Apparently he’s another conservative columnist who writes about a particular subject without disclosing that he’s being paid by the Bush administration to write about a particular subject.
For the “What’s the big deal?” crowd, read this nugget from Michelle Malkin:
I wonder if McManus will say he “forgot” about the $10,000 payment, too. That line seems to be working pretty well now among some of my fellow conservatives. I’ll have more to say about all this in the morning, but for now, let me just say that if I accepted $10,000 or $20,000 or $40,000 in taxpayer funds for my writing, I wouldn’t forget it in one year or 5 years or 10 years. And I’d make damn sure I disclosed it in relevant columns, books, or media appearances, even if it invited condescension from the “don’t be such a holier-than-thou-goody-two-shoes-must-you-disclose-everything?” crowd.
Accepting money to pay your bills is not the problem; failing to disclose you’re being paid to push a “product,” with taxpayer’s money, is the problem, especially when readers value your opinion and “independent” viewpoint. If you’re being paid by the government to promote government policy, say so!
Developing…
Update (1/28): From Editor & Publisher:
Senior writer Eric Boehlert wrote that Salon had confirmed that McManus “championed the plan in his columns without disclosing to readers he was being paid to help it succeed.â€This report emerged one day after President Bush ordered his Cabinet secretaries to stop hiring commentators to help promote administration initiatives, after revelations surrounding commentators Armstrong Williams and Maggie Gallagher.
According to Salon, Dr. Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children and families at HHS, had responded to the latest report by announcing that HHS would institute a new policy that forbids the agency from hiring any outside expert or consultant who has any working affiliation with the media. “I needed to draw this bright line,” Horn told Salon. “The policy is being implemented and we’re moving forward.”
McManus could not be reached for comment.
In order to remain on higher ground, Republicans need to stop allowing things like this to happen. We call upon each other to account; Democrats don’t. Let’s show the country why and how our system of values is morally superior.
Also see Pundit Payola: Williams, Gallagher Were Wrong, But What’s Right?
This is becoming very discouraging.
I hereby pledge not to ever take money to say what I will say for free, anyway!
And they won’t be able to pay me to shut up, either! 
Comment by The Anchoress — 01.27.05 @ 11:13 pm
I don’t know the facts here yet, so I don’t want to condemn Mr. McManus–whom, by the way, I’ve never heard of–but I really agree with the Anchoress’s comment. There is no amount of money they could pay me to keep quiet, so why would I take a pittance that would create even the suspicion that they’re paying me to talk? Let’s make a simple deal: you keep your money, and I’ll keep my independence.
Comment by John Hinderaker — 01.27.05 @ 11:24 pm
I, Baklava (poster name), provide computer consulting services for the state of CA and promise you that the contract for services in no way is making me lie as liberals do every day in thier quest to destroy capitalism, freedom and America as we know it. I am telling you facts and truth in this post despite the fact that I have a contract with the state of CA government.
The way some people talk on the subject, we need to ban PBS and disallow the government to pay for any media services on CBS, CNN, ABC, NBC.
La Shawn. For you I understand the issue is disclosure. That’s why I post my disclaimer every time now because liberals lie but I haven’t seen how any of the people mentioned have altered their message to be untruthful. And to me that is the more important standard. The standard of telling the truth (which eludes many at CBS, ABC, NBC and CNN and even Fox News)
Comment by Baklava — 01.28.05 @ 1:02 am
I don’t know why there is surprise. When the first allegations came out, we were told that this was “ok” and “normal”.
Comment by actus — 01.28.05 @ 1:15 am
Good post, LaShawn. This is like throwing chum to a gathering of already hungry sharks. This “PayolaGate” will only fizzle out when there are no more “surprises” and when they STOP TAKING THE MONEY. PLEASE STOP TAKING THE MONEY.
Comment by marcus — 01.28.05 @ 6:58 am
Friday Linky Action
Check out some of these samplings from the blogosphere today.
