“Democrat Mary Burke could probably use one of those snowboarding sabbaticals in Argentina right about now. Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse for her – they did. In an especially embarrassing incident for a school board member, the Neenah School District expressed ‘disappointment’ in Burke for making an ‘unfair and misleading’ claim about an alumna. A Journal Sentinel columnist eviscerated Burke for her repeated instances of plagiarism, saying they prove ‘she lacks a modicum of substance.’ And that was before the third round of plagiarism allegations surfaced. Wisconsin voters can’t go backwards with Mary Burke.” – RGA Communications Director Gail Gitcho
The Neenah School District Slammed Burke For An “Unfair And Misleading” Claim She Has Been Making About Act 10
The Post-Crescent: “Neenah School District Takes Issue With Burke.” (Jen Zettel, “Neenah School District Takes Issue With Burke,” The Post-Crescent, 9/25/14)
The School District “Isn’t Happy With” Burke For A Claim She’s Been Making About A Neenah High School Alumna. “The Neenah Joint School District isn’t happy with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke. Burke has used a Neenah High School alumna as an example of Act 10′s negative impact on Wisconsin schools. A Neenah man told Burke how his daughter turned down a job in Neenah for one with a school in Minnesota.” (Jen Zettel, “Neenah School District Takes Issue With Burke,” The Post-Crescent, 9/25/14)
The School District Administrator To Burke: Your Statement “Is Unfair And Misleading.” (Dr. Mary Pfeiffer, Superintendent of Schools, Neenah Joint School District, Letter to Mary Burke, 9/19/14)
“On Behalf Of The Neenah Joint School District I Would Like To Express My Disappointment Regarding Your Use Of Our School District Of Your Perceived Negative Impact Of Act 10 On Education…” (Dr. Mary Pfeiffer, Superintendent of Schools, Neenah Joint School District, Letter to Mary Burke, 9/19/14)
“…Stop Using Neenah As An Example Of The Negative Ramifications Of Act 10.” (Dr. Mary Pfeiffer, Superintendent of Schools, Neenah Joint School District, Letter to Mary Burke, 9/19/14)
Following Two Plagiarism Stories In Four Days, A Journal Sentinel Columnist Eviscerated Burke
The Journal Sentinel’s Christian Schneider Called The Plagiarism “Outright Theft” And A “Serious Offense.” “For Mary Burke, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times…Obviously, campaigns borrow ideas from each other all the time. But the outright theft of campaign passages and language is a serious offense. (As Andrew Kaczynski at Buzzfeed has noted, four of the Democratic candidates from whom Burke lifted material lost their elections.)” (Christian Schneider, Op-Ed, “Plagiarism Charge Could Stick To Mary Burke,” Journal Sentinel, 9/23/14)
“While [Burke] Likes To Crow About Her Harvard Degree And Business Experience…It Appears The Business With Which She Has The Most Familiarity Is Wikipedia.” “Burke has tried to posit l’affaire right click as a matter of the “wording” of passages. But come on — it is not as though Walker is slamming Burke for a dangling participle or using too many gerund phrases. He is pointing out that Burke was forced to steal ideas, as she has none of her own. While she likes to crow about her Harvard degree and business experience at Trek Bicycle (a company started by her father), it appears the business with which she has the most familiarity is Wikipedia.” (Christian Schneider, Op-Ed, “Plagiarism Charge Could Stick To Mary Burke,” Journal Sentinel, 9/23/14)
“…This Solidifies The Impression That She Is The Pyrite Candidate.” “But for Burke, this solidifies the impression that she is the pyrite candidate.” (Christian Schneider, Op-Ed, “Plagiarism Charge Could Stick To Mary Burke,” Journal Sentinel, 9/23/14)
“Her Flashy Bank Account Gives Her Credibility, But She Lacks Even A Modicum Of Substance.” “…her flashy bank account gives her credibility, but she lacks even a modicum of substance. Her campaign is being buttressed by a cadre of consultants and media professionals who evidently hand her a jobs plan and say, ‘Here, now go sell it.’” (Christian Schneider, Op-Ed, “Plagiarism Charge Could Stick To Mary Burke,” Journal Sentinel, 9/23/14)
