Joe Biden’s plagiarism scandal was apparently the reason for Barack Obama’s stealth announcement of his VP pick over the weekend. The hope was that the slow weekend news cycle leading up to the DNC convention would not allow for an early critical evaluation of Biden’s copycat problem, analysts now believe.
Joe Biden’s Plagiarizing Past
Veteran political analysts wondered why Obama would release the news on the slowest news day of the week, and sandwiched right before the DNC convention. Revealing Joe Biden’s name in this manner assured the least amount of news coverage possible on his choice. Why?
It was a very long time ago when Biden first ran for President in the 1987/1988 presidential race. He was forced to exit the race in shame when disturbing plagiarism charges were proven against him amid charges of lying.
What launched the public inquiry into Joe Biden’s words was a debate in September 1987 in which Biden stole the words of Neil Kinnock who was head of the British Labour Party.
Neil Kinnock had said earlier: “Why am I the first Kinnock in a thousand generations to be able to get to university?” He then pointed to his wife in the audience and said “Why is Glenys the first woman in her family in a thousand generations to be able to get to university? Was it because all our predecessors were thick?”
Joe Biden said during debate: “I started thinking as I was coming over here, why is it that Joe Biden is the first in his family ever to go to a university?” He pointed to his wife in the audience and said “Why is it that my wife who is sitting out there in the audience is the first in her family to ever go to college? Is it because our fathers and mothers were not bright? Is it because I’m the first Biden in a thousand generations to get a college and a graduate degree that I was smarter than the rest?”
A little theft happens from time to time in politics as in life. Critics concluded it would have been better if Biden had not lied by saying he was just “thinking” as he was coming over there. The lines were obviously rehearsed as he had heard them before. The press and Dukakis campaign got on the plagiarism story and discovered that Joe Biden has a history as a plagiarizer and liar.
At Syracuse Law School, it was discovered that Joe Biden got an F-grade in a class for boldly copying enormous chunks of someone else’s law review article.
Biden attempted to excuse the plagiarism by claiming it was a “mistake of youth.” He went before the school Deans and pleaded that they not expel him completely. He was allowed to retake the course and the cheating grade was later expunged from his record.
In response to the shocking revelation, Biden released all of his school transcripts including written evaluation by his teachers. The Syracuse transcripts revealed a candidate who had generally poor grades and only mixed reviews from his professors.
Apparently Biden has a history of supplementing his perceived failings by borrowing from others or simply exaggerating or lying. The final straw in his first presidential race was when he lied about the number of degrees he had received, the reason for his scholarship, and his graduating rank in class. Joe Biden was near the bottom of his class despite having that F-grade removed for plagiarism.
The voters will decide for themselves if Joe Biden is worthy of the VP office. The 1987/88 election run was a long time ago, while perhaps only the pundits remember Joe Biden’s shame.
And if the public can forgive Biden, they will have to decide if they want two copycats in the White House given a similar problem by Obama that was largely ignored by the press.
Plagiarism Video
Photo: Famous Plagiarists
August 27th, 2008 at 10:36 am
MCCAIN-No one including me is doubting the terrible sacrifices John McCain has made for this country, but, everyone makes mistakes. Your namesake and savior John McCain; Cheated on his wife, left his wife and married the 17-years-younger girl who he had cheated with, to the horror of friends Nancy and Ronald Reagan. He was disgraced as a member of the Keating 5. I’ve forgiven both Biden and McCain. Why don’t you?
August 27th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Or, I should say why WON’T you forgive both Biden and McCain?
August 27th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Pete, you are off topic. To get us back on track, tell me why you have forgiven Joe Biden for plagiarism? Is it the time that has elapsed? If so, what do you say about the Obama video?
August 27th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Joe Biden’s plagiarism scandal was the reason for Barack Obama’s stealth announcement of his VP pick over the weekend.
Why do you state such obviously wrong opinions as if they were fact?
“stealth announcement”? The waiting for the text message built through the week and dominated the political news cycle (except for one other story.. see below)
The hope was that the slow weekend news cycle leading up to the DNC convention would not allow for an early critical evaluation of Biden’s copycat problem.
Hah! That’s so silly. Here’s what happened– the plan was to release the name earlier– but the McCain “how many houses *DO* I have” gaffe story was the gift that kept on giving, so they postponed it as late as they could because they knew a VP announcement would steal focus from that.
I’ll even provide sources so you don’t accuse me of “plagiarism”:
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1928744420080822?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080822/pl_nm/usa_politics_dc
W
August 27th, 2008 at 10:47 am
By the way, it’s not “plagiarism” when Deval Patrick TELLS YOU to use the line. Or do you think that Bush writes all his speeches himself?
I’m surprised you don’t accuse Obama of plagiarizing Martin Luther King and JFK as well. Actually I should probably re-read because it’s likely you did.
W
August 27th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Re: Obama video…big deal! They both plagiarized MLK and the founding fathers. That is very sad if that’s the best ya got.
Who cares what Biden did in college. As far as the Kinnock nonsense, Biden credited Kinnock many many times before the times he forgot to. Easy to forgive. Much ado about nothing Right Punditers! (I approve this on-topic message.)
