Morning Plagiarism Charges

If you show me a politician that writes his/her own speeches, I'll show you a mayor or village trustee in a town of less than 5000.

There is no glass house. There is no stone. She simply lifted the curtain and let us peek behind it. She turned the mantle of perception inside out in a vain attempt to turn Obama inside out forgeting that she goes with it. They ALL borrow phrasing. No biggie. It's built into the game of politics, has been from the start. Hillary counted on our ignorance of knowing this and our laziness to look no further. Shame on you, Senator, for seeing us as so dumb.

The "plagiarism" thing is mighty THIN. First off, it's not plagiarism, it's adoption of language sanctioned by the originator. Secondly, Hillary has been "plagiarizing" the phrase first used by John Edwards, "it's personal with me," but most likely without discussion or consent. She stole his idea. It would have been wiser of her to keep quiet (i.e., ignore her handlers) on this non-topic.

Does this change the fact that Hillary Clinton has supported NAFTA when her husband was in the White House, and now says it was betrayal against American workers?

Plagiarism is a big deal to journalists, because writing is what they do for a living. Same with university professors, same with authors in general.

The rest of us just don't see political speeches as being at that level. We actually EXPECT politicians to improve their plans and programs, as well as their speeches, based on what they learn from other people as they go along. That's one of the purposes of the primary season. Why would we want someone who refuses to build on others' knowledge and experience?

The point is...people vote for the BEST candidate, however he/she got to that point, not the most ORIGINAL.

Clinton doesn't get it, Obama does.

Nisha: Yes, of course experience matters, but it is not the only criterion, not for the presidential elections and not in a job interview. And sometimes experience is a negative, when a person has not done very well on that job in the past -- which applies to HRC's handling of health care reform in the 90's, and attracting independent voters in her husband's campaigns in the past, and her own campaign now. Obama's health care plan may not be as comprehensive as Hillary's, but it has a better chance of being implemented, and likewise Obama has a better chance of winning over independents and even Republicans -- I've witnessed that in my own family and community.

It is now time for Hillary to bow out gracefully while she still can, and help unite the Democratic party against the phony straight talk of McCain.

This has been said before (wink) but this whole debate is just silly. And the more Hillary uses it, the more it's being pointed out just how silly it is! Those who live in glass houses, should not throw stones!

Just answer this. If experience does not nmatter then why do we we get rejected at job interviews with less experience. And the the other candidate who has more experience gets the job. I thought a president’s job is the most important job in America. Just being charming and good speaker does not qualify you for a job.

All you Hillary haters I think you all believe in double standards. One rule applies to general public and other rule applies to Obama.

I would like to compare Clinton and Obama as two qualified candidates standing near the edge of the deep end of the pool of politics in Washington. In the case of Clinton, I believe she has taken that plunge while she was the First Lady and a freshman U.S.Senator and thought she struggled to keep her head above water, eight years later she has managed to do so. Enabling her to effectivly be the Commander and Chief to change goverment and right America's failed direction we have been going the last eight years. In the case of Obama, while he paces the pool's edge working the crowd I feel when he takes the plunge he will struggle for the first few years before he finally emerges as great leader of our country and keeps his head above water. However, America does not have this time to do so. Having said that, I feel both are qualified to be President, I feel Clinton is ready for the job from day one. After all, we should take a page out of New York's Governor Elliot Spitzer's play book when he was campaigning and he too was looked upon as a Obama and the new Sherrif in town. Two years later as Governor he is having trouble keeping his head above water. see you by the pool.

@ yougottaloveit---"This plagiarism stuff is ridiculous and is merely a distraction from the value of the ideas that are being presented. As an attorney, if one of my colleagues tells me a good way to communicate a particular idea, I use it. And they do the same. In fact, we all sit around and pow-wow on creative ways to get a point across. We take each others ideas and we put them in our toolboxes, and when a time arises where we need to effectively make a certain point, we reach into that toolbox and pull out the best idea for the situation. In doing so, we can communicate more effectively, which is the whole point."

Please note I put quotations around your statement! I agree with you completely! That is one of the most rational, true statements I have read here so far! At least there is someone else paying attention to what truly matters...

It saddens me to see Obama sink to her level and the level of the media, I can only hope that he takes a second to elarn from Hillary's mistakes instead of what's the word..copying.-no-..Xeroxing them. What makes me sad is all of the smoke and mirrors have our attention drawn almost solely to what is happening in this campaign for the Democratic nominee ( although I must give some thought to the Republicans too they have been in the news lately as well) has anyone stopped to see what our current president is doing while our backs are turned on him as we knife each others? Come on people one of these two is going to be the president unless we mess it up and let the Repubs fool us while we are distracted with something shiny! I hope Obama wins but I will vote for Hillary their ideas are similar and it wasn't so long ago she stood on the platform of change as well. May the best man or woman win as long as it's not a Republican we can all be happy!

