Newspapers to drop columnist who took cash (Abramoff link)

[ProSense]

Newspapers to drop columnist who took cash
By Andy Sullivan
39 minutes ago


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. newspapers said on Monday that they would no longer publish opinion pieces by a conservative commentator who has admitted taking payments from lobbyist Jack Abramoff to write op-ed pieces favorable to Abramoff's clients.

The Manchester Union Leader and the Washington Times, which run influential conservative opinion sections, said they did not know that Peter Ferrara took undisclosed payments for his op-ed pieces and did not think the activity was appropriate.

"Anybody who misrepresents or doesn't voluntarily reveal that they are being paid to write the article by an interest obviously has fallen below the standard that we would hold any published author to," said Washington Times editorial page editor Tony Blankley.

Ferrara, a prominent advocate of Social Security reform, told BusinessWeek Online last week that he takes payments from lobbyists "all the time" to write articles favorable to their clients and did not see anything wrong with the practice.

Ferrara did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


more...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051219/pl_nm/media_abramoff_dc

[XOKCowboy]

1. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy

When asked about the payoffs when they were revealed he was completely nonapologetic. Said he'd always done it and would continue to do it. No morals or scruples at all not to mention journalistic integrity. Isn't that becoming an oxymoron?

[MrBenchley]

2. When you've fallen below the Washington Times "standard"

You're scraping the bottom of the cesspool....

[ProSense]

3. Amazing the scandals Bush unleashed! n/t