Op-Eds for Sale (Abramoff pays Copley columnist to write favorably)

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/dec2005/nf20051216_1037_db016.htm

A senior fellow at the Cato Institute resigned from the libertarian think tank on Dec. 15 after admitting that he had accepted payments from indicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff for writing op-ed articles favorable to the positions of some of Abramoff's clients. Doug Bandow, who writes a syndicated column for Copley News Service, told BusinessWeek Online that he had accepted money from Abramoff for writing between 12 and 24 articles over a period of years, beginning in the mid '90s.

"It was a lapse of judgment on my part, and I take full responsibility for it," Bandow said from a California hospital, where he's recovering from recent knee surgery.

more

:sarcasm: Who isnt on the payroll?

flat tax and pro-telecoms deregulation opinion piece I've heard on those business shows I hear on my NPR affiliate and on NPR's own shows like ME and ATC.

THAT is the real problem Dems need to deal with.

Over the course of YEARS? A "LAPSE" implies that there was sound judgment somewhere in the equation. WTF?!?!?
It shouldn't piss me off so much, but it still does....
KJ

Apparently, it lapses anytime Abramoff holds money under his nose.

A lapse of judgment is like, when you have too many beers one night. This is more appropriately called a lack of ethics.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/dougbandow/archive.shtml

Items 1-25 out of 191 displayed.
<1-25> <26-50> <51-75> <76-100> <101-125> <126-150> <151-175> <176-191> next

Dec 12, 2005 : The promise of freedom
Being able to expect liberty, as we always have in the United States is an obvious blessing. But it is easy to forget how often people have had to die to win freedom.
Dec 5, 2005 : Great care should be taken in interpreting messages from God
Another earthquake has hit Iran. Is God sending a message?
In the view of some people, God must be both very angry and very busy.
Nov 28, 2005 : Alliance with South Korea exposes Washington's Stockholm Syndrome
During his Asian trip President George W. Bush met with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun to highlight the two nations' alliance. The next day President Roh's government announced that it was withdrawing a third of its soldiers from Iraq. Never mind.
Nov 14, 2005 : When it comes to peace, capitalism appears to trump democracy
In a world that seems constantly aflame, one naturally asks: What causes peace? Many people, including President George W. Bush, hope that spreading democracy will discourage war.
Oct 31, 2005 : Washed-up ethnic politics
A broken clock is right twice a day. So, it seems, is California political activist Nativo Lopez.
Oct 24, 2005 : Price-gouging in the public interest
Gasoline costs too much in almost everyone's opinion. President George W. Bush is urging Americans to drive less. Other politicians want government to push prices down.
Oct 18, 2005 : 'Trust me' calls into question Harriet Miers' qualifications
For most men who hold the office of president, government is serious business. For George W. Bush it apparently is a hobby. That's the only explanation for his "trust me" nomination of Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Oct 3, 2005 : U.S. Christians reach out overseas
Unfortunately, many Americans have provided aid for Katrina by cutting back elsewhere.
Sep 26, 2005 : Claims against Teflon simply don't stick
Teflon, the famous nonstick product, needs Teflon protection against junk science lawsuits.
Sep 5, 2005 : Treating sniffles with a jail term
Drug abuse is never-ending but ever-changing. Periodically a new drug seems to sweep America.
Aug 15, 2005 : All-volunteer military imperiled by call for a draft
Returning to a draft would ruin the world's dominant armed forces, filling its ranks with people who don't want to serve and turning military service into a divisive political issue.
Jul 18, 2005 : Running for liberty and virtue
Most candidates for the U.S. Senate are leading officeholders or wealthy businessmen. Attempting to break the mold is Michigan's Gerald Zandstra.
Jul 4, 2005 : South American country flouts U.S. patent laws
Drugs offer incredible medical benefits. Everyone wants to take them. Drugs cost a lot to develop. No one wants to pay for them, as Brazil has demonstrated in preparing to steal several pharmaceutical patents.
Jun 20, 2005 : Terminating the economy
Energy is the economy's blood. Radical reductions in energy consumption mean radical reductions in economic activity.
May 16, 2005 : Paying taxes for months on end
We are finally done paying taxes. The average American finished on April 17, two days after the filing deadline.
May 9, 2005 : Public aid, public harm
Foreign aid is back, with the support of the Bush administration as well as the United Nations.
May 2, 2005 : A pharmaceutical free lunch?
Today everyone from congressmen to city councilmen treat drugmakers like a flock of geese.
Apr 18, 2005 : Making the case for Social Security reform
Social Security is running out of money. Beneficiaries' financial returns are abysmal. Congress controls every retirees' future. Why would anyone oppose creating private retirement accounts?
Mar 14, 2005 : Europe: Friend or foe?
No American or European wants to see the rise of a global hegemonic authoritarian power. Like China.
Mar 9, 2005 : Challenging the Indian gaming monopoly
One of the most pernicious aspects of the preferential treatment accorded Indian gambling is turning Indian Tribes into a well-funded special interest seeking political favors.
Feb 21, 2005 : North Korean refugees: From the frying pan into the fire
North Korea recently reminded the world that it was still capable of causing trouble.
Feb 7, 2005 : Sugar subsidy: how sweet it is
ou can never get enough from consumers and taxpayers. That apparently is the sugar industry's motto. Collect subsidies. Ban trade. Outlaw your competitors. Let the American people pay.
Jan 24, 2005 : Avoiding Medicare's price-control trap
President George W. Bush and the Republican Congress have taken electoral credit for approving the largest expansion of the welfare state in four decades: a Medicare drug benefit.
Jan 11, 2005 : Can Democrats be pro-life?
Election losses wonderfully concentrate the minds of politicians. As did November 2004.
Jan 3, 2005 : NASCAR nannies
NASCAR racing has long sported a blue-collar reputation. But the organization's decision to accept liquor advertising has energized the usual national nannies.