August 27th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Waldo, that’s a fair criticism. I may update the article to make it clear what political insiders know, but casual observers (like you?) do not know. That is, you don’t release news that you want covered by the press on a weekend.
What Obama did was maximize the press coverage the preceding week without Biden’s name out there to get raked thru the mud. He released it on Saturday knowing that the upcoming convention would swallow the news by Monday.
August 27th, 2008 at 11:15 am
oy! i thought it was ‘88… i’m such a child of the 80’s.
August 27th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Right you are Kate!
August 27th, 2008 at 11:57 am
oh kate … i saw your blog …
you watch star trek?
i’m so sorry … i didn’t know … can i send flowers someplace? what did the doctors say? don’t give up hope … someday there will be a cure for science fiction …please tell me you don’t dress up in a golden bikini on a regular basis
August 27th, 2008 at 11:59 am
obama’s greek monument reminds me of spinal tap’s stonehenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXGbwIkvh38
hey … what is with obama and all this phallic imagery?
August 27th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
. I may update the article to make it clear what political insiders know, but casual observers (like you?) do not know. That is, you don’t release news that you want covered by the press on a weekend.
Of course weekends are good time to hide bad news. Friday evenings are the target, generally, although christmas day, the day after an election (hint, hint– the day the real stuff will all spill out), etc.
But the Obama VP pick was never going to be “hidden”– you can bury news that no one is expecting in a weekend, not news that everyone is anticipating. He wanted the McCain housing gaffe to gain momentum, so it was a last-minute choice, which I think was probably the right one considering the McCain thing has now taken off. One can only hope he picks someone like Mitt Romney who’s got a ton of houses..
By the way, what do you mean by “plagiarism scandal surfaces”? This has been news for YEARS.
W
August 27th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Personally, I find Cindy McCain’s history as a thieving junkie a bigger concern than Biden’s college record. Which, now that I think about it, was better than McCain’s.
My father was a POW who died in service to his country. McCain POW whining insults the memory of Vets like my Dad.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Lisa W
So I guess McCain should just off himself in order to live up to your standards of patriotism ?
Addiction is a disease that you obviously know nothing about.
Being a victim of disease is a far cry from deliberate theft.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
The Biden-Kinnock scandal was completely overblown. The reality is that Biden crediting Kinnock for those lines on a number of different occasions, but got filmed one time using them without credit.
I know I know I know….I keep making the mistake of thinking that facts matter to folks like Mikey.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I find Cindy McCain’s history as a thieving junkie
When is the press going to catch on to the story that Cindy McCain stole drugs from a charity?
Could you imagine how the GOP (and our friends here at RWP) would react if there was a similar story in the closet of Michelle Obama?
You know, for all the charges of “left wing media bias” the reality is that most folks don’t know that John McCain cheated on his crippled wife, ultimately leaving her for a wealthy woman 19 years his junior who stole drugs from a charity to fuel her addiction.
If the media was doing its job, this would be common knowledge. Maybe they’re saving it for October?
August 27th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
At least I dont lie and make sh*t up like you do Bob.
And I dont decieve by omission either.
You seem to of left out Biden copying someone elses law review. Did he present credit to anyone on that ?
And it would be nice if you actually elaborated on what facts you’re talking about
August 27th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
“When is the press going to catch on to the story that Cindy McCain stole drugs from a charity?”
When is the lib media going to congratulate her for beating her addiction ?
Libs are all about treatment and not locking up innocent users who are victims of addiction.
They call for more treatment and less jail time.
Well, should they not offer the same sentiments to Cindy ?
No ! Now she’s a thieving junkie who should be ostracized from society.
You guys are such hypocrites
August 27th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
lisab… lmao!
no i am not a trekkie. no intervention necessary!
August 27th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Kate - I think Lisa’s concern about you was touching though.
Lisa - you have a very good point about the phallic imagery. How could we have missed that. You have a good eye for … phallic stuff.
Generally the phallic image is used to represent power. Its also a good marketing tool (look at how many perfume bottles have phallic shapes).
Then again, it could just be about making up for shortcomings in his life.
August 28th, 2008 at 6:54 am
Hey, a couple of those green alien babes gave me my first woody.
Yea , I know, but I was a late bloomer
August 29th, 2008 at 10:32 am
[...] are scared that the GOP were smart enough to pick a woman VP candidate instead of a racist old lying thug dog, like they [...]
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:42 pm
[...] Right Pundits haz comments Filed under: politics by — Dave @ 6:37 pm [...]
September 5th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
The difference is that McCain has fessed up to all of his mistakes. Biden and Obama keep trying to deny and hide. The coverup is always ten time worse than the crime.
September 9th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
When Joe Biden ran for President a news program aired a whole series of his speeches that were plagiarized. In one clip he even used the famous Kennedy line “Ask not what your Country can do for you..”. As I recall, it was very embarrassing. The man is very blustery but not a heavy thinker. The news media coined a phrase to discribe Herbert Hoover’s mannerisms… “bloviate” and it fits Joe Biden well.