Trackback by Bobo Blogger — 01.28.05 @ 9:06 am
Paid Punditry Trifecta
Well folks, we have another conservative media member exposed for taking money from the Bush adminstration. Michael McManus Michael McManus, whose syndicated column, “Ethics & Religion,” appears in 50 newspapers, was hired as a subcontractor by the D…
Trackback by Slant Point — 01.28.05 @ 10:01 am
The Seperation of Media and State needs to become an issues and needs to be delt with. Not just for conservatives, but for liberals as well. Let’s not forget that “payola” can take many forms from cash to gifts of sprots tickets to access to high profile news makers.
They all need to come clean…
Comment by Filly — 01.28.05 @ 10:15 am
I agree 100% with La Shawn! “In order to remain on higher ground, Republicans need to stop allowing things like this to happen. We call upon each other to account; Democrats don’t. Let’s show the country why and how our system of values is morally superior.” Hugh Hewitt’s BLOG speaks directly to the issues of disclosure, transparency, accountability, trust…these people need desperately to read it!!
Comment by Lynne Gale — 01.28.05 @ 10:48 am
It was not wrong for the Bush administration to hire these columnists. It was not wrong for these columnists to work with the government either. The problem was that neither the administration nor the columnists took the time to evaluate the ethical implications of doing so. This amounts to a costly affront to public confidence in this administration.
If we conservatives neglect to point out the impropriety of these financial arrangements and subsequent lack of ethical disclosure, we will encourage this problem to fester into something much worse.
Comment by Jim Pfaff — 01.28.05 @ 11:59 am
Friday Lunch Special: Ladies on the Menu
For your mid-day dining pleasure, we offer you to choose from one of these specialties: Beth (MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy) wonders about Esther. Cyndy at mousemusings has caught some grief for being off the liberal plantation. Julie with a
Trackback by basil's blog — 01.28.05 @ 12:00 pm
While I can wonder about the practice of paying “opinion makers”, did the payment bring about a change, even ever so slight, in the content, focus, or passion of the message the writer was putting forth? I suspect that there’s lots of money floating about in the Moveon.org camp, as well as others in the liberal universe.
To be honest, the idea of being “bought” is repugnant, but I’m inclined to be less critical of someone who does not change the message as the money changes hands.
Comment by Dan — 01.28.05 @ 12:25 pm
I, Baklava (poster name), provide computer consulting services for the state of CA and promise you that the contract for services in no way is making me lie as liberals do every day in thier quest to destroy capitalism, freedom and America as we know it. I am telling you facts and truth in this post despite the fact that I have a contract with the state of CA government.
In order to remain on higher ground we should call for every PBS and NPR show to prominently state how much that portion of the show is being paid for by the U.S. government. It is not ok to vaguely know that yes broadcasting is being paid by the government.
Also we should call for hearings to fine anyone who mistates things in the course of being a journalist or media person. This would be fining so many liberals that they’d have to stop lying.
Let’s get on these issues right now!
Comment by Baklava — 01.28.05 @ 1:00 pm
Do you mean to tell me that I could be getting PAID for this!?!?
Ugghhhh!! And here I am trying to get through college when I was staring at money-money-money all this time….;)
Comment by Mad Mikey — 01.28.05 @ 1:04 pm
I just went to http://www.pbs.org and http://www.npr.org and I do not see on their front web page a link or mention of how much money they are recieving from the government.
Now I’m really really mad. I want it to be prominently displayed so that there is no double standard. If not prominently displayed at least a link with a clear distinction that this link would display how much pbs and npr receive from the government.
This is awful.
Oh yeah here is my disclaimer…
I, Baklava (poster name), provide computer consulting services for the state of CA and promise you that the contract for services in no way is making me lie as liberals do every day in thier quest to destroy capitalism, freedom and America as we know it. I am telling you facts and truth in this post despite the fact that I have a contract with the state of CA government.
Comment by Baklava — 01.28.05 @ 1:10 pm
Take a number, Mikey!
Comment by La Shawn — 01.28.05 @ 1:16 pm
I strongly agree with Baklava. Why does PBS and NPR get public funds and promotes a liberal agenda monopoly? Are conservatives supposed to be satisfied with a token Tucker Carlson when we represent over 50% of America?
Where are the programs and views on the conservative side?
How many liberal columnists have also received the public dollar during and after the Clinton administration?