{this is page one of several pages}

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/dougbandow/archive.shtml

Items 1-25 out of 191 displayed.
<1-25> <26-50> <51-75> <76-100> <101-125> <126-150> <151-175> <176-191> next

Dec 12, 2005 : The promise of freedom
Being able to expect liberty, as we always have in the United States is an obvious blessing. But it is easy to forget how often people have had to die to win freedom.
Dec 5, 2005 : Great care should be taken in interpreting messages from God
Another earthquake has hit Iran. Is God sending a message?
In the view of some people, God must be both very angry and very busy.
Nov 28, 2005 : Alliance with South Korea exposes Washington's Stockholm Syndrome
During his Asian trip President George W. Bush met with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun to highlight the two nations' alliance. The next day President Roh's government announced that it was withdrawing a third of its soldiers from Iraq. Never mind.
Nov 14, 2005 : When it comes to peace, capitalism appears to trump democracy
In a world that seems constantly aflame, one naturally asks: What causes peace? Many people, including President George W. Bush, hope that spreading democracy will discourage war.
Oct 31, 2005 : Washed-up ethnic politics
A broken clock is right twice a day. So, it seems, is California political activist Nativo Lopez.
Oct 24, 2005 : Price-gouging in the public interest
Gasoline costs too much in almost everyone's opinion. President George W. Bush is urging Americans to drive less. Other politicians want government to push prices down.
Oct 18, 2005 : 'Trust me' calls into question Harriet Miers' qualifications
For most men who hold the office of president, government is serious business. For George W. Bush it apparently is a hobby. That's the only explanation for his "trust me" nomination of Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Oct 3, 2005 : U.S. Christians reach out overseas
Unfortunately, many Americans have provided aid for Katrina by cutting back elsewhere.
Sep 26, 2005 : Claims against Teflon simply don't stick
Teflon, the famous nonstick product, needs Teflon protection against junk science lawsuits.
Sep 5, 2005 : Treating sniffles with a jail term
Drug abuse is never-ending but ever-changing. Periodically a new drug seems to sweep America.
Aug 15, 2005 : All-volunteer military imperiled by call for a draft
Returning to a draft would ruin the world's dominant armed forces, filling its ranks with people who don't want to serve and turning military service into a divisive political issue.
Jul 18, 2005 : Running for liberty and virtue
Most candidates for the U.S. Senate are leading officeholders or wealthy businessmen. Attempting to break the mold is Michigan's Gerald Zandstra.
Jul 4, 2005 : South American country flouts U.S. patent laws
Drugs offer incredible medical benefits. Everyone wants to take them. Drugs cost a lot to develop. No one wants to pay for them, as Brazil has demonstrated in preparing to steal several pharmaceutical patents.
Jun 20, 2005 : Terminating the economy
Energy is the economy's blood. Radical reductions in energy consumption mean radical reductions in economic activity.
May 16, 2005 : Paying taxes for months on end
We are finally done paying taxes. The average American finished on April 17, two days after the filing deadline.
May 9, 2005 : Public aid, public harm
Foreign aid is back, with the support of the Bush administration as well as the United Nations.
May 2, 2005 : A pharmaceutical free lunch?
Today everyone from congressmen to city councilmen treat drugmakers like a flock of geese.
Apr 18, 2005 : Making the case for Social Security reform
Social Security is running out of money. Beneficiaries' financial returns are abysmal. Congress controls every retirees' future. Why would anyone oppose creating private retirement accounts?
Mar 14, 2005 : Europe: Friend or foe?
No American or European wants to see the rise of a global hegemonic authoritarian power. Like China.
Mar 9, 2005 : Challenging the Indian gaming monopoly
One of the most pernicious aspects of the preferential treatment accorded Indian gambling is turning Indian Tribes into a well-funded special interest seeking political favors.
Feb 21, 2005 : North Korean refugees: From the frying pan into the fire
North Korea recently reminded the world that it was still capable of causing trouble.
Feb 7, 2005 : Sugar subsidy: how sweet it is
ou can never get enough from consumers and taxpayers. That apparently is the sugar industry's motto. Collect subsidies. Ban trade. Outlaw your competitors. Let the American people pay.
Jan 24, 2005 : Avoiding Medicare's price-control trap
President George W. Bush and the Republican Congress have taken electoral credit for approving the largest expansion of the welfare state in four decades: a Medicare drug benefit.
Jan 11, 2005 : Can Democrats be pro-life?
Election losses wonderfully concentrate the minds of politicians. As did November 2004.
Jan 3, 2005 : NASCAR nannies
NASCAR racing has long sported a blue-collar reputation. But the organization's decision to accept liquor advertising has energized the usual national nannies.

