Obama Plagiarism Charge Motivated by Snub?

We've managed to discover the motivation behind presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's communications director Howard Wolfson's accusation Barack Obama plagiarized the words of Governor Deval Patrick.

It turns out Patrick was at one time an appointee of Bill Clinton, and President Bill Clinton supported Patrick for Governor of Massachusetts two years ago.

Look at the date on the Patrick "Just Words" video clip. October 15, 2006. The You Tube clip is available on many websites.

Just Words

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvaOkxbM9dY

Side by Side video Patrick and Obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M6x1H08aFc

Quote:
by Deval Patrick
"Her dismissive point, and I hear it a lot from her staff, is all I have to offer is words. Just words. 'We holds these truths to be self-evident -- that all men are created equal' -- just words. Just words.'We have nothing to fear but fear itself' -- just words.' Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country -- just words. 'I have a dream' -- just words."

Quote:
by Barack Obama
"Don't tell me words don't matter. 'I have a dream' -- just words. 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal' -- just words. 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself' - just words. Just speeches. It’s true that speeches don’t solve all problems, but what is also true is if we cannot inspire the country to believe again then it doesn’t matter how many policies and plans we have and that is why I am running for president of the United States of America and that is why we just won eight elections straight, because the American people want to believe in change again. Don’t tell me words don’t matter.”

Now look at the date of the Globe article "A hushed Clinton speaks proudly of Patrick." October 17, 2006

A hushed Clinton speaks proudly of Patrick
Says the electorate wants to be lifted up
By Lisa Wangsness, Globe Staff October 17, 2006

http://www.boston.com/news/local/politics/candidates/articles/2006/10/17/a_hushed_clinton_speaks_proudly_of_patrick/

That's right, Bill Clinton supported Deval Patrick, big time, for Governor of Massachusetts. It's unclear when Bill Clinton heard Patrick's "Just Words" comments. On the O'Reilly Factor tonight, O'Reilly showed a clip wherein Patrick makes the remarks. Bill Clinton is standing on the stage and to the side of Patrick.

However, the Globe article is dated October 17, 2006, and references Clinton's appearance with Patrick, the day before.

Some background on Deval Patrick

Deval Patrick Wins Governor's Race
Nov. 8, 2006
Before seeking the governor spot, the Democrat ran the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division under President Clinton, who made an appearance for Patrick's campaign in October. During a speech at the Westin Copley in Boston, Clinton said...

http://wbztv.com/topstories/Deval.Patrick.Massachusetts.2.582878.html

Gov. Deval Patrick, Clinton Alumnus, Endorses Obama
He was Bill's special project for Hillary's campaign
by Steve Kornacki | October 17, 2007

http://www.observer.com/2007/bucking-clinton-trend-patrick-goes-obama

Even though O'Reilly showed the Patrick/Bill Clinton segment before he interviewed his guest, Carl Rove, Rove said nothing about Clinton and Patrick together when Patrick made the comments.

Carl Rove said Obama should have given the credit to the Governor. Plagiarism is the laziness of a very smart mind... he thinks he can get away without doing his homework... he does this on television in a Tim Russert interview, says Rove.

Looks like Rove is favoring a Clinton win. That's often been cited by Republicans as a reason the conservative base will turn out to vote in masses for any conservative candidate in the General Election - to beat Hillary Clinton.

We'd been searching for more information about the Bill Clinton and Deval Patrick connection since the O'Reilly clip and had initially entitled our piece entirely differently, to reflect a connection between Patrick and Obama in the form of Dan Axelrod. Who knew? The name sounded different, too, so it was interesting to search along those lines. Until the O'Reilly Factor clip of Bill Clinton and Patrick.

Talk about a red-faced Bill Clinton. Not only must former President Bill Clinton be steaming from Patrick's '07 endorsement of Barack Obama, Clinton now hears Patrick's words echoed by Barack Obama - still ringing in his ears. Of course, Bill can't make the charge Obama plagiarized, but someone else must.

