Palin Slapped With Plagiarism Charge

Blogger Says Former V.P. Candidate Paraphrased Newt Gingrich Article For Speech

(AP)  Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been accused of paraphrasing at length from an article co-written by Newt Gingrich when she gave a speech, but her lawyer says proper credit was given to the former House speaker.

Blogger Geoffrey Dunn, who is writing a book about the former Republican vice presidential candidate, made the accusation on the Huffington Post Web site.

Dunn compared Palin's speech introducing conservative talk show host Michael Reagan, son of former President Ronald Reagan, to an Anchorage audience Wednesday to the article urging Republicans to study Reagan, written by Gingrich and Craig Shirley in 2005.

"It is abundantly clear in context, and even in subcontext, that the overview of President Reagan's legacy was attributed to Newt Gingrich," Palin's lawyer, Thomas Van Flein, said.

"Far from 'lifting' or plagiary, this is proper attribution in a political speech," Van Flein said. "The audience was made aware that Mr. Gingrich wrote about President Reagan's legacy, and Gov. Palin attributed her paraphrasing to Mr. Gingrich expressly and did so at the beginning and at the end of the paraphrasing."

Palin twice referenced Gingrich during the speech. Toward the beginning, she said, "Recently, Newt Gingrich, he had written a good article about Reagan."

Later, she said, "What Newt had written in this article, he wrote, 'Remember how refreshing it was with his outrageous directness that Americans loved, and praised and deserved' that Reagan dealt with, with then the troublesome Soviet Union, remember this? His vision for the Cold War? We win, they lose."

Dunn examined similarities when comparing Palin's speech to the article.

In one part of her 17-minute introduction of Michael Reagan, Palin said, "We have to remember first that Ronald Reagan never won any arguments in Washington. He won the arguments by resonating with the American people."

Gingrich and Shirley wrote in their article, "Reagan never won an argument in Washington. Reagan won his arguments in the country with the American people ... ."

In another part of the speech, Palin said, "We would do so well to look back on those Reagan years as he championed the cause for freedom and then he lived it out as our president - cheerfully, persistently and unapologetically."

The 2005 article says, "Cheerful persistence rather than easy victories were the keys to Reagan's career."

[monahan]

Palin Slapped With Plagiarism Charge? the headline should be "CBS so pathetic and unable to report any meainful news that we're telling you about some stupid blogger trying to peddle a crap book" This article shows why people with any brains don't look to CBS for news any more.

"Blogger Geoffrey Dunn, who is writing a book about the former Republican vice presidential candidate, made the accusation on the Huffington Post Web site". I mean if somebody posted something on Huffington Post, it must be true, right? Even your own article shows that the idoit's comment is false.

[ladypirate2]

Palin is an IDIOT no matter if this is true or false.

I would love the dirty **** to run 2012
Posted by monet767 at 1:05 PM : Jun 12, 2009

Just one word of warning! I, and other conservatives like me are tired of these slanderous attacks. I'm going to start reporting them to CBS! I don't know who you are but CBS does because they have the info that you submitted when you registered to be able to comment on these comment boards. When I report you I will send them a copy of your message. Hopefully they forward it on to Governor Palin, along with your registry information, so that she can file a lawsuit against you for slander!

[ladypirate2]

Palin is an IDIOT no matter if this is true or false.

I would love the dirty **** to run 2012
Posted by monet767 at 1:05 PM : Jun 12, 2009

You just might get your wish but I don't think you'll like the outcome! I will though!

[wyonajane]

Sense when is it fair game for a guy like David Letterman to make crude and tasteless jokes about under age girls. Obama made it very clear candidate's children are off limits, was that just for the Democrat's children? Palin deserves the same respect that all candidates get no matter what party she is. National TV is giving a lot of attention to a Governor that is not running for any other office. Don't you find that strange. I guess that is because they can't make fun of the current party and don't have any one else to slap around.
We have found out we can do with out CBS.

[Lady_Betty]

I'm a dem and not a Palin fan at all but this is so stupid and misdirected.

[pegw]

I forgot to ask the people of CBS that if personal attacks are prohibited on this site why then are they not prohibited on David Letterman's show or on CBS News with Katie Couric?????????????????????????????????????????????????

[pegw]

Where are all the feminists? Seems very few people take up for Sarah Palin. Newt Gingrich said she did not steel any of his comments.David Letterman should be fired for his sexual comments about her & her daughters. Katie Couric should apologize for her cut & sliced interview she showed on program. She needs to be a journalist not a commentator. Being biased is not journalism. I have been able to come up with only one reason for their constant attacks on Palin & her family is that they are afraid of a normal down to earth person that belives in what she says & is truthful about what she believes in. These people have not seen an honest person in politics in so long that they are so afraid of her that they will condemn her instead. I have never seen so many people have so much hate in their hearts as Liberals. Liberals have proved themselves to be so hateful that they have lost sight of live & let live views. I may not agree with you but don't make me hate you because of it. Where has all common sense gone?

