Ben Domenech has imploded.
That didn’t take long.
Domenech has posted his excuses. Basically, he’s claiming that the plagiarism didn’t count because it happened when he was younger, that the WaPo editors “are convinced by my arguments on many of these issues”, and that he’s only resigning because of the “firestorm”. As is typical, he’s making rationalizations to avoid simply taking responsibility. And then there’s this nonsense:
But all these specifics are beside the point. Considering that all of this happened almost eight years ago, and that there are no files or notes that I’ve kept from that brief stint, it is simply my word against the liberal blogosphere on these examples. It becomes a matter of who you believe.
But for a really gagworthy comment, try this:
To my enemies: I take enormous solace in the fact that you spent this week bashing me, instead of America.
Oh, yeah. He took a bullet…for America!
Scumbag.
Hey, now he’s got something else (besides exhibiting excessive hubris that gets him fired from a job he acquired through Rethuglican connections) in common with George Deutsch: he never graduated from his college. Isn’t it symptomatic of a movement in trouble that they are scraping the bottom of the barrel, grabbing young, unseasoned incompetents and stuffing them into positions for which they are unsuited and unprepared, except perhaps by their ideological leanings?
I worry that these are just the ones who are getting caught. How many young wingnut incompetents are settling into positions of power right now?
If this blog supported![]()
tags, I’d bring out the “HA! HA!” Nelson thing. Lemme give this a shot.
If Ben Domenech plagiarized, then WHO THE HELL IS THE KOOK THAT WROTE THAT MATERIAL IN THE FIRST PLACE?!
Not everything he wrote was plagiarized, but the really good material was PJ O’Rourke’s. See my link in the previous Domenech entry.
Yeah, and he was ripping of Salon movie reviews. They may have actually fired him for reading that left-wing site.
I’m two years older than the boy, and I’ve never had to resign from a major publication.
Is this to my credit or not?
I like that for his epitaph: “Not everything he wrote was plagarized”.
Gee, I might steal that one for my own gravestone, except that I’d always had my heart set on having my corpse put on a platform in the backyard so I could be eaten by crows.
à propos Ben, over at Sadly, No!, one Demogenes Aristophanes has posted what has to be the Best. Comment. Ever.
Best. Comment. Ever.
ROTFLMAO! (awe.some)
Vote Squid!
Christ. Even as he implodes Domenech plagarizes the Big Crunch. And he’s off by millions of years! We are all stardust; let’s sue.
That was an excellent comment.
I’m going to have to steal it.
Man, read through some of the conservative site trackbacks on that link. “Any conservative that writes for the WaPo has to know the left will be gunning for him.” One, duh, and two, did I miss something, or has the WaPo not carried water for the administration pretty handily for the past 5 or so years? Just the idea that Domenech’s implosion was because the Left is mean to poor, underrepresented conservatives and not because the guy’s a friggin’ rip-off hack. Sheesh…
Ben was like a shooting star who burned oh so brightly before he cratered… ;-)
Plagarism used to be just unethical. Now–when it can be checked with a few keystrokes; and anyone with a ‘net-wide audience is apt to be read by someone who’s seen the original material–it’s a sign of profound dumbassitude.
Tying this to your previous post, I’m usually against torture, but I’m tempted to make an exception for plagiurists.
Molly… just because plagiarism is more easily discovered doesn’t mean it’s punished.
Case in point: a radio talk show host in my area got caught plagiarizing his online commentaries. A caller pointed this out to him on the air — so the host called him a fool for wasting time on the subject.
This was a few years ago. The host is still on the air, with ever-soaring ratings, while the caller was permanently banned from the show. Even though he was entirely correct.
Did I mention this was a right-wing radio host?
Man, read through some of the conservative site trackbacks on that link. “Any conservative that writes for the WaPo has to know the left will be gunning for him.”
Look! A Republican who values personal responsibility!
Nope, my mistake.
Do implosions go “Boom”? Or do they go “Moob” ?
I agree with the above: Best Comment Ever.
And here I’ve been plinking away taking time posting arguably original thoughts on my blog.
LOL oops.
The conservative blogger response has been pretty amusing. It’s basically boiled down to “well, what he did was wrong, but the REAL story is that those mean liberals had the gall to point it out! They’re mean! And liberal!”
One down, millions to go.
*sigh*
I want a Death Star.
Popped over to the Domenech on *cough* Free Republic. Just love some of the comments. The general consensus is that the Washington Post knew that Domenech was a plagiarizer all along and they were just setting him up to take a fall.
