The Obama Fraud
February 19th, 2008 at 08:29pm Matt Margolis
Byron York over at The Corner notes that Obama’s use of my governor’s campaign rhetoric is more than just an isolated incident… there’s actually a pattern of “lifting” phrases verbatim without attribution.
The debate will continue about how important this is, but as a Massachusetts resident and voter, who experienced Deval Patrick’s empty rhetoric and saw first hand how people were fooled by it, I think this is a very big deal. Despite Deval Patrick’s rhetoric about hope in 2006, he has since become one of the most ineffective and incompetent governors Massachusetts has ever seen. Even some of his most ardent supporters from the campaign have questioned his so-called leadership as governor.
So, along comes Barack Obama, who isn’t simply regurgitating the same themes Deval Patrick used, but phrases word for word… Let’s be honest about Barack Obama’s support… it’s not because of support for specific policies, or because of any leadership abilities… his support is largely superficial, and is a result of his powerful speech giving talent and rhetoric. Now people are learning that even his rhetoric is unoriginal… or more accurately: stolen.
Obama supporters can pretend this isn’t a big deal, but had this not come out than Obama would continue to use Deval Patrick’s words without attribution. I knew from the beginning of Obama’s presidential campaign that Deval’s gubernatorial campaign would be used as a model… a microcosm of sorts for Obama’s national campaign… and it definitely has been. Without a doubt.
Even though Deval Patrick, who has endorsed Obama, has defended Obama’s use of his words without attribution, that doesn’t make this situation any less significant, or the actual stealing of the words any less fraudulent.
What Deval Patrick lacked in leadership he compensated for in rhetoric and his speaking ability. Barack Obama is attempting to pull the same scam on the American people, but what he’s doing is worse because he was using someone else’s words and would have continued had the origins not been revealed. Obama knew where the words came from. His speeches are scripted. He knew he was using someone else’s words. He knew he wasn’t crediting the source. Obama is a fraud. He defended the effectiveness of his words by plagiarizing Deval’s.
The sad thing is that so many on the left won’t care.
Entry Filed under: Corruption, Democrats
27 Comments
1. preciseTruth&hellip | February 19th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Obamafraud: The Kinnock Chapters
Barack Obama has now slumped to the low political ranks of Joe Biden and other plagiarists.
Biden, of course, in past campaigns, became notorious for plagiarizing Neil Kinnock , an Engish politician from England, as Austin Powers would say.
The A
2. sleepygene | February 19th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
This is pretty weak tea Matt. How is your FEC complaint coming against Clinton?
3. huh | February 19th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Huh? When used with permission, the words are not stolen.
4. plainjane | February 19th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
It has always been my desire that Republicans would speak the language of Lincoln. I would welcome the plagiarism. But that is never going to happen. My God, yet another Republican sex scandal, this one out of New Hampshire where a Federal judge, Robert Somma, appointed by Bush has resigned after being pulled over for drunk driving. As this was not bad enough he was wearing a black evening dress with fishnet stockings at the time of his arrest. It never ends.
Matt is worried about plagiarism. Democrats are worried about how to save the country from the Hannity/Limbaugh lemmings.
5. Long Island Chris | February 19th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
So, now liberals are defending plagiarism.. “oh, but he had permission..” So that makes it okay to present someone else’s words as your own?
Here’s what wikipedia says about plagiarism:
“Plagiarism is the practice of claiming or implying
original authorship of (or incorporating material from) someone else’s written or creative work, in whole or in part, into one’s own without adequate acknowledgement.”
it doesn’t get any clearer than that. Obama is a phony.
6. Christian Wright | February 19th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
Obama and Patrick are very very close.
They share the same language of change.
They speak with each other frequently.
Who is to say which person is copying who?
If Obama comes up with a clever line in a conversation with Patrick and Patrick uses it publicly first, is it plagiarism if Obama uses it also?
When people have a very close relationship they mimic each other’s language. I have seen it right here with Margolis and Noonan. I cannot tell who is saying what just by reading there articles.
7. Barack Obama » The &hellip | February 19th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
[...] Matt Margolis wrote an interesting post today on The Obama FraudHere’s a quick excerptSo, along comes Barack Obama, who isn’t simply regurgitating the same themes Deval Patrick used, but phrases word for word… Let’s be honest about Barack Obama’s support… it’s not because of support for specific policies, or because of … [...]
