MT Senator Walsh plagiarized thesis at War College (Update: PTS made him do it)
1Sngr sends us a link to Ace of Spades in which Ace explains to us about the career of Democratic Senator John Walsh of Montana, who is a National Guardsman and a veteran of an Iraq deployment, whose political career would be circling the drain if he was a Republican. According to the New York Times, Senator Walsh “appropriated at least a quarter of his [United States Army War College] thesis…other authors’ works, with no attribution.” In other more accurate words, he plagiarized it.
Most strikingly, each of the six recommendations Mr. Walsh laid out at the conclusion of his 14-page paper, titled “The Case for Democracy as a Long Term National Strategy,” is taken nearly word-for-word without attribution from a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace document on the same topic.
In his third recommendation, for example, Mr. Walsh writes: “Democracy promoters need to engage as much as possible in a dialogue with a wide cross section of influential elites: mainstream academics, journalists, moderate Islamists, and members of the professional associations who play a political role in some Arab countries, rather than only the narrow world of westernized democracy and human rights advocates.”
The same exact sentence appears on the sixth page of a 2002 Carnegie paper written by four scholars at the research institute. In all, Mr. Walsh’s recommendations section runs to more than 800 words, nearly all of it taken verbatim from the Carnegie paper, without any footnote or reference to it. In addition, significant portions of the language in Mr. Walsh’s paper can be found in a 1998 essay by a scholar at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, a research institute at Harvard.
That all happened in 2007 when Walsh was 46 years old, not some fresh-faced teen.
But, you know, what’s it worth? Joe Biden plagiarized his college work, Elizabeth Warren lied about her heritage, Dick Blumenthal lied about his non-service in Vietnam, Tom Harkin lied about his military service. Bill Clinton lied to get out of being drafted. And, oh, yeah, Ted Kennedy killed a woman. The list could go on.
I’m sure the New York Times wrote this story long before the elections to make it old news, instead of using it in October when it would have an impact on the elections. But, compared to killing a woman, it’s small potatoes, so it’s perfectly acceptable. The Party of Criminals will close ranks around him, he’ll apologize and go to some stupid-ass drum circle for habitual lying thieves and he’ll be cleansed and promise to never steal or lie again…until next time. And Montana will reelect him.
ADDED: I just saw on the broadcast at Fox News where Walsh says that he had PTS when he wrote the paper and he doesn’t remember plagiarizing the paper. Insert Big Eye Roll Here.
The headline excuse for the fucknut from Christian Science Monitor;
Category: Politics
Ah yes, the good ole catch-all, “I had PTS”. Those who truly have PTS suffer in silence, it is a burden the individual will carry with him or her until the day they die. It sickens me how many jump on the bandwagon to excuse deplorable behavior, and how many people buy it as an excuse.
Receiving phone calls in the middle of the night from best friends, with cryptic messages, rushing to their homes only to find them in a drunken stupor holding a loaded firearm, consoling friends as they go to that dark place that many of us lock away deep in our brains. Attending the memorials of comrades who never really returned from overseas, seeing the devastation of families torn apart from suicide, that is what PTS does, not cause you to plagarize academic papers. Scumbag.
Bingo. Well put!
I did four tours in Iraq with the blessed Marine Corps… I am also an MBA candidate… I wonder if I claim PTS they won’t kick out for plagiarizing my thesis… Oh wait yes they will.
Asshat
When finishing my degree in Communications, I (seriously) forgot to cite a source for a mid term paper in a Critical Writing class. I got a “C” for an “A” paper (teacher’s words), and a warning that if it happened again, I would be reported to the school for plagiarism and given an “F” for the class. It never happened again. In today’s world the internet is the easiest to steal from or if you are honest check your work. He did it and never thought he would get caught. IMO his campaign and career should be finished now. But being a Liberal…………well, we all know the end of the story.
I’m a fairly simple person and no medical degree but I am pretty sure PTS is like Tourettes
I meant NOT like Tourettes.
gawd.
going back to bed.
I read several stories on this last night and I didn’t know he was a Democrat until your shot this morning. If he were a Repub it would have led every story. This dirtbag will suffer no consequences unless the voters of MT chuck him out. Let’s hope they value honesty a little more up that way than in the liberal hellholes.
