Wonkette
Liberals are very upset with John McCain, again, because it appears he has PLAGIARIZED the famous website Wikipedia in his speech about Georgia and Russia. John McCain is using Wikipedia! That’s all we care about and are very happy to learn that he’s discovered this completely awesome and accurate website. But as some of those rascally bloggers have discovered, McCain used such words and dates as “in,” “of,” “economic,” and “1922″ in much the same sequence that Wikipedia used them in a historical laundry list of facts! It’s like he’s writing a college history paper’s “background” section in the post-2005 era — by copy-pasting it from any damn website, because who cares.
Look at this poetic, insightful writing from Wikipedia for which silly Juan McCain takes credit! Thank you, Think Progress, for bolding the most egregious errors:
After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Georgia had a brief period of independence as a Democratic Republic (1918-1921), which was terminated by the Red Army invasion of Georgia. Georgia became part of the Soviet Union in 1922 and regained its independence in 1991. Early post-Soviet years was marked by a civil unrest and economic crisis. (Wikipedia)
VERSUS
After a brief period of independence following the Russian revolution, the Red Army forced Georgia to join the Soviet Union in 1922. As the Soviet Union crumbled at the end of the Cold War, Georgia regained its independence in 1991, but its early years were marked by instability, corruption, and economic crises. (McCain)
What kind of idiot thinks he can use the unique phrase “the Soviet Union in 1922″ or the archaic term “economic crises” and, somehow, get away with it? If anything, he’s damn lucky that people didn’t call him out for stealing the term “Cold War” from Wikipedia, too.
Did John McCain lift Georgia Speech from Wikipedia? [Think Progress via Political Insider]
What a blow to Conservapedia.
And the part where he mentions that its chief exports are sorghum and babushkas? Totally ripped off my fifth-grade geography report.
This sounds like today’s Plagi McKristol column….
This is exactly what I used to do for research papers in 7th grade. Take an encyclopedia and switch that shit around. Frankly, it’s impressive that John McCain has finally learned the term “economic crisis.” Now if only he could apply it.
It’s a slow news week for Media Matters, too.
See, he does use the computer! He does!
ronaldpagan: Give him time. It’s his plan to apply economic crisis.
I notice McCain gave the speech again in Pittsburgh, but this time all he said was “ELMO SUX!”
SayItWithWookies: Or history. Whateverthefuck that class was where we studied the countries. If they had had women’s beach volleyball back then I never would’ve graduated.
Doris Kearns Goodwin says today will be remembered as a ‘day of infamy’ for the McCain campaign.
It’s good to know John McCain is aware of Wikipedia.
In conclusion, Georgia is a land of contrasts.
And this is why the left will once again phail in this election cycle.
“McCain is taking too hard a stance with a country with more nukes than us?” “The Russians are just doing to Ossetia what we did to Kosovo under President… nevermind?” “The Bush administration has been egging the Tbilisi government to try this stunt practically since January 2001?” No, let’s go with the “Same phrases as Wikipedia” bit. That’s something important relevant enough to motivate the base. Heck, with the way Wikipedia rolls, the “plagiarized” sections were probably written from the Russell SOB anyway.
Can I write about Cindy McCain as my favorite First Lady of Buffalo Chips now, or do I have to wait for it to be official?
What I found interesting was when McCain mentioned that Kashyyyk was another breakaway Russian Republic threatened by the Russians and that 90% of the populace is from the Wookie tribe and led by Vladimir Chewbacca.
Georgia has always been a red state.
TGY: McCain is aware of all internet traditions.
Except the one wherein wholesale theft leads to expulsion. Not just graduating at the bottom of your class, John; but actually getting expelled!
That hasn’t happened to Juan since that fifth and last time he hit the silk.
I thought the blue army force Georgia to join the just-plain Union in 1865.
BTW: Who’s the kid in the photo above?
Does Charlie Crist have a love-child?
ReelectTilden: I hate to admit how many of my essays ended with that phrase in high school…
Canuckledragger: You must be joking. If you really don’t know who that kid is, I am convinced you were born in some kind of igloo somewhere in northern Canada and locked by your parents in said igloo for most of your life, only to be given internet access out of some guilt-driven measure to keep you happy in your igloo.
shortsshortsshorts: Me? Joke? Nevah!
There was considerable confusion at a McCain press conference today when he said, “My friends, the following section may contain weasel words. Russia has long antagonized its Georgian neighbors, my friends, citation needed.”
I expect we’ll soon see an announcement that ‘the plagiarists of the plagiarists have been sacked’ from John’s campaign.
I call BS. If he really knew about Wikipedia, why didn’t he know about the two kinds of Muslims? (Original and extra-crispy)
shortsshortsshorts: I presume the Simpsons are banned from Canada (at least from French Canada) because of a certain reference to ‘cheese-eating surrender monkeys’ by a certain cartoon character. Pop-quiz follows.
Once the advertising world TM and © all words, we’ll be forced into plagiarizing every time we write any old shit, especially if it has to do with Wonkette.
TGY: Well of course they’re banned here. A few seasons back, they travelled to a town called Turonuh, which is in Canuckistan. Just this weekend, Turonuh was propane-bombed!
Coincidence? Of course not, you fools! It’s…. the yellow peril!
WAKE UP, PEOPLE!
he probably didn’t think anybody knew Wikipedia existed.
shortsshortsshorts: Someone hasn’t eaten his FUCKIN’ WHEATIES today.
McWrinkley ought to be glad he’s not going to UVa.
” when Allison Routman . . . used three phrases from the Wikipedia summary of the movie she was accused, tried and kicked off her Semester at Sea ship for plagiarism.”
UVa Honor Code Under Fire After Overseas Incident
BadNewsJack: Because he himself only just became aware of it.
SayItWithWookies: No, on Mondays its beer and donuts. BAD COMBINATION.
McCain actually has been to Georgia, and then he totally forgot everything and had to look it up on Wikipedia.
Shit, good for him.
Come on Elphie or we’ll miss WizaMcCainia!
At least McCain’s got this Georgia thing right, otherwise he would be warning the Soviet Union not to invade itself.
Are their Georgia and our Georgia considered sister states or something?
I never would have caught the plagerism if he hadn’t said “see chart” halfway thru.
I’m currently writing a young adult novel (21,000 words in, baby!), and I plagiarized the shit out of a real Wikipedia entry in order to make it into a fictional Wikipedia entry.
C’mon, folks. It’s WIKI-fucking-PEDIA. None of it’s true anyway.
I heard he also plagiarized Maverick from Brett Maverick.
Olde Man Crankypants told us he didn’t know the Internets, and now they are invading his prepared texts?!
Flip-flopper!!
This actually was a pretty good catch, and it wasn’t liberals who originally caught it, it was Congressional Quarterly.