NRL News
202.626.8824
dadandrusk@aol.com

CNN Talks Up Biden, Inaccurately Dismisses Plagiarism History

Aug 17, 2015

By Brad Wilmouth

Editor’s note. The law school ”accusations” CNN refers to–and dismisses as inconsequential — refer to a law review article Vice President Joe Biden plagiarized for a paper he wrote in his first year at law school. This came out in 1987 when Biden was running for President. At the time he said his action was a “mistake” but not “malevolent.” But the real controversy (which CNN conveniently omitted) which helped to drive Biden out of the race was that he had lifted from speeches from prominent politicians, including then British Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock.

BidenpresOn Friday’s New Day, CNN regulars talked up the possibility of Vice President Joe Biden jumping into the presidential race, with co-host Chris Cuomo declaring that “We have no secret here that we have been pushing Joe Biden to get into the race because we want as many voices as possible to help voters make their decision.”

Additionally, as the group discussed Donald Trump’s recent jab at the Vice President’s history of plagiarism, Cuomo misleadingly referred to the crack as “taking it back to law school,” and CNN political reporter Sara Murray dismissed the issue as “some old accusations from law school.” But, while he was running for President in 1988, Biden was found to have lifted extensively from the speech of a British politician, and from other speakers as well.

At about 6:03 a.m., Cuomo brought up the scenario of a Biden run:

I want to talk about Joe Biden. We have no secret here that we have been pushing Joe Biden to get into the race because we want as many voices as possible to help voters make their decision. So he’s at 12 percent. Sara, how do you read that? Is that a vote for Joe Biden? Or is that just a rejection vote of the current field? Or both?

Murray talked up polling suggesting Biden may have a promising chance, asserting that

“I think there kind of are a lot of promising tidbits out there for old Joe.”

A bit later, Cuomo recalled that Trump recent brought up Biden’s plagiarism history:

CHRIS CUOMO: You know you’re not real, Sara, until Donald Trump takes a swipe at you. Listen to this.

DONALD TRUMP (AUDIO FROM THE HUGH HEWITT SHOW): I think I’d match up great. I’m a job producer. I’ve had a great record. I haven’t been involved in plagiarism. I think I would match up very well against Biden.

CUOMO: Donald Trump taking it back to law school, bringing up that Joe Biden got hooked for plagiarism then. What does this mean, Sara?

Murray dismissed the issue:

If the worst thing he can say about Biden right now is talking about some old accusations from law school, I think that puts Biden in a pretty good position.

This appeared at newsbusters.org and is reprinted with permission.

 

Categories: Politics