WaPo: Did Huckabee plagiarize Mark Krikorian’s immigration plan?
posted at 7:25 pm on January 13, 2008 by Allahpundit
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“Stick a fork in him. He’s done,” writes Dan Riehl. Is he? Judge for yourself. Not only did Huckabee credit Krikorian as the inspiration for his plan when he released it, but that was sort of the whole point — to buy him instant credibility on immigration by trading on Krikorian’s reputation among the base as an anti-amnesty advocate.
WaPo complains that not only has Huck since taken credit for “creating” the plan — which is true insofar as he had to “create” some sort of immigration policy for his campaign — but it turns out he lifted multiple passages verbatim from Krikorian in putting it together. Krikorian says he doesn’t care and seems happy enough to have a politician adopting his ideas. I don’t care either, for two reasons: (a) not one in a thousand Huckabee supporters is backing him because of his sudden unconvincing conversion on immigration, I’m betting, and (b) the real sin isn’t that he plagiarized the text, it’s that he was so unprepared on this issue that he had to go and lift someone else’s plan in the first place. Look at the timing of when it came out — early December, shortly after Huck had broken through and was among the national leaders. With conservatives finally giving him a close look, he had to give them something to look at. Enter Krikorian. I even noted at the time that one of the few places where Huck injected his own ideas was in the odd assurance that he would “[f]ully support all law enforcement personnel tasked with enforcing immigration law.” That was the “tell” that it was a pander; it’s an obvious reference to Ramos and Compean. Anyone who isn’t bothered by the fact that he’s coopted Krikorian as a sort of immigration character witness for himself isn’t going to be bothered by any plagiarism accusations. So call this a total bust, although a useful reminder of how thin Huck is on policy. Pinkerton’s going to earn his money this year.
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He wins points for sleaze, though.
Shay on January 13, 2008 at 7:29 PM
Hah, I doubt anyone will care. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rollins purposely tipped off the Washington Post just so he’d get some free air time to explain this.
ninjapirate on January 13, 2008 at 7:32 PM
Other than Reagan and Truman has there ever been a politician who ‘created’ or originated any of ‘their’ policies? I know of none. That would be zero. That would put the Huckster in good company or like all the others ‘just like all the others.’ However you wish to think about it. All slaves to advisors, agendas, party politics and oh yea, anything to get the vote.
Griz on January 13, 2008 at 7:42 PM
A little OT:
A few minutes ago on a Fox News program with the initials FR, (Fox Report?), Steve Brown misrepresented the recent conflict between Fred Thompson and Huckabee. Steve Brown stated that Fred called Huckabee a liberal in the debate, and in response, Huckabee claimed that Fred accomplished nothing in his eight years in congress. Then Steve Brown said that Fred’s reply was to accuse Huckabee of making a personal attack.
Of course Fred’s comment regarding Huckabee’s personal attack was in response to the Metamucil comment, which was never mentioned by Steve Brown.
FloatingRock on January 13, 2008 at 7:48 PM
The stories in the Bible aren’t exactly original either…
SouthernGent on January 13, 2008 at 7:48 PM
OT
How bout dem Cowboys, eh?
C H O K E
Good Lt on January 13, 2008 at 7:53 PM
A dimwitted provincial politician capable only of juvenile humor and plagiarism is catapulted to the front-runner status because he mentions Jesus a lot. Does America deserve anything better?
Igor R. on January 13, 2008 at 7:55 PM
@ Igor R. on January 13, 2008 at 7:55 PM
Makes me want to vomit, and it certainly doesn’t endear religious people in my mind.
muyoso on January 13, 2008 at 7:57 PM
Huck ‘08
Weight of Glory on January 13, 2008 at 7:59 PM
As usual, you cut to the heart of the matter.
I accused Huckabee of plagiarism on the plan in a debate with another commenter a week ago, and was proven wrong when I found out that he had credited Krikorian from the beginning, so that aspect is a non-issue to me now.
I simply don’t trust his conversion. Maybe I would if he tried to defend it, but he has simply denied that he ever acted in a matter opposed to his current stance, which is categorically false.
joewm315 on January 13, 2008 at 7:59 PM
I think I found a collection of quotes from Huckabee supporters.
http://209.85.165.104/search?hl=en&q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.fstdt.com%2Ffundies%2Ftop100.aspx%3Farchive%3D1&btnG=Search
muyoso on January 13, 2008 at 7:59 PM
There won’t be any Cowboy action figures this year due to CHOKING danger.