This plagiarism stuff is ridiculous and is merely a distraction from the value of the ideas that are being presented. As an attorney, if one of my colleagues tells me a good way to communicate a particular idea, I use it. And they do the same. In fact, we all sit around and pow-wow on creative ways to get a point across. We take each others ideas and we put them in our toolboxes, and when a time arises where we need to effectively make a certain point, we reach into that toolbox and pull out the best idea for the situation. In doing so, we can communicate more effectively, which is the whole point.

Immediately when Hillary said "thats not change you can believe in, thats change you can xerox", I thought, I wonder who came up with that line for Hillary?

Kinda Ironic...

To me, the debate was won on the last question of the night. Because Barack has no more lines to plagiarized, he went back to telling the same old story on how his father left his mother when he was two years old and then raised by a single mother and grand parents.

Now, compare and contrast Hillary's response to that last question, and you will conclude that Hillary is clearly the person with more substance and ready to lead the country. She did not talk about herself, instead she focused on the American people.

In 2000, we made a mistake with George Bush and we are paying for it. In 2008, it looks like we are going to make another mistake.

Small note: if you want to raise the minimum voting age above 18, then you should likewise raise the minimum age that the military can recruit or draft someone. But seeing as that would be damaging to national security, I guess it's not going to happen anytime soon.

Note: I'm no supporter of Senator Clinton (I actually have considerable disdain for her and her husband) but I still feel that she won the debate. However, she didn't decisively knock Senator Obama out of the campaign and as a result, she may have won this one fight... but has in turn very likely lost the campaign.

Rob H.

For the person advocating raising the voting age to 25...perhaps you've forgotten why we lowered it in the first place. Our young people enter the military at 18 to fight and die for us. They deserve the right to vote. And never let it be said that the younger generation is not able to study the issues. I have college age sons who know exactly what's going on. They know about and care more about the issues than some of the racists and misogynists who post in these forums.

As a person who was in the first group of 18-year-olds to get to vote, I can attest to the fact that you're barking up the wrong tree if you think people of my (older) generation will ever forget why young people were given the vote. We let too many young people go to their deaths during Vietnam with absolutely no say over their future. That should never be allowed to happen again.

The "thin gruel" is the Obama campaign's memo about Hillary Clinton using the words, "whatever happens, we'll be fine." Is the Obama campaign charging Laura Bush with plagiarism, since she too, has used the phrase?

Looks like the Obama campaign consists of sulky adolescents who got caught cheating and are angry and ashamed about it.

Jake, can you clarify as to whether it is the Obama campaign making accusations about Clinton's statements? The video you linked to does not appear to be associated with Obama.

Hillary set the standard. Now she is a hypocrite, which is worse.

Clinton, 92: "The hits that I took in this election are nothing compared to the hits the people of this state and this country have been taking for a long time."

Hillary Clinton, tonight: "You know, the hits I’ve taken in life are nothing compared to what goes on every single day in the lives of people across our country."

"...Secret Service relaxing security be ordering police not screen for weapons at Obama rally on Wednesday."

It's on the Drudge Report. The Star-Telegram staff writer, Jack Douglas, Jr. wrote in his article:

"Dallas Deputy Police Chief T.W. Lawrence, head of the Police Department's homeland security and special operations divisions, said the order -- apparently made by the U.S. Secret Service -- was meant to speed up the long lines outside and fill the arena's vacant seats before Obama came on.

"'Sure,' said Lawrence, when asked if he was concerned by the great number of people who had gotten into the building without being checked. But, he added, the turnout of more than 17,000 people seemed to be a 'friendly crowd.'"
A full investigation must be ordered immediately to determine exactly who gave this order to stop screening the crowd. It only takes one person with a small weapon to slip through to present a danger. But what if there had been 10 people armed with explosives. What were they thinking? What a huge lapse in judgment! Anyone connected with this decision should be FIRED!

Now as to the plagiarism charge, it's one thing for Sen. Clinton and/or her campaign to just bring this up in passing. But it is quite another to actually make this charge over and over again, especially when the charge can be made about her own speeches. It really makes no difference whether two individuals are friends or husband and wife who share thoughts. When a line is lifted from someone else's speech, it should be credited. Or at least a disclaimer should be used, i.e., "someone else once said." At least then it is not being passed on as being an original thought.