Rand Paul plagiarizes Wikipedia in at least two public speeches

[Mr. Morden]

The Washington Times has fired Rand Paul.

Story here:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/5/washington-times-ends-sen-rand-paul-column-amid-pl/

[BM]

Wonderful news! He's a disaster of a human being to put it lightly.

I can't decide if I want him to continue crashing and burning quickly or have it be prolonged and painful.

[Lief 🗽]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/paul-blasts-msnbc-ap-if-i-were-their-journalism-teacher-in-college-i-would-fail-them

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Ayn "Rand" Paul is going off the rails. Can't wait for his presidential campaign!

[RogueBeaver]

What LV said is likeliest to derail a Paul campaign. He's always been peevish, self-righteous and defensive when under fire. Remember his medical certification controversy in 2010?

[windjammer]

Well, goodbye Rand Paul!

[Likely Voter]

Bill Kristol nails it....

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Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/bill-kristol-rand-paul-2016-election-99464.html#ixzz2jr7SIq8w

[IceSpear]

The plagiarism itself wouldn't hurt Paul all too much, but his juvenile reaction is definitely turning a lot of heads.

[Link]

Remember his medical certification controversy in 2010?

That was hardly a "controversy."  He is practicing with the same credentials the majority of the doctors practiced with in the 1990s.  I bet if your family physician is over 50 they are practicing with the equivalent credentials.

The various specialization boards made a loop hole that excuses the old timers from the recertification exams.  Frankly if I could weasel out of taking them I would to.  They are worse than useless.  They don't have them in other countries and for most of modern medicine in America they didn't have them.  It's just more useless expense and paperwork.

I agree with Rand on this one.  I just wish he would get his story correct and figure out a way to articulate his personal values.  I really can't see a libertarian submitting to the recertification exams without a fight.  The problem is the average American knows next to nothing about medicine so they have no idea how to evaluate credentials.  And thus the "controversy."

[Paul Kemp]

We need Gus Haynes on the case.

[pbrower2a]

Plagiarism shows

(1) a lack of ethics, and

(2) a lack of imagination.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Stick a fork in Rand's 2016 chances.  By the time he might be able to extricate himself from this, the early money will have gone to other anti-Christies.  He might well be able to get the nomination in 2020 to face Hillary in her reelection bid, but I don't see him extricating himself in time to be able to compete in the GOP primaries.

[pbrower2a]

But do Republicans, especially the anti-intellectual types behind the Tea Party cult, understand what plagiarism is?

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

The thing that truly bothers me is Paul's insistence that plagiarism isn't really a big deal. It's really f-ing dishonest, because total plagiarism is really f-ing dishonest. Just admit you (or your staffer, whatever) were wrong, state that you learned from the experience, and move on.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

The thing that truly bothers me is Paul's insistence that plagiarism isn't really a big deal. It's really f-ing dishonest, because total plagiarism is really f-ing dishonest. Just admit you (or your staffer, whatever) were wrong, state that you learned from the experience, and move on.

The problem is, he probably can't put out the sheer volume of writing he has of late without plagiarizing.  Being original takes time (and talent).

[RogueBeaver]

We're now up to 9.

[whanztastic]

How much of this is his personal actions and how much is staff? Either way it is a Catch-22, becuase if he is admitting staff wrote his book/column, stuff beyond just speeches, (likely and common) it is still intellectual dishonesty in some lights.

[Paul Kemp]

How much of this is his personal actions and how much is staff? Either way it is a Catch-22, becuase if he is admitting staff wrote his book/column, stuff beyond just speeches, (likely and common) it is still intellectual dishonesty in some lights.

You'd still be hard-pressed to find a politician where this isn't the case.

[pbrower2a]

How much of this is his personal actions and how much is staff? Either way it is a Catch-22, becuase if he is admitting staff wrote his book/column, stuff beyond just speeches, (likely and common) it is still intellectual dishonesty in some lights.

It is intellectual dishonesty, plain and simple.

One can demand more of one's staff.

Wikipedia is far from the quality appropriate for public speeches. (The same is true for Encyclopedia Britannica).  Because it is so accessible it should be easy to check.

[nuclearneo577]

Oh come on, I really hope that this doesn't destroy Rand's career for the time being. I'd love to see him get on CNN and make a fool out of himself in the 2016 republican primary debates. Cruz will be comedy gold if he's still around, but Rand would come really close to Cruz in terms of unintended humor.

[pbrower2a]

Oh come on, I really hope that this doesn't destroy Rand's career for the time being. I'd love to see him get on CNN and make a fool out of himself in the 2016 republican primary debates. Cruz will be comedy gold if he's still around, but Rand would come really close to Cruz in terms of unintended humor.

The 2016 Olympics will be more entertaining.

[Ogre Mage]

If Rand Paul cannot take the heat of these plagiarism charges than he is not Presidential candidate material.  For this is but a taste of what he would experience in the white heat of a national campaign.  And the man is melting down.  He wants to challenge his accusers to a duel.  That is Zell Miller behavior.