It all apparently started with an article in the New York Times

New York Times
An Obama Refrain Bears Echoes of a Governor’s Speeches
Senator Barack Obama speaking in Wisconsin on Saturday night. In the speech, Mr. Obama used phrases similar to those employed by Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts in his 2006 race.
By JEFF ZELENY
February 18, 2008

The similarities from a passage of Mr. Obama’s speech on Saturday and in remarks that Mr. Patrick delivered on Oct. 15, 2006, were highlighted by a rival campaign that did not want to be identified...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/us/politics/18video.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1203389137-TVfwUeo1zI+r9gpZwywazQ

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/us/politics/18video.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1203432292-CWP/0/yWDC4rFWklx0Yb1g

The New York times obviously didn't reveal the source of the rival campaign - well it doesn't take a rocket scientist when the Hillary Clinton campaign's spokesman charges plagiarism.

Clinton Hits Obama for Borrowing 'Just Words' Mon Feb 18, 2:46 PM ET
The Nation -- The Hillary Clinton campaign is scrambling, hard, to pitch the story of the two speeches.

When The New York Times revealed this morning that Barack Obama had borrowed extensively from a speech by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to develop the soaring rhetoric of his recent addresses defending the politics of hope, the story was sourced only to "a rival campaign."

But now Congressman Jim McGovern, a Clinton backer from Massachusetts, and the Clinton campaign's communications director, Howard Wolfson, are out peddling the comparison in conference calls and interviews.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080218/cm_thenation/45286710

Maybe the Clinton's were thinking they could divert attention to the Republicans and a "vast right wing conspiracy" (Hillary Clinton 1992?) should things backfire? And who knows, Carl Rove may be involved... as on the O'Reilly Factor, Rove says "pure and simple" Obama plagiarized Deval Patrick.

Did Obama plagiarize? Clinton team says yes
by Frank James and John McCormickUpdated and expanded at 1:43 pm

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/02/did_obama_plagiarize_clinton_t.html

Clinton aide accuses Obama of plagiarism
By: Mike Allen Feb 18, 2008 12:03 PM EST

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8570.html

Now that's what's going around most of the internet postings - the "ugly" words - plagiarism and plagiarist.

Obama lifts quotes from Deval Patrick
February 18, 2008
BY LYNN SWEET

Howard Wolfson, Sen. Clinton's communication director, sought to kick the stool out from under Obama.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/800015,obama021808.article

Based on a couple of words used in conjunction with famous quotes from the Declaration of Independence, and Martin Luther King. "Just Words."

There's an entire book published with the title: JUST WORDS

Even though, the original article in the NYTimes notes

David Axelrod, the chief strategist for Mr. Obama who also advised Mr. Patrick, said Sunday that Mr. Obama adapted the words from Mr. Patrick. Mr. Axelrod said that he did not write the words for either candidate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/us/politics/18video.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1203389137-TVfwUeo1zI+r9gpZwywazQ

A few sites mention that Barack Obama and Deval Patrick share the same idea-person...

18.02.2008
Does Any Candidate Not Plagiarize?

Both Obama and Patrick point out that they're good friends who share a lot of ideas. I suspect that's sort of right--but that the more precise connection is David Axelrod, who had a hand in polishing both men's words.

http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_stump/archive/2008/02/18/does-any-candidate-not-plagiarize.aspx

Note in the New York Times article, Axelrod claims he did not write the words for either candidate.

What's fascinating about the entire situation? The news media has been running with the charge of plagiarism angle virtually all day long. Most headlines reflect the following. Barack Obama lifts some lines... The online public can compare videos, but will the print-media public compare the details of both men's remarks?

Sweet: Barack Obama lifts some lines from Deval Patrick speech. Video comparison.

WASHINGTON--Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama lifts some lines from Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick when he defended himself Saturday night about being an inspirational speaker who may have more sizzle than steak. In doing so, he borrowed a riff from Patrick (a native Chicago South Sider) who shares with Obama a key strategist, David Axelrod...

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/02/sweet_barack_obama_lifts_some.html

Obama as well indicates...

Clinton, Obama Camp Exchange War of ‘Just Words’
by FOXNews.com
Monday, February 18, 2008
...Some critics leaped to accuse Obama of “plagiarism,” and on Monday the candidate said he should have given Patrick credit for the speech. But he added that the governor is a longtime friend and adviser whose speech techniques are something the two men share.

