LOWCOUNTRY “REPUBLICAN” BUSTED LIFTING LANGUAGE …
S.C. Rep. Samuel Rivers – a “Republican” from Goose Creek, S.C. first elected to his seat in 2012 – has been accused of plagiarism in an opinion piece appearing in The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier .
The alleged plagiarism was uncovered by investigative reporter Corey Hutchins – who published his findings in The Columbia Journalism Review .
“What does cattle ranching in Wyoming have to do with building homes in South Carolina?” Hutchins asks. “More than you’d think, apparently, judging by a recent newspaper op-ed by a Charleston lawmaker and a PR package from a beef lobbying group in Cheyenne.”
Rivers’ oped – published here – appears to have been written on behalf of the S.C. Homebuilders Association. It opposes a controversial new mandate from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Obviously this website is no friend of the EPA, but at least we’re original in our criticism.
Rivers? Not so much …
The preacher – who we’re assuming is familiar with the Scriptural admonition against stealing – lifted significant portions of “his” opinion piece from an opinion piece (see page seven of this .pdf file) prepared by the National Cattleman’s Beef Association.
“Six of the 12 paragraphs in the P&C commentary either closely mirror or reflect verbatim the ranching op-ed,” Hutchins notes.
And he’s right.
Here’s an excerpt from Rivers’ oped …
Despite U.S. Supreme Court rulings striking down broad interpretations of their authority over isolated waters, the agencies keep trying to expand federal jurisdiction over ditches, ponds and puddles. The agencies’ latest attempt is the most brazen, and according to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy is “cleverly written,” leading industry to believe the proposal is intended to be an end-run around Congress and the Supreme Court.
Many in the regulated community have called this proposal the largest land grab in history.
And here’s an excerpt from the Big Beef document …
Despite Supreme Court rulings striking down broad interpretations of their authority over isolated waters the agencies keep trying to expand federal jurisdiction over ditches, ponds and puddles. The agencies latest attempt is the most brazen, and according to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy is “cleverly written,” leading industry to believe the proposal is intended to be an end-run around Congress and the Supreme Court.
Many in the agricultural community have called this proposal the largest land grab in history, and I don’t think that is far off the mark, if at all.
Wow … that’s “Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V” if we’ve ever seen it.
Amazingly, Rivers still claims he wrote the piece, telling Hutchins “I didn’t copy and paste that at all. No, no, no.”
Sure you didn’t, dude … sure you didn’t.
This reminds us of B-Rabbit (a.k.a. Eminem)’s second rap battle in the movie 8 Mile in which he instructs a rival rapper to “go home write some sh*t make it suspenseful – and don’t come back until something dope hits you.”
Seriously …
UPDATE: Looks like Samuel Rivers has gotten money from the S.C. Builders’ PAC …
(Banner via)
36 comments
He must’ve been in the same English class Rand Paul was in.
He must’ve been in the same English class Rand Paul and Rocky was in.
He’s claiming PTSD as the excuse for the plagiarism – sounds more like PTGCD to me – Plagiarist That Got Caught Disorder.
That would be John Walsh, (D) Montana – equally stupid excuse…
Wow, tempest in a teapot much Will?
Did he use his opinion piece to earn a degree? Was he offering this as his original work for payment? Was perhaps the Cattleman’s piece written for the purpose of being a use as needed document (most of them are)?
As for his denial of using the piece, we’ll, you can’t fix stupid.
True. Normal people don’t care about plagarism. He should’ve just come out and said, “yeah, I used it, cry me a river.” Nobody would’ve cared.
I think the question that is more important than plagiarism in cases like this is whether a legislator is a paid “consultant” for the Homebuilders Association or some other organization or corporation.
LMAO: Hutchings has been hired as a political operative for The Columbia Journalism Review…Hahahaha…He’s a Huffington Post HACK!!!
Hutchins, the intrepid REPUBLICAN killer. Yet when he had evidence implicating Powerful Democrat Steve Benjamin, dumped in his lap, he balked.
Can you say: DISCREDITED, Liberal, dirty trick jockey?..You people are FREAKIN pathetic…in your dishonesty.
Speaking of hacks, your mamma is calling from the shed. Oh, my bad, I meant HAGs. Anyway, seems the kickstand on her moped is all fucked up again and she wants your scrawny as out back STAT. She said she may have you service her while she’s at it. She hasn’t been milked since Tuesday and those babies are dragging the ground again.
