Even as Tribune Media Services announced it had dropped columnist

Williams after he admitted receiving $241,000 from the Department of
Education to promote 'No Child Left Behind', new allegations surfaced

that the Bush administration may have paid Michael Moore to oppose the
president's reelection.

Mr. Moore and the White House both deny the charges, but critics point to

"almost scary" relationship between Mr. Bush's electoral success and the
vigorous efforts of the Oscar-winning filmmaker to tarnish the president's
image.

"The more he attacked Bush, the more Americans loved the president," said

unnamed spokesman for the American Society of Correspondents, Editors and
Writers. "You don't have to be Oliver Stone to see the outlines of a
conspiracy there. Michael Moore practically handed Bush his second term on

silver platter."

"The outcry from professional journalists over these pay-for-commentary
scandals is not surprising," the source added. "They violated the
journalistic code of honor. It's appalling to think that these men

compensation for weaving their biases into their work. Meanwhile,

of hard-working journalists do the same thing every day at no extra

Even as Tribune Media Services announced it had dropped columnist Armstrong
Williams after he admitted receiving $241,000 from the Department of
Education to promote 'No Child Left Behind', new allegations surfaced today
that the Bush administration may have paid Michael Moore to oppose the
president's reelection.

journalistic code of honor