“Evidently She Didn’t Find Any Ways To Help Working People While On Her Two-Year Snowboarding Sabbatical In Argentina And Colorado…” “It is a similar avatar of inauthenticity that could sink Burke’s campaign. She is, after all, someone who derides the offshoring of jobs yet made her millions working for a company that makes 99% of its bicycles in other countries. Evidently she didn’t find any ways to help working people while on her two-year snowboarding sabbatical in Argentina and Colorado in the mid-1990s. Her persona and policies simply don’t ring true.” (Christian Schneider, Op-Ed, “Plagiarism Charge Could Stick To Mary Burke,” Journal Sentinel, 9/23/14)
“Burke’s Transgression” Is So Serious Because “Her Plagiarism Took Place During The Campaign For The Job For Which She Is Applying.” “But Burke’s transgression is worse. Her plagiarism took place during the campaign for the job for which she is applying.” (Christian Schneider, Op-Ed, “Plagiarism Charge Could Stick To Mary Burke,” Journal Sentinel, 9/23/14)
“It Demonstrates Her Bankruptcy Of Ideas And Her Reliance On Media Experts To Build Her Plans.” (Christian Schneider, Op-Ed, “Plagiarism Charge Could Stick To Mary Burke,” Journal Sentinel, 9/23/14)
“…I Imagine Burke Saying, ‘The Only Thing We Have To Fear Is Google Itself.’” “Or, as I imagine Burke saying, ‘The only thing we have to fear is Google itself.’” (Christian Schneider, Op-Ed, “Plagiarism Charge Could Stick To Mary Burke,” Journal Sentinel, 9/23/14)
And That Scathing Piece Came Before A THIRD Round Of Plagiarism Allegations Surfaced
The Journal Sentinel: “Another Day, Another Charge Of Copied Material By Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Mary Burke.” (Daniel Bice, “BuzzFeed Cites Three More Cases Of Borrowed Text In Mary Burke Report,” Journal Sentinel, 9/25/14)
“BuzzFeed Cites Three More Cases Of Borrowed Text In Mary Burke Report.” “BuzzFeed is identifying three more instances of loosely borrowed text in Burke’s rural communities report.” (Daniel Bice, “BuzzFeed Cites Three More Cases Of Borrowed Text In Mary Burke Report,” Journal Sentinel, 9/25/14)
This Time, The “Copied Text” Cites A Failed Gubernatorial Candidate From Nevada.” “More sections of Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke’s rural communities plan appear to be copied directly from a variety of sources. The copied text includes failed 2010 Nevada gubernatorial candidate Rory Reid, a newspaper article, and a Wisconsin school press release.” (Andrew Kaczynski, “More Copied Text In Mary Burke’s Rural Communities Plan,” BuzzFeed, 9/24/14)
Burke’s Plagiarism Included Stolen Language From The Wisconsin State Journal. “More sections of Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke’s rural communities plan appear to be copied directly from a variety of sources. The copied text includes failed 2010 Nevada gubernatorial candidate Rory Reid, a newspaper article, and a Wisconsin school press release.” (Andrew Kaczynski, “More Copied Text In Mary Burke’s Rural Communities Plan,” BuzzFeed, 9/24/14)
Burke Also Copied A Wisconsin School Press Release. “More sections of Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke’s rural communities plan appear to be copied directly from a variety of sources. The copied text includes failed 2010 Nevada gubernatorial candidate Rory Reid, a newspaper article, and a Wisconsin school press release.” (Andrew Kaczynski, “More Copied Text In Mary Burke’s Rural Communities Plan,” BuzzFeed, 9/24/14)
For Months, Democrat Mary Burke Belittled Governor Walker’s Jobs Plan
Burke In March 2014: “I’ve Seen 8th Grade Term Papers That Have More Work Put Into Them.” (“Mary Burke In March: A Jobs Plan Deserves Serious Thinking,” “Real Detail,” YouTube, 9/19/14)
Burke In September 2014: “Scott Walker’s 2010 Jobs Plan Was Just 4 Pages Long.” (Twitter, 9/7/14)
Burke Promised That Her Plan Would Be Vetted And Based On Her Own Experience
Burke: “Hey, I Want To Make Sure This Is A Great Plan, That It Has Been Vetted, And That We Have The Best People Working On It.” (“Mary Burke Plagiarizes Jobs Plan,” YouTube, 9/19/14)
In December, Burke Promised Her Jobs Plan Would Be “Well Thought Out” And An “Important Part” Of Her Campaign. “In recent days, the GOP stepped up attacks on Burke for entering the race without a jobs plan. Burke’s response? ‘It will be an important part of my campaign,’ she says, adding that her jobs plan will be ‘one that is well thought out and one that I will implement as governor.’” (Bill Glauber, “Mary Burke Hitting Campaign Trail Hard,” Journal Sentinel, 12/14/13)
Burke Also Said, “My ‘Invest For Success’ Plan Is Based On My Business Experience At Trek Bicycle And As An Entrepreneur.” (“Mary Burke Plagiarizes Jobs Plan,” YouTube, 9/19/14)
Burke Also Told Voters That She Demands “The Highest Level Of Integrity” From Anyone Who Works For Her
Burke: “I Want To Make Sure I Have The Highest Level Of Integrity. I’m Going To Demand The Same Thing For The People Who Work For Me.” (“Mary Burke Plagiarizes Jobs Plan,” YouTube, 9/19/14)
But It Turns Out Burke’s Jobs Plan Was Plagiarized
The Associated Press: “Burke Accused Of Plagiarism.” “Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke’s jobs plan includes entire sections that are exactly the same as plans put forth by other Democrats in past campaigns. Republicans are accusing Burke of plagiarizing the material. Burke’s campaign spokesman says the sections were written by a consultant who also advised the other campaigns.” (“Burke Accused Of Plagiarism,” The Associated Press, 9/19/14)
Wisconsin State Journal: “Mary Burke’s Jobs Plan Copied Portions From Other Democratic Candidates.” “Portions of gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke’s jobs plan were copied from previous proposals of other Democratic candidates, and her campaign has cut ties with the consultant responsible, the campaign acknowledged Friday.” (Mary Spicuzza, “Mary Burke’s Jobs Plan Copied Portions From Other Democratic Candidates,” Wisconsin State Journal, 9/20/14)
Burke’s Plan “Copies Nearly-Verbatim Sections” From Four Democrat Gubernatorial Candidates From Across The Country. “Burke’s economic plan “Invest for Success” copies nearly-verbatim sections from the jobs plans of Ward Cammack, who ran for Tennessee governor in 2009 before withdrawing from the race, a 2008 plan from Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, now-Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe’s plan from his failed-2009 bid, and John Gregg who ran for governor of Indiana in 2012 and lost to Mike Pence.” (Andrew Kaczynski, “Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidate Fires Campaign Consultant For Large Portions Of Copied Jobs Plan,” Buzzfeed, 9/18/14)
Burke’s Plan Also Copied Language In A White House Press Release. “Another section takes the same language as a White House press release.” (Andrew Kaczynski, “Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidate Fires Campaign Consultant For Large Portions Of Copied Jobs Plan,” Buzzfeed, 9/18/14)
Burke’s Plan Also Stole From A Harvard Report. “Furthermore, a small section of language is copied from a Harvard report.” (Andrew Kaczynski, “Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidate Fires Campaign Consultant For Large Portions Of Copied Jobs Plan,” Buzzfeed, 9/18/14)
The Incident Is Especially “Embarrassing” Because Burke Has Made Jobs “A Central Thrust Of Her Campaign”
According To Burke, Jobs Is The “Top Issue In This Race.” “Governor Scott Walker and his challenger, Mary Burke agree jobs is the top issue in this race, but they don’t agree at all on the numbers.” (Mike Lowe, “Walker Vs. Burke And The Gubernatorial Race,” FOX 6, 6/26/14)
“Her Democratic Campaign Is Built Around A Jobs Plan.” “Mary Burke is running for governor in Wisconsin using job creation as her top issue. Her Democratic campaign is built around a jobs plan.” (Jim Shella, “Wisconsin Candidate Copied John Gregg’s Jobs Plan,” WISH 8, 9/19/14)
Democratic Party Of Wisconsin Chairman Mike Tate Said “The Number One Issue” Of The Campaign Is “Jobs.” “‘It’s definitely been a bad couple of weeks for Scott Walker, but it’s been a bad couple of weeks for the people of Wisconsin,’ Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate said. Tate says Scott Walker has taken his eye off of the number one issue: jobs.” (Mike Lowe, “Walker Vs. Burke And The Gubernatorial Race,” FOX 6, 6/26/14)
