Bush Says Won't Pay Commentators to Promote Agenda

[SillyGoose]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=584&e=3&u=/nm/20050126/pl_nm/bush_education_dc

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush on Wednesday ordered his Cabinet secretaries not to pay media commentators to promote his legislative agenda, saying payments by the Education Department were improper and new leadership was now in place.

In his most direct criticism to date, Bush leveled blame at officials at the Education Department for paying conservative commentator Armstrong Williams $240,000 to tout his landmark education plan, "No Child Left Behind."

Bush said it was an improper use of government funds, and told a news conference: "I expect my Cabinet secretaries to make sure that that practice doesn't go forward. There needs to be independence."

Federal communications regulators earlier this month opened an investigation into whether Williams violated a ban on "payola" in promoting the education law.
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Bush goes on to say "We didn't know about this in the White House."