Now to the fight over public broadcasting. The New York Times is reporting that a researcher retained secretly by the chair of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to politically monitor Bill Moyer’s “Now” program, worked for 20 years at a journalism center founded by the American Conservative Union, as well as for right wing columnist M. Stanton Evans. Last week it was revealed that CPB Chair Kenneth Tomlinson had paid the researcher, Fred Mann, more than $14,000 without the knowledge of the CPB’s board. His job was to report on the political leanings of the guests appearing on “Now.” The Times reports that until last year, Mann worked at the National Journalism Center, which for the last few years has been run by the Young America’s Foundation. The foundation describes itself on its Web site as “the principal outreach organization of the conservative movement.” Last week Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota said that in response to a request, Tomlinson gave him data from Mann’s reports. Dorgan said that data concluded in one episode of the “Now” program that Republican Senator Chuck Hagel was a “liberal” because he questioned the White House policy on Iraq and that a second “Now” segment on financial waste at the Pentagon was “anti-Defense.” Last night, Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey called for Tomlinson’s resignation. Lautenberg said of Tomlinson “Your conduct has undermined the CPB and its mission of quality public broadcasting free of political interference.” Tomlinson responded by saying he would not step down.