Burke Regularly Hands Out Copies Of The Jobs Plan To Voters. “Burke has made the jobs plan the centerpiece of her campaign. She has handed out printed copies of the plan to voters during her appearances across the state.” (Daniel Bice, “Burke Jobs Plan Copied Portions Of Proposals From Other Democrats,” Journal Sentinel, 9/19/14)
Journal Sentinel: “The Incident Is Embarrassing For The Burke Campaign Because She Is Making Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s Performance On Jobs A Central Thrust Of Her Campaign…” (Editorial, “Mary Burke’s Jobs Plan And When Borrowing Ideas Goes To Far,” Journal Sentinel, 9/19/14)
And The Press Is Criticizing Burke, Calling The Incident “Unethical”
Journal Sentinel: “…Borrowing [Ideas] Without Attribution Is Unethical…” “How much should this matter? It says something about Schnurer’s judgment and by extension that of the Burke campaign for using his firm. Borrowing ideas is no sin, and borrowing good ideas should be encouraged, but borrowing them without attribution is unethical…” (Editorial, “Mary Burke’s Jobs Plan And When Borrowing Ideas Goes To Far,” Journal Sentinel, 9/19/14)
Post-Crescent: “Thumbs Down: To Democratic Candidate For, At The Least, Shoddy Oversight Of Her Campaign.” “Thumbs Down: To Democratic candidate for governor Mary Burke for, at the least, shoddy oversight of her campaign…, and now Burke has to convince voters she has her own ideas on job growth.” (Editorial, “Thumbs Up And Down,” Post-Crescent, 9/20/14)
The Weekly Standard: “What Makes The Plagiarism Especially Pathetic Is The Stolen Ideas Are Unoriginal And Rather Vapid.” “What makes the plagiarism especially pathetic is the stolen ideas are unoriginal and rather vapid. See examples here.” (John McCormack, “Mary Burke Pilfers Pabulum From Other Pols,” The Weekly Standard, 9/19/14)
RedState: “Voters…Should Reconsider Their Assessments [On Burke].” “In other words, Burke isn’t just recycling boilerplate on her website – she’s spent months running around the state telling the voters that they should read her jobs plan because it’s proof that she’s smarter, more detail-oriented, and more qualified by private sector experience to help Wisconsin’s economy grow,. She has been actively touting the plan and circulating copies rather than just letting it lie fallow in a forgotten “Issues” section of a website. That’s a much bigger deal, and voters who may have warmed to Burke’s sales pitch on how much work she put into the plan should reconsider their assessments now that she had blamed the whole thing on an outside consultant who sold her a plan that already went down to defeat with gubernatorial candidates in Indiana and Tennessee.” (Dan McLaughlin, “Why The Mary Burke ‘Plagiarism’ Story Matters,” RedState, 9/19/14)
In Addition To Her Jobs Plan, Parts Of Burke’s Rural And Veterans Communities Plans Were Also Copied
Buzzfeed: “Wisconsin Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Also Copied Some Text In Other Plans.” “Sections of Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke’s veterans and rural communities plans appear to copy text directly from a variety of sources. The sources include, but are not limited to, academic journals and reports, and a local newspaper column. In other instances, the sources are linked in plan’s footnotes, though Burke’s plan makes little effort to indicate that not just the source, but the words themselves were taken from the sources.” (Andrew Kaczynski, “Wisconsin Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Also Copied Some Text In Other Plans,” Buzzfeed, 9/21/14)
The Latest Reports Include “Seven Instances Of Disputed Material.” “For the second time in four days, Democrat Mary Burke’s campaign has been hit by charges that it lifted passages from other sources and used them in its campaign literature… The material includes two Burke plans — one on rural communities and the other veterans issues — that include passages from several websites as well as Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett’s ‘Plan to Create Wisconsin Jobs,’ which he used during his 2010 campaign for governor. There are seven instances of disputed material. Most of the material is less than a paragraph long, and in some cases, fragments of sentences. In four cases, the Burke documents cited the other online material but did not place the borrowed passages in quotes.” (Daniel Bice, “More Mary Burke Passages Question By Walker Campaign,” Journal Sentinel, 9/21/14)
