ArmstrongGate (TM)

From time to time, hungover, The Corsair likes to tune into dodgy African-American "public affairs programming" television, you know, on Sunday morning, between noon ending at, say, 3 PM -- a time period at which, we cannot fail to relate, many African-Americans are either watching sports or attending marathon church sessions -- but this contribution makes the network heads feel happy that they do their bit for dusky people, while they luxuriate on the Vinyard, and, in the process it gives us time to work all that fucking 1949 Chateau Lafite Rothschild out of our system. Whew!



(Note: Black public affairs television on Sunday mornings arose from the assassination of Martin Luther King, when the FCC recommended that local networks run programming dealing directly to the concerns of African-Americans. The networks, rightly, at the time agreed; 40 years later ...)

My two favorite black public affairs programs are "Like It Is," (hilarious, sort of as if time stopped still in the racial turmoil of late 1960s Watts; Gil Noble, the host, presides -- always presides, the 3/4 camera angle profile ably capturing his comely Nubian mein (Averted Gaze) -- over an eclectic proceeding, presiding with the all the sangfroid of a headwaiter during the dinner rush; big on police brutality and the quixotic lauding of African despots) and, my second favorite, "America's Black Forum," which is actually a pretty serious news debate show, one which The Corsair occasionally enjoys, on contemporary political and social issues, with an emphasis on "the black community," which features, sometimes, voices like the most excellent Farai Chideia, who is utilized not nearly enough by cable bookers.

America's Black Forum has been lamentably tainted by commentator Armstrong Williams' unscipulous "arrangement" with the Bush Administration, reports The New York Times:

" ... The arrangement, which started in late 2003 and was first reported yesterday by USA Today, also stipulated that a public relations firm hired by the department would "arrange for Mr. Williams to regularly comment on N.C.L.B. during the course of his broadcasts," that 'Secretary Paige and other department officials shall have the option of appearing from time to time as studio guests,' and that 'Mr. Williams shall utilize his long-term working relationships with America's Black Forum' - an African-American news program - 'to encourage the producers to periodically address the No Child Left Behind Act.'"

So, it was with some sadness that The Corsair learned this morning that third generation Republican Armstrong Williams, arguably the most high-profile African-American conservative in America, who sort of uses his consulting group as a "go-to" pitstop for Republicans wishing to "liaise" with African-Americans, is involved in what we'd like to call ArmstrongGate (TM). The Old Gray Lady pounces like a jaguar:

"Armstrong Williams, a prominent conservative commentator who was a prot�g� of Senator Strom Thurmond and Justice Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court, acknowledged yesterday that he was paid $240,000 by the Department of Education to promote its initiatives on his syndicated television program and to other African-Americans in the news media.

"The disclosure of the payment set off a storm of criticism from Democrats over the Bush administration's spending to promote its policies to the public."

Well, with such fine influences on the evolutionary development of his character as Clarence "(Quiet, eyes closed) Whatever Antonin says!" Thomas, and Strom "Essie May ... is not my baby" Thurmond, how could he have steered his raft into this ethical whitewater?

Quite easily. But some credit should perhaps be given to Armstrong (Averted Gaze), who, despite being the most high profile African-American conservative in America, apparently never believed he was actually a part of the Beltway Elite (Averted Gaze), despite teaming up with Stedman Graham, AKA, Mr. Oprah, the vast tv face time, according to the Old Gray Lady, who prowls, like a panther in the night, when her prey is Republican meat:

"Yesterday, Mr. Williams was counting the lessons learned. 'I have realized, you know what? I am part of this media elite club, and I have to be more responsible.'"

And the right has turned against it as well, mirabile dictu, as The Gray Lady notes, "The arrangement with Mr. Williams 'is stupid, it is unseemly, and it is tacky,' said Jonah Goldberg, a contributing editor at the conservative National Review."

Unfortunately, on his own web site, Williams is running the poll question, "Was it wrong for the government to hire Armstrong to promote the No Child Left Behind Act?" -- which The Corsair believes should be changed immediately to 'Was it wrong for Armstrong to accept promoting the No Child Left Behind Act?' if he has indeed learned anything of humility -- in which 89.36% of his rabid fans said, against the opinion of National Review's contributing editor, and Armstrong himself -- contradicting the Administration -- who now says criticism is "legitimate," "No," it wasn't wrong, say the freaks, while a tiny, principled, "10.64%" said "Yes."

Greeat.

Anyhoo -- what about Stedman; Oprah's out buying dance floors for Gayle and Stedman, rarely in the news these days -- is he still seeing Oprah? -- has to separate himself from Armstrong's blunder.

But The Corsair digresses. Yes, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, it was wrong of Armstrong Williams to present himself as a commentator, while, frankly, shilling for the Bush Administration, passing off interviews hand-picked for Armstrong, as objective, or, at least, quasi-objective affairs. The problem, perhaps more than Armstrong, however, is the razor-thin line between partisanship and shilling. Is there even a difference in DC anymore? The gray area is vast ...

Washington's Chattering Class eats with, sometimes sleeps with, certainly parties with the officials of each successive Administration's musical chairs game; they intermarry, often; gossip together; their children even go to the same schools as each other -- it is hard for a journo to be objective in that atmosphere, to get a distance, find the space, away from the magnetic pull of awesome government influence, who's long shadow every DC resident resides in, and/or sucks at the teet of, directly or indirectly, as it is -- everyone knows -- the only game in town.

Let's face it: Sidney Blumenthal whored for Bill Clinton as Washington -- again that city's name, like Babylon -- correspondent at the eminent New Yorker, until Bill made an honest woman out of Sid, and made their lovely "arrangement" formal, giving him a "ring," so to speak, in the form of an official post and a paycheck for his labors in the Augean stable of making the law firm of Clinton&Clinton appear positively ducky.

Of Armstrong Williams' consulting group's financing, the Gray Lady sayeth:

"Aside from the Department of Education, Mr. Williams said, his clients were all private businesses. With about five employees, he said, his company's revenue runs to about $300,000 a year at most, and last year ended in a loss."

Considering that $240,000 of that was paid by the Department of Education, it doesn't appear to have been a successful business at all, but rather a case of "Affirmative Action" at best, or government propaganda directed towards African-Americans at worst.

However this plays itself out, Armstrong would best be served in getting a good business partner, someone who can improve on those dismal numbers, and going the route of the corporate CEO. For one cannot "consult" and "journo" at the same time absent disclosing "Daddy Warbucks," without tarnishing your reputation, as, we believe, has already occurred, irreparably, in Mr. Williams' case.

(Update: Armstrong Apologizes, link via Drudgereport)