Cincinnati GOP Councilman Charlie Winburn's Top Aide Plagiarizes Boss: Seems To Have Stolen Words To Plug His Springfield Twp. Candidacy

Bart Simpson Lives In Springfield, Too.

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- David Miller, a GOP state central committee member, is Councilman Charlie Winburn's chief of staff at Cincinnati City Hall.  And he's also the Hamilton County Republican Party's endorsed candidate for fiscal officer in Springfield Township.  It's possible he might have to add another line to his resume: Plagiarist.

An answer on Miller's League of Women Voters candidate questionnaire form contains nearly identical language to Winburn's answer.  Only Winburn delivered his three days earlier.  The questions were, "What services to you think should be considered basic and essential in the city?" and "What services do you believe should be basic and essential in the township?"   Even though Cincinnati is a major metropolitan city and Springfield Township is a small suburb, Miller appears not to have recognized differences between the two.   On Sept. 23 at 7:46 a.m. he filed this answer:  "Government officials are public servants to the voters and stewards of their public assets.  Springfield Township must properly use public policy in order to manage necessary public services such as roads and sanitation, insure public safety through police and fire, and create an atmosphere where the free market economy can flourish through private industry with a minimum of government regulation."  The link to Miller's answer is here.

As for Winburn, this is what he had to say on Sept. 20 at 4:09 p.m.:  "Government officials are public servants to the voters and stewards of their public assets.  The Cincinnati City Council must properly use public policy in order to manage necessary public services such as roads and sanitation, insure public saafety through police and fire, and create an atmosphere where the free market economy can flourish through private industry."  The link to Winburn's answer is here.  Sharp-eyed readers will notice that Winburn didn't say anything about minimizing government regulation.

Inquiring minds might be wondering if Winburn and his City Hall sidekick David Miller somehow collaborated, and they might also be curious to discover if they hatched their campaign manifestos while at work on government time.  The city solicitor's office might want to did into the e-mails and computer traffic.

Ohio State Sen. John Carey's Newspaper Guest Column Today: GOP Lawmaker Caught Plagiarizing From Colorado?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Ohio State Sen. John Carey -- who hails from Coal Country in Southeast Ohio -- is in today's Cincinnati Enquirer with a "Guest Column" talking up John McCain's energy policy. But much of what Carey writes today also appears under the name of Colorado State Rep. Kevin Lundberg, whose "Guest Editorial" happens to be on the on the same topic for the Craig Daily Press in that state. Coincidence or political coordination? Both officials -- one in Appalachia the other in the Rocky Mountains -- somehow have claimed authorship of articles that use mirror-like phrasing.

Here's a sample of Carey today in the Cincinnati Enquirer:

"Obama and Washington extremists believe coal is a 'dirty energy' that ought to be taxed. Obama has said "what we need to tax is dirty energy, like coal, and to a lesser extent, natural gas," and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has echoed that sentiment in saying 'coal makes us sick. Oil makes us sick.' This 'dirty energy' that 'makes us sick' also happens to put food on the tables and roofs over the heads of many hard-working Ohio families. Not to mention that coal provides 90 percent of our state's electricity."

And here's a chunk of Lundberg's guest editorial from the Colorado publication:

"Obama and his Congres­sional Democrat supporters believe coal is a 'dirty energy' that ought to be taxed. Obama has said 'what we need to tax is dirty energy, like coal, and to a lesser extent, natural gas,' and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has echoed that sentiment in saying 'coal makes us sick. Oil makes us sick.' What Harry Reid calls 'dirty energy' that 'makes us sick' also happens to put food on the tables and roofs over the heads of many hardworking Colorado families. Not to mention that coal provides seven-tenths of our state’s electricity. In 2006, Colorado produced 36,000 short tons of coal and consumed 19,707 to generate electricity."

Here's Carey in Ohio:

"With half of our country's electricity produced from coal, our energy portfolio moving forward must include coal as a large component. The U.S. Department of Energy says our 267 billion short tons of coal reserves comprise 27 percent of the world total. We depend on this resource, especially here in Ohio, and we need a president who understands that."

Here's Lundberg in Colorado:

"Considering half our country’s electricity is coal-produced, moving forward with our energy portfolio must include a large component of coal. The U.S. Department of Energy says our 267 billion short tons of coal reserves comprise 27 percent of the world total. We depend on this resource, especially here in Colorado, and we need a president who will work for our best interests."

Ohio U. Plagiarism Shakeout: Prof Loses Lawsuit Against State School

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- The Athens News is reporting that Ohio Univesity has won the first round in a legal battle with an engineering professor who claims he was made the fall guy in a plagiarism scandal that rocked the school last year. U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley of Columbus dismissed Jay Gunsekera's civil-rights lawsuit. The professor contended he was disciplined without being given an opportunity to clear his name.

The university has been dealing with theses that were copied by students who received advanced degrees from OU's Russ College of Engineering and Technology. The incidents of plagiarism go back to the 1980s.

Here's An Interesting Editorial: Chicago Trib Says Dem Plagiarist Should Resign

CINCINNATI (TBD) --Here's the Chicago Tribune's editorial calling for the resignation of the former Democratic congressman who is now the president of Southern Illinois University. The offense: Plagiarism.

Apparently, it's a big deal to filch somebody else's words. Have any Republicans ever done that in Ohio?

