Armstrong Williams

Lefty Blogger: Greed and Ignorance Make ‘Political Conservatism Especially Ripe For Con Artistry’
By Tom Johnson | January 3, 2016 | 12:23 PM EST

Ben Carson seems to be joining the likes of Michele Bachmann and Howard Dean on the list of presidential candidates who generated a lot of early buzz but became distant also-rans well before a nominee was chosen. According to Washington Monthly blogger David Atkins, Carson’s campaign also offers yet more proof that conservatives tend to be easy marks for scammers.

“The libertarian-conservative ethic of ‘get rich any way you can’ combined with a stubborn dismissal of objective fact makes political conservatism especially ripe for con artistry,” argued Atkins in a Saturday post. “It’s no accident that the tea party has been home to one grifter after another making a quick buck…Fox News itself is a long con perpetrated on fearful, older white Americans with the goal of making Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes rich while keeping Republican politicians in power.”

CNN's Cuomo Spotlights 'Extreme Propositions' in Ben Carson's Faith
By Matthew Balan | October 27, 2015 | 4:54 PM EDT

On Tuesday's New Day, CNN's Chris Cuomo bizarrely zeroed in on presidential contender Ben Carson's religious beliefs as a possible factor that could hurt his chances among the Republican base: "Is it fair criticism to look at Dr. Carson's faith being Seventh Day Adventist, in terms of how it may oppose evangelicals? There is a belief within the strictest tenets of Seventh Day Adventist belief that evangelicals will be going to hell. There are other extreme propositions in that faith, and in many."

CNN's Camerota Hammers Carson's Manager Over Muslim Controversy
By Matthew Balan | September 21, 2015 | 1:59 PM EDT

CNN's Alisyn Camerota badgered and lectured Armstrong Williams, Ben Carson's business manager, on Monday's New Day over the Republican presidential candidate's Sunday statement that he "would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation." Camerota quoted Article VI of the U.S. Constitution regarding religious tests for public office, and contended that "Dr. Carson's belief system violates that part of the Constitution." She later accused the neurosurgeon of having a double standard regarding religion's role in public life.

Krugman's Evolving 'Conscience': Conservative 'On the Take,' Liberal Doing Similar Thing 'No Big Deal'
By Clay Waters | January 14, 2010 | 5:24 PM EST
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman's double standards: A conservative radio host who was paid by the Bush administration to push its education agenda was "on the take," but a liberal professor paid by the Obama administration while pushing its health care agenda "is no big deal."

When it was revealed in January 2005 that conservative radio host and commentator Armstrong Williams was paid $240,000 by the Bush administration Department of Education to promote the No Child Left Behind program on his radio show, the New York Times ran multiple disapproving accounts of the payouts.

Columnist Paul Krugman excoriated Armstrong in a column on similar practices by disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, "Tankers on the Take."
The point is that there really isn't much difference between Mr. Abramoff's paying Mr. Ferrara to praise the sweatshops of the Marianas and the Department of Education's paying Armstrong Williams to praise No Child Left Behind. In both cases, the ultimate paymaster was the Republican political machine. And inquiring minds want to know: Who else is on the take? Or has the culture of corruption spread so far that the question is, Who isn't?

What a difference a new administration makes.

MSNBC Graphic Frets, 'Who Elected Rush Limbaugh?'
By Scott Whitlock | February 9, 2009 | 1:35 PM EST

On Monday's "MSNBC News Live," the cable network featured yet another critical segment on Rush Limbaugh and his role as a leader of the GOP. The segment, hosted by David Shuster, featured a confrontational graphic which screamed, "Who Elected Rush Limbaugh?" Shuster brought on syndicated talk show host Armstrong Williams to bash Limbaugh over the issue of how much power the radio star has within the GOP.

According to Williams, Limbaugh is "self-anointed." "Let's make sure we're clear on that," the commentator added. Continuing the attack, Williams repeated, "He has not been appointed to anything. He's self-appointed, self-anointed and self-selling." Deriding Limbaugh's import, the usually conservative Williams concluded, "He's an entertainer. He's a self-promoter. He wants to make himself out to be important. That's okay."

Williams has been a somewhat less prominent figure since an incident in 2005 in which it was revealed that he had been paid $240,000 to promote President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" act on his syndicated television show. According to a January 5, 2005 USA Today article, the host said he didn't recall mentioning the agreement on air.

CNN's 'Obamacan' Worked For Bobby Kennedy
By Mike Bates | July 8, 2008 | 5:26 PM EDT

On this afternoon's CNN Newsroom, anchor Don Lemon interviewed Carolyn Lochhead, the San Francisco Chronicle's Washington correspondent. The topic was "Obamacans," conservative Republicans who support Barack Obama for president.

Lochhead wrote a recent article on the phenomenon and was brought on to discuss the mythical beast: