DCDL

Take a look at the headlines various news organizations chose to put on their stories about the GAO’s finding that the administration violated the law in paying commentator Armstrong Williams to shill for No Child Left Behind on his broadcasts:

• Bloomberg: Bush administration broke propaganda rules, GAO says
• Boston Globe: Inquiry blasts US hiring of TV host
• CBS News: Propagandists beware: The case of Armstrong Williams
• CNN: GAO: Education’s illegal ‘covert propaganda’
• Dallas Morning News: No Child campaign broke law
• Fox News: GAO: Education Dept. violated propaganda ban in hiring columnist
• New York Times: Buying of news by Bush’s aides is ruled illegal
• Washington Post: GAO issues mixed ruling on payments to columnists
• Washington Times: Education Department rapped for ‘propaganda’

Does one of them stand out as different? Yes, the headline in our “liberal” Washington Post puts the best spin on the story for the Bush administration — better even than those by Fox News or the Washington Times.

But speaking of the story itself, any bets on whether anyone responsible will have to suffer any consequences for breaking the law other than perhaps promising never to do it again?

Contrary to legend, the folks that live in DC are quite fond of visiting the tourist attractions of DC.

Today, for instance, I went on a walking tour of Embassy Row. And here’s some stuff I learned I wanted to pass on:

• The statue in Dupont Circle (one of my favorites) was done by Samuel Chester French. French was probably best known for the Lincoln Memorial, but also created many works of Americana, usually in the classic Florentine style. His home in Stockbridge, MA, Chesterwood, coincidentally looks just like a Florentine villa.
• Like many of the embassies on Embassy Row, the Indonesian Embassy was formerly a private home. The matron of the house, one of the Maclean family, had a thing for diamonds, and bought both the Star of India, and the Hope Diamond. The legend of the Hope Diamond curse started with her demise.
• If you’ve seen the Cosmos Club on Massachusetts Ave, and wondered how to become a member, it’s very simple. Win either a Nobel or Pulitzer prize and you’re in. Otherwise, not so simple.
• About those diplomatic license plates. The plates tell you both the position at the embassy that the driver holds, as well as the country they represent. ClothMonkey has a pretty good summary. He also has an explanation of why FC was the designated country code for the USSR that was pretty close to what someone said on the walking tour. Urban legend? As far as I can tell, no.