If this is true about the Huckster, it will only validate what many of us at HA have been saying from the start about him.
Mojave Mark on January 13, 2008 at 8:00 PM
Now, now. Let’s not be too hasty.
Weight of Glory on January 13, 2008 at 8:01 PM
SECOND LOOK AT JIM PINKERTON FOOD FUND!
Mcguyver on January 13, 2008 at 8:01 PM
Well his entire tax plan, “the fair tax,” is borrowed.
He just saw that Boorz and Linder had a best selling book about tax policy so he took it off the shelf and made it his own.
Makes you wonder whose ideas he would “borrow” when these two proposals run in to any resistance in D.C
billy on January 13, 2008 at 8:02 PM
You have to know Huck sales corp will sweet talk, cajole, trick and at the last get the thumbscrews out and after the lever is pulled he will be gone..off on his own agenda.
He may be the first to never have a state of the union address.
Speakup on January 13, 2008 at 8:04 PM
The real benefit of all the religiosity in America is to believe in something that’s not Islam and that will not easily reconcile itself with Islam. Unfortunately someone forgot to tell the believers and they often think their purpose is make sure that the word “Jesus” doesn’t disappear from the lexicon.
Igor R. on January 13, 2008 at 8:04 PM
It’s bitter sweet for me, because although I would’ve like to have seen the Cowboys in the Big Game, the idea of Favre being in the Super Bowl on top of a season that was supposed to have been the one he should never have played, is really cool.
Weight of Glory on January 13, 2008 at 8:04 PM
No football comments in this thread, guys. There’s another thread for that.
Allahpundit on January 13, 2008 at 8:05 PM
Huck’s heart and soul are with illegal aliens, as when he pushed for in-state tuition for them, and when he spent the last 20 months of his final term NOT writing a simple letter to ICE to initiate 287(G) training, after he reluctantly signed the bill to require it – his Dem. successor had to write the letter. During debates he hems and haws about how long the “touchback” is. And on and on … His heart is just not in it, and he would roll over for shamnesty supporters in Congress if by chance he ever got to be POTUS.
Huck cribbed during an exam for President. He gets no credit for this test.
fred5678 on January 13, 2008 at 8:09 PM
sorry.
Weight of Glory on January 13, 2008 at 8:11 PM
Who among the candidates are calling for Compean and Ramos pardon?…. Mike Huckabee
HaraldHardrada on January 13, 2008 at 8:13 PM
It’s not even that. Unlike McCain who will only deny his love of Amnesty only in the same sense as an Alcoholic will deny that he is out of control, Huck will state the exact opposite of what he believes in. Even Hitler didn’t do a lot of that.
Igor R. on January 13, 2008 at 8:14 PM
Duncan Hunter, for one.
fred5678 on January 13, 2008 at 8:15 PM
Take it easy! Many have speculated that Huck’s appeal to the evangelical base is grossly overestimated. It makes for a convenient, tight, script that allows for the kind of shallow sound-bite political analysis that feeds the 24/7 news cycle. “Why the Huckabee rise? The Christians, of course.”
Weight of Glory on January 13, 2008 at 8:15 PM
I don’t watch Fox News very often so maybe this is unremarkable to the rest of you, but to clarify my point above, the affect of Steve Brown’s misrepresentation of events made it sound as though Fred can dish it out but he can’t take it, while at the same time portraying Huckabee in a better light by leaving out his Metamucil comment.
FloatingRock on January 13, 2008 at 8:17 PM
Nothing better to talk about is there?
Mcguyver on January 13, 2008 at 8:17 PM
Well I don’t know about that. Was it his prowess at growing corn that made him popular in Iowa?
Igor R. on January 13, 2008 at 8:17 PM
I think there is a deliciously exciting story for some enterprising journalist who doesn’t care too much about personal safety in trying to figure out the exact nature of Fox’s relationship with Fred. It would be a jewel of a gossip if it wasn’t about the future of the world as we know it and Fox actively working to subvert it. Now Fox has been great right after the debate, but in general everyone knows the score.
Igor R. on January 13, 2008 at 8:21 PM
At least that way the Huck fans wouldn’t be able to spread their lies and hijack a thread.
I say we go cold turkey and talk about football.
Another solution: never again respond to a Huck troll, from here out.
