Here’s the deal: a little known TV pundit was paid a quarter million dollars in your taxpayer money to sell the Bush administration agenda. So far you won’t find this on mainstream TV news shows. The right wing blogger pundit clique is spinning the story on Williams being a sell out. Clearly it’s to avoid discussion that this administration illegally used your money to push its propaganda. Hypocrites.

Well, I shouldn’t say all bloggers on the right are being so weak, pstupidnonymous breaks the mold.

My prediction: Some stupid stiff at the Department of Education will be the fall guy and Williams will become famous.

Jeff Jarvis warns bloggers not to sell their credibility like Williams. Full disclosure of business arrangements is the only way for pundits and journalists alike. Agreed. But lets cast the light both ways. The administration paid off a pundit. A person people go to for trusted opinion. And while Williams might have lost a job – he just got a ton of free exposure. We all know what they say about “bad press” right? (Update: Jeff’s follow up post agrees with me and he’s actually doing something about it – a FOIA request.)

Garret points to Rafe’s great follow up question. I’ll take that even futher….

I didn’t know who Williams was before this story started to break.

If they were willing to pay a pundit with such a small audience (I know that’s an assumption on my part, but among friends and family, no one knows this guy either) who else have they paid? Which bloggers? Which pundits? Not just on Social Security, but the Iraq war and more. And lets get beyond money… how about other benefits this administration has bestowed on its media (including blogger) lackeys. How deep does this rabbit hole go?

BTW – Thanks to Oliver Willis for the poster.