Comment by ratso ferrari — 01.28.05 @ 1:31 pm
It isn’t just with the Clinton Admin. It’s with earlier administrations and even now. There are people in the CIA and State Department that are partying with feeding (mis)information to media representatives in order to REGAIN POWER by altering how we view this president and every action that he does.
It’s going on in the energy department and EPA. There is a cozying up by liberals to media representatives and a mischaracterization (which is what we really should be worrying about - the lying and mischaracterizing) of what conservatives in general have as intentions or what we are trying to get passed as legislation.
I would love it if ALL conflict of interests (so to speak) are disclosed. But I do not wish to do it as a outing of conservatives only. There are parties and gifts between media representatives and government represenatives all the time that I’ve heard about in the last two decades.
Shoot. Do you member why Ron Brown died? He died in a plane crash where the U.S. Government was trying to help out American companies overseas.
Conservatives thought that was crazy. Companies should compete on their own merit. If a company like mine wins a bid with the government and provides services then so be it. It isn’t illegal for the government to pay for services and it’s not illegal for companies to provide services.
People’s big issue is disclosure but I don’t see much disclosure by anybody including PBS and NPR. I want every show to have a prominent display of how much money was spent by the government for that broadcast.
I want it now.
The more people want to harp on conservatives my sense of fairness starts to raise it’s head and say HEY. What the heck is going on here.
There should NOT be a DOUBLE-STANDARD.
And here’s my disclosure…
I, Baklava (poster name), provide computer consulting services for the state of CA and promise you that the contract for services in no way is making me lie as liberals do every day in thier quest to destroy capitalism, freedom and America as we know it. I am telling you facts and truth in this post despite the fact that I have a contract with the state of CA government.
Comment by Baklava — 01.28.05 @ 1:44 pm
The liberals in the departments I named above that are trying to regain power are there. Bush has no ability to fire all liberals in these government departments. And there are career employees in these places that are actively working against the Bush administration’s policies.
In doing so they are working in concert with sympathetic press organizations while some of the organizations are getting paid (not as much as PBS and NPR) but they are getting financial support.
This is why I say that my heart is with libertarians. We could cut government by 80% and still provide essential services to people and a defense of this nation.
Yet, I’m a realist and know that an 80% cut in spending would send this country into depression. So I’m a centrist/conservative who would like to see government spending frozen for ten years while we reprioritize what we spend on.
During that reprioritization we could see all of the spending done by all the departments and we’d see alot of flow outwards and not just to conservative columnists.
There can’t be a double-standard. PERIOD.
Let’s call for prominent displays now on PBS and NPR shows.
And here is my disclaimer.
I, Baklava (poster name), provide computer consulting services for the state of CA and promise you that the contract for services in no way is making me lie as liberals do every day in thier quest to destroy capitalism, freedom and America as we know it. I am telling you facts and truth in this post despite the fact that I have a contract with the state of CA government.
Because the issue is lying not disclosure to me.
Comment by Baklava — 01.28.05 @ 1:50 pm
[…] n Barber looks at the latest conservative columnist who failed to disclose he’d been paid to shill a government program. She also quotes from an article that indicates the governm […]
Pingback by Wallo World » The Frozen Chosen, Packaged Fresh 1-28-05 — 01.28.05 @ 2:00 pm
I, Baklava (poster name), provide computer consulting services for the state of CA and promise you that the contract for services in no way is making me lie as liberals do every day in thier quest to destroy capitalism, freedom and America as we know it. I am telling you facts and truth in this post despite the fact that I have a contract with the state of CA government.
I just don’t understand why people aren’t for:
1) Fairness
2) No Double-standards
If you want a higher standard you can APPLY IT TO YOURSELF. But don’t ruin the good name of people like Maggie Gallagher or Mr. Williams.
At least they didn’t alter their message or lie like liberals are doing every day.
And that’s my point.
If you can find where a conservative isn’t stating facts lets get on the job and correct that conservative…
But like the 80/20 rule. There is a large swath of misinformation we need to tackle first.
Comment by Baklava — 01.28.05 @ 2:07 pm
It’s really easy to say “you can’t buy my words!” but quite a few bloggers can’t publish without the aid of blogads and some might worry that blogads influence the writer who doesn’t want to lose that financial support.