Can the Army do anything about this now like rescind his degree?
Yes they can, if they believe it is serious enough. From the Times article: “Its current student handbook states that plagiarism will result in disenrollment and that discoveries of academic violations have led to degrees’ being rescinded and names’ being scraped off the bronze plaques honoring graduates on campus.”
Today I learned that the Army War College considers a 14 page paper a “thesis” and then hands you a Masters.
That struck me as odd too. I was writing 14 page papers regularly as an undergrad. Regardless, this guy is another turd that won’t flush. I’m sick and tired of the PTS excuse to get yourself out of a jam. Pretty much everyone that has served claims it now. I’d love to get a FOIA on this guy to find out what his deployment actually entailed.
The other thing learned is that they apparently didn’t use plagiarism detection software at that time, but I’d be willing to bet they start using it from now on to catch what we geeks call “copy pasta”.
Plagiarism in academia is a real BFD, and if it were anyone other than a US Senator that Masters degree would’ve been rescinded already.
Hmmm, Wiki says (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Walsh_%28U.S._politician%29) he’s been the subject of an IG investigation.
It also says he attended the Armor Basic & Advanced Courses which would usually mean his branch was Armor yet he’s wearing a CIB? I know folks sometimes go other Branch courses but usually not both the Basic and Advanced. Maybe Armor folks can get a CIB now? I’ a dinosaur.
Yep. That little integrity issue (improper use of govt resources, improperly endorsing a non-Federal entity, and strongarming subordinates) was featured here in January.
http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=39121
Link above also includes a link to a redacted copy of the IG report – which Walsh’s political allies have called a “partisan end-run” designed to embarrass him.
With all due respect to the “good Senator” – “partisan end-run” my ass.
SJ: published accounts say Walsh commanded an Infantry battalion in Iraq. And while I’ll defer to any ARNG officers/former officers who regularly comment here for the definitive answer, it’s my understanding that branch transfers are fairly common in the ARNG if/as people and units move.
I did a branch transfer from Infantry to Field Artillery due to a reorganization within my state. Went to FAOAC to qualify and was then promoted to O-4.
At least I did my own work.
Pretty common for field grades to transfer between IN and AR in most states. Depending on the MTOE of the unit a short course (2-3 weeks) may or may not be required.
MAJMike, Luddite4Change: thanks. Thought I was correct, but it’s always good to have SME confirmation.
His entire military record (400 pages) are available on his campaign website at: hhttp://johnwalsh2014.com/john-walsh-full-military-records/
He applied for a branch transfer from Armor to Infantry when he was selected to command 1-163 INF. He attended the Infantry Battalion Command course, and was duly branch transferred via a qualification board action.
Well, Gen Wesley Clark (remember him?), was an Armor captain at 1ID hqs that somehow got an assignment to 1/16 Inf. Wiki says as CO, but I recall his presidential candidate web site showing he was initially assigned as a platoon leader, all of which made me go hmmm. Anyway, ol’ Wes got wounded and an honest Purple Heart, but his BSM got upgraded to a SS. He also got a CIB, but back in those days in Viet Nam, anyone in an infantry unit seemed to get the CIB after X number of days being shot at. No argument from me on that count, though, although the armored cav guys had a lot of heartburn about it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_Clark
CC Senior: I seem to remember that during Vietnam there was a DA-authorized exception to the Infantry branch requirement for non-Infantry officers placed in command of Infantry units. That one may still be on the books in AR 600-8-22.
There were also a bunch of other USAR-V exceptions to policy regarding the CIB that never seemed to have made it into the appropriate AR. One guy we “know and love” apparently got his while serving as an RTO (a non-infantry position) in an infantry unit. During Vietnam, apparently USAR-V published an exception allowing that.
Shellshock made him copy someone else’s work? In a lousy 14 page paper (which is homework in many grad programs ordinarily)?
That’s apparently what he’s claiming, Anon.
Sounds like bullsh!t to me, but what do I know?
Ok, I will go with PTS caused him to commit a fraudulent act. He should not subject himself to situations where making hard decisions trigger this stress. By his own admission he is incompetent to hold public office.
H’s a politician, of course he’s incompetent to hold public office. Being a Dem just makes it doubly so.