“Look, I was on the stump and he had suggested we use these lines. I thought they were good lines,” Obama said during a tour of a titanium plant in Ohio. Asked if he should have given Patrick credit, Obama said: “I’m sure I should have. Didn’t this time.”

http://youdecide08.foxnews.com/2008/02/18/clinton-obama-camp-exchange-war-of-just-words/

What Deval Patrick said:

Similar Obama, Patrick speeches scrutinized CNN Politics

...Responding to attacks from Democratic rival Sen. Hillary Clinton that he offers words while she offers action, Obama has been arguing that words matter.

Saturday night at a gala for the Wisconsin Democratic Party, Obama said to frequent applause, "Don't tell me words don't matter! 'I have a dream.' Just words. 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' Just words. 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself.' Just words, just speeches!"

In 2006, Patrick, fending off attacks from his rival Kerry Healey, told a crowd, "Her dismissive point, and I hear it a lot from her staff, is all I have to offer is words. Just words. 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal' -- just words. Just words. 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself' -- just words. 'Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country' -- just words. 'I have a dream' -- just words."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/18/obama.patrick/

Obama responded, by saying to the Wisconsin Democrats:

“Don’t tell me words don’t matter! ‘I have a dream.’ Just words. ‘We hold these truths to be self evident that all me are created equal.’ Just words. ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ Just words. Just speeches. It’s true that speeches don’t solve all problems, but what is also true is if we cannot inspire the country to believe again then it doesn’t matter how many policies and plans we have and that is why I am running for president of the United States of America and that is why we just won eight elections straight, because the American people want to believe in change again. Don’t tell me words don’t matter.”

(whosaidthat.somebodybeforeme)

Notice, Obama actually adds "Just speeches," so doesn't that alter the original: "Just words," that Patrick used when he quoted without giving attribution to the Declaration of Independence, JFK, FDR, and MLK?

Do we have to credit Howard Dean when we might speak publicly and tell about our upcoming "dream" trips ... "Not only are we going to New Hampshire," "We're going to South Carolina and Oklahoma and Arizona and North Dakota and New Mexico, and we're going to California and Texas and New York. And we're going to South Dakota and Oregon and Washington and Michigan. And then we're going to Washington, D.C., (to take a look at the White House.) YELL

... to take back the White House. Look who points out who all said that recently.

The Wolfson Plagiarism Attack Is Ridiculous Posted February 18, 2008 Bob Cesca

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/the-wolfson-plagiarism-at_b_87209.html

... yee-haw! We think we'll be ending comments a lot with the yee-haw without giving credit to Dean or the urban dictionary when Hillary Clinton sheds tears after losing Hawaii, and Wisconson, and Ohio, and still has to hug her hubby in public... shiver and yee-haw, shiver.

If this is all that Clinton and her stiroggates (our word) can come up with, she'll need more than a village to rescue her campaign "dream." Oops better take care and not say "I have a dream" and pause too long...

I have a dream, it goes like this...

Yell in Iowa may haunt Dean camp

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/01/21/yell_in_iowa_may_haunt_dean_camp/

Yelling plagiarism in Wisconsin may haunt you in Wisconsin and Ohio. With Carl Rove on your side, though, and the mainstream media and guests continuing the refrain, Obama lifted words, the smear campaign slithers along.

At least Tanya Acker Democrat Strategist on the Factor says she doesn't think it was plagiarism.

Margaret Hoover on the other hand seems to agree with Rove. Go figure. Maybe they both want Hillary Clinton as the Democrat nominee.

Tonight, CNN's Wolf Blitzer interviewed Peter Fenn, Democratic Strategist... who said Obama's speech is word for word the Deval speech.

The following doesn't include the entire passage as Obama added: Just speeches?

Obama Rejects Clinton Aide Allegation He Lifted Words (Update1)
By Kim Chipman and Karen Leigh Feb. 18, 2008

...Still, when pressed on the matter, Obama said he should have credited Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick in comments he made Feb. 16 in Milwaukee. In that speech, Obama gave an impassioned rebuttal to Clinton's suggestion that he's a gifted orator without substance. The most dramatic part of his address -- ``Don't tell me words don't matter. `I have a dream.' Just words?'' -- echoed remarks made last year by Patrick.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=azEtKbUprbqY&refer=politics

Didn't any of these people read a complete transcript of the pertinent segment of Obama's speech and compare that to Patrick's remarks? Word for word? Hardly.

