[doug from upland]

According to Tammy Bruce, former head of NOW in L.A. (and today its enemy) a half million dollars of tobacco windfall money went from the government to NOW. Yes, I think their funding bought silence.

[concerned about politics]

a half million dollars of tobacco windfall money

What does tobacco have to do with dike macho-type women? How can that be justified?

[Steve Schulin]

Sure enough, Fox News' source for this story was former President of California NOW, and the money in question included the 1995 $500,000 grant, plus a later $200,000 grant. NOW is actually ineligible to receive such grants, but a separately chartered entity, called the NOW Foundation, is eligible, and was the recipient. Ms. Bruce noted that the Foundation is really the same group of people -- she was on the NOW Board of Directors at the time. NOW and the NOW Foundation may be legally distinct entities, but they are essentially the same folks wearing different hats. The reporter mentioned that the grants were supposed to be spent in pursuit of women and smoking, but the money actually was spent on general women's health programs.