Think that maybe he was promoted up the chain due to his political stature? Not exactly unheard of.
No doubt in my mind that was the case in the MT ARNG, MAJMike. One of his political allies is a former governor of MT; another is the current governor.
I usually don’t call names, but, this guy is a douche. PTSD does not make you commit fraud and cheat. No one wants to own up and take responsibility for their actions. Why am I surprised, he is a politician. Is he an attorney as well?
Blame the military for being a rat bastard cheat? I suspect this turd was floating in the rat bastard bowl before he joined the military.
As I’ve said countless times before, Democrats are always “taking responsibility” for their actions except those words don’t mean what they think they mean. Nixon was a rat bastard who took responsibility by resigning when he got caught, Johnny Rhoda was a big mouthed idiot who resigned. Democrats don’t resign they just mouth the words “I accept full responsibility for my actions.” and then continue on as if nothing has happened. There are no consequences for Democrats who lie, cheat, or steal. Only more useless words from their lying sack of shit lips.
1880-Lawyer J. Noble Daggett. 2014-PTSD. All you have to do is mention the name and you are absolved of all wrong doing from the beginning of time to present.
A little True Grit goes a long way.
Luckily I doubt if Senator Walsh will be able to state his case as forcefully as Mattie Ross (of near Dardanelle in Yell county).
This man is surrounded by incompetents.
Word has it that his staffer put out the info and then he later contradicted it and then went with it.
Way to go Walsh. Blame your laziness and ineptitude on PTS. Hell, were you even on the line?
Way to solidify the stereotype that when Vets fail or are shitbags then it is not their personal morals, values and behavior, it is the PTS.
Fuck him and his staff.
Amen GT. This guy is a low life.
Well put Green Thumb. This PTS stereotype that is being perpetuated is a big reason why employers are leery when it comes to hiring veterans. This piece of shit and his staff took the easy way out because they knew nobody would question that he has that pesky PTS bug. This is a slap in the face to everyone truly struggling daily with it.
Yeah, after I returned from Iraq I went to the Joint Staff College and I was so shell-shocked I cut and pasted Tolstoy’s War and Peace and submitted that as my JRP and got an A for it. Fuck you, Walsh, for staining the Officers Corps with your cheating and then lying about it with your “PTSD Made Me Do It” bullshit, and FUCK YOU for being the lying demonrat pol that you naturally are and always will be…
Credit to the liberal NYT for not only reporting the story, but also prominently mentioning Walsh’s party affiliation (even in the headline). It mentioned Biden’s plagiarism issue, and acknowledged that Walsh’s is way more serious. A nice piece of honest reporting. Hopefully the reporter isn’t fired over this.
I can’t help but wonder if the NYT isn’t setting themselves up to appear “non-partisan” and that they have something they’re about to attack a Republican or Conservative about soon.
Now Brothers and Sisters…..we must not allow these revelations to undermine our trust in the good Senator. We should all join hands and sing a hymn to him and his fellow politicians.
*Him Him*
*FUCK*
*Him Him*
*FUCK*
*Him Him*
Everybody now!
Thanks for dragging Montana through the mud in the national news, Walsh. It’s not like it hasn’t happened enough. Liars gonna lie, you shitstain. You’ve disgraced yourself, your state, the military, your service, your family…you do realize that now EVERYTHING about you has to be checked to find out if it’s real or not.
As bad a shape as this country is in, and you decide to be part of the problem instead of part of the solution? Knowing what you know from where you’ve been and what you’ve seen overseas? Go die in a fire, you worthless fuck.
Please tell us how you really feel about the “man”, PN. (smile)
The other thing to note here is that Walsh claims he has four men KIA in theatre.
Incorrect. 2 KIA, 1NBI (KIA) and one suicide after he/unit redeployed.
The suicide is the one in question. The guy stayed AWOL for an extended amount of time. There was no follow up by the CoC. Walsh sent a CERTIFIED LETTER with this guy’s Dishonorable Discharge to this individual and the guy shot himself the next day or so.
Major breakdown of the system on both sides here but to claim this man was KIA in country?
Are you folks seeing a pattern of conduct here?
Yes, I do.
Same here. And it’s not a particularly pretty pattern.
