Weds: New Plagiarism Allegation Against Scott McInnis

By Jeralyn, Section Colorado News
Posted on Wed Jul 14, 2010 at 12:00:04 PM EST
Tags: Scott McInnis (all tags)

Share This: Digg!

Colorado Repubublican gubernatorial hopeful Scott McInnis, a former Congressman, yesterday blamed a plagiarism faux-pas on an engineer/researcher.

What about today's new and second allegation? The Washington Post says he plagiarized a column that appeared in its paper in 1994 in a column he wrote for the Rocky Mountain News and orally in a speech on the House Floor.

Allen and Plunk's piece was published Nov. 9, 1994. McInnis' was published Dec. 21, 1994, and he made the speech on Jan. 25, 1995. In one passage, Allen and Plunk wrote, "There is a growing popular belief in South Korea that the North has outmaneuvered Washington and marginalized the South's role."

McInnis column said, "There is growing South Korean sentiment that North Korea has outmaneuvered Washington and marginalized the South's input into this issue." In his speech, McInnis said, "There is growing popular South Korean sentiment that North Korea has outmaneuvered Washington and marginalized the South's input into this issue."

McInnis: Run along now, it was just staffers. [More...]

"In Congress, you have lots of staff. I had hundreds of pages a day go out of my congressional office with my signature on it. We have no idea of the base material," McInnis told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "Of course I had assistants writing that."

Colorado Pols has more.

< New Orleans Officers Charged in Post-Katrina Deaths | FL Supreme Court Appoints Former Judge to Head Innocence Commission >

Legal

Nothing on this site should be construed as legal advice. TalkLeft does not give legal advice.

TalkLeft is not responsible for and often disagrees with material posted in the comments section. Read at your own risk.

Weds: New Plagiarism Allegation Against Scott McInnis | 15 comments (15 topical)

Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

Maybe he needs to change his (none / 0) (#1)
by Anne on Wed Jul 14, 2010 at 12:37:04 PM EST

campaign slogan to:

Vote For Scott McInnis: This Campaign Slogan Was Not Plagiarized (or so my staffers tell me)

Why do people always think they can get away with this crap?

What a doofus.

: Why? Because some do get away with it (none / 0) (#8)
by Cream City on Wed Jul 14, 2010 at 03:02:34 PM EST

and get elected. Several names of prominent pols in office now come to mind. . . .
Yet another reason that I could not vote for them.
Question: Does "my staffer made me do it" somehow sound better than "the devil made me do it"?
Not to me.

Well, at least as to the foundation (none / 0) (#2)
by scribe on Wed Jul 14, 2010 at 12:38:48 PM EST

grant and the plagiarism allegations there, his core problem (besides having plagiarized) is that the foundation specified that the stuff he "wrote" was supposed to have been his own work - no research assistants or staff allowed.

All his repeated use of the same, unattributed verbiage relative to the Korean issues proves is that he is a good Rethuglican: he can repeat, without change, a party line regardless of the truth or illogic it contains. In other words, he's a mindless mouth. A perfect wingnut.

: Well... (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Wed Jul 14, 2010 at 01:13:33 PM EST

...I think it is more reflective of the general state of the GOP as a party than Scott being a wingnut. In fact, he is the more moderate of the two GOP candidates for Governor and was seen as a tougher challenger for Hickenlooper in general election before all of this broke.
His opponent, Dan Maes, is the TeaParty darling and proud wingnut--and is not without his own ethical problems.
As long as the GOP continues to put up candidates that pander to the radical right (Maes) and/or run away from personal responsibility (McInnis) they will continue to be the minority party in this State.
Another effect of the "Scooter problem" is funding. McInnis was the GOP establishment candidate and with his implosion funding groups like the RGA will not be spending big dollars on GOTV efforts in this race. That will have a major effect on all the state-wide races this Fall.

Well.. (none / 0) (#3)
by squeaky on Wed Jul 14, 2010 at 12:49:56 PM EST

he can repeat, without change, a party line regardless of the truth or illogic it contains. In other words, he's a mindless mouth. A perfect wingnut.

Politicians are more akin to actors, than playwrights... in a way McInnis is not just a perfect wingnut but a perfect politician...

Maybe it is the wingnut part that gives him the arrogance to cravenly steal and assume he would get away with it. But in general politicians generally are not known for their writing...

Not looking too good (none / 0) (#4)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Jul 14, 2010 at 01:04:28 PM EST

for the honorable representative from CO.

Did you say "honorable?" (none / 0) (#6)
by christinep on Wed Jul 14, 2010 at 01:19:27 PM EST

: Sarcasm. (none / 0) (#7)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Jul 14, 2010 at 01:45:58 PM EST

disqualifying? (none / 0) (#9)
by diogenes on Wed Jul 14, 2010 at 03:22:56 PM EST

If old plagiarism charges disqualify someone from public service then perhaps you all should be calling for Joe Biden to resign now.

Rehabilitation (none / 0) (#11)
by christinep on Wed Jul 14, 2010 at 05:12:54 PM EST

And, even McInnis could undergo a rehabilitative change over the next 10 to 15 years.

I believe in rehabilitation, redemption, and the possibility of change for the good. Seriously, we can all name people from all walks of life who hit a kind of rock bottom, made a decision to change, and did so. Turning to politicians, specifically (and, more specifically, to my Democrats): One who dedicated most of his life to liberal, compassionate causes was the late Senator Ted Kennedy; and yet, his early days led to problems and major issues, which he confronted and turned around through dedication to others and perseverance over many years. In many ways, the same may be said for VP Joe Biden, who--after withdrawing from the primaries in 1988--spent some years in the proverbial wilderness rebuilding credibility through hard work.

People definitely can progress. Maybe someday McInnis will. Right now, he may be headed to his own wilderness.


Biden was trying to become POTUS (none / 0) (#12)
by BTAL on Wed Jul 14, 2010 at 05:54:06 PM EST

when he committed his little slip. Big difference to one that did it for probable profit.

As to dem's "torpedoing" their wayward sheep - Biden is the last example that should be used.

As for this R, he deserves to get his azz handed to him in the primary.


: also law review article (none / 0) (#14)
by diogenes on Wed Jul 14, 2010 at 09:29:46 PM EST

Also a low review article. And Biden stayed in the Senate since 1988, he didn't go off to be "rehabilitated".

If you had a ounce of intellectual integrity (none / 0) (#15)
by Rojas on Thu Jul 15, 2010 at 07:54:46 AM EST

you would realize they are exactly the same, only different.


: Academically speaking (none / 0) (#16)
by Rojas on Thu Jul 15, 2010 at 08:58:16 AM EST

apples and oranges, just like peas in a pod.

Oh, come on ... (none / 0) (#13)
by Peter G on Wed Jul 14, 2010 at 07:39:20 PM EST

I enjoy a good R-pol-bashing as much as anyone, but if all that an investigation by a serious newspaper could find in the way of prior "plagiarism" by his doofus is one line, not taken verbatim although nearly so, in one speech made 15 years ago, then I'm inclined to say the guy is not a recidivist. Doesn't excuse at all what was revealed yesterday. But today's revelation is basically nothing. In fact, in honor of the late, great Tuli Kupferberg, co-founder of The Fugs, who died yesterday, I'll go out on a limb and say, "Less than nothing."