8. Some Assembly Required | February 19th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
hahahahahaha
This is the best you can come up with, Plagiarism. Keep digging I’m sure you’ll find he my have crossed the road without using a crosswalk at some point in his life.
Obama is a man of class, and you sir apparently wouldn’t know it if it bit you in the arse. I’m sorry, I was on the fence with candidates for a while, but since visiting this blog I now have no doubt Obama is the best thing for America. You prove it yourself, the only way you can think to beat the man is by accusing him of plagiarism, hilarious!. Nevermind his stance on the economy as opposed to McCain’s… how about health care? all I know for sure from McCain is “no more tax cuts”, but hey, at least there his own words right?!?!?
9. JD | February 19th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Whatever.
10. Matt Margolis | February 19th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
As I wrote, the sad thing is that so many on the left won’t care.
Thank you for proving my point. Look at what you’re all saying. You’re making excuses, and won’t admit you have been duped. By now you’ve read the excerpts or seen the video of Deval Patrick in 2006 compared to Barack Obama in 2008…
If Obama told you that there is no such thing as gravity then you would believe him.
11. JS | February 19th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
It really doesnt matter if the phrases were stolen or used with permission.
It only goes to prove that Obama is not a leader, but a politician who is going to say anything that he thinks people want to hear.
The monkey see monkey do routine just doesnt cut it. A President should be a leader, not a copy cat.
12. Rich | February 19th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
If you use somone’s term paper to write yours, even with their consent, it is plagiarism. Try this crap in college and see where it will get you. “But he said it was ok for me to copy his owrk, were buddies” doesn’t cut it.
13. Rich | February 19th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
bah work
14. Rich | February 19th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Ok I just switched to Obama, hes going to give teachers more money. I am a little confused when he said teachers will start teaching science and art and social studies. Umm, those subjects are already being taught. power initiate
15. Some Assembly Required | February 19th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
He plagiarized from a man who endorses him. If you endorse someone, is that not a reference? Last I checked you can quote word for word in college as long as you cite the reference. Granted in a speech it’s a little different, but then most of the speech’s politicians give are not written by them. So in affect everyone plagiarizes.
The double standard you play with is truly remarkable, especially when you defend Bush with tooth a nail.
16. liberalT | February 19th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Matt - its correct to say that it is disappointing that Obama lifted this (even if he had explicit permission). None the less - I do have to say that it is a pretty minor problem given that every politician does this - including your fave Bush who does it routinely.
Yes I am more concerned with a candidate who says we could be in Iraq for 50, 100, 1000, or even a million years and says he is fine with that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpNPBCxTwIQ
thats the difference between us and you Matt. You take petty insignificant little slights and turn them and foam at the mouth. We are concerned with actual plans and the fact that your nominee would be just fine keeping the US in Iraq for a million years. Go screw yourself you stupid twit…
17. Rich | February 19th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
“Last I checked you can quote word for word in college as long as you cite the reference.” Turning somone elses work in as your own is cheating and will get you kicked out of college. It doesnt matter if your friend lets you copy, its still cheating. Citing somone elses work without giving proper will also get you in trouble. Ask Joe Biden what happened to him when he did this same thing.
18. GOP4ME | February 19th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Hey you lefty trolls, for grins, look up the MEANING of the word plagiarism.
Your guy is guilty plain and simple.
My gosh, I am agreeing with Billary???? Will wonders never cease?
The left accuses the POTUS of being too dumb to string together a sentence but when their guy RIPS OFF someone else’s speech??? No problem!
Power hungry automatons (automorons?) the whole lot of you.
19. Nate | February 19th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
how many of w’s speeches do you think he’s written?
how many of xxxx’s speeches do you think xxxx has written?
so patrick says to obama “use” my words, we have similar ideas, values, etc. and obama does use them.
xxxx’s writers give xxxx the words.
what’s leading? what’s plagiarism? what’s real? who’s real?
and who can actually give a passionate, rousing, powerful, speech and who can’t?
clinton *and* the repubs are scared of obama and it’s showing.
