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RULES OF ATTRIBUTION FOR THEE...
I'm with Cernig on the Clinton campaign's "plagiarism" charge against Obama: I think they take at least as big a hit on this as he does. TPM has more, and points us to this from Jake Tapper:
In a conference call just now the Clinton campaign would not guarantee that Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, has never used someone else's rhetoric without crediting them.I asked Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson and Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass, if they could assure the public that neither Clinton nor McGovern has ever done what Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, did when he used the rhetoric of Gov. Deval Patrick without footnoting him.
They would not.
In fact, Wolfson seemed to say it wouldn't be as big a deal if it were discovered that Clinton had "lifted" such language.
"Sen. Clinton is not running on the strength of her rhetoric," Wolfson said.
That's some quick thinking, Howie.
--Matthew Duss
COMMENTS (7)
Holy crap is the HRC campaign desperate. It's time to throw whatever they got at the wall and see if anything sticks.
The numbers from Wisconsin (and TX and OH) must be looking pretty bleak.
Posted by: bucky | February 18, 2008 6:22 PM
Too funny.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 18, 2008 7:35 PM
The real problem is the Obama campaign is a newer version of the Patrick 06 campaign which relied heavily on the Obama 04 campaign which was beta tested as the Edwards 04 campaign.
Hope and change are what Axelrod does. The Boston Phoenix analyzed the similarities and had this to say, "Still, there’s that authenticity problem. Obama’s message is undeniably powerful. But that power diminishes a bit when you realize it isn’t his alone. Whether, after this realization becomes widespread, it will still pack enough political punch to get him to the White House is an open question.
Posted by: empty | February 18, 2008 8:54 PM
People are just so blinded by dislike for the Clinton campaign they miss what is going on. The point is Obama is strongest when he gives speeches. He moves people. If it can be painted that he's really just saying other people's stuff (no matter that speech writers you know exist) that can tarnish him.
Posted by: Rob | February 18, 2008 9:19 PM
It's a problem if Obama is doing it. Not a problem if HRC is doing it.
Yep, that's pretty persuasive stuff there. A real winner.
Press the button, Frank. . . .
Posted by: bucky | February 18, 2008 10:43 PM
The real problem is the Obama campaign is a newer version of the Patrick 06 campaign which relied heavily on the Obama 04 campaign which was beta tested as the Edwards 04 campaign.
That's exactly right. Now it's out that Deval Patrick said he'd talked to Obama "over the summer" and said he could use some of his phrases, but it turns out Obama was using them last spring.
At some point, TV reports (as opposed to print journalism) are going to mention that they have the same speechwriter, and that's where the damage could get serious.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 19, 2008 1:36 PM
Part of Hillary's appeal is supposed to be that she's a fighter. It may be time to ask whether she's an effective fighter. So far her (and Bill's) attacks on Obama have hurt them worse than they hurt Obama. Reminds me of one of those sports blooper films of the boxer who charged into the ring so excited and flailing about that he wound up knocking himself out.
Posted by: Geoff G | February 19, 2008 4:12 PM