Think Progress

Bush pays his ‘director of fact-checking’ $60,000.

Dan Froomkin reports that the latest list of White House staffers and their respective salaries has been released. Among the highest-paid White House staffers: Press Secretary Dana Perino, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, Counsel Fred Fielding, and Counselor Ed Gillespie. Froomkin highlights some interesting bits from the disclosure:

– After four years of stagnating at $30,000, the bottom of the payscale was finally raised this year to $33,400.

– There are fully 25 lawyers in the White House counsel’s office.

– Staci A. Wheeler, the White House’s director of fact checking, is — at $60,000 — either being paid way too little or way too much, depending on how you want to look at it.




Sort Comments By: Top Rated | Date

43 Responses to “Bush pays his ‘director of fact-checking’ $60,000.”

  1. Dr. Hussein Matt Says:

    No wonder herr dubyah is always wrong and lives in a factless world. The moran [sic] is only paying his fact-checker peasant wages.


  2. the brown acid Says:

    This shit practically writes itself


  3. Oval12345678 aka James K. Sayre Says:

    A "Director of Fact-checking" in the Bush gangster regime White House? Surely you jest...


  4. StratRat Says:

    So one of the lowest paid people has one of the most important jobs? Yeah, I guess that's about right. And Bush has 25 lawyers we pay to work for him? Maybe that's one reason Bush has stayed out of prison.

    Are they all going to Paraguay with Bush?


  5. Leftside Annie Says:

    So, are they paying her to stay home, or what?


  6. tom Says:

    Staci is way, way underpaid. Director of fact-checking has to be the hardest job in the White House. Oh, that is, after the presi-dunce-y. GDumbya has already let us know that it's "hard, hard work".

    Hey, Staci, there's a "fact" I'd like you to check. And is GDumbya including brush-clearing in his assessment of the difficulty of his job?


  7. stateofthedivision Says:

    I believe the position has been reclassified. It's now Director of Reality Support. And Bush's code name is Vanilla Sky.


  8. Badmoodman Says:

    $60K just to turn over an 8-Ball? America, whadda country.


  9. regular_joe Says:

    Staci A. Wheeler, the White House’s director of fact checking, is — at $60,000 — either being paid way too little or way too much, depending on how you want to look at it.

    There's an oxymoron for ya: conservative fact checker. What's next, conservative scientist?

    Since "conservatives" abhor both facts and logic, it appears very likely that Ms. Wheeler is paid $60/year to do nothing at all.

    I could use a job like that: one where you get a steady pay check but they don't expect you to work...


  10. shoeless Says:

    When you go to the White House, you have to check your facts at the door. Don't forget to tip the fact check girl.


  11. Evil Spaniard Says:

    “Bush pays his ‘director of fact-checking’ $60,000.”

    The one of McCain earns $13/year. And his first language isn't English. And, in fact, hasn't second language.


  12. Kay Says:

    How 'bout the facts about 9/11/01?


  13. stateofthedivision Says:

    I found parts of her job description as Director of Reality Support:

    1. Forget everything you know, and open your eyes to George W.'s reality

    2. Forget everything you know about life, and just open your eyes to such a man (as described by Frances Townsend in her resignation letter)

    Only in Bush's world.


  14. Uncle Ho Says:

    fact-checker/ in this administration? You have got to be putting us on.

    Rove: We're an empire now, we create our own reality.

    Ray-gun: Facts are stupid things


  15. misshusseinmolly Says:

    Because Washington DC has one of the highest costs of living in the country, I expect the pay scale of any organization to sound high by the standards I'm accustomed to.

    Even so, I think I wouldn't mind having that fact-checking job. Because nobody in that administration wants to be bothered by facts, I wouldn't have that much to do, and I'd have plenty of time to blog. And with that salary, I could probably afford an apartment in the DC area.


  16. tom Says:

    -- News flash --

    Staci has asked GDumbya for a raise because she thinks she should make at least as much as Dana Bimborino.

    Faced with a bankrupt budget, GDumbya has instead upgraded her job title. Staci will henceforth be known as Fact Czar.


  17. liberal traitor Says:

    – Staci A. Wheeler, the White House’s director of fact fixing, is — at $60,000 — almost certainly not being paid per fact, but rather at a fixed yearly salary.

    If she were paid per fact, then after the last 8 years her personal fortune would rival that of Bill Gates.


  18. shoeless Says:

    Uncle Ho Says:
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    fact-checker/ in this administration?

    It's not what you think. If anyone bring up a fact, the fact checker hits them with a hockey stick.