Mcguyver on January 13, 2008 at 8:21 PM
He does have some appeal to the evangelical base. But think about this: His rise in the polls in Iowa happened rapidly. And the week before voting, all the press was saying it was due to the evangelical base. Now if a candidate’s rise is staked solely on one faction of the Conservative base, wouldn’t he have to carry a majority of that faction, in order to gain ground over the other candidates that have broader appeal to the base? I was figuring Huck to get at least two thirds of the evangelical vote (with my higher estimates breaking over 75%). Yet after the vote, we find out that he only had barely 50% (exit poll data). That means that half of a fraction of the base went with someone other than Huck. So the evangelical base is not in unison on this one. And analysis should reflect that.
Weight of Glory on January 13, 2008 at 8:25 PM
You mean lazy, corrupt douchebag GOP elite plagiarize other people’s work? I’ll never, EVER be convinced that happens….
doubleplusundead on January 13, 2008 at 8:25 PM
ABC News National Poll 1/12/08:
John McCain 28
Mike Huckabee 20
Mitt Romney 19
Rudy Giuliani 15
Fred Thompson 8
Ron Paul 3
Duncan Hunter 2
Other (vol.) 1
None (vol.) 2
http://abcnews.go.com/images/PollingUnit/1057a1The08Race.pdf
bnelson44 on January 13, 2008 at 8:26 PM
Spot on.
Spirit of 1776 on January 13, 2008 at 8:26 PM
Where I do think this could play poorly for Huck is in SC, where Fred could certainly weave together a narrative that Huck arrives at these conservative epiphanies only when necessary. For instance, Fred mentioned that Huck said he wouldn’t sign a tax pledge, only to do just that later on when he needed something to point to when he was criticized over his tax increases as governor. Fred can do the same thing with this immigration plan. This would also fit well with how Fred is trying to separate himself from the rest of the field in general, and Huck specifically, namely that Fred is the consistent conservative choice.
Weight of Glory on January 13, 2008 at 8:32 PM
bnelson44,
Thanks for not warning me that it’s a pdf form.
Just a question, how did you get this, since it says:
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE AFTER 12:01 a.m. Monday, Jan. 14, 2008
???????????
Inquiring minds would like to know.
Mcguyver on January 13, 2008 at 8:33 PM
The Huckster prefers to think of this as another clemency–he simply liberated the ideas from Mark Krikorian.
Anybody who couldn’t already see through Huck pulling a 180 on illegal immigration a month before the first primary isn’t going to have a problem with him stealing ideas. They’ll just ask for a refill of Huckster’s Famous Jesus Juice.
ReubenJCogburn on January 13, 2008 at 8:37 PM
I haven’t seen the poll data myself, do you know if the 50% refers to evangelicals in general or is it limited to Republican voters?
Even if it’s limited to Republicans, 50% is impressive. If the rest were split between Thompson, Romney and McCain, and if evangelicals were among the largest voting blocks, evangelicals would still be primarily accountable for Huckabee’s win. Certainly not all evangelicals support Huck, but most Huck supporters may be evangelicals (or at any rate, voting for him due largely to his Christian identity.)
FloatingRock on January 13, 2008 at 8:37 PM
Mcguyver on January 13, 2008 at 8:33 PM
Drudge has the link, which takes you to ABC, where they offer the PDF.
Weight of Glory on January 13, 2008 at 8:38 PM
Point taken.
Weight of Glory on January 13, 2008 at 8:39 PM
You kidding? His appeal is not overestimated in the least. Evangelicals are born suckers, believing in the “Word of God” bible – how many times you hear Huck spouting that garbage.
The Dems have long had a plan to co-op religionistas into being Commies like them by playing on their consciences. It started a couple years ago, about, with the environmental Trojan Horse known as Global Vomiting…er, warming.
Now they are using illegal immigration the same way. Huck says it all the time, “compassionate” and “caring” and – major Christian code here – “not punishing the child for the parent’s sin.”
Go ahead, defend Huck, vote for him, see what you get. I learned my lesson with the so-called devout when I voted for Carter.
Fool me once…shame on you…fool me once….
mksmithwriter on January 13, 2008 at 8:41 PM
Yes, his name is Fred Thompson. You can view his comprehensive policy papers here
http://www.fred08.com/Principles/PrinciplesSummary.aspx?View=OnTheIssues
ihasurnominashun on January 13, 2008 at 8:41 PM
Also Fred has said that he didn’t know at this time whether he would pardon them or not, but he did believe that their sentences should be commuted at the least.
