by Mark Silva and updated
The White House today chastised an aide accused of plagiarism. And it didn't take long for the longtime aide to President Bush to resign.
Timothy Goeglein, who has served Bush since 2001, was accused of lifting material from an essay in a Dartmouth College publication and presenting it as his own work in a newspaper column for The News-Sentinel in Fort Wayne, Ind., the Associated Press reports.
Twenty columns he wrote for the Indiana newspaper were determined to have material copied from other sources without attribution,'' AP says.
"The president was disappointed to learn of the matter and he was saddened for Tim and his family," White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement this evening. She said Goeglein had accepted responsibility and "has apologized for not upholding the standards expected by the president."
"His behavior is not acceptable and we are disappointed in Tim’s actions," White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore had said earlier. "He is offering no excuses and he agrees it was wrong."
Officials also are looking into allegations that Goeglein had plagiarized other material. The problem was first pointed out by a blogger, Nancy Nall, a former columnist for the Indiana paper.
Goeglein has served as a special assistant to Bush and deputy director of the Office of Public Liaison, which is responsible for outreach in communicating the president’s policies.
The Associated Press' ace White House correspondent Terence Hunt basically wrote all of this report and the update presented by the Swamp today -- so let's get that straight right here.
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Comments
I speak with high school students about the consequences of plagarizing in their school work (zero on paper, getting thrown out of college, getting fired from a job). Guess that doesn't happen in the Bush White House.
Posted by: Sandra Cline | February 29, 2008 5:10 PM
Seriously, why does anyone even attempt to plagarize anymore? One simple google search and you're busted!
Posted by: Tina | February 29, 2008 5:26 PM
The Associated Press' ace White House correspondent Terence Hunt basically wrote this report presented by the Swamp today -- so let's get that straight right here.
Posted by Mark Silva
LOL.
Mark, do you think that's going to prevent the right-wingers from taking a swipe at you for posting this?
Good luck.
Posted by: Bud McFarlin | February 29, 2008 5:59 PM
"BIG POPPY'S PERSONAL "GOEGLIEN" SPEAKS"
You naughty, naughty boy you. Bad, Bad naughty boy you. Sharing thoughts of synthesizing the president 2008 ego, now without Karl Rove, Mr. Tap Tap King Evangelical wannabee Rev. Ted Haggard, and those good ol log cabin boys, Gannon and Guckert!
Now without S-Bill 1639 not passing and no 12 million "Z" people paying into what would have been the next biggest "Private Equity Firm" aka Privatization/Consolidationof Social Security under the "SECRETARY" Homeland Security, with profits beating Exxon as we know it. "ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY" BORDER SECURITY, IMMIGRATION REFORM ACT OF 2006"
"GOD WANTS WORLD CUP NOT FALSE PROPHETS"
Tim!
Posted by: Roger Morris | February 29, 2008 6:16 PM
Who does that WH aide think he is, Obama or Hillary? Oh, that's right. Plagiarism is okay if it's Barack or Clinton.
Posted by: Derrick | February 29, 2008 6:40 PM
oh gee--he didn't know stealing someone else's writing isn't right--only repugs accept lies because it happens at the top!!!
Posted by: william pappas | February 29, 2008 7:28 PM
This Bush White House administration always believed they can do whatever they want. What's a little plagarism?
Posted by: RomanB | February 29, 2008 7:33 PM
What a suprise. Who would expect anyone to be held accountable in this whitehouse? Telecoms, aides, you name it!
Posted by: Danielle | February 29, 2008 7:57 PM
No surprise there. The only original thoughts coming out of the Whitehouse turn out to be brain farts.
Posted by: Rick/Sneads Ferry, NC | February 29, 2008 9:13 PM
Well, there is probably an opening for him on the faculty at Southern Illinois University.
Posted by: Nico | February 29, 2008 10:41 PM
Teachers--the ones who are to define and teach this term are the only ones NOT LOSING employment. The Columbia Professor (who found a noose on her office door) and the President of Southern Illinois made news when found guilty by their peers. They remained employed.
Obama and Hillary? Nothing!
I agree Timothy Goeglein should no longer be employed but the LEFT's selective process of guilt and penalty show why "copying" problem will find little remedy in near future. Footnote!
Posted by: Mark | February 29, 2008 10:48 PM
Earth to Derrick: your Republic hero copied words written by other by written pages. Taking words used by others in a speech is ephemeral. If you say 'Four score and seven years ago'...you are plagerizing by your idiotic standards.
Ordinarily, I would please ask you to keep up, but seeing as you are a Republic, I only ask you to keep your yap shut when you don't know what you're talking about.
Posted by: weinerdog43 | February 29, 2008 11:01 PM
What are these liberal posters talking about? The White House secured his resignation. That's more than we saw from Biden and Obama in their plagiarism episodes.
But if you are going to plagiarize, can't you find a more weighty source than a college newspaper?
Posted by: politwriter | March 1, 2008 5:39 AM
Obama campaign is hiring...
He'll find work in no time in Washington...
Posted by: Paul | March 1, 2008 7:24 AM
I bet they gave him a choice, a reprimand and you resign, or a reprimand and your fired. Either way the problem is resolved.
Posted by: Darkwater | March 1, 2008 9:15 AM
Waiting for the news the Clinton, Obamaand Biden have resigned as well. Will I live long enough to ever see a response like this from the left?
Posted by: VivianC | March 1, 2008 10:14 AM
Well, if he can make women swoon and his wife hates America, he's now fully qualified to run for President (as a Democrat, that is)
Posted by: jimboster | March 1, 2008 10:34 AM
("What are these liberal posters talking about? The White House secured his resignation. That's more than we saw from Biden and Obama in their plagiarism episodes."
Posted by: politwriter)
Exactly the point, politwriter - he did the right thing and resigned. But I disagree with your view on the politicians;
Obama's buddy isn't complaining about the B-man borrowing his stuff. AND the B-man isn't complaining about the Hill borrowing his words either. Even Biden said phrases are traded around all the time. It's not like they are copy-written.
Posted by: CherieL | March 1, 2008 11:05 AM
Obviously, plagiarism is only an ethical problem for Republicans, not Democrats like Hillary and Hussein.
Posted by: Garrett | March 1, 2008 1:32 PM
Well obviously, the real problem wasn't the plagiarism. It was not making up completely false "facts, like WMD, Al Queda influencing Iraq, aluminum tubes from Niger, didn't leak names, people weren't fired for political reasons, didn't destroy a string of businesses given to me by daddy's buddies until they gave me the presidency, the surge is working, etc., etc., etc. If you can't lie like president dick and his mouthpiece in chief shrub, you have no place in that mis-administration.
Posted by: rncbs | March 1, 2008 4:00 PM
Here is food for thought with appropriate citation:
"As democracy is perfected, the office of president
represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of
the people. On some great and glorious day the plain
folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
-H.L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)
Posted by: Rick/Sneads Ferry, NC | March 1, 2008 5:11 PM