Why Are We Back In Iraq?

(NOTE: Why Are We Back In Iraq? guest blogger Ryan Fenno did most of the writing and research for this article.)

Remember Steve Roeder? The Talon News/GOPUSA “serial plagiarist” exposed here and here (also here).

In case you've forgotten Steve Roeder's "writing style", here’s another example of his cut-and-paste journalism. "Kerry Renews Call For Rumsfeld Resignation" appeared on GOPUSA.com on August 26,2004 by way of Talon News and was mailed out to half-a-million subscribers on Bobby Eberle's Eagle List. That would be one day after Mary Dalrymple wrote "Kerry renews call for Rumsfeld to resign" for the Associated Press (with "contributions" by AP's Pete Yost writing from Crawford, Texas) and Michael Conlon wrote "Kerry Renews Call for Rumsfeld's Resignation" for Reuters:

Roeder: "Presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) renewed his call on Wednesday for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. He also urged President George W. Bush to appoint an independent commission to provide reforms after a report released Tuesday faulted portions of the military for inappropriate treatment of prisoners at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison."

Dalrymple: "Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Wednesday renewed his call for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to resign and urged President Bush to appoint an independent investigation to provide reforms after a report faulted all levels of the military for abuse at Abu Ghraib prison."

Roeder: "The report released Tuesday by an independent four-member panel, led by former Defense Secretary James Schlesinger, concluded that prisoner abuses at the prison were primarily the result of abnormal behavior of the on-site guards. To a lesser extent, the report faulted the senior U.S. military leaders in Iraq and the Pentagon civilian and military leaders for inattention to the issue. Schlesinger's report was very clear that Rumsfeld should not step down."

Dalrymple:"A report released Tuesday by an independent panel led by former Defense Secretary James R. Schlesinger concluded that senior U.S. military leaders in Iraq and the Pentagon can be faulted for inattention to prisoner abuses, but it did not recommend that Rumsfeld stop down."

Roeder:"Shortly after the Abu Ghraib story surfaced earlier this year, Bush rejected calls for Rumsfeld's resignation, saying he was doing a "superb job."

Conlon:"Shortly after the Abu Ghraib scandal erupted, Bush rejected calls for Rumsfeld's resignation, saying he was doing a "superb job.""

Roeder:"Kerry made the comments during a campaign stop devoted mainly to jobs and the economy."

Conlon:"Kerry made the comments during a campaign stop devoted mainly to jobs and the economy."

Roeder:"He told Pennsylvania and Wisconsin voters that he could produce better, higher-paying jobs than President Bush."

Dalrymple:"...Kerry headed to Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to tell voters he could produce better, higher-paying jobs from the White House than President Bush..."

And you must remember "Texas" Leslie Wetzel. Her second-hand handiwork can be found here , here, and here (also here).

Well, get this. Steve Roeder and Leslie Wetzel not only live in the same state (Texas), but also the same county (Montgomery), and, not to mention, the same affluent Houston suburb (The Woodlands), and, incidentally, the same exact residence. Perhaps that explains why "Texas Leslie" also uses the handle Leslie Wetzel-Roeder.

As a rule, we don't pry into personal matters here at Why Are We Back In Iraq?, but perhaps it's not that much of an invasion of privacy to suggest that perhaps, just perhaps, Leslie and Steve set aside a little bit of time each day in order to engage in a marital plagiarism session together.

Of course, this might also mean that their children aren’t just half-plagiarist, they’re full-plagiarist. Although scientists have found no evidence that the inclination to plagiarize can be traced to a genetic disorder, let’s just pretend it is for the sake of this post.

Talon News may have gone poof. But what rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

(NOTE: whoops, in case you didn't notice, we stole that last line from some dead poet guy)

# posted by Ron Brynaert : 4/03/2005 08:51:00 PM