A Prominent Midwest Democrat Accused Of Plagiarism: Illinois College Prez Was U.S. Rep

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Chicago Sun Times has been following the story at Southern Illinois University, where former Democratic U.S. Rep. Glenn Poshard is suspected of filching portions of his doctoral dissertation. Poshard is the university's president and served 10 years in the House. He quit to run for governor in 1998 and was defeated by Republican George Ryan, who left office in 2003. Ryan was convicted of federal corruption charges in 2006. Now, Poshard's ethics are under review for claiming original authorship of work that was done by someone else, an allegation he is disputing, according to press reports.

OH-02 Schmidt's Plagiarism: A House Code Of Conduct Violation?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Bellwether has already discovered Republican U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt appears to have filched much of the material for her Sept. 4 newsletter topic from an Ohio Highway Patrol superintendent's column written in 2005. Her claim of authorship raises an interesting question about ethics and conduct. Should a congresswoman receive a pass for the lack of integrity that would get an Ohio college kid punished, or flunked, or maybe even kicked out of school? Or should the House Ethics Committee move to take action that could result in censure or worse?

On campuses and schools -- after all, her column was about school buses -- plagiarism is taken seriously. Schmidt is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, whose Code of Academic Integrity makes clear that plagiarism is a breach of conduct and an offense. The school's code defines plagiarism as:

"Submitting another's published or unpublished work, in whole, in part or in paraphrase, as one's own without fully and properly crediting the author with footnotes, citations or bibliographical references."

It also rules out using ghostwriters and says it is wrong to pass off another persons work as original. Several other Ohio colleges and universities have similar rules designed to stop plagiarism. Ohio University has been investigating engineering students and faculty members over alleged copycat theses which led to advanced degrees. Plagiarism is under attack in academia.

Schmidt's copycat work was posted on an official House Website, and should be a target of a House Ethics Committee examination. The official Code of Conduct for the House does not mention plagiarism. But it does demand that members behave well as members of that body. Indeed, Rule 1 states as follows:

"A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House."

The complete text of the rules are here.

Bottom line: Schmidt's plagiarism would be considered a breach of academic integrity on college campuses in Ohio. A student would face sanctions. It is time for the House to weigh in on plagiarism. The Ethics Committee needs to open an investigation.

OH-02's Jean Schmidt: Plagiarizes Ohio Highway Patrol Chief's Column

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt is out with her column today, a piece that urges school bus safety. The Daily Bellwether has read much of it before. In October 2005, the superintendent of the Ohio State Highway Patrol wrote many of the identical words in identical phrases, which makes the Cincinnati-area's Schmidt look like a political Calamity Jean for the GOP. Col. Paul McClellan retired earlier this year, but his "Colonel's Columns" from his desk at the highway patrol are still around and Schmidt seems to have plagiarized his thoughts and work. Or an eerie coincidence has taken place. Or the conservative lawmaker was just too danged liberal in her borrowing.

Schmidt's version is here, (and Weapons of Mass Discussion has a verbatim copy posted from Sept. 4) and The Daily Bellwether has discovered repeated uses of the retired law enforcement officer's text without any attribution or credit. Even punctuation marks were unchanged. Overall, it looks like an open and shut ethical relapse for Schmidt, who faced a plagiarism controversy last September. At that time, Schmidt was accused of filching her column for constituents from a press release issued by U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-15, who was seeking reelection in Columbus. Excerpts from Schmidt's latest column and the Highway Patrol chief can easily be compared.

Col. McClellan in 2005:

. . . reminds motorists that they are required to stop for stopped school buses that are displaying flashing red lights and an extended stop arm. Motorists approaching from either direction are required to stop at least 10 feet from a stopped school bus until the bus resumes motion. If a school bus is stopped on a road divided into four or more lanes, only traffic driving in the same direction as the bus must stop.

Schmidt, Sept. 4, 2007:

. . . reminds motorists that they are required to stop for stopped school buses that are displaying flashing red lights and an extended stop arm. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, motors approaching a stopped school bus from either direction should stop at least 10 feet away and wait until the bus resumes motion. If a school bus is stopped on a road divided into four or more lanes, only traffic driving in the same direction as the bus must stop.

Col. McClellan, in 2005:

While waiting for the bus, they should stand at least three giant steps away from the curb, and line up away from the street. Before stepping into the bus, children should wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver gives permission.

Schmidt, Sept. 4, 2007:

While waiting for the bus, they should stand at least three giant steps away from the curb, and line up away from the street. Before stepping into the bus, children should wait until the bus stops, the door opens and the driver gives permission.

Col. McClellan, in 2005:

Parents should encourage their children to sit quietly in their seat and follow the driver's instructions on school bus safety. When exiting the bus, care should be taken to check that clothing with drawstrings and book bags with straps do not get caught in the handrails or doors. Additionally, students should never go back for anything left on the bus, and never bend down near or under the bus to pick something up that has fallen.

Schmidt, Sept. 4, 2007"

While on the bus, children should be encouraged to sit quietly in their seat and follow the driver's instructions on school bus safety. When exiting the bus, care should be taken to check that clothing with drawstrings and book bags with straps do not get caught in the handrails or doors. Additionally, students should never go back for anything left on the bus, and never bend down near or under the bus to pick something up that has fallen.

There is more. But you've probably seen enough.