Gianni on January 13, 2008 at 8:47 PM
I saw the other response to your statement and I agree with it, but let me just add this: in the presence of McCain, Romney, and Fred, what IS Huck’s appeal outside of this group? His sense of humor is actually rather poor, although he is quick on his feet.
Igor R. on January 13, 2008 at 8:49 PM
Riiiight. Born suckers. No, we just need a crutch because we can’t handle the strains of life without channeling Feuerbach to aid in inventing a god to get us through. I would hope the sarc/ tag is unnecessary.
Weight of Glory on January 13, 2008 at 8:52 PM
Oh no, I can see the beginning of another deist/theist/literal believer debate after “Handsome Smitty” added his piece to the mix. I’m sure everything will be resolved soon.
Igor R. on January 13, 2008 at 8:54 PM
I think people may be overlooking the bass playing base! Actually I think his appeal is the very reason why I don’t like him. He is a populist. He makes those kind of “I ain’t gonna fire ya, I’m gonna have a beer with ya.” that reaches a much larger group in the U.S. than any kind of rallying of the Christians.
Weight of Glory on January 13, 2008 at 8:54 PM
Nope. I’m done.
Weight of Glory on January 13, 2008 at 8:55 PM
I know that about him, but usually people who believe this stuff are members of the Democratic party or Independents. The only reason this kind of stuff was/is being dished out in NH and MI is the crossover vote that’s wasn’t a big deal in Iowa and is not expected to be a big deal in SC.
Igor R. on January 13, 2008 at 8:58 PM
What are the rules for voting in SC? I thought there was crossover allowed?
Weight of Glory on January 13, 2008 at 9:00 PM
It is allowed, but it’s not traditionally a big deal there.
Igor R. on January 13, 2008 at 9:03 PM
Thanks.
Weight of Glory on January 13, 2008 at 9:04 PM
No problem.
Igor R. on January 13, 2008 at 9:05 PM
Here take a look at this, Igor.
Weight of Glory on January 13, 2008 at 9:08 PM
I admit, that WSJ article dates to the end of Dec. but his rise being attributed to his populist appeals, rather than his evangelical appeal, really hasn’t been explored much. It has been overshadowed by the monolith of “It’s the evangelicals stupid”
Weight of Glory on January 13, 2008 at 9:12 PM
Huck claims to be a Christian leader and steals. Hmmm. WWJD.
ConservativePartyNow on January 13, 2008 at 9:16 PM
Well I’m sure there is SOMETHING to that, but let me combine the two points of view, and I’m really not making it up on the spurt of the moment. The Evangelicals have a love/hate relationship with the Republican party. The main reason they are there is because many fiscal and foreign policy conservatives are law and order types and tend to support many of the same SoCon positions that the Evangelicals do. Nevertheless, many evangelicals have left-of-center positions on government involvement in people’s economic lives and on immigration, and come from less advantageous backgrounds, so they are more susceptible to the populist message.
Igor R. on January 13, 2008 at 9:20 PM
Who’s idea was it to start letting dangerous criminals out of jail? Who’s idea was it to lie like a hounddog everytime he’s asked a question about his ‘conservative’ strategies? Who’s idea was it to take 25k everytime he gave a 30 minute sermon to a bunch of ignorant fools? And finally, who’s idea was it to keep all the Clintonistas in place when he assumed his first crown?
Griz on January 13, 2008 at 9:28 PM
Here’s hoping Huckabee comes in last in SC.
God, I am sick to death of that man and his psuedo-conservatism!
He should have a huge “D” behind his name, and a boot in his……
Dave R. on January 13, 2008 at 9:35 PM
Fred???
Igor R. on January 13, 2008 at 9:35 PM
Whom among the candidates is the Lord most likely to turn to a pillar of salt? …. Mike Huckabee.
MB4 on January 13, 2008 at 9:43 PM
I hope the Lord acts before the SC primary.
Igor R. on January 13, 2008 at 9:53 PM
Stick to what you know.
ninjapirate on January 14, 2008 at 12:47 AM
Agreed.
Jaibones on January 14, 2008 at 1:56 AM
The Huckster just took a page out of the Biden play book.
tazmebro on January 14, 2008 at 6:16 AM
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