Full Statement by Conservative Blogger Who Resigned from Washington Post re Alleged Plagiarism

redstate.com ^ | March 24, 2006 | Ben Domenech

[summer]

Yes, I, too, look forward to discussions about what he wrote here.

[American Quilter]

It sounds like some other people made mistakes and so on, and so on, and, things pile up, as we all know.

That's true. More info may be forthcoming.

[weegee]

Here here, I second that motion!

[summer]

Whether or not more info comes, it will be interesting to hear how his accusers deal with what he's sayinig here.

[summer]

Whether or not more info comes, it will be interesting to hear how his accusers deal with what he's saying here.

[nosofar]

Just hope the new guy or girl has thick skin and a squeeky clean life.

With the internet it's become much easier to dig up dirt on someone who writes. I suspect the great majority of journalists have been guilty of plagiarism at some time. They just didn't get caught. The current college culture also encourages plagiarism.

[Doe Eyes]

So, no matter what you may believe or get from all this -- a right to due process and free speech is still important!

I didn't realize he was being prosecuted. What is he charged with?

[Echo Talon]

well, we now know how to get liberals fired. :)

[Alia]

mark

[satchmodog9]

for later

[Jim_Curtis]

The Post showed bravery by including a conservative voice, and I hope they continue to seek that balance.

Whether or not the guy actually plagiarized I don't know but the Washington Post knew the perception could be made, which is why they selected him for the job.

[summer]

Until he made this statement, it certainly seemed he would not be heard, since no one was quoting any statements by him.

I believe the right to be heard is something you're allowed no matter if it's a civil or criminal matter. Correct me if I'm wrong about that.

[summer]

I'm not sure if they knew that or not -- maybe you're right. I don't know.

[Revolting cat!]

Plagiarism, and "racism", that's worse than moider these days in this here paradise of perfect humans, doncha know? Tempest, meet teapot.

[Right Wing Professor]

But the truth is that I had met P.J. at a Republican event and asked his permission to do a college-specific version of his classic piece on partying. He granted permission, the piece was cleared with my editors at the paper, and it ran as inspired by O’Rourke’s original.

What a lame attempt at an excuse. He took entire segments of O Rourke's piece and used them verbatim. That's not a different version, that's plagiarism.

Not only is he a plagiarist, he's not man enough to take responsibility for his own misdeeds. Let's hope this incident buries him, because the conservative movement doesn't need guys like this.

[summer]

Well, I think you are saying he did something wrong with intent to do wrong. I'm not sure that's the case. Is it possible he didn't know, at that time, what "an inspired by" piece really should be? [NOT a "copying."] It sounds he was trying to find out by clearing it with others, but, that turned out not to be sufficient.

I am giving him the benefit of the doubt because he was young and in college at the time. And, he went to the trouble of asking the author.

A real plagiarist does not go to the author and ask permission to plagiarize because the intent there is NOT to seek "permission."

[Doe Eyes]

I believe the right to be heard is something you're allowed no matter if it's a civil or criminal matter. Correct me if I'm wrong about that.

Your employer can't fire you because of your public statements?

[summer]

But, here's a question: Where's the college professor who should have been advising those college kids running and writing the college newspaper?

[Right Wing Professor]

Anyone who's in college knows about plagiarism. We drill it into students. It's the responsibility of anyone working for a newspaper, or otherwise writing for a living, to know.

There are, in addition, far more incidents of plagiarism than he acknowledges in this 'apology'.

[summer]

I think you want to drag me into some kind of flame war based on I don't know what, but, I'm not going. Have fun on your own!