[retmilspouse]

There is no story here. I think it would be hard to find someone who is writing a paper or giving a speech about Ronald Reagan not using any of the same terms that Palin used to describe him such as cheerfully persistent, directness, unapologetic and his resonance with the American people. That is the truth about him bottom line and there is no monopoly on words. The same charge could be "slapped" on any one writing about such a famous person.

[oftencensord]

This article is SO misdirected ! What kind of idiot wrote this ?
There is no "charge" here, just some fool of a blogger comparing a stupid speech !
CBS, you need to be more careful about putting ridiculous accusations made by fools on your website.

[tigerrram9]

Wow still the negative news keep coming from Sarah Palin's side of the house. I say to you who voted for her, I hope you see your mistakes in wasting your votes. I can say one thing, just keep on reading more negative news on the Palins to come. If she runs in 2012 you republicans better get a shovel and start digging your own holes again. I am still waiting for Todd to break into the news, he will sooner or later the negative news will come.

[Bayou123]

Palin is the reason I voted for a Democrat. As long as she is in the Republican party they haven't got a chance at winning. Every time she opened her mouth she proved that she is an idiot *****. I saw her interview with Katie. I'm thinking... you are kidding me. Way to go John. You blew it.

[lockdnloaded]

The headline PALIN "SLAPPED" with plagiarism "Charge"

So I am to understand this blogger (who is writing a book on Palin, probably no connection there) is a new SLAP CZAR tasked with "Charging" evil rightwingers for assumed literary indiscretions. I would think anyone remotely associated with Joe (had to drop out of 88 Pres race when caught plagiarizing) Biden would never even mention the P word again. But you libs are nothing if not sanctimoniously hypocritical.

This is your HEADLINE CBS ***??? Not alleged but SLAPPED

And to the rest of you PalinHaters who at the mere mention of her name go all frothing at the mouth rabid. What, other than oppose your candidates, did she really do to engender all of this sexist, racist, republiphobic hatred? Did she cheat on her taxes, or accept a limo as a gift and forget to report it, or say that white males can't think? Was it that she had the temerity to stand up to the establishment Dem/Rep party hacks?

I guess I have to write it all off to "Change you can believe in" and Transparency blah blah blah.

[ribbie149]

Can you believe that this mediocrity could have been a heartbeat away from the presidency...PLEASE, PLEASE run for president in 2012- nobody can write this stuff.

[6591Hou]

"For one thing, the term 'brillians politician' and Ronald Reagan have nothing in common. reagna was nothingm ore than a fear-mongering, arms dealing nitwit who helped to make Iran the pain that it is today. This surreal fear of communism he held was unfathomable, not to mention incorrect. In the late '80's, the Soviet 'empire' imploding. The vale of the ruble was decreasing, and Russian made products were in low demand. Reagan kept the facade of the paper tiger going, in order to keep his base under control."
Posted by TJ411
===============
You're either too young to know what you're talking about, or too lazy to look the facts up. Of course that would explain why it is "unfathomable" to you.

[ladypirate2]

"If Palin is so stupid, corrupt and irrelevant why are so many people getting riled up about her everytime she shows up anywhere?"

Easy. Because we're sick of stupid, corrupt and irrelevant people showing up everywhere.
Posted by voxpopulus at 5:11 PM : Jun 9, 2009

voxpopulus: Even people that YOU think are stupid, corrupt and irrelevant have the right to appear in public! If all of the stupid, coorupt and irrelevant people had to hide at home you'd have to hide at home too!

[ladypirate2]

TO LADYPIRATE2. quit being a parrot. once is enough to prove your an idiot. dont keep repeating the proof. doesnt matter what you believe. once is enough to prove your point.
you are debating yourself fool.
Posted by zwooten727 at 5:50 AM : Jun 10, 2009

I'll repeat anything that I want to repeat and as often as I want to! The constitution gives me the right of freedom of speech just as it does you and just because you don't like what I'm saying and don't agree with me doesn't mean that I'm an idiot or a fool!

[simkatu]

You mean the sleazy flight attendent doesn't have original ideas? What a surprise!

[zwooten727]

TO LADYPIRATE2. quit being a parrot. once is enough to prove your an idiot. dont keep repeating the proof. doesnt matter what you believe. once is enough to prove your point.
you are debating yourself fool.

[ladypirate2]

Repugs. Please, please, please, run Sarah Palin in 2012.
Posted by voxpopulus at 5:13 PM : Jun 9, 2009

We will if she wants to run! She'll win, too, because if she's at the top of the ticket the RNC won't control her as much as they did when she ran for vice president and you'll have to put up with her as your president!

Also by 2012 she'l be more experienced and she'll be read up on US foreign policy. She will also know what to expect in a presidential campaign and what questions to allow and answer and what not to allow. She will also know what to put a stop to immediately, like the attacks on her family and children.

In short, if she decides to run for the presidency in 2012 she will be prepared. She won't be caught off guard like she was last fall. She will be read up, geared up, and ready for battle!

[Illuminated1]

Please stop publishing anything this airhead has to say.......haven't you learned anything from herperformance in the debate?
Any ouf you that think she will ever be a good president or heck any kind of president is just ignorant.
Stop listening to her...she is just a skirt with a gift of name calling, and of course repeating what others say......well maybe she will be a good republican president after all...lol