20. Nate | February 19th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
ps: patrick borrowed some of the words he used — they’re not his, listen to the speech he gave. haven’t you heard or read them some place else? so, who borrowed, who used, who gave permission, come on…
21. TiredofLibBullShit | February 20th, 2008 at 6:34 am
I lump libT, LiberalMind, Diana, in fact all resident lib trolls, who are nothing more than USEFUL IDIOTS into this category:
MASS HYSTERIA!
You’ve heard, haven’t you, about the epidemic of faintings at Obama rallies? Not sure how many times its happened .. four, maybe five. But what is going on here? Well, you know the answer to that question, don’t you? It’s mass hysteria. Obama is the new Beatles. Women get so overcome with emotion upon seeing their idol that the excitement just overtakes them and they faint.
I would love to get one of these fainting females and, after they’ve had a nice meal and a few deep breaths, ask them a few questions:
What does Obama stand for? And don’t say “hope and change.” Those are non-answers.
Can you tell me two specific policy initiatives Obama has proposed? See if you can get past national health care and higher taxes on the evil rich.
Name three Obama accomplishments — and being elected Senator doesn’t count .. there are 99 others in office right now who pulled that one off.
What would you get from the fainters? They would sit there like brook trout, their mouths hanging open and gills gently flapping in the current while they tried to figure out an answer that wouldn’t make them appear more ignorant than they already do.
What is Barack Obama? At this point he’s not much more than a campaign speech.
Hysteria and emotion .. now that’s the way to elect the leader of the free world.
Reminds me of a comic episode: The Wizard of ID.
Sir Rodney: “Shouldn’t voters have to pass an intelligence test?”
Wiz: “You don’t have to be intelligent to vote!”
Sir Rodney: “What if there are more stupid people than intelligent people?”
Wiz: “Then the Democrat wins!”
How true. How true. With each passing day the cult of Obama gets larger and larger and the main stream media is bending over backwards to kiss his ass!
Comrade Stalin, Chairman Mao and Herr Goebbels never had it so good!
22. Christian Wright | February 20th, 2008 at 7:14 am
TiredofLibBS:
I found an article that gives a glimpse of the bills Obama has initiated.
obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2006/10/barack_obama.html
23. FmrMarine | February 20th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
>>>>Comrade Stalin, Chairman Mao and Herr Goebbels never had it so good!<<<<
AHH but
DER FUHRER did.
The army private, wall paper hanger, had the same mystique as EARbama.
Earbama has gone from a “community activist” (what ever the hell that is) to a DO NOTHING in a state legislature, to a DO NOTHING ….JUNIOR US Senator. The NEVER employed, or managed/run anything, belongs to a dangerous cult whose leader has CLOSE ties to screwie lowie farracan. and the NOI.
He may turn out being one of the most dangerous politicians ever in the US.
Adolph was an empty suit as is earbama with the promise of change, but offering NOTHING, in reality.
24. FmrMarine | February 20th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
tired
LOL >>> Reminds me of a comic episode: The Wizard of ID.<<<<
OR
The seinfeld “candidate” all - about NOTHING !
25. Barfly | March 5th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Platitudes, cliches and hubris. He’s a politician. How is anyone surprised?
26. Karen | March 26th, 2008 at 3:18 am
They did Fraud? hmmm.. interesting though :)
27. Llano | April 16th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Obama LAUNDRY LIST OF LIES.
1.) Selma Got Me Born - LIAR, your parents felt safe enough to have you in 1961 - Selma had no effect on your birth, as Selma was in 1965.
2.) Father Was A Goat Herder - LIAR, he was a privileged, well educated youth, who went on to work with the Kenyan Government.
3.) Father Was A Proud Freedom Fighter - LIAR, he was part of one of the most corrupt and violent governments Kenya has ever had
4.) My Family Has Strong Ties To African Freedom - LIAR, your cousin Raila Odinga has created mass violence in attempting to overturn a legitimate election in 2007, in Kenya. It is the first widespread violence in decades.
5.) My Grandmother Has Always Been A Christian - LIAR, she does her daily Salat prayers at 5am according to her own interviews. Not to mention, Christianity wouldn’t allow her to have been one of 14 wives to 1 man.
