An Accountability Moment
As if we expected any better...
House Republicans Wednesday soundly rejected an effort by Democrats to ban the Department of Education from spending money on "covert propaganda."
The House voted 224 to 197 against a measure, championed by Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, and George Miller, D-Calif., aimed at blocking the department from creating sham news stories or hiring columnists to promote policies.
House Republicans Wednesday soundly rejected an effort by Democrats to ban the Department of Education from spending money on "covert propaganda."
The House voted 224 to 197 against a measure, championed by Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, and George Miller, D-Calif., aimed at blocking the department from creating sham news stories or hiring columnists to promote policies.
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'Propaganda' bill nixed in House
PETER URBAN purban@ctpost.com
Connecticut Post
WASHINGTON — House Republicans Wednesday soundly rejected an effort by Democrats to ban the Department of Education from spending money on "covert propaganda."
The House voted 224 to 197 against a measure, championed by Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, and George Miller, D-Calif., aimed at blocking the department from creating sham news stories or hiring columnists to promote policies.
The lawmakers had hoped to attach the ban to legislation on vocational education that was debated Wednesday in the House.
They had previously sponsored a bill seeking a government-wide ban after it was revealed in a series of news reports that the Bush administration had used taxpayer dollars to finance covert propaganda campaigns.
In January, USA Today was first to report that the Bush administration paid Armstrong Williams $240,000 to promote the No Child Left Behind Act on his syndicated television show, and to urge other black journalists to do the same.
Last month, the department's inspector general issued a "very troubling" report on the contract, Miller said.
"It appears likely that substantial sums were paid not only for commercials that were never produced, but for Mr. Williams' political commentaries," he said.
The Bush administration has also hired actors to pose as journalists in videos promoting its Medicare and drug-control policies.
The videos aired on television stations across the country, and viewers at home were never told that what they were seeing was paid for with their own tax dollars, Miller said. And, the administration paid a syndicated columnist more than $40,000 for advice on its marriage initiatives while she also promoted the initiative in her syndicated column.
"Covert propaganda has no place in our democracy," DeLauro told her colleagues Wednesday. "This is a dangerous precedent. Our government's agenda should be able to stand on its own two feet."
Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, argued against the proposal saying that newly appointed Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has taken steps to ensure such contracts will not be awarded again.
"What happened with Armstrong was stupid, but passing laws to outlaw stupidity is not Congress' job," he said.
Boehner said the proposal was simply a "partisan cheap shot" aimed at embarrassing the Bush administration. "It really has no place in this bill," he said.
The House vote fell largely along party lines, with the exception of two members.
Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., voted in favor and Rep. Robert Andrews, D-N.J., voted against it.
Among Connecticut lawmakers, DeLauro voted in favor of the measure. Reps. Christopher Shays, R-4; Nancy Johnson, R-5; and Rob Simmons, R-2, voted against it. Rep. John Larson, D-1, was excused from Wednesday's session to attend to a family matter.
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