Republicans attempt to turn Public TV into Bush TV

Presidential adviser Karl Rove and Kenneth Tomlinson, then chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, discussed creating a "conservative" talk show and adding it to the public television lineup, the organization's top investigator said.

Kenneth Konz, inspector general of the nonprofit company that oversees government funding of public TV, said in an interview yesterday that Tomlinson and Rove exchanged e-mails on programming and that Tomlinson also wrote to Rove about "shaking up" the agency and recruiting Republican staff.

In a report two days ago, Konz said Tomlinson broke federal laws and internal rules by hiring corporation President Patricia Harrison, a former Republican National Committee co-chairwoman, based on her Republican ties. The report discussed the e-mails but didn't identify Rove as one of the people involved.

Tomlinson is the guy who waged a war to get Bill Moyers and his show NOW off the air. Moyers left, but NOW is still one of the best, most informative long-form news shows on television.

Tomlinson paid a buddy with no experience in the area $10,000 to watch NOW and report any instances of the dreaded "liberal bias". Hell, I watch it every week. I would have done it for half that.