It’s Friday…which means- perfect timing to release some breaking news.
Former Democratic US Senate candidate John Walsh (D-MT), who was appointed to the US Senate in an attempt to boost his candidacy for the November election, will apparently be stripped of his US Army War College degree.
But Walsh, while saying he apologizes to Montanans, added that he disagrees with the findings.
Army War College Revokes Senator John Walsh’s Degree After Plagiarism Investigation: http://t.co/wVLILrSMut #mtpol #mtsen
— LisaBaumann (@LisaBaumann) October 10, 2014
From the AP story as featured by The Huffington Post:
The Carlisle, Pennsylvania, college launched the probe in August after The New York Times published a story showing Walsh borrowed heavily from other sources for a research paper he wrote in 2007.
Also of interest: even though Walsh eventually walked back his claims of PTSD for the plagiarism, the claim somehow was brought before the review board. Here’s an additional AP report picked up US News & World Report:
The review board made its conclusions less than 20 minutes after closing its August hearing, according to the report released by Walsh’s office. Possible extenuating circumstances submitted by Walsh of post-traumatic stress disorder and a fellow soldier’s suicide were not enough to support any other recommendation.
“It should also be noted that other students … have had similar or more serious personal and psychological issues during their year at USAWC, and they have been able to successfully complete course requirements without resorting to plagiarism or other cheating,” the review board’s report said.
FULL PREPARED STATEMENT FROM APPOINTED SEN. WALSH
Walsh statement on U.S. Army War College
(ALDER, Mont.) – U.S. Senator John Walsh today released the following statement following today’s decision by the U.S. Army War College to revoke his status as a graduate:
“Though I disagree with the findings made by the War College, I accept its decision with great humility and respect for the U.S. Military. I apologize to all Montanans for the plagiarism in my 2007 paper, and I am prepared to live with its consequences. I may not be a scholar but I am proud to have been a soldier who has served Montana and this great nation for 33 years in uniform.
“As Montanans choose their next U.S. Senator over the next few weeks, I will continue proudly serving this state through the end of this term. I look forward to fighting for veterans and their families. I look forward to doing all we can for the small businesses that call our state home. I will keep fighting for the freedom of choice and equal pay for women, and for access to our public lands.”
Walsh has been busy traveling Montana and visiting with Montanans, conducting his Senate work and participating in causes he supports, including a recent awareness walk for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
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Comments
vinny in Livingston
Friday, October 10, 2014 5:36 PM
Senator Walsh … BRANDED!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV-7D4io1Rs
It was done in haste…..
At the War College….
and they say it’s Cut and Paste.
Branded!
Scorned as a military cheat.
What do you do when you’re branded,
Runnin’ for a Senate seat?
Wherever you go
For the rest of your days
you will be known …..
As a thief of essays!
“I attempted to to use
My P-T-S-D
That’s what we said,
But it wasn’t me!”
Branded!
That’s not the way to confess.
What do you do when you’re branded?
Can you live with the stress?
Wherever you go
for the rest of the race
Montanans will know …..
That you lied to their face!
BRANDED!!!!!!!
Al Smith
Friday, October 10, 2014 5:45 PM
I’m willing to give Sen Walsh this…a nice guy who made a bad judgement call. And, I’ll give Governor Bullock this…a nice guy who made a bad judgement call in appointing Walsh to fill the senate seat vacated by Max Baucus.
If it was not totally orchestrated from the “top” at git-go, the Governor should have appointed a place holder and allowed Walsh to win the seat on his own…if he was able.