Comments on: Maggie Gallagher: Pundit for Hire

By: Evelyn's blog

Evelyn's blog — Sat, 29 Jan 2005 22:38:23 +0000

More Media Payola
Apparently the Bush administration is taking literally the idea ofÂ selling itsÂ policies to Â the American people by targeting key pundits and bribing themÂ for their support.Â Columnist Mike McManus is the latest to be found out.Â According to CNN, "Th

By: Musings from Brian J. Noggle

Musings from Brian J. Noggle — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 19:00:24 +0000

A Mountain Out of a No Hill Subtitle this piece "Is Magge Gallagher the Devil?" because that's how she'll be played by people who want to discredit the ideas she has expressed in her writing. So is she the devil? No, she's a writer, but let's get into the case as presented ...

By: PoliBlog: Politics is the Master Science

PoliBlog: Politics is the Master Science — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 18:44:01 +0000

More Columnist Payola
Dave Wissing reports of The Another Columnist Paid Off. This time it was Maggie Gallagher, who allegedly had a contract with HHS for $21,500 to help promote the administration's marriage policy for the poor.

Update: OTB has more.

By: paladin

paladin — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 17:36:43 +0000

According to Gallagher, she was "paid to produce particular research and writing products (articles, brochures, presentations)" and was not paid to write columns like Williams was. I think there is a difference between Gallagher and Williams, but she still should have disclosed payment by the government.

By: Brian J.

Brian J. — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 17:36:10 +0000

It's not shameful, it's a mountain out of no hill.

I've worked as a technical writer, and I've written documentation on certain technologies. I've been commissioned to write white papers on those technologies. I've written articles about the technologies, explaining why the technologies are good. Does that mean my articles have no merit because I have taken money from companies that produce that technology?

No, it means I am writing about what I know, and I am recycling my knowledge to different customers (companies and publications) to make as much money off of my writing and my knowledge as possible.

The only reason looks like a problem is because one of the customers who purchased a writing product is the government spending tax money and the topic is public policy instead of technology. Oh, and suddenly anyone writing for publication must submit to a higher form of ethics, which would seem to require a monastic existence.

By: DC Loser

DC Loser — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 17:01:07 +0000

I'm wondering if this is not more a case of politicians "taking care" of their friends in the media. Was Paige that afraid that he wasn't going to get any favorable press he had to resort to this? It's really shameful.