Another one bites the dust

Just how much taxpayer money has been funneled into Bush's propaganda campaigns?

"The Bush marriage initiative would emphasize the importance of marriage to poor couples" and "educate teens on the value of delaying childbearing until marriage," [Maggie Gallagher] wrote in National Review Online, for example, adding that this could "carry big payoffs down the road for taxpayers and children."

But Gallagher failed to mention that she had a $21,500 contract with the Department of Health and Human Services to help promote the president's proposal. Her work under the contract, which ran from January through October 2002, included drafting a magazine article for the HHS official overseeing the initiative, writing brochures for the program and conducting a briefing for department officials.

"Did I violate journalistic ethics by not disclosing it?" Gallagher said yesterday. "I don't know. You tell me."

I'm kind of surprised that you even had to ask, Maggie. The answer is yes, and the question was pretty much a no-brainer. Thanks for playing. You can go away now.