government's view in "The American Spectator," or on Fox News, then the charges are equally serious. But, the simple truth of the matter is that Kristol and the government are in agreement with each other. The government doesn't have to pay him to promote its views. That, in this country, is called free speech.

Kristol is most certainly wrong and one-sided on the issues, but that doesn't mean he can't be heard. If he's being paid by the Bush administration to promote those views, it's illegal--current law does not allow the government to propagandize the public using tax dollars.

Cheers.

[AlCzervik]

6. Fox should be declared legally as the propaganda arm of the government

In the interest of full disclosure.