6.) My Name is African Swahili - LIAR, your name is Arabic and ‘Baraka’ (from which Barack came) means ‘blessed’ in that language. Hussein is also Arabic and so is Obama.
7.) I Never Practiced Islam - LIAR, you practiced it daily at school, where you were registered as a Muslim and kept that faith for 31 years,until your wife made you change, so you could run for office.
8.) My School In Indonesia Was Christian - LIAR, you were registered as Muslim there and got in trouble in Koranic Studies for making faces (check your own book).
9.) I Was Fluent In Indonesian - LIAR, not one teacher says you could speak the language.
10.) Because I Lived In Indonesia, I Have More Foreign Experience - LIAR, you were there from the ages of 6 to 10, and couldn’t even speak the language. What did you learn, how to study the Koran and watch cartoons.
11.) I Am Stronger On Foreign Affairs - LIAR, except for Africa (surprise) and the Middle East (bigger surprise), you have never been anywhere else on the planet and thus have NO experience with our closest allies.
12.) I Blame My Early Drug Use On Ethnic Confusion - LIAR, you were quite content in high school to be Barry Obama, no mention of Kenya and no mention of struggle to identify - your classmates said you were just fine.
13.)An Ebony Article Moved Me To Run For Office - LIAR, Ebony has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn’t, and never did, exist.
14.) A Life Magazine Article Changed My Outlook On Life - LIAR, Life has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn’t, and never did, exist.
15.) I Won’t Run On A National Ticket In ‘08 - LIAR, here you are, despite saying, live on TV, that you would not have enough experience by then, and you are all about having experience first.
16.) Present Votes Are Common In Illinois - LIAR, they are common for YOU, but not many others have 130 NO VOTES.
17.) Oops, I Misvoted - LIAR, only when caught by church groups and democrats, did you beg to change your misvote.
18.) I Was A Professor Of Law - LIAR, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE.
19.) I Was A Constitutional Lawyer - LIAR, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE.
20.) Without Me, There Would Be No Ethics Bill - LIAR, you didn’t write it,introduce it, change it, or create it.
21.) The Ethics Bill Was Hard To Pass - LIAR, it took just 14 days from start to finish.
22.) I Wrote A Tough Nuclear Bill - LIAR, your bill was rejected by your own party for its pandering and lack of all regulation - mainly because of your Nuclear Donor, Exelon, from which David Axelrod came.
23.) I Have Released My State Records - LIAR, as of March, 2008, state bills you sponsored or voted for have yet to be released, exposing all the special interests pork hidden within.
24.) I Took On The Asbestos Altgeld Gardens Mess - LIAR, you were part of a large group of people who remedied Altgeld Gardens. You failed to mention anyone else but yourself, in your books.
25.) My Economics Bill Will Help America - LIAR, your 111 economic policies were just combined into a proposal which lost 99-0, and even YOU voted against your own bill.
26.) I Have Been A Bold Leader In Illinois - LIAR, even your own supporters claim to have not seen BOLD action on your part.
27.) I Passed 26 Of My Own Bills In One Year - LIAR, they were not YOUR bills, but rather handed to you, after their creation by a fellow Senator, to assist you in a future bid for higher office.
28.) No One Contacted Canada About NAFTA - LIAR, the Candian Government issued the names and a memo of the conversation your campaign had with them.
29.) I Am Tough On Terrorism - LIAR, you missed the Iran Resolution vote on terrorism and your good friend Ali Abunimah supports the destruction of Israel.
30.) I Am Not Acting As President Yet - LIAR, after the NAFTA Memo, a dead terrorist in the FARC, in Colombia, was found with a letter stating how you and he were working together on getting FARC recognized officially.
31.) I Didn’t Run Ads In Florida - LIAR, you allowed national ads to run 8-12 times per day for two weeks - and you still lost.
32.) I Won Michigan - LIAR, no you didn’t.
33.) I won Nevada - LIAR, no you did not.
34.) I Want All Votes To Count - LIAR, you said let the delegates decide.
35.) I Want Americans To Decide - LIAR, you prefer caucuses that limit the vote, confuse the voters, force a public vote, and only operate during small windows of time.
36.) I passed 900 Bills in the State Senate - LIAR, you passed 26, most of which you didn’t write yourself.