LMAO: Mama jokes. How old is that? And how old are you? ….Best and Brightest my @$$….Hahaha..The most ignorant and flat, no doubt…
You people are just dull and stupid…if that’s all you can come up with…You were better off taking what I told you about yourselves, and trying to turn around and use it on me…
You’re damn right, Tango. They need to get off your momma…a 24pk of condoms can only get ya so far…
Don’t even go there, republican’s love blowing the wad to the outside !
Shit, dude. You copy and paste from Drudge all the time…
Maybe he can get a national holiday named after him like another famous plagiarist.
Plagiarism is a farce. If you want intellectual dishonesty, explain why Michelle’s ring finger is longer than he/she’s index finger, a male characteristic. Or how ’bout our local FBI office running through Obama’s Connecticut SSN. No takers?
The fact that 30 years retired GMan Joe Arpaio has shown forensically Obama’s SSN is not his. He has shown the BC is a photoshop forgery. Forensic pathologists have shown Michelle Obama is a Tranny.
This is not a game.
This is not hiding FDR’s crippled legs from polio during wartime. The fact that corporate media, law enforcement, and federal judges are colluding to perpetrate a felony cuts to the very core of freedom. With wildly flagrant lawlessness, not one American is obligated to continue obeying the current corruptible government and the agents of deceit.
Yes, and the CIA, FBI and Mafia are out to get you, Thomas (T-Rav?).
Boo!
The NSA knows what porn sites you visit, what escort service you call, and you make jokes? This is an outrage!
They know about your psychiatric hospitalizations, too.
Explain this: How can a nutjob conspiracy idiot think that gathering attention for himself by talking about Michelle’s ring finger convinces anyone that he is not certifiably insane?
Who cares? They don’t have any original thoughts anyway.
Today is officially “National Tell an Old Joke Day” so I am copying and pasting one of my favorites—-
An old guy hobbles into an ice cream shop. He has a hard time walking and is hunched over. He goes up to the counter and says: “Banana Split, please.” The lady at the counter replies: “Crushed nuts?” “No,” the old man says: “arthritis.”
And the bitter truth is that, had he simply said he was going to use the same argument, using different words, and giving proper credit in footnotes, he would have made a stronger point.
He didn’t plagarize that. Someone else probably wrote it for him. It’s unlikely it was lifted directly from the press package. It was probably lifted from somewhere that lifted it from there. It’s not great writing. Jim Demint’s first book was full of clips like it, incoherenlty disconnected. Arguments which went nowhere and slammed into text about a completely unreleated issue. I’m not bothered that most of our leaders are unable to write. What troubles me is the fear that they can’t observe, learn or think either.
Jim DeMint can write? (I mean, something besides his name, of course.)
Please dont speak ill will of the greatest Senator in SC history to not do a dam thing in DC. I still scratch my head on the love affair of Jimmy Deminted????
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bid0AbLTcco
He added a comma where one wasn’t previously. It’s that little bitty change…
Ha! That was a brilliant link, kudos!
Don’t overlook the added plural possessive apostrophe.
Don’t overlook the added plural possessive apostrophe.
Gosh,…a South Carolina politician who can’t think for himself? And you think that’s big news? Here’s a flash for you: NONE OF THEM CAN THINK! At least he had the brains to plagairize something reasonably well writen. He may not be original, but at least he has taste! (Willi on the other hand supports T-Roid! Nuf said.)
That’s it exactly: they CAN’T think for themselves.
That’s why they rely on ALEC template bills rather than addressing actual problems and issues specific to South Carolina.
They cheat their way through every step of the legislative process. Why in the world would a one of them think that plagiarism is an issue?
Amazingly, Rivers still claims he wrote the piece, telling Hutchins “I didn’t copy and paste that at all. No, no, no.”
“Wha’ ha’ happen’ was…”
He may be telling the truth, much like Bill Clinton had his accusers define “sex” then made his assertions based on their definition, he may not have “copy and paste” any part of the other document, Rivers may have typed it out letter by letter or had someone else write the op-ed and he put his signature to it. If backed against a wall my money goes on him throwing a secretary under the bus.
FOR THE RECORD, AND TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN—
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Comments posted on Fitsnews by me are strictly and absolutely my personal opinions, and/or my intellectual creation, and were developed, initiated, and/or plagiarized by me —- all under duress.
His Signature: Shifty Henry
Notary for South Carolina (Lexington County): Ludwig Wittgenstein
Oops.