I would say that is no big deal, since the presence of the ad itself is disclosure, but what about the little Amazon tipjar? Who discloses the tippers? You can’t say “keep your money and I’ll keep my freedom!” when you aren’t in control of who gives. Do we then publish everyone who gives that way? Or only if it is a significant amount?
I figure most of us aren’t influenced by the money anyway: would Ellen Goodman start writing prolife articles if I paid her enough? I doubt it. Most of these people seem to be accepting $$ to write what they already think. That’s why liberal journalists don’t think there is a media bias: they are sincere, so how can they be biased?
just some thoughts from a non-writer.
Comment by jenney — 01.28.05 @ 2:09 pm
Thanks for applying some reasoned arguments Jenney.
But their issue is that the government bought media services not a company or a citizen.
I don’t think they realize just how much outflow of expenditures goes from government to media and THAT is my point. It’s a lot of expenditures as well as cozying up and feeding and support.
Here is my disclosure to protect myself from fellow conservatives…
I, Baklava (poster name), provide computer consulting services for the state of CA and promise you that the contract for services in no way is making me lie as liberals do every day in thier quest to destroy capitalism, freedom and America as we know it. I am telling you facts and truth in this post despite the fact that I have a contract with the state of CA government.
Comment by Baklava — 01.28.05 @ 2:12 pm
Yep.
We can have an outing every week of a conservative in the media who is getting paid by the government (including me - hey I’m writing too). And we can do that for a year. If we stagger it out a little it’ll really harm conservatives in general.
One conservative a week that’s all I ask. Hold some double-standards against them and soon conservative bloggers, journalists and TV reporters will all be clean but the liberal ones won’t. Wonderful…
I, Baklava (poster name), provide computer consulting services for the state of CA and promise you that the contract for services in no way is making me lie as liberals do every day in thier quest to destroy capitalism, freedom and America as we know it. I am telling you facts and truth in this post despite the fact that I have a contract with the state of CA government.
I’m done for the day.
Comment by Baklava — 01.28.05 @ 2:20 pm
Yep.
We can have an outing every week of a conservative in the media who is getting paid by the government (including me - hey I’m writing too). And we can do that for a year. If we stagger it out a little it’ll really harm conservatives in general.
One conservative a week that’s all I ask. Hold some double-standards against them and soon conservative bloggers, journalists and TV reporters will all be clean but the liberal ones won’t. Wonderful…
I, Baklava (poster name), provide computer consulting services for the state of CA and promise you that the contract for services in no way is making me lie as liberals do every day in thier quest to destroy capitalism, freedom and America as we know it. I am telling you facts and truth in this post despite the fact that I have a contract with the state of CA government.
I’m done for the day.
Comment by Baklava — 01.28.05 @ 2:22 pm
LaShawn: Please, let’s not do this !!!!
The Left is loving every minute of this.
The Liberal Left’s number 1 goal was to get rid of Conservatives who dominate talk radio. It didn’t work, so now they’ve made a concerted effort to remove Conservative Columnists from print, one by one, like dominoes.
And, they’ve certainly found their M.O.
Look, if we all agree that there is a war on traditional values going on, let’s not attack the Warriors who are defending those traditional values, by making them jump through hoops.
Comment by Glamchild — 01.28.05 @ 3:10 pm
Sealing Off Their Towers
Still perplexed by the fact that folks now apparently think it indicates corruption for unabashed advocates of particular causes to simultaneously further their ends through writing and consulting, I’m merely going to offer the suggestion that writers…
Trackback by Dust in the Light — 01.28.05 @ 6:16 pm
We Have a New Sponsor!
We’ve got a new sponsor on our site. April Wood, a Discovery Toys educational consultant, is advertising on Myopic Zeal! You will be seeing her banner ads on this site.
The products are great! All educational books, toys, games and puzzles. All…
Trackback by Myopic Zeal — 01.29.05 @ 12:43 pm
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/thenation/20050127/cm_thenation/132153_1
Comment by DarkStar — 01.29.05 @ 9:12 pm
It looks like Kristol helped write the speech that Bush gave. Kristol also highly praised the speech.
Comment by DarkStar — 01.29.05 @ 9:14 pm