Learning from Democracy

Don't say that we're not interested in building American-style democracy in Iraq, payola and all:

The electoral group headed by Iyad Allawi, the interim Iraqi prime minister, on Monday handed out cash to journalists to ensure coverage of its press conferences in a throwback to Ba'athist-era patronage ahead of parliamentary elections on January 30.

After a meeting held by Mr Allawi's campaign alliance in west Baghdad, reporters, most of whom were from the Arabic-language press, were invited upstairs where each was offered a "gift" of a $100 bill contained in an envelope.

Many of the journalists accepted the cash - about equivalent to half the starting monthly salary for a reporter at an Iraqi newspaper - and one jokingly recalled how Saddam Hussein's regime had also lavished perks on favoured reporters.

Freedom is on the march!

Speaking of homeland payola, the Senate is holding on to the Armstrong Williams fiasco and not letting go:

WASHINGTON -- Leaders of a Senate committee have directed the Education Department to turn over records of its public relations contracts, at the same time reminding the education secretary of a federal ban on "propaganda."

"Given our jurisdiction over the funds involved, we would appreciate your careful review of the contract with Ketchum and the payment made to Mr. Williams," said Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, in a letter to Education Secretary Rod Paige.

Bipartisan support, ay? I guess some Republicans come down firmly against propaganda.