Brannon says he reviewed lifted passages, will revise campaign site
Published November 11, 2013
by John Frank, Under the Dome, News and Observer, November 8, 2013.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Greg Brannon is acknowledging his campaign lifted material from Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul’s website.
Brannon’s campaign website includes descriptions of his stance on major policy issues that appear identical to passages on Paul’s 2010 campaign site. It comes as Paul himself faces questions about plagiarism, The New York Times reported Thursday.
In a statement Friday, Brannon said a member of his staff drafted the pages for his website and he signed off. “I reviewed them, agreed with every word, and approved them,” he said. “While I am sorry it was copied, it completely captures my views on the issues.”
Brannon is a first-time political candidate aligned with the tea party. Paul recently endorsed Brannon in a four-way GOP primary that includes House Speaker Thom Tillis, who polls show is the early frontrunner.
Brannon said his campaign would “revise and footnote (the website) to make the source clear.”
But a spokesman did not immediately respond to a question about whether Brannon would take down the identical passages or just attribute them. Other inquiries about how the plagiarism occurred and whether the staffer is still a member of the campaign also went unanswered.
November 11, 2013 at 7:43 am
TP Wohlford says:
So next time a Dem repeats the Reid/Pelosi/DailyKOS talking points... can I yell "plagiarism"? Is this the time to recall the Joe Biden plagiarism scandal?
Of course everyone in DC repeats talking points, uses speech writers, and has consultants do web sites. How many original thinkers do you think we have in DC?
Next issue. Something that actually matters.
November 11, 2013 at 10:14 am
Norm Kelly says:
Geez, this is a MAJOR scandal!! I'm absolutely sure this will completely derail the Brannon campaign. He has proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he is the wrong person to run for elected office.
Of course, that is because he's running as a Republican. If he were running as a Demoncrat someone MIGHT have suggested that his website needed footnotes. But other than that, his website would have been ignored. There certainly wouldn't be any hint that the plagiarist Demoncrat was unfit for office. Actually, the liberal press would be left wondering why the person had to run at all, they should just be placed in office. Or perhaps they would wonder why the person wasn't running for a higher, more prestigious office. Like vice president.
Why would the liberal press hint that simply attributing the information on the website wouldn't be sufficient? Why is it that a conservative can't do what's accepted every where else?!!? Properly footnoting any document with the original source is sufficient everywhere else it's done. Why would this poster/editorialist wonder if the website would 'attribute them' or take them down? Why would it be necessary to take down the words? Because the author is a liberal. And the website belongs to a conservative. Enough said.
And then the author wonders if the person who placed the words on the website is still with the campaign? What an Id-i-o-t! Is it really necessary for a conservative to be fired for something so small? Would the author expect the same treatment on a liberal campaign? What's the authors history on this when it comes to liberals? I wonder if the author has written ANYTHING about liberal plagiarism? If so, was it as demanding of a persons job as this post was/is? Prove it to me, please. I'm willing to be proven wrong. I doubt you can, but please try. Unlike the liberal mind, mine actually is open enough to be proven wrong with facts, not emotions or opinions.
Once the website is properly footnoted, the words attributed appropriately, will we get any feedback from this author hailing the Brannon campaign for doing the right thing?
