There is no “gray” in this issue — how black and white does something have to be before we call a spade a spade?

There is absolutely no question bere. This is complete and total dishonesty on the part of the students (for misrepresenting a writing by someone else as their own). If that’s not “black and white” dishonesty, what is? Hey people; look up the definition of “plagiarism”! Now, look up the definition of “fraud”. What these students did is patently dishonest, it’s the literal definition of fraud, and I cannot believe anyone (ANYONE!) is defending them.

At a real university, when a student — in a University-related capacity (like submitting a fraudulent letter to the University newspaper) — commits plagiarism, he/she is disciplined and/or expelled.

Secondly, the Coleman campaign authored letters for others to misrepresent to newspapers as their own. This was not “some sort of mistake,” and these were not “press releases” — these were letters intentionally written by the Coleman campaign for others to submit to their local papers. That’s not illegal, but it’s certainly dishonest, fraudulent and thoroughly corrupt.

But, here’s an interesting question for ya’: has the Franken campaign been accused of doing anything like this — writing letters to editors for other people? Did any supporters of Al Franken ever innocently represent an Al Franken “press release” to a newspaper as their own piece of writing — as their own opinions, insights and feelings? No, of course not.

That’s not a coincidence; it’s the fundamental difference between Coleman and Franken.

This nonsense was apparently also in CJ’s strip GOSSIP column?
What a load of crap - a mini-Swiftboat by Coleman staffers!

It’s called being petty.

The Star Tribune article is fiction. Funny thing, Mr. Galloway was never charged nor brought back to testify to the Senate.

I think you have him confused with Condoleeza Rice’s company, Chevron.

Who openly admitted to kickbacks in the oil for food and paid a $25 million dollar fine.

What was Galloway’s fine? I don’t recall seeing anything about it.

In this case the two students deceived the two newpapers with form letter editorials, and they sought to deceive readers. There were no disclaimers that the students distributed the letters to give the impression of being witnesses to extremely rude behavior, although one writer admitted to his republican affiliation.

When did Americans decide that it was fine for their proposed representatives to be disrespectful and dishonest with them? Who decided that we would tolerate cheating in competition regardless of the profession chosen?

Wouldn’t it be hilarious if one’s doctor held the same attitude? What would one think of plumber who was so indifferent to his customers that he arranged the pipes so that every time one flushed the toilet it backed up into the bathtub? What would one think of an air-conditioning service person who discovered the only thing wrong with the customer’s unit was that the breaker interrupted the unit on the first seasonal start. The serviceman threw the breaker two minutes after he arrived and “acted” as if he worked on the unit for twenty-eight more minutes and then handed the customer a bill for $150.00. Thirty minutes a/c service? time for $150.00 is hilarious. After all, the world is filled with liars so only suckers believe what they hear and read, right?

From the conservative perspective it is the victim’s fault for being a sucker in a capitalist society. They derive great pleasure from such a thought and it serves as a ready excuse for a plethora of malfeasances.

When is Tim Russert going to demand that Obama apologize for HIS astroturfing?