Pressure Is Mounting For Burke To Resign From The Race
State Senators Leah Vukmir And Alberta Darling Are “Calling For Burke To Withdraw From The Race.” “But Walker stopped short of calling for Burke to withdraw from the race, a proposal that was being pushed by state Sens. Leah Vukmir of Wauwatosa and Alberta Darling of River Hills. Walker said the allegations against Burke are ‘pretty serious.’” (Bill Glauber, “Walker, GOP Senator Step up Attack On Burke’s Job Plan,” Journal Sentinel, 9/20/14)
And Burke Is Being Called On To Resign From The Madison School Board
State Senator Luther Olsen, Chairman Of The Senate Education Committee And A School Board Member For Over 20 Years, Is Calling On Burke To Resign From The Madison Metropolitan School District Board. “Still, state Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, urged Burke to resign from her School Board seat, a position she won in 2012. ‘As someone who served as a school board member for more than 20 years, board members are required to hold themselves to the same ethical standards they expect from faculty and students,’ Olsen said in a statement. ‘For the benefit of students and families in her district, I am calling on Burke to resign from her position immediately.’” (Mary Spicuzza, “Mary Burke’s Jobs Plan Copied Portions From Other Democratic Candidates,” Wisconsin State Journal, 9/20/14)
Burke’s Actions Conflict With The Policies Of The Madison Metropolitan School District
Burke Has Been On The Madison School Board Since 2012. “Still, state Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, urged Burke to resign from her School Board seat, a position she won in 2012.” (Mary Spicuzza, “Mary Burke’s Jobs Plan Copied Portions From Other Democratic Candidates,” Wisconsin State Journal, 9/20/14)
According To The School District’s Plans, “Cheating Includes Submitting The Work Of Others As Your Own And Plagiarism.” According to the MMSD 2014-15 Student Conduct and Discipline Plans, Cheating is defined as: ‘Cheating- Using, submitting, obtaining or attempting to obtain data, questions or answers dishonestly, by deceit or by means other than those authorized by the teacher. Cheating includes submitting the work of others as your own and plagiarism.’ According to the school’s ‘Behavior Response Chart,’ (page 23 of the code of conduct) the punishment for cheating ranges from ‘in-classroom reprimand,’ up to a 3-day suspension.” (Flashback: Plagiarizing Mary Burke Mocked Walker’s Jobs Plan As 8th Grade Quality Term Paper,” Right Wisconsin, 9/19/14)
As Well As The Codes Of Ethics At The Schools She Attended
Georgetown: “Plagiarism, In Any Of Its Forms, And Whether Intentional Or Unintentional, Violates Standards Of Academic Integrity.” “Plagiarism is the act of passing off as one’s own the ideas or writings of another. While different academic disciplines have different modes for attributing credit, all recognize and value the contributions of individuals to the general corpus of knowledge and expertise. Students are responsible for educating themselves as to the proper mode of attributing credit in any course or field…Note that plagiarism can be said to have occurred without any affirmative showing that a student’s use of another’s work was intentional.” (“Academic Regulations,” Georgetown University Website, www,bulletin.georgetown.edu, Accessed 9/21/14)
Harvard: “Students Who, For Whatever Reason, Submit Work Either Not Their Own Or Without Clear Attribution To Its Sources Will Be Subject To Disciplinary Action, Up To And Including Requirement To Withdraw From The College.” “Students should always take great care to distinguish their own ideas and knowledge from information derived from sources. The term ‘sources’ includes not only primary and secondary material published in print or online, but also information and opinions gained directly from other people…Students who, for whatever reason, submit work either not their own or without clear attribution to its sources will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including requirement to withdraw from the College.” (“Harvard Plagiarism Policy,” Harvard Website, www.harvard.edu, Accessed 9/21/14)