WaPo: Huckabee Plagiarized Krikorian

Update: Krikorian actually defends Huckabee somewhat, but forget about it. He might not mind Huckabee lifting parts of his plan, but he's overlooking this:

"I have created a nine point immigration policy that says there is a 120 day period in which people go to their home country and start the process from the back of the line."

--Mike Huckabee, Republican Debate, Myrtle Beach, S.C., Jan. 10, 2008.

This isn't coming from a Romney campaign release; this is the Washington Post. Stick a fork in him. He's done. It may take awhile to resonate fully through the electorate. But any hope of him winning the nomination is gone. It isn't just the plagiarism. It also completely undermines his new and invented stance on illegal immigration. That's an issue that's dogged him since day one. And now his ethics problems will resonate more fully as well. He's on with Wolf Blitzer today. If it wasn't pre-recorded and Wolfie has the stones to ask about it, that could be a hoot.

It is hardly surprising that Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, would approve of Mike Huckabee's new immigration plan. Seven of the nine points in the Huckabee plan were copied, in some cases almost verbatim, from a plan that Krikorian outlined nearly three years ago in the National Review. Rather than hammer out its own policy on the subject, the cash-starved Huckabee campaign simply lifted a ready-made one off the shelf.

The Huckabee campaign has copied verbatim at least 10 passages of the Krikorian plan, including the following. (identical words are in italics, and a full list of copied passages is available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/factchecker):

Comments

[MissouriConservative]

Huck is like Al Gore, another Elmer Gantry. What a panderer! His fanatics try to convince that Romney will be a Theocrat, but cannot see the Theocrat in their midst who lets out criminals because some minister says they found Jesus and won't do bad things anymore. Sure worked for us in Missouri where Drumond raped and murdered after parole in Arkansas.

Who has the record of their religion running their job? Huckster held up an aid package to Katrina victims in Arkansas, because it had old established insurance language about "Acts of God" and he found it offensive. Yet Huckster stood silent as many Evangelicals said Katrina was God striking America for her sins. Now which way is it Mikey boy? Was God mad or was it acts of nature? Come on take a stand, preferably on one side!!!!
Mark Levin is spot on on Huckabee being disingenuous.

[TLB]

Uh, let me suggest rethinking this post. No one's going to care about this, especially since it might not be that overt. I haven't compared them side by side, nor do I intend to.

What would greatly reduce Huck's chances is if people went to his appearances and asked him real questions, the type the MSM won't ask. For instance: youtube.com/watch?v=1KxDhesWutc or something based on this: youtube.com/watch?v=nIbDAVQMKGM

Or, just point out how loony his plan is. The idea that millions of people could be encouraged to leave the U.S. in 120 days - and that those who didn't would be rounded up - is literally insane. I find it extremely shocking that anyone would take anyone who proposes that seriously.

[Wahoo Willie Sez:]

Looks like Huckleberry isn't doing all that well in SC polls. SOmewhere around 15%.

[retire05]

Someone needs to ask Huck about Tyson Chicken that is going to court this March for displacing American workers with illegal immigrants from Mexico from 1998 thru 2006.

and this:

http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2008/01/09/DavidJSanders/344761.html

will not help him.

[edward cropper]

The mindset of many voters is this, they do not really care what their guy or gal does just so long as they win.
Don't ever count on the average voter to be too concerned with ethics as a mater of principle. Too much garbage has already come home to roost for them to worry about that.

[Dan Riehl]

I agree in part, Doc. It's death by 1,000 cuts. That's why I said this will add to his issues on ethics and weakness on immigration. What has to be done and will be done is weaving this into a narrative. That's for his opposition to do, ultimately. But I think the American people are getting a different sense of Huck in total, than what he might prefer.

[docweasel]

Well, this of all things, I would not put down as a 'killer stroke' on Huck. This is pretty esoteric to the average, casual political fan. I think the normal response to the fact that a politician stole a policy paper from some expert would be, so?

Biden stole a bunch of speeches. People can relate to that. Stole a position paper? Hmm. I don't see it, Dan. Huck will probably fail, but this isn't the killing blow.