Huffington Post, Created by Alleged Serial Plagiarist, Accuses George W. Bush of Plagiarism
It's a weighty charge, plagiarism. But your credibility in making it tends to dissipate when you do so on a site founded and run by an alleged serial plagiarist.
Arianna Huffington has been accused of lifting portions of a number of her books from other authors, and in one case had to dole out a 5-figure settlement to put plagiarism charges to rest. Her site has also taken heat from celebrities whose names appear on bylines on the site, but who didn't actually write those posts' contents.
In short, the Huffington Post is not the forum in which to credibly make plagiarism accusations. And yet there was blogger Ryan Grim doing just that: "George Bush Book 'Decision Points' Lifted From Advisers' Books," a headline claims.
But Dana Loesch helpfully points us to this list of Arianna's own transgressions:
Huffington was accused of plagiarism for copying material for her book Maria Callas (1981); the claims were settled out of court in 1981, with Callas biographer Gerald Fitzgerald being paid "in the low five figures."[21][22][23]
Lydia Gasman, an art history professor at the University of Virginia, claimed that Huffington’s 1988 biography of Pablo Picasso, Picasso: Creator and Destroyer, included themes similar to those in her unpublished four-volume Ph.D. thesis. "What she did was steal twenty years of my work," Gasman told Maureen Orth in 1994. Gasman did not file suit.[24]
Maureen Orth also reported that Huffington "borrowed heavily for her 1993 book, The Gods of Greece."[25]
HuffPo is one big glass house from which to toss stones at a former president.
But wait, there's more. In 2006, actor George Clooney claimed that the Huffington Post had attributed a column to him that he had never written. The site had cobbled together statements Clooney made in television appearances years earlier, and created a column - written by Huffington Post staff - under the actor's name.
Far from backing down from the practice, Arianna proceeded to threaten Clooney:
"She said some things that I won't share, but she did tell me that this could be bad for me -- bad for my career. Well, screw you!" the movie star told me yesterday about a conversation he had with the doyenne of Huffingtonpost.com. "I'm not going to be threatened by Arianna Huffington!"...
But Huffington insisted (and forwarded me E-mails that seemed to back her up) that she believed she had explicit permission from one of Clooney's PR reps to publish his disparate quotes as a single piece of writing. "This was a misunderstanding," she told me yesterday, as the disputed blog was removed from her Web site.
Clooney told me: "Nobody has ever written an op-ed piece for me. If I say I've written something, I've written it. When I go to the Oscars, I write everything I say...I stand by what I do, but I'm very cautious not to take giant steps onto soapboxes because I think they're polarizing."
Clooney said that when he demanded a disclaimer from Huffington, she refused. "She told me that it's a big no-no in the blogosphere, where people are supposed to write their own pieces."
If the Huffington Post is so worried about plagiarism by public figures, perhaps it's time for some introspection.
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Comments
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Submitted by yutsnark on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 2:45pm.
Alright, the accuser has also been accused of plagiarism. But is there any validity to her claims?
No. It is impossible to
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 3:06pm.
No.
It is impossible to plagiarize your own words. It's quite a simple concept.
Even the effortlessly stupid Gawker GET THE FRACKIN' POINT...
"For instance, Bush’s account of his remarks at a meeting in the situation room match up suspiciously, in Grim’s view, with Woodward’s account of the same meeting in Bush at War.
Bush: At a National Security Council meeting the next morning, I said, ‘just want to make sure that all of us did agree to this plan, right?’ I went around the table and asked every member of the room.
Woodward: The next morning, Bush arrived at the White House Situation Room for the NSC meeting…’I just want to make sure that all of us did agree to this plan, right?’ [Bush] said.
Well, what if that’s what he actually said?
How is Bush supposed to communicate the events of that meeting?
“As Bob Woodward first reported in Bush at War, I then said….” [...]
But what’s wrong with that? Again, is Bush supposed to credit someone else for capturing his own words? It seems like small beer.
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
It's impossible to plagiarize
Submitted by yutsnark on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 3:06pm.
It's impossible to plagiarize your own words. But the accusation is that he plagiarized someone else's words. Whether the accuser has also been similarly accused is irrelevant.
Actually, no its's
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 3:11pm.
Actually, no it's NOT.
What is it about the concept that WOODWARD quoted BUSH'S words that you don't quite understand.
And I guess when you asked the question about validity you had already made up your mind. So why did you ask?
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
Yes, you are right. In the
Submitted by yutsnark on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 3:16pm.
Yes, you are right. In the example you give, Bush is clearly not guilty of plagiarism. Your argument is strong. In contrast, the "glass houses" case is not.
How Much Evidence Do You Need?
Submitted by Tenebrous on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 4:53pm.
I'm beginning to think that your answer is "more than humanly possible to obtain".
Visions and Principles blog
Huffington is the left's version of Sara Palin
Submitted by nonncom on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 5:58pm.
