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 Speaking of the North Dakota Republican Party's state convention keynote speaker, Secretary of Agriculture and former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer...
Rob Port, over at Say Anything Blog, is outraged because Port caught someone plagiarizing and nobody paid any attention to his complaint about the plagiarism. Port isn't getting any respect. Here's some of Port's outrage: Note that while most of the two excerpts are identical, there are a few minor changes near the end. This indicates that this was no mere “I reproduced the post but forgot to put in a link” error. Someone copied our post, changed it a tiny bit, and then re-posted it on another site as though it were their original work. That’s not just a mistake. That’s theft, pure and simple. If Walton & Johnson had fixed this error when it was brought to their attention we wouldn’t be making a big deal out of it, but to blow this off as though it doesn’t matter is just plain arrogant and disrespectful. Walton & Johnson would have you believe that we’re just obscure bloggers that nobody cares about. While we’ve never claimed to be any sort of media moguls, that doesn’t excuse their thievery. SayNothingBlog
I really feel for Rob. It really is awful when someone steals another person's work; especially when they won't acknowledge it or apologize. Many of you will recall that just over a year ago, on January 11, 2007, I broke a story about former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer plagiarizing most of a then-current article he claimed to have written in the December 2006 issue of North Dakota's worst conservative political rag, the Dakota Beacon. (Click here for that full story.) The response from Schafer's fan club, including the dynamic duo of Port and Dakota Beacon publisher Steve Cates, was a resounding, "Ah, shucks. He just did it once. It's not that big of a deal. It's okay for nice people to plagiarize." Since then, Schafer was named Agriculture Secretary by President George W. Bush. Yesterday, coincidentally, a NorthDecoder.com reader tells me he was digging through an old box of stuff garbage and stumbled upon a copy of the October 2006 issue of the Dakota Beacon. He noticed there was a Schafer story on the back, Googled one -- yes one -- phrase on the back, and sent me an e-mail. The Beacon magazine was dropped off at my office late yesterday afternoon. Turns out... On the back of the October 2006 issue of the Beacon is a story entitled "1949 Fargo" which is, again, "written" "By Former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer." Here's the article: (click picture to enlarge) Again... I'm offering to do the heavy lifting for you. Here's a side-by-side comparison of what Agriculture Secretary Schafer "wrote" in October of 2006 and an article written by someone other than Schafer: Ed Schafer's Dakota Beacon Article
| Original source (Click here to read)
| | In 1928, with Plymouth and DeSoto doing well, the fledgling Chrysler Corporation created the Fargo Motor Corporation to build and sell commercial trucks. Walter P. Chrysler was the first President. | In the 1928 model year, with Plymouth and DeSoto doing well, the new Chrysler Corporation created the Fargo Motor Corporation to build and sell commercial trucks. | | The name came from J.N. Fields who was the Chrysler Sales V.P. and President of DeSoto. Fields had started his selling career in Fargo, ND selling farm machinery and liked the concept for the truck. The name conjured up Old West adventure, coupled with a reputation of reliable transportation. | The name had the obvious appeal of Old West adventure, with a reputation for reliable transportation. The name also held a likely attraction to J.N. Fields, Chrylser Sales V.P. and President of DeSoto. [ ] Joe Fields had started his professional life selling farm machinery in (you guessed it) Fargo, North Dakota. | | Fargo began producing two full lines of commercial vehicles. The pickup line, called the "Packet", was based on the Plymouth Model Q. The heavier trucks, called the "clipper", came on the Chrysler 65 chassis. Both used a mixture of Plymouth, DeSoto and Chrysler parts. | Fargo began producing two full lines of commercial vehicles. The lighter vehicle, called the "Packet", was based on the Plymouth Model Q. The larger "clipper" came on the Chrysler 65 chassis. Both used a mixture of Plymouth, DeSoto and Chrysler parts. | | Shortly before the birth of the Fargo Truck line, Chrysler had purchased Dodge Brothers Inc. which carried two full truck lines, Dodge and Graham. Chysler dropped the Graham name and marketed two lines of truck side by side; Fargo and Dodge. | [ ] Almost immediately upon the making of the decision to establish the Fargo Motor Corporation, Chrysler's on-again-off-again deal to buy the Dodge Brothers Company was very much "on." [ ] Despite having the rights to the name, Chrysler found it quite easy to drop the "Grahma Brothers" marque. The actual Graham brothers had resigned their positions in the Dodge company before it was sold and were now preparing to begin building their own cars. It would not do to be selling vehicles with a competitor's name. However, the "Dodge Brothers" name had the obvious appeal of being both recognizable and respected. A full line of Dodge Brothers trucks was offered along side of the new Fargos. | Dodge having much greater name recognition soon out-distanced Fargo in sales. Domestic U.S. production of Fargos ceased at the end of 1930 after reaching 7,680 vehicles since the 1928 introduction. Fargo Motor Corporation had been in business for only two years.
| It was of little surprise that Dodge, having greater name recognition, far outdistanced Fargo in sales. [ ] Domestic U.S. production of Fargos ceased at the end of 1930 after reaching 7,680 vehicles since the 1928 introduction - Fargo Motor Corporation had been in business for only two years. | | Chrysler continued to build Fargo pickup trucks for export through 1935, and then introduced the Fargo line in Canada where it was sold by Chrysler-Plymouth dealers starting in 1936. The vehicle was basically a Dodge pickup with Plymouth car sheet metal and bright work on the front. Chysler Canada discontinued the Fargo line after the 1972 model year. | By mid-1936, Canadian Chrysler-Plymouth dealers began selling Fargo trucks - 864 units in that year. This Fargo was basically a Dodge truck with Plymouth passenger-car front sheetmetal to give it divisional identity. Thus, while the Dodge's headlights were mounted to the grill shell, the Fargo's were mounted to the fender "catwalks." The grille was the same as the Plymouth's, with the exception of a different style center section. Topping it off was a radiator mascot similar to DeSoto's current flying lady. [ ] [ ] By the end of 1972, Chrysler Canada decided to discontinue the Fargo line. |
Somebody put the words "By Former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer" at the top of that article in the Beacon. Wadn't me. In the words of Say Anything blogger Rob port, "That’s not just a mistake. That’s theft, pure and simple." You could also say about Schafer and his plagiarism, as Port does about the subjects of his latest rant, that "if [Schafer] had fixed his error [or even acknowledged it] when it was brought to [his] attention we wouldn’t be making a big deal out of it, but to blow this off as though it [didn't] matter [was and is] just plain arrogant and disrespectful." Instead, we're left with a former Governor and current Secretary of Agriculture who is an unapologetic repeat plagiarist. Almost makes ya proud that he's Secretary of Agriculture, doesn't it? Now let's watch to see how outraged Port gets about his plagiarism.
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It never amazes me what comes up anymore, it seems that no matter what, there is a lack of ability to go out on your own to attract attention upon yourself as a public official, you must "borrow" another persons work. (I use the word borrow laughingly!) Actually I pretty much just shook my head when he became Secretary of Agriculture, well maybe he could use a new personal assistant that write for the Dakota Bacon. (no that wasn't a misspelling! I just figure thats a rag with alot of pork in it!)