Following former Representative Joe Scarborough's (R-FL) “Real Deal” commentary segment on the January 7 edition of MSNBC's Scarborough Country -- in which he called for “the inspector general of the federal Department of Education to conduct an immediate investigation” into the Bush administration payment to conservative pundit Armstrong Williams of $240,000 to promote the No Child Left Behind law -- Scarborough announced that Williams would appear later on the program. Fifteen minutes later, Scarborough said that he would be talking to Williams in the next segment. But when the program returned from commercial, Williams was no longer available for the interview.

Scarborough's “Real Deal” segment from the January 7 edition of Scarborough Country:

SCARBOROUGH: Well, the Bush administration pays a journalist almost a quarter of a million dollars to push its controversial education agenda. It's time for tonight's “Real Deal.”

Now, the USA Today reported this morning that conservative columnist and radio talk show host Armstrong Williams was paid $240,000 to promote the president's No Child Left Behind Act and to give Education Secretary Rod Paige face time on his programs. Williams was also played to use his influence with other black journalists in promoting the Bush agenda when it came to education.

Now, Armstrong, good to his word, wrote columns supporting the act in his Tribune Media [Services] column on January 7, March the 1st, May the 14th, and May the 24th. He also gave the education secretary the face time on his programs that he promised.

Now, listen, for you conservatives who always complain when I question the policy of my fellow Republicans, let me ask you this question. How would you respond if you learned that Ted Kennedy's Senate office used tax dollars to pay Dan Rather $240,000 to shamelessly promote the Abu Ghraib prison scandal? You would raise hell. And you'd demand accountability. And so am I. The same has got to be done in this instance.

You know, Armstrong Williams has long been respected in the conservative community. And I say how he uses his influence and how he risks his reputation is between him and his God. However, the White House and the education bureaucracy in Washington, well, how they decide to use your tax dollars is a matter of my business and your business.

Paying reporters and columnists to flack for a centralized government scheme seems to confirm the worst fears of [economist Friedrich] Hayek, [economist Milton] Friedman and [former President Ronald] Reagan. Oh, yes, it also seems to confirm what Al Franken, Janeane Garofalo and David Brooks have been saying about the right-wing media being extensions of the White House.

Now, what Tribune [Media] Services does to Armstrong Williams is their business. But tonight, I'm calling for the inspector general of the federal Department of Education to conduct an immediate investigation and get to the bottom of this taxpayer-funded scandal. Americans need to know who approved this payoff and that bureaucrat had better be held accountable.

I'm telling you, friends, this is dangerous new territory. And it's tonight's “Real Deal.”

Now, later on, we're going to be talking to Armstrong Williams. We booked him this morning when the program first broke.

Scarborough introduced the segment in which Williams was to appear, but Williams apparently “just got up and walked”:

SCARBOROUGH: From that sad story to a story of Washington sleaze. I want you to picture this for a second. Bill Clinton is president. Hillary's pushing her health care plan. And to promote it, the Clinton administration hires CBS News to create made-for-TV videos that look like news stories to tout new legislation. Unthinkable? Well, the Bush administration, no great friend of journalists, actually paid radio talk show host Armstrong Williams a quarter of a million dollars to promote the controversial No Child Left Behind education reform law.

Does this constitute flat-out propaganda, and is it even legal? Democrats on Capitol Hill want some answers. And here to talk about it is John Avlon of the New York Sun, and I believe -- do we still not have Armstrong Williams? OK. I guess Armstrong didn't like our “Real Deal” tonight, because we booked him early this morning. He was with us all day. I guess he just got up and walked. So, John, I'll talk to you.