She gets way too much attention, not much substance, and has an irritating voice....I can't for the life of me figure why she is granted any credibility at all....LOL....does anybody actually listen to this broad?....
well, nonncom, you know darn
Submitted by motherbelt on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 9:09pm.
well, nonncom, you know darn well if Sarah Palin had even half these accusations and rumors involving her, her word and her opinion on anything would be deemed worthless. It would be "why should we listen to a serial plagiarist?"
On the other hand, Arianna gets invited on shows and asked her opinion on everything, and treated as if she matters.
Not really
Submitted by Denny Crane on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 7:46am.
The only comparison between the two is they have a lot of money, and are well known.
The differences are staggering.
BTW, it's Sarah not Sara.
"Lib free or die"
We Are The 53%
Oh no!.....it's the spelling police.....
Submitted by nonncom on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 10:32am.
Next I'll have to go up in front of a death panel.....LOL.....sorry bout that.....I hit the h but I guess it didn't take....need a new keyboard, but in this economy.....BTW, I like SaraH Palin, just not as president of the United States.....I hate the fact that Huffington, an airhead without rival, unless it's Rachel Maddow, actually gets treated with some kind of awe, as if she actually gives thought to the vitriol she spews....LOL....
I agree yutsnark
Submitted by shawn. on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 6:10pm.
No secret AH is a big time hypocrite but I would like to concentrate on evidence for and against the accusations instead of just deflecting back to Huffington.Who the hell cares
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 2:44pm.
what Scruffington says, writes or thinks? Can anyone honestly suggest Moronia Scruffington is an authority on anything?
Well, this idiot made
Submitted by Thoreau on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 2:44pm.
Well, this idiot made Saturday Night Live. But got no laughs. In fact, the only thing that got laughs was in the beginning when the the Chinese Premier kept bending over for Hussein.
I wouldn't trust that Soros fingerpuppet any further than I can spit. She needs to provide proof, or get her ass sued by Bush. End of story.
It's an autobiography
Submitted by CobraMan on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 2:55pm.
Bush is being accused of Plagiarism? I don't see how. He wrote an autobiography and it's impossible to plagiarize yourself.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Isn't it more likely that
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 3:14pm.
Isn't it more likely that WOODWARD plagiarized from Bush?
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
How can Bush be accused
Submitted by dr-go on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 3:12pm.
of plagarism when, as the left has said so many times, that he cannot read or write?
Bingo! I would LOVE to see
Submitted by ML Stovall on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 1:10pm.
Bingo! I would LOVE to see this exact question asked of this empty-headed dingbat, Hufffington and/or Kweef Olberwomann.
Huffington is a fraud...
Submitted by adamsmith on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 5:16pm.
This woman is a fraud of the first order. Everything she touches is shady. How anyone would even want her opinion on anything is beyond me. What are her credentials in regard to education and experience? As far a I know she got a lot of money from her ex-husband after she made him gay(I could really see that happening because of her) and that's pretty much her claim to fame other than running the American version of Pravda. ZsaZsa is a freakin' idiot, something I've noticed over and over everytime she runs her "Green Acres" mouth. Same thing goes for Bill Maher. What is he an expert on? He's a failed comic and actor who happens to be a Borderline Personality Disorder. Are these people important only because THEY say so? Seems that way to me.
Arianna didn't plagiarize.
Submitted by HockeyKid on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 5:39pm.
She knows, because she checked with Biden.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
This is rediculous
Submitted by pockets64 on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 6:34pm.
They are really stretching to continue to find fault with Bush. I searched the WEB on this point when I saw the headlines. Some poor deranged soul claimed that the Bush book is not only full of lies, but also full of plagerized lies.
You can probably think for yourself how twisted that is!
What is a plagiarized lie?
Submitted by Denny Crane on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 7:49am.
Is that like quoting Krugman without attributing the quote to him?
"Lib free or die"
We Are The 53%
All right, we know that HuffPo is full of it....
Submitted by Kaptain Krude on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 7:14pm.
All right, we know that HuffPo is full of it. Nothing new here. But what is it that Bush is supposed to have plagiarized? Instead of concentrating on that subject, this story focuses on the (and I use this next word very loosely) "credibility" of HuffPo. Who, in their right mind, gives any credence to anything that is written on HuffPo without extensive references?
One interesting Bush Accusation
Submitted by shawn. on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 8:06pm.
"Many of Bush's literary misdemeanors exemplify pedestrian sloth, but others are higher crimes against the craft of memoir. In one prime instance, Bush relates a poignant meeting between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a Tajik warlord on Karzai's Inauguration Day. It's the kind of scene that offers a glimpse of a hopeful future for the beleaguered nation. Witnessing such an exchange could color a president's outlook, could explain perhaps Bush's more optimistic outlook and give insight into his future decisions. Except Bush didn't witness it. Because he wasn't at Karzai's inauguration. His absence doesn't stop Bush from relating this anecdote: "When Karzai arrived in Kabul for his inauguration on December 22 - 102 days after 9/11 - several Northern Alliance leaders and their bodyguards greeted him at an airport. As Karzai walked across the tarmac alone, a stunned Tajik warlord asked where all his men were. Karzai, responded, 'Why, General, you are my men. All of you who are Afghans are my men.'" I am not saying this is true, but it is interesting describing something that hapenned if you are not there.Shawn: Your example did not
Submitted by stratman on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 1:04am.