{this is page one of several pages}

Just a momentary weakness. Just a slight misjudgment. Just a small stumble on a long walk. Just a misinterpretation of the rules. Just a LAPSE.

Culture of corruption. Say it often.

:scared:

In none of Bandow's op-eds were any Abramoff payments disclosed, however, nor were they disclosed to the Cato Institute. A spokesperson for the Copley News Service was not available for comment at press time.

For years, rumors have swirled of an underground opinion "pay-for-play" industry in Washington in which think-tank employees and pundits trade their ability to shape public perception for cash.

"NAIVE PURITY STANDARD." Bandow isn't the only think-tanker to have received payments from Abramoff for writing articles. Peter Ferrara, a senior policy adviser at the conservative Institute for Policy Innovation, says he, too, took money from Abramoff to write op-ed pieces boosting the lobbyist's clients. "I do that all the time," Ferrara says. "I've done that in the past, and I'll do it in the future."

Ferrara, who has been an influential conservative voice on Social Security reform, among other issues, says he doesn't see a conflict of interest in taking undisclosed money to write op-ed pieces because his columns never violated his ideological principles.

These pieces of shit make me :puke:

Just like I believe all those politicians, caught with their hand in the cookie jar, who claim that they personally deeply supported more pollution as a matter of principle. It's just those wealthy, multi-national corporations are just so stupid, that they buy off politicians and columnists who would have voted or written their way even without the payola! What a bunch of suckers those big corporations are!

Anybody want to buy the Brooklyn Bridge? I got the deed to it ri-i-i-i-ght here.

If there is one, then there are others. Many others, and Abromoff was a major conduit of monies paid to create propoganda. But there will be others. Those others are, right now, surely keeping a very low profile.

This explains one thing or two about the Cato f#cking Institute and their so-called "findings."

I remember an episode of PBS' "NOW" where they showed how the Cato f#cking Institute paid young, ambitious poli-sci college graduates to write whatever they asked them to write and give it a sheen of "scholarly opinion," no matter how outrageously FALSE.

Basically Cato hires a bunch of young Republicans with impressive resumes to write shit about the environment, to use highly dubious "scientific" sources to trash global warming or anything about environmental conservation. Furthermore, the show claimed that the Cato f#cking Institute does this at the behest of the oil industry. Exxon and Shell put the money; Cato gives them their "scientific evidence" to trash global warming.

So yes, the Cato f#cking Institute writes whatever editorial you want them to write, given the right price. They've been doing it for years. It's what they do for conservative causes.

Motherf#ckin' scumbags, really. And to believe the conservatarians have been flogging us with their "scholarly reviews" by Cato for years makes my blood boil.