He’s a lying pile of monkey nuts, which is a career enhancer for democrats. Any course work he did at the War college should be thrown out and he should be jettisoned from the military.
He’s already retired, OT. He retired from the ARNG in Dec 2012.
Then strip his ass of his retirement and take away his Masters degree! Do I have to think of everything!?!? (H/T Admiral Benson in HotShots!)
Nice fantasy, OT – but the lost retirement ain’t gonna happen. At worst you’ll see his degree revoked and – maybe – a loss of a grade or two.
If he qualified for retirement, he qualified for retirement. An administrative reduction due to being deemed not to have “served successfully” as an O6 might reduce his retired pay, but it won’t
revoke his retirement.
I just don’t see the MT ARNG (or the US Army) recalling him to AD and trying him at courts-martial for this.
You’re probably right but it shows a serious double standard. I remember hearing about a couple of brand new 2LTs who got GOMRs for plagiarism in BOLC. So these guys’ careers were over before they started while this guy pulls the same stunt as a Field Grade officer at one of the Army’s premier schools and skates…..yeah that’s bullshit.
Mustang1LT: not sure if we can say he “skated” yet or not. First, the apparent wrongdoing was only recently discovered. Second, it has yet to be investigated/adjudicated. And third, future action may well be taken.
My guess is had this been discovered promptly (e.g., 2007 or 2008), he’d have gotten about the same as your acquaintenances. I doubt he’d have been courts-martialed for it.
At that point, he already had close to 28 years total service (he enlisted in 1979 and was commissioned in 1987). Presumably, he had at least 20 “good” years by then. Ergo, he’d have been eligible for reserve retirement at the time of the alleged wrongdoing. Barring a court-martial and dismissal, he’d thus have retired whether or not the alleged misconduct was substantiated or not.
It’s possible that such misconduct, if substantiated, might have led to him receiving a determination of lower retired rank on final retirement. However, a USAR/ARNG retiree retires at age 60; before then, they’re on the “Reserve Retired List” but not finally “retired”. Thus, I think that there’s still time for this to all play out before the guy hits final retirement at age 60 (for him, not until 2020).
Conduct an investigation. If the facts support that he plagiarized, revoke his diploma, chisel his name off the wall of graduates (yes, they have that at AWC), issue a LOR and re-evaluate his eligibility for an appropriate retired rank.
I think he’s toast in the election anyway, but this ain’t gonna help. IMHO taking his name off the wall will serve as a stark reminder to other that you don’t do this.
Luddite4Change: concur completely. And if the plagiarism is shown to have occurred, hopefully the appropriate official will find that he didn’t serve successfully at whatever rank he held while attending the Army War College.
There may well be plenty of time to do so. Reserve component retired pay doesn’t occur until age 60 unless you have qualifying contingency service after 28 Jan 2008.
This one will bear watching in the future.
Looks like the AWC is doing the right things here..
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/25/us/politics/plagiarism-raises-ethical-alarm-at-military-school.html
From his Bio and military records (available on his campaign website at http://johnwalsh2014.com/john-walsh-full-military-records/ its not clear to me if he was an M-Day Guardsman or AGR, which might make a difference.
Either way, his records (which in all truthfulness I commend his campaign for releasing) are an interesting read. One or two administrative things that would raise my attention, but otherwise just interesting.
And, as I am told, there is a lot more below the surface that will soon work its way to the top.
His PTS is probably a result of taking that bazooka round at Little Bighorn – or was it Okinawa? the one without the indians…
Or, it could be the shell, the size of a fist, in his head. Got it at Pork Chop Hill.
I love soup; or is it duck? Sonavabichin shell; which one do you shoot?
I’m going the next step on this. Nowadays (key operative word there), any Veteran who actually holds or seeks office as a Democrat is on the wrong side of the fence and cannot be anything but a weasel.
What hasn’t been mentioned is the ‘source’ of his so-called PTS. At this point, I’d label his claim as pretty thin story, not post-traumatic stress.
Come on, Walsh, you pissant, tell us just what it was that gave you PTS? Was it actually having to get up in the morning and wait on yourself hand and foot? Or finding that the portapotties were being emptied and you were standing there with a full bladder? Or was it having to actually eat at the same table with people you hold in great disdain?
