Sen Walsh (D) Montana in NYT

[bigsky]

Not in a good way.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/07/24/us/politics/montana-senator-john-walsh-plagiarized-thesis.html?referrer=&_r=0

Not his only big ethics failure either. His other one demoted him to permanent Colonel.

My former long Time next door neighbor and close friend Steve Daines (yes, that IS me in his TV ads) is looking better and better. Way more conservative than me, a very serious Christian, too, so not like me those ways, but how many unethical Senators do we need in Washington?

There is a blatant difference of values. Even how he got to be a senator was marginal.

[CitizenBBN]

He got to be Senator b/c Obama and the DNC leadership thought his paper record would help them hold the seat. Everything else, like whether he was a fit servant of the People of Montana, didn't even come up in the conversation.

A view held by both parties of course, which is why we so desperately need some new ones.

But it sounds like the War College will probably take action even though he's a senator, faced with this kind of obvious plagiarism. I doubt they have much choice, and that means stripping him of his degree. That can't bode well for November.

One question I do have is that it seems like even a cursory review of the paper would have uncovered what he was doing, he had apparently many citations that were direct quotes with footnotes but no quotes. Even a basic review of the paper for a graduate degree would have entailed checking some of those footnotes for just such things. This should have been uncovered by whoever was reviewing this paper, and since he wasn't Senator yet I'm wondering why it wasn't. If he were Senator I can see them looking the other way maybe, but for a guy who didn't yet have that clout it sure seems like a poor academic review.

[bigsky]

"He got to be Senator b/c Obama and the DNC leadership thought his paper record would help them hold the seat. Everything else, like whether he was a fit servant of the People of Montana, didn't even come up in the conversation." (CitizenBBN)

Thanks

[CitizenBBN]

"He got to be Senator b/c Obama and the DNC leadership thought his paper record would help them hold the seat. Everything else, like whether he was a fit servant of the People of Montana, didn't even come up in the conversation." (CitizenBBN)

Thanks

lol, pretty sure you were aware of that fact, I was just doing a little stumping for the cause. :)

[bigsky]

I wasn't being sarcastic. I'm glad someone else gets it. The cynical exploitation of the uniform bothers me the most. Now, btw, he did it, because, PTSD.

[bigsky]

https://www.americarisingpac.org/montana-front-pages-john-walsh-plagiarized/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=t.co&utm_campaign=20140724_arpac-p-montana-front-pages:-john-walsh-plagiarized_twitter&utm_content=arpac

[CitizenBBN]

I wasn't being sarcastic. I'm glad someone else gets it. The cynical exploitation of the uniform bothers me the most. Now, btw, he did it, because, PTSD.

Gotcha. I agree on the exploitation of the uniform being at the top of the list, esp. given that it would appear he deserves a retroactive dishonorable discharge. I hope he gets one, he certainly deserves to be stripped of his degree and given the brazen way he got it I'd say it warrants a dishonorable stamp in his record.

[suncat05]

If his alleged misconduct is true, then he is subject to prosecution under the Uniform Code of Military Justice(UCMJ). And it doesn't matter that he's a currently sitting U.S. Senator. If he did this alleged cheating, then it happened before he was appointed to the seat, and he is therefore subject to prosecution. But the prosecution would have to most likely come from the next level above his former National Guard position, which would be from the Secretary of the Army's office, IIRC, as ultimately, the Secretary of the Army is in charge of all active duty, National Guard, and Army Reserve personnel.

But of course, prosecution under this current administration is not likely.

[KSRBEvans]

I've dealt with a few of these, from when the Armor School was at Knox. Usually they dealt with it with adverse administrative action, like receiving a General Officer Reprimand and a negative Officer Evaluation Report. Although possible, I've never heard of one being dealt with through UCMJ.

Even if they wanted to do so, it would be difficult now that he's retired. It would take Secretary of the Army approval to bring him back on duty to give him UCMJ action. That's usually reserved for especially horrible, violent offenses. I doubt very seriously they'll do it for this.

IMHO the worst that will happen is the War College will do an investigation and if (when) it's substantiated, they'll revoke his degree.

