Case closed.

The world would be a very desperate place if politicians (and all the rest of us) did not borrow ideas and thoughts from each other shamelessly.  Sharing ideas is what makes a democracy work.

As for plagiarism - it's only plagiarism if you use someone else's words, and pass them off as your own.

I've never held the Clinton's penchant for triangulation - which of course was shameless borrowing form the other party - against them.  I won't hold Obama's willingness to believe he can learn from others, and benefit from their ideas against him either.  Quite the contrary - it makes me respect him more, particularly since, as Jason points out here - he takes some degree of pride in doing so.

My theory is that the Clinton campaign is just trying to send a warning shot to Joe Biden in case he's thinking of making a big public endorsement of Obama any time soon.  They know Biden will think twice about getting himself in the headlines if the other news story of they cycle is plagiarism.  (I'm not sure what role it played, but Biden's alleged plagiarism of British politician Neil Kinnock was part of his being forced out of the 1988 race for the Dem. nomination for President).

Maybe there is no complex subliminal message to the Clintonites' weirdly trumped-up "plagiarism"

I think the Obama Campaign needs to hit back HARD on this and get Deval Patrick to come out to Wisconsin and set the story straight in person.  

The fact is that visionary political leaders get the "just words" attack all the time and in response use "Just Words" to prove that use of language is hardly meaningless.  One thing's for sure is that it's the Clinton Campaign's words that are unjust.

Sigh...The Clinton campaign tries to accuse Sen. Obama of plagiarism for echoing remarks by friend and Obama supporter Gov. Deval...

I realize that most of you at The New Republic believe that Obama can walk on water and that you all want to have his babies.  But could we bring it back to Earth for even a little while?  You seem to be incapable of finding any fault with him.  Joe Biden was laughed out of the 1988 presidential race for plagiarism, but when Obama does it, you think it's no big deal.  At least Biden had the good sense to plagiarize a foreign politician, not the recently elected governor of a populous state.  Of course, star worshippers that you are, you will probably swoon at how wonderful Obama is because he plagiarized Deval Patrick instead of Hugo Chavez.

Dare I ask how you would have reacted if Hillary Clinton had done this?  The orgy of scorn would be a thing to behold.

Listen, I voted for Obama in my state's primary.  All I ask is that you be a little less hypocritical.

yet another clinton attack on obama based on distorion and lies. http://b...