  19. Kay Says:

    Since day 1 with this current crowd, facts never mattered.
    Why start now?


  20. Buckie Boy Says:

    Wow, sure glad I don't work for Bush, cripes, my wife makes more than that on a bad year.


  21. liberal traitor Says:

    Shoeless,
    That's called slashing.

    A fact-checker slams people against the wall with their shoulder when a fact is uttered...

    Although I supposed she could be a fact-cross-checker which would involve use of the stick...

    But that's already illegal in Hockey...it's gotta be in real life right? But I forget, this is the GWB Administration. When Bush plays hockey he has signing statements that exempt him from penalties for slashing, cross-checking, tripping, and being offsides.


  22. shoeless Says:

    In this White House, Cheney makes up his own rules.


  23. paleolib Says:

    Since the Bushies create their own reality Staci has plenty of time to supplement her income with her night job driving the little clown car for Ringling Brothers.


  24. Zooey Says:

    Mizz Wheeler would more accurately be called a "fact bouncer."

    Well worth the $60K to this White House.


  25. RantingTommy Says:

    Facts have a well known liberal bias.


  26. raynman Says:

    If the White House hadn't spent all its money on lawyers, they would have connected Staci's phone so she could report....


  27. liberal traitor Says:

    Is Staci Wheeler the propaganda catapult we heard about from GW a while back?

    I assumed he was speaking figuratively, though I shouldn't have since GWB doesn't even know what the word figuratively means.


  28. Klem Kiddilehopper Says:

    Wouldn't it be easier and save money for the White House in the long-run, by using FOX NEWS and their fact-checkers!


  29. bob hussein lablah Says:

    Maybe she could get a raise if they change the title to something more prestigious sounding, like Minister of Propaganda.


  30. puddin head Says:

    GW misspoke -- she's the FAT-checker: She checks the fat guts of the spineless war-mongerers as they swell from the indegestion of their gluttonous feasting on America. Actually it's a pretty disgusting job.
    Her reports are submitted immediately to the royal ... I mean, presidental tailor.


  31. shoeless Says:

    Klem Kiddilehopper Says:
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Wouldn’t it be easier and save money for the White House in the long-run, by using FOX NEWS and their fact-checkers!

    They do. The White House fact checker uses Fox News as his fact checkers, and Fox News uses the White House as their fact checkers.


  32. shoeless Says:

    Sorry Staci, I meant her fact checker.


  33. Cal Malenky Says:

    Can't he just get Brent Bozell to do it?


  34. Zimzone Says:

    Does Cheney have a fart checker?

    Ick, I wonder how much that pays...


  35. SP Biloxi Says:

    "Director of fact checking, is — at $60,000" Unbelievable. And I wonder how much the Bubble Boy-in-chief pays the Director of Pet Projects?


  36. pete Says:

    Is Ms. Wheeler a Regent U grad? Liberty U? Kent Hovind's diploma mill?


  37. pete Says:

    Has Ms. Wheeler ever heard of the effing Google?


  38. shoeless Says:

    Yeah, but she can't use it. All the internet tubes in the White House are plugged up with Karl Rove's missing emails.


  39. ScaryBrownHusseinChick (ThinkOutsideTheBush) Says:

    $60k... it's probably her side job. (The one she devotes all of 10 minutes a week to.)


  40. trollsbwild Says:

    Just goes to show how much value this WH places on facts.

    Wonder if 25 lawyers is enough for Bushco, given the volume of alleged criminal charges that could be filed. Guess they are lucky the Dems have no cajones.


  41. pete Says:

    trollsbwild Says:
    July 24th, 2008 at 3:26 pm

    It will take more than 25 lawyers, and their aids, just to shred the documents and watch the IT guys wipe hard drives.


  42. BigCynicDotCom Says:

    Bush having a fact-checker is about as ridiculous as the War Party calling itself the "culture of life."

    Oh wait, they do.


  43. curious Says:

    Fact checker? Bush should get his money back. Although I doubt whether he cared at all. Facts never got in the way of the Whitehouse. I never knew there was a fact checker. Could have fooled me.



Jump to Top

About Think Progress | Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy (off-site) | RSS | Donate
© 2005-2009 Center for American Progress Action Fund
View Most Popular

Advertisement

What We're About

Featured

image
Subscribe to the Progress Report



imageTopic Cloud


Visit Our Affiliated Sites

image image
Reports


Got a hot tip?
Have a hot news tip? We'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to send us the latest.

Name:
Email:
Tip:
(required)


imageArchives


imageBlog Roll