[suncat05]

Didn't realize that he was retired. And yes, you're probably right, in the end, if they find out he cheated they'll just revoke the degree.
Hopefully this guy will not be elected to the seat.

[MickintheHam]

I wasn't being sarcastic. I'm glad someone else gets it. The cynical exploitation of the uniform bothers me the most. Now, btw, he did it, because, PTSD.

His excuses are as Lame as Barry's.

[bigsky]

If his alleged misconduct is true..."

New York Times did a rigorous evaluation. Walsh has admitted it. Hard to imagine how lame his professors must've been to award a masters degree on this. He's been appointed to three big state offices, asserting he's never done anything that would embarrass Montana. He's been permanently limited to rank of Colonel already for abusing his military position for personal gain. He's managed a state agency that failed it's audits under his management.

Thanks for responding. I suspect you are as outraged as I am.

[suncat05]

New York Times did a rigorous evaluation. Walsh has admitted it. Hard to imagine how lame his professors must've been to award a masters degree on this. He's been appointed to three big state offices, asserting he's never done anything that would embarrass Montana. He's been permanently limited to rank of Colonel already for abusing his military position for personal gain. He's managed a state agency that failed it's audits under his management.

Thanks for responding. I suspect you are as outraged as I am.

Yes, I am. Didn't know anything about this guy before you posted it here, but it certainly appears that he IS NOT a model citizen. Unless you're a Democrat, of course, and then they'd probably be promoting him for sainthood. I do agree with you, bigsky.

[bigsky]

"In its scramble to respond, the campaign initially claimed that during his tour of duty in Iraq Mr. Walsh “survived hundreds of I.E.D. explosions while in a Humvee.” It then resent the memo with the clarification that Mr. Walsh had survived a single attack from a roadside bomb, but that his unit had faced “hundreds of both I.E.D. and rocket attacks throughout the deployment" most recent NYT article

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/07/25/us/politics/plagiarism-raises-ethical-alarm-at-military-school.html?_r=1

He himself survived "hundreds of IED explosions"...no, wait, that number is...one. (Still one more than me.)

[dan_bgblue]

Bet he never had anyone run thru his basement in the middle of the night, so I think it is even.

[jazyd]

He is an embarrassment to the uniform, the state, his family and he is an ass

[bigsky]

http://m.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/07/24/sen-john-walsh-and-how-not-to-respond-to-a-political-scandal/

from the usually D-dependable Washington Post. I've noticed journalists who depend on their words for their livelihood are particularly outraged by plagiarism.

I don't think the usual help for D's from the 4th estate is forthcoming.

Oh and jazyd, yep.

[bigsky]

http://m.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/07/25/opinion-sen-john-walsh-citing-ptsd-in-defense-of-plagiarism-hurts-veterans/. And about that "PTSD made me do it"...

[bigsky]

This isn't just about Montana you know. This guy, right now, is an US Senator making decisions about your country.

[KeithKSR]

This isn't just about Montana you know. This guy, right now, is an US Senator making decisions about your country.

Hopefully the good people in Montana will make him a former U.S. Senator.

[Doc]

Whats the big deal? Biden did the same thing and he is the Vice President.

[Doc]

I wasn't being sarcastic. I'm glad someone else gets it. The cynical exploitation of the uniform bothers me the most. Now, btw, he did it, because, PTSD.

Its done in other ways as well. IMO its no different than when Hillary use the dodging sniper bullets story (http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/25/campaign.wrap/) in her visit to Bosnia that was a total fabrication.

[suncat05]

Its done in other ways as well. IMO its no different than when Hillary use the dodging sniper bullets story (http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/25/campaign.wrap/) in her visit to Bosnia that was a total fabrication.

Maybe that can account for the supposed brain trauma she's allegedly been suffering from. Or maybe not.

If only one of those snipers aim could have been..............

[dan_bgblue]

Opts to drop out of Senate race (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/08/07/dem-sen-walsh-drops-out-montana-senate-race/)

[bigsky]

Well, the D's had an incumbent with a 3mil war chest, and ran him out so they could play games with the voters and appoint a successor rather than face an open election. Karma, chickens coming home to roost, a tangled web, call it what you want, they got no one to blame but themselves for allowing Obama and Reid to interfere in Montana politics.