37.) My Campaign Was Extorted By A Friend - LIAR, that friend is threatening to sue if you do not stop saying this. Obama has stopped saying this.
38.) I Believe In Fairness, Not Tactics - LIAR, you used tactics to eliminate Alice Palmer from running against you.
39.) I Don’t Take PAC Money - LIAR, you take loads of it.
40.) I don’t Have Lobbysists - LIAR, you have over 47 lobbyists, and counting.
41.) My Campaign Had Nothing To Do With The 1984 Ad - LIAR, your own campaign worker made the ad on his Apple in one afternoon.
42.) My Campaign Never Took Over MySpace - LIAR, Tom, who started MySpace issued a warning about this advertising to MySpace clients.
43.) I Inspire People With My Words - LIAR, you inspire people with other people’s words.
44.) I Have Passed Bills In The U.S. Senate - LIAR, you have passed A BILL in the U.S. Senate - for Africa, which shows YOUR priorities.
45.) I Have Always Been Against Iraq - LIAR, you weren’t in office to vote against it AND you have voted to fund it every single time, unlike Kucinich, who seems to be out gutting you Obama. You also seem to be stepping back from your departure date - AGAIN.
46.) I Have Always Supported Universal Health Care - LIAR, your plan leaves us all to pay the 15,000,000 who don’t have to buy it.
47.) I Only Found Out About My Investment Conflicts Via Mail - LIAR, both companies you site as having sent you letters about this conflict have no record of any such letter ever being created or sent.
48.) I Am As Patriotic As Anyone - LIAR, you won’t wear a flag pin and you don’t put your hand over your heart during the Anthem.
49.) My Wife Didn’t Mean What She Said About Pride In Country - LIAR, your wife’s words follow lock-step in the vain of Wright and Farrahkan, in relation to their contempt and hatred of America.
50.) Wal-Mart Is A Company I Wouldn’t Support - LIAR, your wife has received nearly a quater of a million dollars through Treehouse, which is connected to Wal-Mart.
51.) Treehouse Is A Small Company - LIAR, the CEO of Treehouse last year, made more than the CEO of Wal-Mart, according to public records.
52.) University Of Chicago Hospital Pay Is Fair - LIAR, your wife’s pay raise was nearly 150% her already bloated rate and the hospital is a Non-Profit Hospital, which made $100,000,000 in the last 3 years. They overcharge blacks VS whites for services, and overcharge everyone in general by 538%!
53.)I Barely Know Rezko - Only 5 Billed Hours - LIAR, you have known him for 17 years, and decided to do a real estate deal with him during a time when he was proven to be under investigation. Despite this, you divided your property and had them take off $300K before the mortgage problems started. Then Rezko’s wife buys the lot beside it that you can’t afford, saving you $625,000.
54.) My Donations Have Been Checked Thoroughly - LIAR, you only gave back Hsu ($72K) and Rezko ($150K) their money when publically called on their involvement in your campaigns.
55.) My Church Is Like Any Other Christian Church - LIAR, your church is so extreme, the pastor who married you, Rev. Wright, just got done blaming the US for 9/11 and named Louis Farrahkan their person of the year.
56.) I Disagree With My Church All The Time - LIAR, you still have yet to repudiate Wright, who married you and your wife, and you still donate large sums of money to assist the church in furthering its message - hatred and revenge. You donated in 2006 alone, $22,500 to the church that you so terribly disagree with. That is nearly $500 PER WEEK - that sure is disagreement, Senator Obama.
57.) I Have Clean Connections Despite Rezko - LIAR, you are not only connected to Exelon and Rezko, you are also connected to Hillary PAC supporter Mr. Hsu, AND an Iraqi Billionaire of ill repute, Nadhmi Auchi, who ripped off people in the Food For Oil, Iraqi deal. Seems Mr. Auchi may have helped Obama buy his million dollar property long before Obama had millions of dollars. Wonder what favors Mr. Auchi expects, when Obama leaves Iraq free to be taken over by special interests such as him.
58.) I never heard sermons like Rev. Wright’s, that have been in videos all day, You Tube - LIAR! 3 days later during your Mea Culpa BS speech you said “Did I hear controversial statements while I sat in that church? Yes I