All Barack Obama said was what?

Look at the Obama chronology and compare that to the Deval Patrick chronology. Different. (Posted that around 5:45 PM) Just came across this analysis, 6:15 PM, includes video:

February 18, 2008 Patrick's Campaign Rhetoric Shows Up in Obama Speech

...Patrick used similar language, only he used the famous lines from JFK, MLK, and the Declaration of Independence in a different order,...

http://bostonist.com/2008/02/18/patricks_campai.php

Hey, somebody else out there actually reads closely.

Now everybody is going to scour Obama's speeches for plagiarism? All because Deval Patrick didn't feel that indebted to former President Bill Clinton to support his wife, Hillary Clinton for President of the United States in 2008?

Meanwhile, Deval Patrick reveals...

Democrats Hold Heated Exchange in War of 'Just Words'
Monday, February 18, 2008

In a telephone interview on Sunday, Patrick told The New York Times that he and Obama discussed attacks by their respective rivals last summer and again last week. He said he advised Obama how to get around Clinton's criticism about his speechmaking, but didn't want credit for the counterpunch.

"Who knows who I am? The point is more important than whose argument it is,” Patrick told The New York Times. "It’s a transcendent argument."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,331102,00.html

Answer to question: Did Obama plagiarize? No. Obama didn't plagiarize Deval Patrick. He didn't use the same exact wording, he added "Just speeches?" to "Just words." And my goodness how many times is George W. Bush plagiarized when people say nuke-u-lar instead of nuclear.

Finally, the key word in the Patrick revelation (from the New York Times,) is "counterpunch."

Fox News Clinton, Obama Camp Exchange War of ‘Just Words’ Patrick said he advised Obama of "counterpunch" tactic, but didn't want the credit.

In a telephone interview on Sunday, Patrick told The New York Times that he and Obama discussed attacks by their respective rivals last summer and again last week. He said he advised Obama how to get around Clinton’s criticism about his speechmaking, but didn’t want credit for the counterpunch.

“Who knows who I am? The point is more important than whose argument it is,” Patrick told The New York Times. “It’s a transcendent argument.”

http://youdecide08.foxnews.com/2008/02/18/clinton-obama-camp-exchange-war-of-just-words/

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/us/politics/18video.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1203389137-TVfwUeo1zI+r9gpZwywazQ

So Patrick gave Obama advice that goes like this: use the forefathers of our country, use the Declaration of Independence, use JFK, use FDR, and I don't have to tell you, use MLK, too. Hell, I did, and it worked for me. Look where you're going, to take back the White House. He may have blurted a yee-haw. (Inside joke).

Comment by Phil Murray February 18th, 2008 at 5:00 pm is right on the money.

Read the Huffington Post comments to the Bob Cesca article, just awe-shucks-whish-I'd-thought-of-that inspiring...

Too bad, Lou Dobbs Tonight presents nothing about Deval Patrick's own explanations as captured in a mere handful of articles. Neither does the usually astute Dobbs discover former President Bill Clinton supported Deval Patrick for Governor of Massachusetts and this is how Patrick repays him - by supporting Barack Obama.

Controversy Over Michelle Obama's Statements
Aired February 18, 2008
Senator Clinton's campaign today accusing Senator Obama of plagiarism. The Clinton campaign saying Obama quote, "lifted rhetoric, as they put it, from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. Senator Obama acknowledged using some of Patrick's phrases, but he tried to play down the significance.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0802/18/ldt.01.html

"Accusations of plagiarism," continues Dobbs. "Back in a moment."

Former President Bill Clinton and Patrick were buddy buddy.

President Bill Clinton and Deval Patrick together again
by Paul Brountas Jr
President Bill Clinton is coming to Boston to stand with and support Deval Patrick on Monday October 16th. (2006)

President Clinton and Deval will appear together to celebrate Deval’s candidacy for Governor at the Westin Copley Place Hotel at 5:00 PM.

https://secure.devalpatrick.com/page/clinton

New Star Among the Democrats
By David S. Broder
Thursday, October 5, 2006

...In 1994 President Bill Clinton named Patrick to head the Justice Department's civil rights division...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/04/AR2006100401540.html

We've found the underpinning for the reason the Patrick and Obama comparisons were made in the first place. Pure political jealousy.