Another commenter actually said this: “Thankfully, this episode has proven once again that conservatives have principles. If a Leftie were caught in a similar crime, the libs would rally around him and make excuses.”
So it’s okay to steal other people’s work so long as you resign promptly if you get caught. Too funny.
(BTW: I’m still having to clear this site’s cookies every so often before my posts are accepted. Any chance of a fix?)
(Supposed to say “the Domenech thread” above)
Is anyone surprised by his behavior? He was a creationist, right? This kind of hypocritical, double-dealing, dishonest lying behavior is second nature to them.
There’s no point rebutting this logically, so I’ll settle for a point of information. Re this Freeper comment:
If a Leftie were caught in a similar crime, the libs would rally around him and make excuses.
What’s this fallacy called? Not quite a Straw Man — but it’s the same as inventing an example in order to knock it down. That is, if you can’t cite actual evidence, imagine a future occurrence that justifies your belief.
I observed this same trick from Carl Baugh, who asserted that a can of soup exposed to cosmic rays for a billion years will never produce living matter. He knows this even without running the experiment.
A similar experiment has already been run. Compare Michael Bellesiles, ruined and run out of the country for weak analysis, vs John Lott, who made data up, lied, cherry-picks, misrepresents, sock-puppets and vandalizes Wiki entries… and who is still a respected AEI member and oft admired in wingnut circles.
The moral compass of the wingers just spins in ever faster circles.
Well, maybe he can finally find the time to fight in Iraq.
For a hoot, read the comments thread on Domenech’s explanatory post on Redstate, through the link above. Until near the end, when a couple of more patient critics of Domenech come online and explain the situation at length, it’s almost all plaudits and exculpations. My favorite is the (apparently serious, though possibly mere Troll) suggestion that the editors indeed did plant all the (early) evidence of plagiarism – when Domenech was 17, in movie reviews – in order frame him, and not even to defame him while he was in college, but specifically to undermine his later career. It would have to be most ubiquitous (not to mention prophetic) conspiracy imaginable.
This is why children should not be home schooled.
Uh oh… the National Review has been checking through all Domenech’s articles for them, and finding more and more instances of plagiarism. Can’t wait to see ol’ Box Turtle claim evil left-wing editors planted them all without his knowledge…
http://corner.nationalreview.com/06_03_19_corner-archive.asp#093326
Here’s the question: Where will Ben end up next? He’s gotta eat, so which foundation does he enter next?
Here’s the question: Where will Ben end up next? He’s gotta eat, so which foundation does he enter next?
Maybe someone can get him a job at NASA.
They have Principles!
Hey, humans _are_ are animals who happen to walk upright and make noises that approximate speech. No argument there :)
So much for conservative “logic”:
There’s plenty of time in the day for me to bash America AND Ben Domenech.
Please.
Yay, the DI can claim this is another “smear campaign” by the “evilutionists.” I’m getting quite sick of the extreme spin some people achieve. I’m not on an amusement park ride.
We can all be young and stupid once, but a pattern of plagiarism – how can *anyone* excuse this? And he claims his plagiarism was with permission – so he’s admitting he’s a bad writer at a bare minimum. If I plagiarized in college, I’d be unable to do my job! It’ll be interesting to see where he ends up.
In the immortal words of my college roommate:
“Neener, neener, you whore.”
So meaningless, yet so apropos…
We can all be young and stupid once, but a pattern of plagiarism – how can *anyone* excuse this?
He’s a creationist. Comes as naturally as breathing.
It’ll be interesting to see where he ends up.
Probably some well paid polticial hack job.
I’ve got a problem with all these mutual congratulations. Defeating a dweeb like Domenech is hardly a famous victory. It’s more like Reagan’s triumphant invasion of Grenada.
I’ve chosen to compose my thoughts on Ben Domenech in lyrical form, entirely of my own invention:
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing…
My favorite is the (apparently serious, though possibly mere Troll) suggestion that the editors indeed did plant all the (early) evidence of plagiarism – when Domenech was 17, in movie reviews – in order frame him, and not even to defame him while he was in college, but specifically to undermine his later career. It would have to be most ubiquitous (not to mention prophetic) conspiracy imaginable.
–Warren Terra
Actually, accusing the enemy of time travel, is pretty common among conspiracy nuts. They never phrase it thus, but attributing the enemy with having superhuman evil powers is par for the mindset.
Yes, they are nuts, but they are nuts in large numbers.
The thing that gets me is the way this implies that the cons AREN’T rallying aound Domenech and making excuses.
