Biden is accused of plagiarizing his DNC speech

Well they say 3rd time is the charm.

Joe Biden accused of plagiarizing from Jack Layton's final letter in nomination speech

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, a man not unaccustomed to allegations of plagiarism, is now being accused of copying the words of former New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton.

At a speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, Biden’s final address included the lines, “For love is more powerful than hate. Hope is more powerful than fear. And light is more powerful than dark.”

Social media was quick to point out that the words were eerily similar to ones found in a letter Layton wrote before he died in 2011.

“My friends, love is better than anger,” said Layton in his letter. “Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair.”

Biden’s remarks were made two days before the ninth anniversary of Layton’s death.

Sophia Banks, a plant-based chef, tweeted that she was disappointed Biden copied Layton’s comments.

“Jack Layton is trending,” tweeted Banks. “One of Canada’s most beloved politicians. As Biden butchers his dying words left to us.”

Sandy Hudson, an activist with Black Lives Matter, tweeted Biden’s speech reminded her of Layton.

“So very very Jack Layton,” tweeted Hudson.

However, the sentiments Layton made also channel lines from a speech former prime minister Wilfrid Laurier gave in 1916.

“Let me tell you that for the solution of these problems you have a safe guide, an unfailing light if you remember that faith is better than doubt and love is better than hate,” said Laurier.

Remember that Biden dropped out his second time running because of plagiarism and lying.

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Biden didn't write the speech. He merely read it off a teleprompter. Melania had more input into her 2016 speech (lifted from Michelle Obama) than Biden had in his. (Doubt he's capable of much anymore anyway.)

More interesting was the arrest of Bannon which seemed not to get any attention here,

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travelerxxx's picture

@Marie

More interesting was the arrest of Bannon which seemed not to get any attention here.

It's hard to keep up sometimes, Marie...

Personally, I haven't had a chance to check it out; only heard a few blurbs on the radio while running errands. What was it – he got caught trying to shake-down a GoFundMe event or something? Something like that. Please do elaborate.

Bannon is the sleaziest of sleaze. Too sleazy even for Trump ...and that's saying something!

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9 users have voted.

@travelerxxx Steve Bannon Arrested in Border Wall Scheme

Federal authorities have arrested Steve Bannon. ...
...
Well, these charges against the four were brought by federal prosecutors in Manhattan. And what they allege is that Bannon and these men defrauded hundreds of thousands of people who had donated to a crowdfunding campaign called We Build the Wall. This online campaign raised more than $25 million in all. And prosecutors say that the defendants repeatedly told donors that they wouldn't take a penny in compensation from the funds that were raised because all of it would be used to help build the wall.

But according to the indictment, that was false. Prosecutors say the defendants took hundreds of thousands of dollars from the money that was raised. Bannon, for example, they say, received more than a million dollars in donated funds and used at least some of that money to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own personal expenses. The defendants in this case each face one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
...

Leaves out that the folks at gofundme questioned the org's legitimacy and wouldn't release the funds. So, Bannon set up a charitable front org (with a board, etc) to distribute the donations and a lot of the cash ended up in the pockets of the four indicted. Junior had more interaction with the scamers than daddy did.

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travelerxxx's picture

@Marie

"Shearing the sheep" comes to mind. I know this type of thing goes on constantly in religious circles and the grifters easily get away with it.

Hope he goes up the river for it. Although I can imagine him coming out of prison as a preacher and continue doing it – legally. Maybe a good career move, I dunno.

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@Marie This is a big story where I live. The disabled veteran, Brian Kolfage, associated with this scam lives south of me in this county. He lost both legs and part of an arm. He is 100% disabled drawing over $3,000 a month plus additional pay for dependents and other benefits. He even got a custom built house on the beach from the Wounded Warriors. And I also believe he deserves this.

You would not believe the people taking up for him. Not guilty until proven, blah,blah,blah. I think that mostly because they don't want to believe that they got scammed. He's living good. Maybe living too good for some people. Bought an expensive boat named Warfighter and plastic surgery for his wife. I know that I wouldn't have gotten involved in this crap.

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11 users have voted.

@Enchantress

You would not believe the people taking up for him.

It's what I would have expected. It's a 'faith thing' -- the 'send money for god' racket is a bit crowded, but 'send money for the wall' is a novel racket. He would have done just as well, and perhaps better, if he hadn't pledged 100% of contributions to build the wall. Nothing gets done without overhead/administrative costs; 10% of donations is at the low end for most charities. He should have hooked up with a charity pro instead of Bannon.

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4 users have voted.

@Marie This is a big story where I live. The disabled veteran, Brian Kolfage, associated with this scam lives south of me in this county. He lost both legs and part of an arm. He is 100% disabled drawing over $3,000 a month plus additional pay for dependents and other benefits. He even got a custom built house on the beach from the Wounded Warriors. And I also believe he deserves this.

You would not believe the people taking up for him. Not guilty until proven, blah,blah,blah. I think that mostly because they don't want to believe that they got scammed. He's living good. Maybe living too good for some people. Bought an expensive boat named Warfighter and plastic surgery for his wife. I know that I wouldn't have gotten involved in this crap.

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mimi's picture

@Marie
a. Bannon
b. Bolten
c. Navalny

I guess, because one doesn't want to speculate about things one can't know or prove?
Makes me miffed somewhat.

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@mimi of basically two bit crooks who used a bunch of zealots who really, really think sealing off the border will Make America Great Again. Just another day in America.

Bolton - another revolting two bit con man who used a bunch of zealots who are Repugnant to their core but are Never Trump because Trump says too much about who they really are. They think a character like Bolton can help them Make America Great Again simply because he can bad mouth Trump while perhaps ginning up a war against Iran, a long time "enemy" of the MAGA crowd as well as most USians who are too damned dumb to know any better.

Navalny - another in a long line of Putin "poisonings" to get rid of an "opponent" who's more than likely just another in a long line of two bit con men who can save the Russians from Putin and help Make America Great Again.

What is there really of any substance to comment on or write a full essay on about any of these three subjects? I'm not trying to be a dick here but personally, we have far bigger problems than worrying ourselves over a bunch of grifters used to divide and conquer and gin up the outrage and more war while the planet burns.

As for Biden plagiarizing, I do agree Biden couldn't write an actual original speech if he had to, and while this may be a nothingburger it sure as hell shows the man can't even be bothered to pay for an original speech, one that is he's been "waiting his whole political life to deliver." Too cheap to even pay for original writing, but he's a serious, tier one candidate and his election will surely Make America Great Again.

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7 users have voted.

Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur

mimi's picture

@lizzyh7
said I wouldn't agree with. It makes me nervous. Lukaschenko, Belarus protests, Trump, Bannon, Bolton, Putin and Nato and all that stuff... I have a messy mind right now. Something in the air that makes me nervous.

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4 users have voted.

What’s next? Lol.

So he either gets a pass because orange man worse or this is the beginning of how they get Joe out and Kamala in. Or everyone ignores it and those of us who do mention it are accused of being Trump supporters.

It’s like they’re trying to see how bad a candidate they can run and still get votes. I honestly thought Hillary would be the bottom of the barrel but the DNC just keeps digging.

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21 users have voted.

Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.

snoopydawg's picture

@Dr. John Carpenter

It’s like they’re trying to see how bad a candidate they can run and still get votes. I honestly thought Hillary would be the bottom of the barrel but the DNC just keeps digging.

They really did run the worst candidate this time. But who was going to be picked by the PTB after Kamala dropped out? Pete maybe was given some serious thought, but for some reason they went with Biden and told Pete to wait his turn. Klobochar might have been considered, but then George Floyd was killed and her history came out.

They are definitely telling the left that they don’t need their votes with the way the convention went. No policies were discussed and now they are going back on the public option before we have voted.

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18 users have voted.

Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

@snoopydawg "They" only had one horse in the race, Harris. (IMO she was cleared to go on offense against Biden in the first debate. And that attack did boost her poll numbers and knock Biden down a peg.) "They" really did expect her to knock out most of the others over the next few months until it was just her and Biden, Sanders, or Warren. All she had to do was show in IA and NH, win or place in NV, and SC would seal the deal.

Tulsi landed a solid hit on Harris that exposed her glass jaw and from which she never recovered. So, they scrambled and reconsidered Booker and Castro, but neither developed any MO. Recruited Patrick, but he didn't even bother to show up. The hail mary recruit was Bloomberg. Fortunately for them, Sanders has no ability to take down a competitor. Mayo Pete was never an option and Klob was running for VP. Putting all their chips on Biden after NH was the only play they had left and they had to act fast while he still led in the polling of the upcoming primary states after NV.

In the modern era, this is the first election cycle where IA and NH were irrelevant in a Democratic primary. 2008 was the first election cycle with 1) IA 2) NH 3) NV and 4) SC, and that schedule defeats the whole purpose of the 1972 reforms.

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15 users have voted.

@Marie I really think that's about the size of it. And regarding Mayo Pete, I kind of think if he was a little older, it might have been his turn this year after Kamala wiped out. I think that was a 100% political call and he's young enough they can work him through a lot of positions before slotting him in at the top. I think Obama doesn't want Pete to peak too early.

As for the rest, yeah, I think had Klobachar or Booker managed to take off they would have had it. I think they both had enough behind the scenes support and both showed themselves to be "team players", if you will. As much as they were anybody but Bernie, I think there was a more subtle anybody but Biden also going on. Unfortunately for them, the others couldn't cut it, and here we are.

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6 users have voted.

Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.

@Dr. John Carpenter the 2020 primary conditions were just unique enough that the young, unknown, empty-suit Mayo Pete could get buzz and end up doing surprisingly well. There's as little depth to his support as there is to his political positions.

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4 users have voted.

@snoopydawg "They don't need the left...."

Agree.

The DNC also don't need Asians. Andrew Lang was added to the Convention after he tweeted his hurt feelings about being left off the speaker list. First Asian to run for President.

Latinos? take em or leave em. Julian---first Latino to run for President--- was scheduled to speak but then he requested the list of Convention speakers and found that he was one of only three Latinos. He withdrew his name in protest. (Which I don't understand or approve of.) But his withdrawal got the DNC to add Eva Longoria and the young girl who spoke about her dad dying because he believed Trump's claim that Covid is a hoax.

DNC planners didn't need Muslim congresswomen. no Rashida or Ilhan

DNC planners similarly had NO use for recent Progressive wins across the country. The "Young Newcomers" bit featured about 20 people I never heard of. No Jamaal Bowman or any of the young New Yorkers who pushed longtime (D) pols out of office.

So who does the DNC need? washed up elderly GOP members. Security state operatives. former military.

Yikes.

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13 users have voted.

NYCVG

He did it again!
I am both shocked AND dismayed!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

mimi's picture

and nevertheless, those who write them, may tell you the truth, no matter who else had written them before.

As someone in the thread here said, it's a nothingburger, which lots of people love to eat.

I love you too, 99ers. Proudly plagiarized from the next door lovers. Wink

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Shahryar's picture

He used a cliched platitude that's been used hundreds of times. Jack Layton didn't invent the thought.

Cass tells us there isn't any BDS but this thread suggests there is.

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5 users have voted.

that twit should be the bird previously known as. because a long time ago they were renamed brown towhees as geography has no place in the kingdom phylum or whatever the current order of birding is called. leave no identity unturned. unterned ar ar

anyway in whose mind is plagiarism a deed worse than rape. or sexual assault. joe biden is a sexual predator from hell. a hair sniffing asshole on the verge of pedophilia. cmon man i thought you liked me. my god what are people thinking. oh wait theyre not.

otc made me lmao being so shocked and dismayed. i mean yeah what could be worse. jhfc perhaps the biden harris ticket is simply meant to push me off the ledge because here i go. whee. there are worse things than losing ones mind in public i guess. i dont know. good luck

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12 users have voted.

@eyo

anyway in whose mind is plagiarism a deed worse than rape. or sexual assault. joe biden is a sexual predator from hell. a hair sniffing asshole on the verge of pedophilia.

Plagiarism is the “lesser evil” of Biden that his minders would greatly prefer taking center stage, as opposed to sexual deviance issues or his actual lifetime record in politics. Plagiarism is the shiny object redirecting the public’s attention away from the true horrors we are being offered with a Biden/Harris ticket by the so called Democratic Party.

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13 users have voted.

Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all."
- John Maynard Keynes