Sherrod Brown's Alito letter lifted from blogger

[IndianaGreen]

After what Schumer and Reid did to Paul Hackett, what else could go wrong? How about Sherrod Brown doing the same thing that Joe Biden did, plagiarism!

Brown's Alito letter lifted from blogger

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Stephen Koff
Plain Dealer Bureau Chief
Washington

-- Rep. Sherrod Brown wrote to Sen. Mike DeWine last Friday, voicing concern about Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito's labor record.

Brown's language was crisp -- and was plagiarized.

Roughly 90 percent of what Brown, an Avon Democrat, wrote in his letter was lifted from an Internet posting by a blogger, as Brown's office acknowledged Monday when The Plain Dealer presented the similarities.

Brown had not credited the blogger, Nathan Newman of NathanNewman.org, or any other source.

For instance, Newman, an attorney and labor and community activist, posted this on his blog Nov. 1: "What is striking about Alito is that he is so hostile even to the basic rights of workers to have a day in court, much less interpreting the law in their favor."

Brown's letter merely changed the last clause so the sentence read, "What is striking about Alito is that he is so hostile even to the basic rights of workers to have a day in court, not to mention interpreting the law against them."

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1131445870289970.xml&coll=2

[jackbourassa]

1. So what? You want to destroy Brown...

...because Hackett isn't in the race?

[IndianaGreen]

5. The story is posted at another progressive site

so if the progressives can find that story, so can the repukes.

The Plain Dealer is the largest newspaper in Cleveland, so they all know about this.

[zbdent]

25. Does the "progressive" site have anything about where

the original author says that, despite using the letter originally without permission or credit, he's just fine with Brown using it?

I remember that was mentioned in a followup to the original story . . .

[IndianaGreen]

39. Plagiarism is plagiarism

and where I am sitting at, if I plagiarize I would be subjected to university disciplinary action.

[zbdent]

41. Too bad that doesn't apply in politics

I mean, where would the GOP be if they didn't plagirize everything and had to depend on an individual original thought? They'd be out of business . . .

[lyonn]

10. Maybe the question is what really happen to Hackett

The Democrats are desperate to take over at least one house in Congress. If the powers that be in Washington make the decisions for the people rather than letting the people decide who their candidate is we will once again be in big trouble. It looks like it is happening again. Kerry, in my opinion, was not America's favorite. The power boys figured it out for us. So much for what so many on the internet believe. Hey, I'm not a far left leaning Dem. but I darn sure am not a right leaning Dem. Having once been a died in the wool Repub. this whole Democratic scene is real disturbing.

[jackbourassa]

44. Hackett was going to lose the nomination

He significantly trailed in money (10-1) - this was before the party allegedly asked his donors to stop supporting him. He significantly trailed in support (2-1). These "powers" looked at reality and hoped to get Hackett to run for the Congress. They asked him to drop out because they DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE HIM.

Washington insiders didn't force Hackett to do anything. Hackett made the decision to leave himself. He made that decision to leave because he knew he was going to lose the primary. Instead of being a man about it and accepting that he didn't really run a great campaign (he was booed at all of his past few appearances), now he wants to play the victim. Brown is a far more progressive candidate than Hackett ever was. He's done more for the poor that Hackett. You make it seem like he is DLC or something. What Hackett did was such BS. Blaming the demise of his candidacy on others because he can't accept responsibility for himself.

Don't turn this into something it's not.

[redqueen]

2. Well this all seems to be according to plan.

First the situation supsiciously becomes a national story.

Now the trashing...

[jmaier]

3. While it is Brown's letter

and hence his responsibility. The odds are excellent that this was penned by a staffer and that Brown perused and signed without any clue as to the origination of the content.

[RaleighNCDUer]

11. And besides that, it shows he shares that viewpoint.

Plaigarism is the sincerest form of flattery.

Unless he was making a public statement and claiming it to be his own, I don't think it is anything more than a statement of his position.

This was in a letter to DeWine. It was not a 'publication' per se, so can it really be considered plaigarism?

[Pirate Smile]

4. Yes, I remember the dust up. Here is some more info

Blog plagiarism
by kos
Tue Nov 08, 2005 at 10:26:21 AM PDT

Some dumbass reporter (Stephen Koff, [e-mail], 216-999-4212) accuses the Sherrod Brown campaign of plagiarizing Nathan Newman's research on Alito's labor record. Reporter completely ignores the substance of Nathan's research (Alito's anti-labor record). Nathan tells the dumbass reporter that he's an idiot.

While some bloggers obsess over copyright and getting "credit" and shit like that, most of us are simply happy when our ideas and arguments gain wider currency. Nathan, a labor blogger, was probably quite happy to hear that Brown was using his research on Alito to hold DeWine accountable on the Alito nomination. For some reporter to make an issue out of it, when the so-called victim didn't have a problem with it, is bizarre.

As Nathan notes, "Did the Plain Dealer do an indepth analysis of Alito's labor record in response? No, they created a bullshit meta-story that was of such supposed breaking news value that they couldn't wait for me to get back from my mini-honeymoon to get my reaction."