I mean, the “Well … YOU’RE A DOOKIEHEAD TOO!” logic is all well and good, but the extreme case of projection is … impressive.
“I want to apologize to National Review Online, my friends and colleagues here at RedState, and to any others that have been affected over the past few days. I also want to apologize to my previous editors and writers whose work I used inappropriately and without attribution. There is no excuse for this – nor is there an excuse for any obfuscation in my earlier statement.” http://www.redstate.com/story/2006/3/24/231559/931
Imploded, indeed.
Ben gave out th BENDOMENECH.COM AWARDS in 2003
The winner for Fraud: Jayson Blair
“Jayson Blair is just one more journalistic pezzonovante amidst a crowd of his peers. The only difference is, he’s unashamed of his pretty little lies. In fact, he’s proud of them. The ultimate insult that we could pay towards this wretch would be to forget him. He deserves no more of our time.”
http://www.bendomenech.com/blog/archives/week_2003_05_18.html
Ben deserves no more of our time. We could pay this wretch the ultimate insult and forget him. He is unashamed of his pretty little lies. In fact he is proud of them, the pezzonovante.
If a 17-year-old girl has unsafe sex once, hey, she should be prepared to accept that her actions have consequences.
If a 17-year-old boy cheats repeatedly? Come on! Who hasn’t made mistakes when they were young? Many teens are sloppy. Is it really fair that it should affect his career so many years later?
Defeating a dweeb like Domenech is hardly a famous victory. It’s more like Reagan’s triumphant invasion of Grenada.
I like to think of it more like displaying the perp in the stocks, as a warning to the rest.
As someone who defended the terrible memoirist James Frey when he was ripped for making things up in his memoir, and did so because that is EXACTLY the difference between memoir and autobiography, although he should have been ripped as a writer at a ten year old level, what this kid did is FAR worse.
Multiple examples of plagiarism of multiple lines and paragraphs. Any paying agency would be insane to hire this guy who apparently has never had an original thought.
If a white conservative – Ben Domenech – is shown to have plagiarized years ago, that’s wrong (and it is) and should be an indication of who he is now because people never, ever change… if they’re conservatives.
If a black liberal – Jayson Blair – is shown to have plagiarized “today,” well, that was just an error of judgment and we shouldn’t hold it against him. He’s learned his lesson. Can’t we just move on?
Yep. Business as usual.
I’m glad the left has relearned its distaste for plagiarism. Now we’ve all agreed how plagiarism is a Really Bad Thing, maybe we can stop celebrating an annual holiday in honor of a man whose plagiarism was far more extensive and serious than Domenech’s?
If a black liberal – Jayson Blair – is shown to have plagiarized “today”
Well, I wouldn’t know who the f*ck Jayson Blair is, and we sure as hell don’t have any holidays in honor of him over here. Why are the consequences of youthful discretions nothing but a right/left question to you?
Oh, yeah. He took a bullet for America!
As a person with no direct knowledge of american politics, politicians, everyday life and mentality, I need as many pro-President-of-the-moment and military-operation-of-the-moment blogs up and running as possible for balance’s sake, since I’m already exposed to the “other side’s” arguments from around the world. I find closing/attacking conservative blogs a bad thing for my daily info gathering. The same applies to other countries that affect the way the world goes round as well.
…Just for the record.
Now we’ve all agreed how plagiarism is a Really Bad Thing, maybe we can stop celebrating an annual holiday in honor of a man whose plagiarism was far more extensive and serious than Domenech’s?
Yeah, dork, well the thing is MLK was the leading light of the Civil Rights movement. So he had feet of clay, so what? Ben Domenech is all clay from the ground up to the tippy-top of his wingnut head.
There’s a difference obvious to anyone but a total chunderwagon, but don’t let that stop you from campaigning to write one of the greatest men this country has ever produced out of history.
MLK certainly was a leading light of the civil rights movement. That was a good thing. He plagiarized his doctorate and many of his writings. Those were bad things. We can acknowledge the good things, while simultaneously deploring the bad things. We can do that if we can deal with the difficult problem of holding two thoughts in our head at the same time.
As for the rest of the personal abuse, typical.
Apologies to Byron:
Ben Domenech! You’re a blogger–Blogger-laureate,
And representative of all the Red State race;
Although ’tis true that you turn’d out a Fraud at last
–yours has lately been a common case;
And now, my Epic Plagiarist! What are ye at?
With all the Red Staters, out in cyberspace?
“It may be that the world will grind you down,”
In your case it’s deserved, ye Red State Clown!