From now on, ANYTHING CATO EVER PUBLISHED SHOULD BE CONSIDERED SUSPECT AND SUBJECT TO DOUBT, SCORN AND DISDAIN.

f#ck them!

My suspicious mind is turning again. Probably nothing.

the hurt on him....

:)

Would any of us NOT think that a guy like Abramoff, who is as crooked as they come, would buy off journalists the same way he buys off literally EVERYONE else?

I really think these guys just go along, throwing money at literally everyone, who then all just get out of the way and let them continue whatever it is they want to do. Law doesn't allow what I want to do? No prob--I'll buy some congressmen. People talking out publicly, demanding that I be jailed? No prob--I'll buy some journalists to say the opposite. And, hey, I can skim a bit off the top when that President Bongo guy from Africa tells me his dearest wish is to have an audience with President Bush. I'll charge him $9,000,000. I think I can get away with only paying Prez Bush and the other repubs $8,500,000, which leaves me a little pocket change...

Jury trial? No prob--I'll buy some jurors. (This one can backfire, however, unless one's legal counsel has nerves of steel or is just as corrupt as is the defendant himself.)

What? More than ONE jury trial? Dammit, this juror-buying is a touchy business, and I hate having to set up more than one trial's worth of buys...

steal the elections for the TOTAL REPUBLICAN MAJORITY OF ALL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT in the halls of Washington, DC?

That's another no-brainer, and I wish the entire U.S. population would WAKE UP to what's going on in Washington.

:kick::kick::kick:

or the GOP party.

Fucking gangsters, really. That's what the GOP has become: the party of Al Capone.

for writing an op-ed that is pro-choice, pro-environment, or what have you? I like to think that by and large, most progressives would turn down the money and write the article anyway.

A first year journalism student knows that it is unethical to not disclose a financial supporter of one's position. I get the feeling that these Cato folks don't know the first thing about journalism, or for that matter, ethics.

and the corruption dissolves like vampires in the sun, that we will have an America that more closely fulfills the Founding Fathers' (and Mothers) dreams of a nation like no other, a nation of the people, by the people for the people, with an emphasis on the small p.

"It was a lapse of judgment on my part, and I take full responsibility for it," Bandow said

A "lapse of judgment" lasts for a short while; it doesn't last several years. This was a deliberate, considered, craven, immoral, sleazy, ongoing scam.

If he really took full responsibility for it, he'd return all the money that he was paid by Copley News Service, Cato Institute, and even Abramoff. Further he would personally refund any moneys that anyone paid Copley for supposed independent views, if anyone requests such refunds from Copley. "I take full responsibility" is the new codeword for "Nobody takes any responsibility and nobody will receive any consequences."

Scumbag liars.

It's about time somebody starts calling the bluffs of all these scumbags when they say they take full responsibility.

Receiving money for writing favorable opinion pieces seems perfectly in keeping with their "morality."

Just a little chump change.

Edit to include; Chump:A stupid or foolish person; a dolt.

The real question is, who isn't on the take in the media?

Damn, I feel left out.

ALL of them are mindless shills for big biz

Bandow forgot the rules.

December 17, 2005

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 - A senior scholar at the Cato Institute, the respected libertarian research organization, has resigned after revelations that he took payments from the lobbyist Jack Abramoff in exchange for writing columns favorable to his clients.

The scholar, Doug Bandow, who wrote a column for the Copley News Service in addition to serving as a Cato fellow, acknowledged to executives at the organization that he had taken money from Mr. Abramoff after he was confronted about the payments by a reporter from BusinessWeek Online.

"He acknowledges he made a lapse in judgment," said Jamie Dettmer, director of communications at Cato. "There's a lot of sadness here."

Copley suspended Mr. Bandow's column.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/17/politics/17abramoff.html?hp&ex=1134795600&en=b42957e35d5d2158&ei=5094&partner=homepage


These journalists have been dropping like flies lately.

Probably Rush, Hannity, Coulter crowd.

but being an objectivist makes it quite acceptable to receive bribes in pursuit of one's self interest.

"In one column in 2001, Mr. Bandow extolled the free-market system that had allowed the Marianas to thrive, saying that fighting terrorism was no excuse for "economic meddling" - the same position that Mr. Abramoff was being paid to advance."

In other words, he was advocating the virtual serfdom of Asian women brought to the Marianas to work in sweatshops, without the protection of US labor laws, making clothes that carry a "Made in USA" label because the islands are a US territory. Tom DeLay was involved in keeping the Marianas safe for free enterprise, too.

