once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right
1.28.2005
Freedom From The Press
On the heels of the $240,000 Armstrong Williams scandal, the contractual obligations of another commentator cheerleader have been exposed. In 2002, syndicated columnist Maggie Gallagher staunchly defended the Bush marriage initiative in any venue that would give her space without disclosing that she was under a $20,000-plus contract with the Department of Health and Human Services to promote the proposal.
After the Armstrong Williams debacle, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan rebuffed questions about whether there were additional commentators on the government dole, saying, "I'm not aware of any others that are under contract."
Yesterday, it was revealed that a third conservative syndicated columnist has been paid off by the Bush administration. Michael McManus was paid $10,000 to promote President Bush's marriage initiative, the same program Maggie Gallagher was paid to promote.