McCain Campaign Rips off My Idea on President's Questions

[stevenleser]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_steven_l_080515_mccain_campaign_rips.htm
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May 15, 2008

McCain Campaign Rips off My Idea on President's Questions

By Steven Leser


On June 24 2007, I wrote this article http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_steven_l_070624_it_is_time_for_presi.htm "It is time for President's Questions" and I included the idea that "We need to adopt this kind of accountability here in the United States."

According to the BBC, John McCain said "exchanges such as those in the British House of Commons were a way of holding leaders accountable... "I will ask Congress to grant me the privilege of coming before both houses to take questions, and address criticism, much the same as the prime minister of Great Britain appears regularly before the House of Commons."

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Obviously, I think it is a great idea but suddenly seeing it raised as this great idea McCain and his campaign came up with is curious. I don't write for a top tiered news organization like the New York Times or Washington Post or Miami Herald and I know it is possible for more than one person to come up with the same idea at the same time. However, when people seem to come up with the same idea and then phrase their justification of the idea almost exactly the same way and then do not give any sort of nod as to where they got the idea, that is irksome.

I am pretty sure I know how and why this happened. McCain is looking for ways to distinguish himself from Bush and has, I am sure, directed his campaign staff to come up with ways that this can be done without offending the Conservative base. Some staffer came across my article and said to themselves, this guy is a nobody from nowheresville so we can just take the idea and tout it as our own. It doesnt interfere with any aspect of the Conservative agenda so its different without being risky.

This isn't the first time this has happened where the coincidences are too many and too obvious to ignore, but it certainly is the highest profile example. I only hope that word gets out there that this great idea that McCain and his staff supposedly came up with was stolen from an Obama supporter.

[rurallib]

1. figure that was an empty promise by Mac

too bad we'll never find out. Because he will lose by such a HUGE margin.

[anigbrowl]

2. No offense, but you're far from the first person to think of it

Having lived in the UK for 10 years, I've often advocated the idea, and heard it advocated by many more well-known people than either of us.

[stevenleser]

3. I'm not asserting that I am the first.

But I am asserting that given the way the justification was phrased, there is a high probability that the McCain campaign got the idea from me.