Meanwhile, if at first you don't succeed, cry, cry, cry again. We said that, not Rove.

(Net the Truth Online)

February 18th, 2008 1:58 PM Eastern
He Said, He Said: Did Obama Plagiarize Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick?
by Bonney Kapp
Barack Obama launched some new lines at his Milwaukee Founder’s Day Dinner Saturday when responding to Senator Clinton’s claims that he is all talk and cannot produce results with flowery prose.

Here’s what he told the Wisconsin Dems:

“Don’t tell me words don’t matter! ‘I have a dream.’ Just words. ‘We hold these truths to be self evident that all me are created equal.’ Just words. ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ Just words. Just speeches. It’s true that speeches don’t solve all problems, but what is also true is if we cannot inspire the country to believe again then it doesn’t matter how many policies and plans we have and that is why I am running for president of the United States of America and that is why we just won eight elections straight, because the American people want to believe in change again. Don’t tell me words don’t matter.”

The problem - as pointed out by the Clinton camp - this is not prose penned by Senator Obama.

Take a look here to see Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick say nearly the same thing back in October of 2006 when he was running for office. The two politicians are friends - Patrick has accompanied Obama on the campaign trail before and, according to news sources, Patrick has since gone on the record via statement, defending Obama.

http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/02/18/he-said-he-said-did-obama-plagiarize-mass-gov-deval-patrick/

February 18, 2008 11:54
Slinging Cheese Curds
Posted by Jay Newton-Small

(Case in point: I missed a simultaneous Clinton call this ayem that accused Obama of plagiarizing his rhetoric from Massachusetts Governor (and fellow Axelrod client) Deval Patrick, which the Obama folks countered with examples of Hillary copying Obama's signature "Fired Up! and Ready to Go!")

http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/02/slinging_cheese_curds.html

Clinton aide accuses Obama of plagiarism

By: Mike Allen
Feb 18, 2008 12:03 PM EST

Howard Wolfson, the Clinton campaign's communications director, today accused Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) of committing “plagiarism” in a speech in Milwaukee on Saturday night.

Wolfson made the explosive charge in an interview with Politico after suggesting as much in a conference call with reporters.

On the call, Wolfson said: “Sen. Obama is running on the strength of his rhetoric and the strength of his promises and, as we have seen in the last couple of days, he’s breaking his promises and his rhetoric isn’t his own.”

"When an author plagiarizes from another author there is damage done to two different parties. One is to the person he plagiarized from. The other is to the reader," said Wolfson.

Obama closely echoed a passage from a speech that Deval Patrick, now the Massachusetts governor, used at a campaign rally when he was running for that office in 2006.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8570.html

Articles and comments from The Memeorandum

http://www.memeorandum.com/080218/p64#a080218p64

Discussion of interest

http://www.the-idler.com/IDLER-02/1-23.html

Related

Gov. Deval Patrick in Manchester, NH
By Eddie Lee, Obama Staff - Jan 5th, 2008 at 9:01 pm EST

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/eddielee/CC4M

Hillary's Husband Plagiarized, Too - Monday, February 18, 2008 @ 4:00:12 PM Posted By: Quin Hillyer

This whole "controversy" over Obama using some of Deval Patrick's words and phrases without attribution (but with Patrick's consent) is a big kerfuffle created out of cotton candy. Politicians repeat others' words and phrases all the time. The word "plagiariam" refers to use without attribution of whole passages in formal, written works (or, if in speeches, only in formal speeches that pretend to originality).

But here's the rub: Nobody, and I mean nobody, is more adept at stealing good, clever political language than is Hillary's husband, Angry Bill. I know, because he stole several phrases that my then-boss Bob Livingston and I came up with in the early and mid-1990s...

http://www.spectator.org/blogger.asp?BlogID=11592

yee-haw

Dean Rallies Supporters after third-place finish
Former Iowa front-runner: 'We've got a 50-state organization'
Tuesday, January 20, 2004

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/01/20/elec04.prez.dean/index.html