Lettuce for Pundits Is Tip of the Iceberg

Another right wing pundit got caught taking money from the Bushies, and his Bushness had to himself confront the issue at his press conference.
The Globe and Mail: Won't pay columnists to promote policies, Bush vows

Right. Both situations that have come to light seem to skirt the law, this one by paying a columnist for other work--ghostwriting, brochures, etc.---that she nevertheless aped in her columns. But the whole rabid right system is pay-for-play, beginning with "training" at rabid right institutes rather than real newspapers, and then employment with rabid right organizations, or graduation to rabid right papers, magazines, TV, radio shows. Then once rabid right stardom is achievement, in however small a measure, there are "fellowships" and lavish speaking fees from corporations.

The media has itself to blame as well, with its advertorials and reliance on celebrities with tenuous if any relationship to actual journalism, as well as the consultants who comment. The whole system, which taints the entire political spectrum (although lefties don't get paid nearly as well) has made this kind of practice eminently possible. It's not even surprising that this person didn't realize she should have disclosed.

But many suspect that the Bushies are involved in direct pay for play arrangements that are much more common and at a much higher level than has so far been revealed. Why should we believe this? Hey, it's more like, why shouldn't we?