For the record, the copyright notice at the bottom of this page basically gives permission to Brown and anyone else to use whatever they want from the site: "Site content may be used for any purpose without explicit permission unless otherwise specified." Note that I don't use a license that requires attribution nor any other type of citation. As long as diarists don't assert ownership of their content, it's public domain.

So campaigns like Brown's can use it without permission, attribution, or whatever. In a war of ideas, nothing can help the cause more than a free and unfettered flow of ideas.

(And while we're on the subject, here's Nathan's great post on Alito's labor record.)

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/11/8/122621/135

I take it we are trying to help Dewine win now. :eyes:

[IndianaGreen]

6. Schumer and Reid wanted De Wine to win!

They also shit on the Ohio primary voters!

[Pirate Smile]

8. Right. Schumer and Reid want the Republican to win. Give me a

friggin break!

[IndianaGreen]

13. They don't want anyone that would challenge the status quo

Haven't you heard their silence on Bush's law breaking?

They would have done the same thing to John Conyers if he ran for Senate!

[cali]

28. Oh, sure.

That must be why they're support Bernie Sanders, outspoken critic of busco and Socialist, for the Senate. Please explain that to me.

[IndianaGreen]

33. They tolerate Sanders and they might do a Hackett job on Ned Lamont

to save Lieberman's ass.

Edited thanks to another DUer.

[cali]

36. That's Lamont, not Levine and

the DSC does far more than tolerate Bernie. They didn't try and recruit anyone for the Senate, and they're enthusiastically backing him. To date, I believe they've been silent on Lamont.

[IndianaGreen]

38. Thanks, I changed it!

http://nedlamont.com/

[ticapnews]

37. It isn't that he is a critic of BushCo...

It's that Hackett was critical of THEM. He said he wasn't going to back down from his comments about religious fundamentalists "like too many Democrats have in the past." He was talking about them. And they didn't like it.

[ticapnews]

21. They would rather have DeWine than Hackett...

Hackett was a threat. He had already fired a shot at Reid, Schumer and friends by declaring that he was going to stand by his comments comparing the fundamentalist Christian fascists to Osama bin Laden. In his statement he said he wasn't going to back down like too many Democrats have in the past.

Reid et al are quite happy with the status quo. They get to collect Bill Frist's table scraps and keep that precious powder dry, just in case something comes along that they actually feel like fighting. Hackett would have wanted to do something stupid, like fight now, and that simply cannot be allowed.

I have no doubt that the Democrats in charge want Brown to win in November, but they'd rather be stuck with DeWine than risk bringing Hackett to Washington...

[atreides1]

14. Unfortunately

The Repuke allies within the media will not bother to point out what is stated at the site, about the use of its content, nor will they quote Mr. Newman's response to the story.

What they will do is paint a picture of how Mr Brown took someone else's words and pretended they were his own.

[Punkingal]

7. I wonder how many people here remember Biden's plagiarism...

It caused him to drop out of the Presidential primaries in 1988.

[IndianaGreen]

9. I remember Biden's plagiarism, it was lifted from a Neil Kinnock speech

We do have many Anglophobes in here!

[dsc]

45. It wasn't just that he plagerized

but what he plagerized. He claimed Kinnock's life story as his own so he pretty much lied. Brown too research to back up a point of view he already had. That is very different.

[liberal N proud]

12. Do you want the republicans to stay in power for ever?

Hackett dropped out, NOW, lets win the damned Congress back from them assholes and stop infighting


This is the exact reason the repukes ever win an election, The Dems fight over one decision and destroy their own with a little help from the repukes.

[IndianaGreen]

15. Ask Schumer and Reid that question!

They are the ones responsible for this mess.

[LynneSin]

17. Geez, I guess you want wimps who can't say "NO" in DC

Hackett is an appropriate last name because he couldn't HACK IT!!!

He wimped out

And now the poor Ohios are stuck voting for someone even supported by the PDA.

What a shame

:eyes:

[IndianaGreen]

20. I rather have voters choose, than a party hack

We have seen this shit happening far too many times in the past, in both parties!

[liberal N proud]

23. It is a good decision because it allows Brown more time to

concentrate on November and not have to fight an primary until May, While Dewine goes unchallenged. Then in May - June time frame the winner of the primary, bloody and broke now has to fight a campaign with a well funded republican mule.

[Cocoa]

16. c'mon IndianaGreen

doing this crap to Sherrod Brown?

[IndianaGreen]

18. He did it to himself

The letter is posted at another progressive website, and the article is from the Plain Dealer.

You should be asking Schumer and Reid why they decided to smear Brown with the underhanded tactics they used to get rid of Hackett.

[OzarkDem]

43. Bullshit

[LynneSin]

19. IG prefers moderates with radical right views on immigration

because god forbid we don't want to have strong candidates who have stellar progressive voting records on choice, war, patriot act, environment and free-trade possibly representing us in DC. No, we should not have that at all. We should have wimps who don't have enough balls to say "no" to people because if they can't say "no" to democrats then you know they'll cave in a heartbeat with the repukes in DC.