I’m curious AS TO your excuse. I’ll be over here in the corner, waiting breathlessly for your answer.
While you wait with bated breath, why don’t you sing my hymn from my previous post on this thread. It only has 2 words……it’s that easy.
🙂
Here’s a start:
Politicians, lying scumbags
Everything you say makes me gag.
Can you see my right hand rising,
Flipping you The Bird?
When I vote, my choice won’t be you.
I would rather eat a shit stew.
You should wear a campaign button
That say ‘I’m a Turd’.
It’s rough, but it’s a start.
Assuming he’s not making the PTS claim up out of whole cloth, he’s probably going to claim it was from either (a) the engagement(s) where he got his CIB, or (b) cumulative stress of commanding infantry during wartime.
I personally think he’s grasping at whatever straw he can to save his political future, and that the PTS claim is a claim of convenience. But even if it’s true, it would seem to me that I wouldn’t want such a “fragile flower” serving as a Senator from my state.
It’s been my observation that LTC’s in command of a battalion don’t generally go out and kick doors or engage the enemy personally that often. Their job is to command the battle, not fight it personally.
I read an interesting Washington ComPOSTe article about one of the guys he plagiarized. The guy is a Democrat who is more concerned about the Dems losing a Senator than he is about the guy being a LCSSoS. (Lying, Cheating, Stealing Sack of S…). Eff him, too!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/07/24/sen-john-walsh-plagiarized-from-me/
(From Jonn on FB)
14 page thesis for a masters degree?
Shit. I should have gotten a masters instead of a bachelors then.
Stay classy, United States Army War College.
When I went to CGSC (Major’s School), all papers were to be between 3 and 5 pages in length. If you went over your grade got docked. They told us that was because you have to be able to make yuor point as “clearly and concisely as possible.”
I think they just didn’t want to read 30 20-page papers on the same subject.
Fourteen pages!?!
Hell, I wrote a 40 page research paper in Gradual School on the Peoples’ Liberation Army and the national strategy of the Peoples’ Republic of China. Had more than 100 footnotes, a 5 page bibliography, and was typed, typed mind you!!
That was for one 3 hour grad course in Asian Government and Politics. I’ve written longer introductions than Walsh did.
What a douche.
Oh! The Defense Strategy Course — conducted by the Army War College via mail order — restricts papers to 500 words. Forces you to be concise and to-the-point.
That was a struggle for me, but I learned and succeeded by doing my own work.
Blaming PTS for making a planned and very conscious decision to plagerize someone elses work… sure I will buy that… not really, but WTF Over?
What a douche. That’s all I got.
I’m really surprised VWPussy hasn’t shown up to defend this piece of crap. I mean, the guy’s a Dem and shows how the military destroyed an honorable person and caused him to cheat because of the horrors he saw while in the military.
Jesus, it’s almost a made for TV movie here.
GFY, Walsh…Montana Courage, my ass.
The PEBD you see is “Pay Entry Basic Date” on the first three pages of the orders, he spent from 1980 to 1985 as a PFC FT, LostintheWoods, construction engineer replacement.(?)then supply, then to 163rd Armored Cav (MANG) as a Physicians Assistant, then armor and then…and then…lots of GCM’s(MANG).
MANG’s awarding of GCM’s and other bling was rather prolific. When I reported to MANG, they had no use for MP’s. All slots in the MP company were full and I couldn’t afford the drive to NoDak so I told ’em fork this crap.
Another little known fact of MANG, thats where some democrats went to “hide” instead of going AD..having democrat governors helped them as well, too. Sorta like a good old boys club during the 70’s & 80’s. I can see if Marty or Dave are still alive n kicking and FOIA his junk. That redacting seems a bit foolish to me when its public f’ng info anyway…
This is an extract from the War College student handbook and lifted in its entirety from an AP article. “The college’s student handbook includes pages of warnings against plagiarism and details on how to properly cite sources, noting a student “should always quote when lifting five consecutive words from a source.”
“Sooner or later, academic dishonesty will be discovered,” the handbook states. “Plagiarism is a serious offense that can ruin a person’s reputation and career.”
Unless of course you are a Democrat. I am reminded of the old saying “a dead girl or a live boy”. This guy is just another scheming politician, who happened to wear a uniform for his rise to the top of the cesspool.