Shawn:
Your example did not state Bush stated this as his first person recollection.
Your post seems to make a strawman argument using, of course, no definitive proof of innapropriate or lack of attribution by Bush.
Have you never told a story you were not a part of firsthand? Or have you often told a story from secondhand (or more) knowledge... precisely as you did in your post?
See, nothing nefarious or even remotely wrong with what you did nor potentially with what is alledged of Bush.
PS-- You do realize this is another attempt to slander Bush without actual proof, right? Just float the scandal and the MSM will take it from there.
Strat
Submitted by shawn. on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 10:42am.
I realize many people want to slander Bush. I just think we should address the topic and not just throw stones at who is reporting it. I just found that Karzai bit kind of interesting and curious if we get an explanation from President Bush.Do you thik he invented it?
Submitted by CobraMan on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 2:02pm.
shawn, do you think he invented the entire situation, or do you understand that America had people there who witness the event and REPORTED back to Bush? Why should he b required to refer to only self-witness events? Does he have to personally witness something in order to reminisce upon it with enough credibility to satisfy you, or does it just have to happen and he remember it correctly?
What's next, finding fault with some for claiming that President Kennedy uttered the famous words; "There's always some [sob] who doesn't get the message."
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
CobraMan makes an excellent
Submitted by stratman on Tue, 11/16/2010 - 4:05pm.
CobraMan makes an excellent point about event reporting.
If past performance is our guide, Bush will not comment on these (unsupported) charges unless asked.
BTW, I thought you displayed backbone in your posts on video game violence and children. (It was you, right?)
Hi Strat
Submitted by shawn. on Tue, 11/16/2010 - 4:38pm.
I just thought it was an interesting point. It's not that it bothers me so much that it makes me angry I just thought it was a little misleadng. Yes it was me saying we should protect children from this type of thing. I am a huge advocate for adult entertainment, but believe in protecting children at the same time. Thank you for the compliment.Annoying Arianna & Her HuffPuff Publication
Submitted by gruyere cheese on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 8:36pm.
Arianna is a typical liberal, feminist Drama Queen. The talking heads at MessNBC have Mike Barnicle on as a political analyst or commentator. Who can take what he says on the air seriously? He was fired from his job at the Boston Globe for plagiarism. He is on this joke of a show on MessNBC because someone has his back at this network; and little Ms. HuffPuff is critizing Bush for plagiarism?
Give me a break!
Liberals who lie, plagiarize,
Submitted by motherbelt on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 9:12pm.
Liberals who lie, plagiarize, and even frequent prostitutes seem to have no problem getting offered new careers.
Well, MB, it's because
Submitted by 26CX on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 9:16pm.
Well, MB, it's because they fully meet the job requirements.
Is that the best ya got?
Submitted by Injest on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 6:53am.
From Huffington Post's Ryan Grim to Huffington Post's Ryan Grim
So Bush needs help remembering crucial episodes of his presidency! So what? He remembers the important parts of his life --like when his mom showed him a fetus, and when he was rude at dinner -- just fine. I think we all knew that Donald Rumsfeld's book would be way better, anyway. Crown also got a mash-up of worn-out anecdotes from previously published memoirs written by his subordinates, from which Bush lifts quotes word for word, passing them off as his own recollections.
Oh, I get it, your PLAGIARISM charge is based on “GW Bush memoir” borrows quotes from “GW Bush”?
Seriously are you an idiot?
Your claiming its “odd” that memoirs written by his subordinates about what Bush said and did kinda sorta match what Bush said and did?
Is that the best ya got?
Many of Bush's literary misdemeanors exemplify pedestrian sloth, but others are higher crimes against the craft of memoir. In one prime instance, Bush relates a poignant meeting between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a Tajik warlord on Karzai's Inauguration Day.
Is this one meeting or two?
It's the kind of scene that offers a glimpse of a hopeful future for the beleaguered nation. Witnessing such an exchange could color a president's outlook, could explain perhaps Bush's more optimistic outlook and give insight into his future decisions. Except Bush didn't witness it. Because he wasn't at Karzai's inauguration.
Ever here of “video conferencing”?
I “witness” our landing on the moon even though I wasn't there I saw it on TV. Are you claiming the White House doesn't have TV's to “witness” events?
Nowhere in his above statement does he claim to actually be “AT” Karzai's inauguration.
...
Submitted by TCinAZ on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 12:33pm.
Arianna Huffington...Serial Ρουφιάνα (Female Rat).
So Thank You Dana And Professor Gasman. Oh, and Thank You Too George! But the Next time she Threatens you, Feel Free to proceed in Destroying Her. i.e, Please Crush her "Media Empire" into a Fine Powder. Thanks.