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White House Official Caught Plagiarizing
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ShareFebruary 29, 2008 3:10 PM
A special assistant to President Bush has admitted lifting passages from a 1998 article he did not write and using them in his own newspaper column, as bloggers continue to uncover what they say are examples of further plagiarizing.
Timothy Goeglein, 43, of the White House Office of Public Liaison, admitted to lifting passages from a Dartmouth Review article by another author in a column published under his name in the Fort Wayne (Ind.) News-Sentinel. Goeglein has written for the paper since the mid-1980s.
Since then, readers at a freelance writer's blog have identified at least four other instances of what appear to be plagiarism, where Goeglein's columns mimicked passages from earlier articles from the Washington Post, the New York Sun, the National Review, and the Catholic magazine Crisis.
"We were just made aware about Tim's column and his actions this morning," said White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore. "Obviously this is not acceptable." Lawrimore would not comment on whether the president would ask Goeglein to resign, saying the White House was still "looking into the details."
As a special assistant to the president, Goeglein has served as a "virtual middleman" between Bush and conservative groups, according to a 2004 Washington Post article. The paper credited Goeglein with helping push "values" to the fore of Bush's presidential agenda.
The first instance of plagiarism was originally noted by Michigan-based blogger and freelance writer Nancy Nall. "I started to read [Goeglein's recent column] and a name jumped out at me -- 'Eugene Rosenstock-Hussey,'" Nall wrote on her blog this morning. The name "was so goofy, just for the hell of it, I Googled it," she said.
The search engine returned a 1998 essay by Jeffrey Hart which contained passages nearly identical to Goeglein's piece.
The News-Sentinel confronted Goeglein, who confessed. "It is true," the paper reported he wrote them in an e-mail. "I am entirely at fault. It was wrong of me. There are no excuses."
Since then, Nall's site, nancynall.com, has become a repository for further examples.
Update: Goeglein resigns, apologizes to President Bush. Total plagiarism count, according to the newspaper: 20 of 38 columns.
Photo of Timothy Goeglein courtesy of Fort Wayne News-Sentinel.
February 29, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (34)
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It doesn't matter. It didn't matter when Obama did it. Why should we care if the White House does it?
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | Feb 29, 2008 5:30:57 PM
Wow, more ethical lapses from the most unethical White House Adminstration in
history...WHAT a SHOCK!!!! hehehehehe
Posted by: Leprkin | Feb 29, 2008 6:34:42 PM
What's new gw bush has stoleneverthing he has wantd for about 10 years and the religious majority and neo-cons have forgiven him even though he has murdered 4000 Military Women and Men the entire crew need to be tarred and feathered and run out of DC, Why don't you at ABC help us and quit bragging about him and dic.
The best of good byes Frank Bowers of Austin, TX
Posted by: frank bowers | Feb 29, 2008 6:58:03 PM
What? Poor ethics tied to the Bush administration? Nah, couldn't be! Say it ain't so Joe!
Posted by: Bill Hicks | Feb 29, 2008 7:08:14 PM
At least the values of the Bush White House are consistent from top to bottom!!
Posted by: Jerry | Feb 29, 2008 7:09:26 PM
Great hire George W. Bush!
Posted by: AppeaseThis | Feb 29, 2008 7:18:07 PM
No one thought plagiarizing was a big deal when NOBAMA did it!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Elinda | Feb 29, 2008 7:20:43 PM
Fire him. Plagiarize in university = expulsion... plagiarize in the real world, make a bunch of money say you're sorry and everythings fine??
Posted by: Evan | Feb 29, 2008 8:33:28 PM
Don't worry, Tim! Just claim "Executive Privilege" like G.W. did and all your problems will go away.
Posted by: Deputy_Bob | Feb 29, 2008 8:45:18 PM
Another Republican SLIME BALL bites the dust and the biggest two SLIME BALL's of all BUSH and CHENEY have 324 more days left before they get on the turnip truck back to Crawford..
Posted by: Joe MUrphy | Mar 1, 2008 2:14:54 AM
What the hell! Ted Kennedy and senator Biden both plagiarized in college!
Posted by: LongT | Mar 1, 2008 10:01:51 AM
the difference between what obama did is that obama didn't credit his writer... the words obama 'lifted' were approved by the writer, who was a friend of his who has been with him and writes for obama regularly... now i'm sure the repubs (republican apologists) can't see (don't want to see) the difference between what obama did, and plagiarizing an article and claiming it as your own is a PROFOUND difference... but go ahead, republicans, make excuses for your lame duck politicians... the more you make dumb excuses for your president-king and his ilk, the more people wake up to the obvious lies
Posted by: earthisnotflat | Mar 1, 2008 11:37:21 AM
WH official plagiarizes => bad => resign
Obama plagiarizes => so what? => he got permission
Posted by: esvida | Mar 1, 2008 5:15:34 PM
If he's incompetent, Bush Jr will give him a Medal of Honor...like he's done with all the other incompetents in his administration. In Bush Jr's bizarre world, that makes everything alright again.
Posted by: wilder5121 | Mar 1, 2008 6:08:28 PM
I think he should resign, as should Barack Obama for the same thing.....
Posted by: quervodrinker | Mar 1, 2008 6:32:41 PM
This is truly insane. The person running to be our president plagiarised in all his speeches but was treated by the media that, it was no big deal. And this white house guy is being made to resign over plagiarism?
Have we gone insane? Is this a joke?
Posted by: SO | Mar 1, 2008 6:59:43 PM
This is to "earthis not flat",
Which college did you attend? Your definition of "plagiarism" is completely out of whack. I bet plagiarism is common in the college you must have attended.
I am beginning to understand the Obama ditto-heads.
Wake up people!
Posted by: SO | Mar 1, 2008 7:03:54 PM
Maybe Obama can give him a new job!
Posted by: kathleen hunnicutt | Mar 1, 2008 9:04:48 PM
As a Republican, I'm all for jettisoning this guy. He was the middleman between Bush and conservatives. The Social Conservatives like to think of themselves as upholding high moral standards so his usefulness is nil. Just like Obama’s dealings with Rezco, this is a “bone headed” move, but Obama will get a pass on that one. This poor sap has no melanin shield to protect him: the media piranhas and op-ed moralists will eat him alive
Posted by: smartprimate | Mar 1, 2008 10:41:03 PM
All you lunkheads comparing this to Obama's use of his capaign co-chair/friend's words in a few speeches WITH PERMISSION don't deserve a respionse from me or anyone else. You need to learn to read...then borrow a dictionary...then open it and look up PLAGIARISM. I realize all that's probably beyond your abilities...but give it a try before embarrassing yourself publicly again.
Posted by: wilder5121 | Mar 1, 2008 11:10:14 PM
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