Kurtz On Domenech

Updated at bottom

Howard Kurtz notes Domenech's problems here.

The Washington Post Co.'s Web operation has touched off an online furor by hiring as a blogger a 24-year-old former Bush administration aide who co-founded a conservative site and recently referred to Coretta Scott King as a "communist."

No disrespect to Mr. Kurtz, but as is typical of MSM logistics, Kurtz was apparently hours behind on the story when they published his piece.

Rick Moran, another established conservative blogger is calling for Domenech to resign. I'd agree.

Ben Domenech is not the kind of writer we want representing the conservative viewpoint at the Washington Post or anywhere else. With so many eloquent and able conservative writers, I’m sure the Post will have no problem finding someone else to take over a blog that should be espousing honesty and decency as the principles by which we on the right live by.

Anything short of that just won’t do.

There's a point or two I'd like to make as some seem willing to excuse Domenech for mistakes in his youth. I also saw a reference somewhere suggesting Domenech claimed it might have been an editor who added text to his earliest copy. I would hope he isn't going there, as I would hate to think him a liar, on top of being a plagiarist. I haven't seen that comment from Domenech. Having edited a college publication, it would take a great deal to convince me of that. Editors don't have time to juice up a columnist's prose with plagiarized material.

Having spent a year writing for, and another editing a college publication, and even having written some in high school, each step along the way had a certain reward. Early, it was simply the notoriety of having your name in print. In college, articles, even reviews, were done for journalism class credit. As an editor, I received a grant in aid.

The point is, writing for publication is practicing a trade in exchange for some type of  predetermined reward, whether we stop to think about it, or not. That includes blogging. Plagiarizing work is plagiarizing, period, there are no exceptions for age or inexperience to that rule. At least not for someone prepared to be doing that which ethical writers do.

The other point has to do with Domenech's apparent inside track, having been a Bush appointee before age 24. That's wonderful, really. But bloggers have to make a decision whether we are going to be a media, or are we going to be flacks? The appearance of a lack of independence that media requires to be effective and trust-able is unacceptable, if we are to be a media, not just political messengers. If our ranks wind up comprised of, if not dominated by political insiders too close to any political party, ideology or stream, we cannot hope to function as an adjunct or alternative to the MSM. Ultimately, we would be rightfully labeled as having a greater perception of bias than the MSM we constantly harangue.

Update: Pulled from the WaPo piece already linked. h/t Susie Madrake

Domenech said he needed to research the examples but that he never used material without attribution and had complained about a college editor improperly adding language to some of his articles.

That's tough to believe. It's hard to see it as anything which isn't either sad or outrageous. Domenech's former school paper, The Flat Hat, has an editorial on the topic of plagiarism today.

Other conservatives weighing in include:

Going, Going...Gone? from Confederate Yankee

Ben Domenech, Let's Hear It from The Political Pit Bull

The Best Of Friday from Don Surber

Domenech in the Deep Stuff? from Brainster's Blog

BEN DOMENECH MUST RESIGN from Right Wing Nut House

Attacking Ben Domenech II from Outside The Beltway

Ben Domenech: Serial plagiarist? from MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

Domenech And Plagiarism? from Sensible Mom

Domenech served as book editor for Michelle Malkin and, most recently, Hugh Hewitt. Malkin weighs in.

I've had my work plagiarized by shameless word and idea thiefs many times over the years. I've also been baselessly accused of plagiarism by some of the same leftists now attacking Ben.

The bottom line is: I know it when I see it. And, painfully, Domenech's detractors, are right. He should own up to it and step down. Then, the Left should cease its sick gloating and leave him and his family alone.

Comments

[plunge]

My mind is boggling. How could anyone take the "youthful indescretion" excuse seriously. It strained credibility when it was used to excuse GW's wild past. But Ben is 24. Twenty Four! "College" was not some distant event in the far past, another life. It was a few years ago for him!

[MrsLevy]

(Of Patrick Gray, regarding his nomination as director of the FBI)

"I think we ought to let him hang there. Let him twist slowly, slowly in the wind" .....John Ehrlichmann, Republican

MrsLevy