So fuck you, Mr. Bandow.

remember that incase I brake the law.

"look, it was a lapse in judgement, I'm so sad about it, so let's just move along, ok? Let's not play the "blame game" ok? Let's find solutions, moving forward..."

And the cop who caught me speeding, or driving drunk, buying drugs illegally - whether the limaugh "oxy" type or the more common pot or coke or crack - that cop would be laughing his ass off as he cuffed me.

"but officer, it was just a lapse in judgement"

I want to see these wimpering hypocrites held to the fullest extent of the law.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/17/politics/17abramoff.html?hp&ex=1134882000&en=215fb6d614b7a14d&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Columnist Resigns His Post, Admitting Lobbyist Paid Him


By ANNE E. KORNBLUT and PHILIP SHENON
Published: December 17, 2005

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 - A senior scholar at the Cato Institute, the respected libertarian research organization, has resigned after revelations that he took payments from the lobbyist Jack Abramoff in exchange for writing columns favorable to his clients.

The scholar, Doug Bandow, who wrote a column for the Copley News Service in addition to serving as a Cato fellow, acknowledged to executives at the organization that he had taken money from Mr. Abramoff after he was confronted about the payments by a reporter from BusinessWeek Online.

"He acknowledges he made a lapse in judgment," said Jamie Dettmer, director of communications at Cato. "There's a lot of sadness here."

more...

I know a lot of corporate media journalists like to quote it but the Cato institute has always been an arm of the right-wing, neocon republicans. But this idiot NY Times writer calls it a respected libertarian research organization. Just more BS from the propaganda machine of USA incorporated.

the 'neverending story' but in harsh pre apocalypse form: the nytimes ed board needs quick trial and execution for cold blodded treason (and the guys there in 1990 -2000 are the really guilty ones, even if they 'retired' to the lakes)
btw it's the USA which is supplying most of the loot the thieves are stealing, so the bushviks shouldn't get to hide wrapped in the flag...

The people at Cato Institute, as libertarians, don't always follow the RW line. For example, many of them opposed the invasion of Iraq.

doesn't mean they're interested in "liberty". Libertarians on the right are, in my opinion, even worse than neocons.

They see individuals as being oppressed by the power of the state. They're completely blind to the oppression from other forces, which often only the state can counteract.

There's a good illustration in that useful quotation that acmejack posted: "We applaud the liberation of blacks and women from the statist restrictions that for so long kept them out of the economic mainstream." They seem to think that the government was the main force between race and sex discrimination. Of course, a true libertarian would have to oppose the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Pay Act as interferences with the marketplace.

snip>
Today, those who subscribe to the principles of the American Revolution--individual liberty, limited government, the free market, and the rule of law--call themselves by a variety of terms, including conservative, libertarian, classical liberal, and liberal. We see problems with all of those terms. "Conservative" smacks of an unwillingness to change, of a desire to preserve the status quo. Only in America do people seem to refer to free-market capitalism--the most progressive, dynamic, and ever-changing system the world has ever known--as conservative. Additionally, many contemporary American conservatives favor state intervention in some areas, most notably in trade and into our private lives.

"Classical liberal" is a bit closer to the mark, but the word "classical" connotes a backward-looking philosophy.

Finally, "liberal" may well be the perfect word in most of the world--the liberals in societies from China to Iran to South Africa to Argentina are supporters of human rights and free markets--but its meaning has clearly been corrupted by contemporary American liberals.

The Jeffersonian philosophy that animates Cato's work has increasingly come to be called "libertarianism" or "market liberalism." It combines an appreciation for entrepreneurship, the market process, and lower taxes with strict respect for civil liberties and skepticism about the benefits of both the welfare state and foreign military adventurism.

The market-liberal vision brings the wisdom of the American Founders to bear on the problems of today. As did the Founders, it looks to the future with optimism and excitement, eager to discover what great things women and men will do in the coming century. Market liberals appreciate the complexity of a great society, they recognize that socialism and government planning are just too clumsy for the modern world. It is--or used to be--the conventional wisdom that a more complex society needs more government, but the truth is just the opposite. The simpler the society, the less damage government planning does. Planning is cumbersome in an agricultural society, costly in an industrial economy, and impossible in the information age. Today collectivism and planning are outmoded and backward, a drag on social progress.

