The question is - does this cross the line? Politico reports that conservative talkers, including Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin and Glenn Beck, are making millions of dollars annually for their on-air endorsements of certain conservative groups. According to Politico, the Heritage Foundation pays Limbaugh about $2 million to be a sponsor and pays Hannity about $1.3 million annually. The Tea Party group Americans For Prosperity is a Levin sponsor, while FreedomWorks is a sponsor for Beck. In these cases, the talk hosts would both mirror the philosophies of these groups, and be their defenders on their nationally syndicated shows. The question has been raised before when Beck, among others, frequently warned of an impending economic collapse and pushed gold as the solution, with the gold selling company Goldline as one of his big sponsors. In return, groups like the Heritage Foundation have prospered, with Politico estimating that the Heritage Foundation brought in 40,000 new members and the website traffic for FredomWorks spiked when they received Beck's endorsement. The question may lie in what are called "embedded ads," where sponsor's philosophies are weaved into the show's content. However, these big-dollar endorsements may not cross the line at all. Talkers Magazine founder and publisher Michael Harrison tells Politico, "(they) are radio personalities, in the same business that people like Casey Kasem are in ... no different from people who broadcast from used car lots or restaurants who endorse the local roofer or gardener." You can read the Politico report here.