President Bush on Wednesday said a controversial decision by the Department of Education to give Armstrong Williams $241,000 to promote the No Child Left Behind Act with advertisements and commentaries on TV was a mistake, one the president said he had made clear that other federal agencies should not repeat.

“I expect my cabinet secretaries to make sure that that practice doesn’t go forward,” said President Bush, during a White House news conference today. “There needs to be independence.”

President Bush also said the White House had not been aware of the payoff to Mr. Williams. “All our cabinet secretaries must realize that we will not be paying, you know, commentators to advance our agenda,” President Bush said. “Our agenda ought to be able to stand on its own two feet.”