The Obama administration paid $495,000 in stimulus money to the advertising firm McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations LLC. That money was spent for the purpose of raising awareness among employers about the Job Corps program’s existing and new training initiatives in high growth and environmentally friendly career areas, as well as spreading the word to prospective Job Corps enrollees.

In other words, the money served mainly as a PR campaign for White House jobs efforts.

The only two ad buys that the firm made? One during Olbermann. The other during Maddow.

The contract reports that no jobs were created by the ad purchase.

This raises a few questions: First, how many prospective employers actually watch MSNBC, and particularly Olbermann and Maddow? Second, how many prospective Jobs Corps enrollees typically watch MSNBC at these times? Olbermann's show was and Maddow's show still is among the lowest rated slots during those times on television. Any other channel would have gotten more bang for the buck.

Third, and most importantly, why is the Obama administration purchasing advertising only during the two time slots of the administration's biggest cheerleaders? Is this an attempt to prop up these MSNBC talking heads? Is this paying Olbermann and Maddow off for their cheerleading of the White House? There really doesn't seem to be any other explanation for why the government would make such a narrow, selective ad purchase. Hello, media cronyism!

Read more: Labor Department spends stimulus funds for ads during Olbermann, Maddow shows - Washington Times