You, Ben! are rather insolent, you know,
At being disappointed in your wish
To supersede all the Bloggers here below,
And be annointed WAPO’s Right Wing dish;
By copy-pasting writings of your peers, tis so,
You’ve tumbled downward like the flying fish
Gasping on deck, because you soared to high, Ben,
Lamenting liberal bias, quite a cry-Ben!
Meantime–Sir Red State–I proceed to dedicate,
In honest simple verse, this Blog to you,
And, if in flattering strains I do not dedicate,
‘Tis that I still retain my “Blue State hue”;
My politics as yet are all to educate:
Hypocrisy’s so fashionable, too,
To expose the Right Wing’s lies grown quite Herculean;
Is it not so, my Red-State-Neocon-Tool-ian?
http://news.com.com/2061-11199_3-6053983.html
Now the Demenech affair is set as a warning example for the blogosphere.
I’ve never understood plagiarists. How lazy can you get?!? The fair use doctrine enables writers to use almost anything in small quantities provided they ATTRIBUTE it. I frequently refer to internet sources in stories I write, but ALWAYS attribute them. Not only is that common courtesy to whatever source you use, it’s also a good practice so that the readers can check your sources for themselves. We journalists aren’t supposed to act like we know everything, but are here to help inform the public, and a key element of doing that is maintaining the willingness to learn things ourselves, be it from more research or from having our mistakes (or lousy sources) pointed out to us.
I swear, the inept & crooked people (of whichever political leaning) are trying to pollute everything that’s there to serve/improve the people as a whole — the press, government agencies, unions, science, etc. — probably so they can profit from the subsequent collapse in civil society.
We can acknowledge the good things, while simultaneously deploring the bad things. We can do that if we can deal with the difficult problem of holding two thoughts in our head at the same time.
Baloney, Gerard, that’s not what your comment was about. It was about your hope to rescind MLK Day. Obviously, we deplore MLK’s plagiarism and other failings. But they are all minor in the ledger book of his life when weighed against his broad accomplishments.
The difference between MLK and Domenech is enormous – plagiarism is a sad, but minor part of MLK’s legacy, while Domenech, at this point in his life, is solely defined by plagiarism. Your attempt to draw parallels between the two are silly.
As for the personal abuse, apologies. Sometimes I forget to use my inside voice.
“Now we’ve all agreed how plagiarism is a Really Bad Thing, maybe we can stop celebrating an annual holiday in honor of a man whose plagiarism was far more extensive and serious than Domenech’s?”
You mean the New Testament? It reused a lot of stuff from the Old Testament. I guess that means we can stop with Christmas and Easter are!
Yeah, Carlie … Jesus plagiarized all his best shit from Mithras and Q anyway …
Um, that last sentence shouldn’t have “are” at the end, of course. Unless I can claim that it’s an interjection in tribue to FSM-ism.
This is a splendidly resourceful. When faced with the disgraceful of a severely unethical prominent wingnut, swiftly change the subject by agitating for the cancellation of a holiday dedicated to a civil rights hero. You Republicans are a class act. I don’t know why you guys can’t get above low-single digit popularity among black voters.
Come to think of it, I know of several cases of lefties who were caught, not plagiarizing, but lying in what purported to be news stories. There was Jayson Blair, who made up a bunch of his New York Times stories, there was that bint about twenty years ago at the Washington Post who made up a Pulitzer prize-winning story about a ten year-old heroin addict, and there was of course, Rathergate. They all got pilloried and bounced out of their jobs, just like this Domenech clown did.
What all of these stories show me, is just how precious our freedom of speech is. People can lie, and people can get caught lying. Eventually, the truth wins out.
-jcr
If a black liberal – Jayson Blair – is shown to have plagiarized “today,”
Jayson Blair resigned, and didn’t claim that his dog wrote his homework.
Yet another example of the ‘wingers regard for honesty… they have none.
First of all how do you know “chunderwagon” is abusive? Sounds like a complement to me, considering the worse things that might be said about those that like to create false equivalencies.
I’m looking directly at you Gerald Harbison? At least your rhetorical dot-to-dot has yet to land on the unicorn horn of Chappaquidick yet. I have no doubt we’ll get there eventually.
Fox1,
“well, what he did was wrong, but the REAL story is that those mean liberals had the gall to point it out! They’re mean! And liberal!”
From my Libertarian point of view, I’m struck by how nearly identical this is to the way the lefties circled the wagons over the Rathergate debacle.
Just bear in mind, that whenever people are emotionally committed to a cause, some of them are going to lie, cheat, and steal.
-jcr