Market liberals have a cosmopolitan, inclusive vision for society. We reject the bashing of gays, Japan, rich people, and immigrants that contemporary liberals and conservatives seem to think addresses society's problems. We applaud the liberation of blacks and women from the statist restrictions that for so long kept them out of the economic mainstream. Our greatest challenge today is to extend the promise of political freedom and economic opportunity to those who are still denied it, in our own country and around the world."

http://www.cato.org/about/about.html

"He acknowledges he made a lapse in judgment," said Jamie Dettmer, director of communications at Cato. "There's a lot of sadness here."

gettin paid to tell lies and propagandise, and distort the truth.

This Republican payola creep can take Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Rielly and all the other unprincipled NeoCon propagandists with him.

What crap the Republicans serve up to the people of the USA>

After all, Bandow was just exercising his free market prerogatives.

(CBS/AP) The scandal over political groups paying for favorable treatment in the news media grew Friday when the Copley News Service revealed it had suspended syndicated columnist Doug Bandow for allegedly accepting payments from Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff to write positive stories about Abramoff's clients.

“We want to make sure we have all the facts before we take final action, but it has never been our policy to distribute work paid for by third parties whose role is not disclosed by the columnist,” said Glenda Winders, vice president and editor of CNS.

Additionally, Bandow resigned from the Cato Institute after confirming a report by BusinessWeek Online that said Abramoff paid him for writing between a dozen and 24 articles over nearly a decade. The Washington think-tank's Web site Friday referred to Bandow as a “former senior fellow.”



Full story: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/12/17/politics/main1134691.shtml

I'm surprised they didn't give him an award.

Cato's whole purpose is shilling for the wealthy.

So, there's ANOTHER one.

How many more?

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<media prostitute

We didn't have this problem when newspapermen were all working class stiffs who had worked themselves up through the ranks.

Abramoff dude? I'm startin' to feel left out!

men, hit men, thugs and religious leaders. Jack Abramoff had all bases covered. Did Abramoff help junior and the Carlyle Group any shape way or form?

is his real name Don Buckert?

another "think tanker" also admitted getting an Abramoff payoff:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/17/politics/17abramoff.html?hp&ex=1134795600&en=b42957e35d5d2158&ei=5094&partner=homepage

This is only a blatant example of how the think tank people are taking money to spin stories that others want. Let's remember that most of the tanks themselves are funded by big oil, chemical industries, ammunition heirs and so forth.

From the government to the least advertiser, the American news media has lots of masters.

Direct payola makes the relationship transparent, but every major media company is beholden to money and power. These forces shape the news agenda, determine the content of stories, and ultimately arbitrate what is reported and what is not reported.

When the opposite occurs--e.g., WaPo's Watergate reporting--there is a backlash. The newspapers stock was severely punished, a lesson not to repeat that mistake again any time soon. And obviously, it is a lesson that has stuck.

Looking at this for-sale institution--always available to promote wars, assure the public its betters are wholesome, find no wrongdoing in the charade known as elections, and turn up its nose at anyone who rocks the boat--who can be shocked that today's media whores have streamlined the process of rewards? Lobbyists and governments paying journalists for stories is so thoroughly American in its essences, it's a wonder it has taken this long.

order. Yes, we are as bad as Saddam and all the rest. We do everything they do including bombing innocent civilians on purpose to send a message. We just call them "suspected insurgents."

Columnist Resigns His Post, Admitting Lobbyist Paid Him
By ANNE E. KORNBLUT and PHILIP SHENON

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 - A senior scholar at the Cato Institute, the respected libertarian research organization, has resigned after revelations that he took payments from the lobbyist Jack Abramoff in exchange for writing columns favorable to his clients.

The scholar, Doug Bandow, who wrote a column for the Copley News Service in addition to serving as a Cato fellow, acknowledged to executives at the organization that he had taken money from Mr. Abramoff after he was confronted about the payments by a reporter from BusinessWeek Online.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/17/politics/17abramoff.html?ei=5094&en=215fb6d614b7a14d&hp=&ex=1134882000&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print

etc, ad nauseum.

I've suspected this for years.

Had a regular column in the 'libertarian' OC Register ...

He DID support legalisation of both the sex trade and drugs ... so he did have libertarian positions in those regards .... BUT: he has whored himself to the rapskallians in government today ....

Bandow ? .... Lapse of Judgement ? ....

WE know better > FUCKING WHORE ......