Plagiarism is perhaps the most serious offense that a writer can commit or be accused of. Washingtonpost.com will do everything in its power to verify that its news and opinion content is sourced completely and accurately at all times.

I've been following the story on Atrios, Daily Kos, Firedoglake, Obsidian Wings, Digby and Crooks and Liars. Here's a summary from Hillzoy at Obsidian Wings.

In going forward, my view is that the Washington Post should not hire a partisan conservative blogger without hiring a liberal blogger to present both points of view. Dan Froomkin is a faboulous online columnist, but he is not a blogger. I think those who point to his column as presenting balance miss the mark.

Also, those on the right who have tried to justify's Domenech's alleged plagiarism by calling it an act of youthful indiscretion or somehow justifiable because they mostly pertained to movie reviews, are way off base. High school journalism students have had plagiarism drummed into them. He was writing for a college newspaper and a national publication.

Mr. Domenech may have a defense to the allegations, although at this point I can't fathom one, but those don't cut it. Even Michelle Malkin agrees. For one example, check this NRO column and comparison.

Update: FishbowlDC is taking nominations for replacement right-wing bloggers.

Update: Ben Domenech responds.

Update: WAPO columnist Howie Kurtz covers the resignation and has this comment from Post editor Jim Brady:

Brady said his staff did "a fair amount of checking" into Domenech's background before the hiring but that "we could have and should have done a better job."

Kurtz also reports Brady said Domenech would have been fired had he not resigned first.