Some months back (when Edwards was my candidate of choice), I posted an OP

[hisownpetard]

about how obvious it seemed that, the day after a debate, all the phrases that Hillary's opponents had scored points with
suddenly started making appearances in her own speeches.

In particular, the day after the debate in which Edwards said (about 8 times) "This is personal, for me," Hillary said those exact words
to the women she was speaking to in a restaurant. It was so obvious that she had appropriated John's talking point as her own
after seeing that it resonated with the audience.

I received all sorts of angry responses from Hillary supporters, pointing out how ridiculous my observation was.
"Oh, so Edwards OWNS those words?"
"Look it up in the dictionary. Are those words owned by any one person?"
"Dumbest post of the week."
Etc., etc., etc., or words to that effect.

The day after a debate where Obama emphasized 'change,' that word suddenly turned up in all her speeches.
It's happened time after time: whatever she hears and likes, she appropriates for herself. Annoying, perhaps, but
no big deal.

For those reasons, this latest flap over "Yes, we can" strikes me as particularly manufactured and invalid, coming from a candidate who has been a virtual magpie as far as taking twigs and straws from other candidates' speeches and using them to feather her own political nest.

And, yes - this is the dumbest faux controversy of the week.

NEXT!

[mathewsleep]

1. good post.

history repeats it's self.

[hisownpetard]

30. Welcome to DU!

[Adelante]

2. It happens all the time in political speech

I don't understand the upset, either.

[Eurobabe]

4. This whole thing is a non-starter and it will backfire

on them.

[hisownpetard]

14. I hope it does, because it's a ludicrous accusation.

[hisownpetard]

33. Hillary's copy of the Rove Handbook must need re-glueing by now.

[blm]

3. K and R. I noticed for ayear now that Kerry's phrasings were being lifted from 2004...and why not?

They were solid expressions that ANYONE on the left should have in their positions and in their heart regarding national security, economic and environmental issues.

[hisownpetard]

9. Yeah. And isn't it ironic that, just last week, she was saying how unimportant words were,

and now she's saying just the opposite?

[hisownpetard]

13. What you say makes perfect sense. Too bad more people aren't aware of that.

[housewolf]

5. The definition of hypocrisy is

accusing others of doing what you do yourself and making them wrong for it. We've seen a prime example of it in Hillary's campaign this past week - from "speeches don't put food on the table" to this plagarism stuff.

[hisownpetard]

15. Yes, from one end of the spectrum to the other in the blink of an eye.

First she derided Obama's pretty speeches, saying they were "just words."
Now she's postulating that those insignificant words are suddenly all-important.

Don't know how she manages to keep her lipstick on while talking out of both sides of her mouth.

[grantcart]

6. Well stated - now do you think there is any possibility that JE could endorse HRC?

[hisownpetard]

7. I just can't imagine that, since he is anti-corporatist and she's the antithesis.

What do you think?:shrug:

[grantcart]

16. I think that the longer he waits the better the reason he needs. If it turns out to be

positioning for a self serving position in an administration I think his standing will be diminished significantly. If he is able to endorse some one in conjunction with a new policy position on ethics or poverty it will be ok. But Hillary not only doesn't share the key interests but she is trivializing the campaign away from the substantive issues he tried to champion.

And he plagerized much of his stump speech.

[hisownpetard]

17. Come to think of it, neither Biden, Richardson, Kucinich, Gore or Edwards have endorsed

a candidate. Are they all (with the exception of Gore) just hedging their bets for a position
in the new Democratic administration, or is there another reason they're withholding at this time?

[Guava Jelly]

8. How soon we forget.

Thank you for the reminder

[hisownpetard]

10. Mon plaisir!

:hi:

[FrenchieCat]

11. Here's more on that.....

Here's a tape of Hillary Clinton using word for word Edwards' line on Blockbusters and Corporations (the video shows Edwards as the original source, and Hillary using the exact same wording a few months later)? Why isn't this news? Why the unequal treatment? Because she says she about solutions? Obama never said he was just about Words....that's what the Clinton camp has been saying. So why should he be punished and maligned for using "just words" (that's 2 words) and quotes from famous people, when what Hillary did was much more blatant?

http://www.oliverwillis.com/archives/2008/02/18/clintons-plagiarism-charge-fal/

[hisownpetard]

12. Great! Thanks for posting that.

:hi:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

18. Hillary changes her pigmentation based on the color of the branch she's perched on.

I see too many mixed messages in Hillary's campaign. I also don't think that Bill's campaign efforts constitute his finest hour. Mix in her Iraq War vote and a few other things and of course she's going to look for something that resonates, even if it comes from Edwards.

:patriot:

[hisownpetard]

19. Is that thing real, or made out of pleather?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

21. That's Gene Simmons founding member of KISS.

:evilgrin:

[hisownpetard]

23. Oh, I see - without his make-up!

[PretzelWarrior]

20. EGGGzactly. we know it's pollitical bullshit

and that is why this may have legs...but the legs are being amputated. this thing will hobble on little stumps briefly before it falls on its face.

[hisownpetard]

22. Oooo, how graphic.

Love your screenname, btw.

:toast:

[MonkeyFunk]

24. There's a difference

between using a common phrase, and lifting multiple sentences which encompass one or more ideas.

Of course, "Yes we can" was not original to Obama, either. He took it from the United Farm Workers' slogan. That's fine.

Using a common political theme like "change" or "experience" isn't plagiarism, either. They're commonly used themes in all political races.

That's different from lifting whole sentences or paragraphs and presenting them as your own. The defense over this minor issue is 10x more over-the-top than the original accusation.

He's already admitted he made an error, and admits he should've credited the lines. End of story. Why do you guys keep going on about it?

[hisownpetard]

25. Well, I dispute that the slogan was taken from the United Farm Workers.

I think the original form, which was more tentative and less assertive, was taken from a certain
book which sold in the gazillions over the years.

It was called "The Little Engine That Could," and he said, " I THINK I can, I THINK I can, I THINK I can.

It's obvious that Obama stole that idea and (to borrow a phrase from Emeril) simpled "kicked it up a notch." BAM!

[tekisui]

27. Wolfson is making the rounds today, talking about it.

I would like for nothing more than for it to disappear, as it will soon.

[hisownpetard]

31. Why are the media a**holes giving this so much play? Just to give the string of talking heads

something to mumble about.
What a farce.

[XemaSab]

26. Merry Christmas!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3986055&mesg_id=3986194

[hisownpetard]

29. Jeez - how'dja do that??

A toast to your cyber-acuity!

:toast: :hi: :toast:

[tekisui]

28. Thankfully, Primary results should put it to rest and we can get on to

the next faux controversy outrage.

This will go in the books with the snub, fairy tales and american flag lapel pins.

And, Obama's rise will continue.

[hisownpetard]

32. I think you're right. And one thing I've loved watching is how utterly calm and focused Obama stays

when confronted with these shenanigans.

I think Bill Clinton's behavior on the campaign trail has only exacerbated the perception that the Clintons
will say and do anything to get elected, in the old tradition of politics with the "ick" factor.

Obama's behavior, on the other hand, seems to bear out his promise of a new day through the very fact
of his lack of enmity.

Love it!

[stillcool]

34. It's all so silly, isn't it?

we are so screwed, when this is what rises to the level of importance.

[hisownpetard]

35. Silly, yes - but it says a lot about Obama if this is all the Mark Penn can dig up to talk about.

[Laelth]

36. Hear, hear! Hypocrisy is unbecoming. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth