Gingrich: Palin Caused No Harm By Lifting Phrases From My Speech

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Newt Gingrich takes no issue with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for using his words in a speech she gave last week. In fact, he'd be happy if more Republicans espoused his ideas, a spokesman for the former House speaker said Monday.

Blogger Geoffrey Dunn, who is writing a book about Palin, accused the former Republican vice presidential candidate of lifting phrases and ideas at length from an article co-written by Gingrich in 2005.

Gingrich spokesman Rick Tyler said the accusation was comical. "If she used Newt's ideas in a speech and gave him credit for them, there certainly is zero issue," Tyler said.

Dunn posted the accusation Saturday on the Huffington Post, a liberal political Web site and blog, after comparing Gingrich's article and Palin's speech. Palin twice referenced Gringrich's article last Wednesday in Anchorage as she introduced conservative talk show host Michael Reagan, the son of former President Ronald Reagan.

Dunn is a frequent contributor to the Huffington Post. Dunn said his original posting accused the governor of plagiarism but that was edited later to say Palin lifted content from Gingrich's article without proper attribution.

"While I acknowledged that she did mention Gingrich twice in the speech there were several other passages that were delivered as if they were Palin's own and not properly attributed," Dunn said Monday by phone from his home in Santa Cruz, Calif.

Dunn said the speech underscored a concern he has had about Palin. "To me it reflected what I considered to be a series of incidents where there were questions in my mind about the intellectual integrity of Sarah Palin," he said.

In her 17-minute speech, Palin twice referenced Gingrich by name and the article.

Palin's lawyer, Thomas V. Van Flein, said Sunday that he found the speech "abundantly clear in context, and even in sub-context, that the overview of President Ronald Reagan's legacy was attributed to Newt Gingrich."

Van Flein concluded that Palin attributed the speech properly, and he described Dunn's accusation as serious and false.

"This is reputational and you accuse someone of stealing basically, you are going to get their attention," he told The Associated Press on Monday. "The speech clearly gave Mr. Gingrich credit... Mr. Dunn is simply wrong."

Comments

[IllinoisResident]

Go Newt!
Go Sarah!

[indy girl]

Let's face it--this is probably the most excitement Newt has had in his lifetime. He's probably fantasizing about Sarah mangling his speech, and getting all sweaty right this very minute.

has anyone noticed how much he looks like Captain kangaroo?

[MisterHands]

Many forms of plagiarism, none are defined by who is, or isn't offended by the act.

Incremental Plagiarism-- Gidget is guilty.

[gawd]

He is so ethical. I mean really.

[gayinmt]

Puck Falin

[Sheila Williams]

Palin and Newt are two of a kind, apparently the ReThugs must think we are stupid enough to forget why they threw him out of office. Come on Rethugs, we aren't as stupid as you all are ,we remember why Newt was ousted. Now Palin is lifting words for him, they are both pathetic losers.

[sippewissett]

Imagine this incident if a Democrat were plagiaring. The GOP would be all over him/her. Newt et al. are giving Palin a "pass" because they know that she needs all the help she can get to minimize her word salad and have some content in the midst of it.

[indy girl]

Newt needs to look at the saga of John McCain and be careful though...if you spend too much time next to the 5-watt bulb, your may find your own political career in the dark.

[peacegurl48]

Her actions are indicative of her total lack of original thought, or integrity,...maybe she could be Newt's running mate!

[ImJustSaying007]

Rethugs...­........Re­st........­.....In...­....G.....­.....O....­........PE­ACE

[QuietLightTraveler]

Yea, Gingrich and Palin should team up as the GOP candidates for the 2012 Presidential election. I can't wait. Limbaugh, Hannity and the rest would love it but they will find out that their Reagenesque philosophy no longer cuts the mustard.

[Amalek]

Newt says:

"Why, of course I am not offended that poor little Sarah has used my words and my ideas in her speech. After all, I have so many great ideas I really do need to share. She certainly needs them - actually, our whole country needs them. Thank you Sarah for helping me to spread my ideas."

How they can say this with a straight face I do not understand.

[conservativelady]

Of course Newt is going to say it is no big deal. But I like the way he reminded everyone she was using his ideas. Newt is very smart. Palin, not so much. And Dunn is correct in questioning the intellectual integrity of Palin. Her speech explains how she got through college, she cheated. It also might explain why she moved around so much. Could it be that she was getting into fights with the faculty for her sloppy work? Maybe she had to move around from college to college to find one who would give her the damn piece of paper. For someone who is so "common" that piece of paper apparently mattered a lot! She didn't care how she got it!

[pearl89]

What I find interesting is that no one at any of colleges she attended remembered her. I know I made lifelong friendships with some people I meet in college.

[IllinoisResident]

Sarah can think on her feet. We can't say the same about our president. You sound like an elitist.