[IndianaGreen]

22. No, I prefer Sherrod Brown over Hackett, but I prefer the voters

to make that choice, not some Bush enablers in Washington DC.

[LynneSin]

26. But the DC people did NOT make the choice - Hackett did

Hackett decided he didn't want to deal with it anymore and personally I find that unsuitable for someone I want representing me in DC (which doesn't say a whole lot - I have Biden and Carper).

This type of manuevering happens all the time, either the candidate needs to have courage and fight back or drop out of politics all together. I'm thinking Paul made a wise career choice.

[IndianaGreen]

35. What if Schumer and Reid did the same thing to save Joe Lieberman?

What if Schumer and Reid did the same thing to save Joe Lieberman? Suppose Schumer, Reid, and Emmanuel pulled the same stunt to sabotage Ned Lamont's challenge to Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut primary? When will this shit stop?

What if they did the same thing to sabotage antiwar candidates in '08 and ensure Hillary's nomination?

[IndianaGreen]

40. Looks like they are doing the same thing to save Lieberman!

Check this post from a Connecticut Democrat:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2458941#2459069

[liberal N proud]

24. Why don't the people in Indian concentrate on Indiana

I wouldn't be commenting on candidates in Indiana that I didn't know a lot about.

Let Ohio take care of Ohio.

[LynneSin]

27. To be fair, this affects all of us, even us dems in Delaware!

IG is simply pointing out the realities of what is happening in DC, I won't deny that at all. We just disagree over who is to blame.

My state is pretty solidly blue but I won't donate to candidates until after the primaries because in all reality this is Ohio's problem!

[liberal N proud]

30. Exactly - this is Ohio's issue.

It is just saving both candidates tons of money that can be used to fight Dewine.

Nothing to be sold.

[IndianaGreen]

31. Yes, we do disagree as to who to blame!

:grouphug:

[IndianaGreen]

29. But Schumer and Reid did not "let Ohio take care of Ohio"

and that's what I am bitching about!

They can do the same thing to ram Hillary down our throats in 2008!

[liberal N proud]

32. Address that with them and not drag a viable candidate through

the mud.
We must spend every bit of our efforts on beating the criminals in charge.

[IndianaGreen]

34. It is part of the record

and I it wasn't a secret, or perhaps you prefer the Plain Dealer had never published that story. Bush would rather the press had never published the NSA surveillance story.

[OzarkDem]

42. Swiftboating of Sherrod Brown begins

Why don't you guys go back to Nader and your Republican benefactors?

[IndianaGreen]

46. The only swiftboating here is the one done on Hackett

by our brave Beltway Boys.

[MrBenchley]

47. Sure is "progressive" the way these slurs get tossed out....

By the way, here's Nathan Newman...he sure doesn't seem to give a shit about any supposed plagiarism...

http://nathannewman.org/

[Douglas Carpenter]

48. yes, Mr. Hackett got treated very badly. but Sherrod Brown is a strong

progressive with an overall VERY strong progressive voting record all around.

He is supported by PDA (Progressive Democrats of America) and is a strong member of the Progressive Caucus.

Representative Brown is at least as liberal as Sen. Kennedy or Sen. Feingold

courtesy of vote smart - link:

http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=H3141103&type=category&category=Foreign%2BAid%2Band%2BPolicy%2BIssues&go.x=12&go.y=8


2006 In 2006 Citizens for Global Solutions gave Representative Brown a rating of A.

2005 In 2005 Citizens for Global Solutions gave Representative Brown a rating of A.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Council on American-Islamic Relations 100 percent in 2005.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (WRMEA) 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Peace Action 100 percent in 2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the American Civil Liberties Union 84 percent in 2003-2004.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 96 percent in 2005.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Arab American Institute 50 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the National Council of La Raza 100 percent in 2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Human Rights Campaign 77 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 90 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights 100 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the National Education Association 89 percent in 2003-2004.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Service Employees International Union 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the United Auto Workers 93 percent in 2005.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the American Postal Workers Union 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the AFL-CIO 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the United Auto Workers 93 percent in 2004.

2004 On the votes that the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers considered to be the most important in 2004, Representative Brown voted their preferred position 88 percent of the time.

2004 On the votes that the Service Employees International Union considered to be the most important in 2004, Representative Brown voted their preferred position 100 percent of the time.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Communications Workers of America 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers 100 percent in 2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees 100 percent in 2003-2004.

2003-2004 On the votes that the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers considered to be the most important in 2003-2004, Representative Brown voted their preferred position 100 percent of the time.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Americans for Democratic Action 95 percent in 2004.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the American Wilderness Coalition 100 percent in 2005.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund 100 percent in 2005.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the American Wilderness Coalition 100 percent in 2004.

2004 On the votes that the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance considered to be the most important in 2004, Representative Brown voted their preferred position 100 percent of the time.

2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund 100 percent in 2004.

2003-2004 Representative Brown supported the interests of the League of Conservation Voters 94 percent in 2003-2004.

2004 In 2004 National Organization for Women endorsed Representative Brown.

2005 Representative Brown supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 100 percent in 2005.