Over at
Redstate.com, the wagons are circled. Poor Ben:
The critics of Ben Domenech are on a fishing expedition. They attacked the fact that an ex-political appointee would ever be given a job in journalism. Then, they trolled for comments he left on a blog. They attacked his upbringing. They attacked his mother. They attacked his father. They called him a homosexual. "Plagiarism" is only the sixth or seventh line of attack they've tried in their campaign to assassinate the character of a good and decent person.
The Post editor, James Brady, defends the hire but does not comment on the allegations of plagiarism.
By now nobody should be surprised that the right wingnut-o-sphere, so morally absolutist on such questions as abortion, can contort its ethics so perversely to defend one of its rising stars. Plagiarism? He was a college student. It's his editor's fault. The left is on a witch hunt. Ad nauseum.
Surprisingly enough, however, one wingnut -- Michelle Malkin -- isn't playing that game:
As someone who has worked in daily journalism for 14 years, I have a lot of experience related to this horrible situation: I've had my work plagiarized by shameless word and idea thiefs many times over the years. I've also been baselessly accused of plagiarism by some of the same leftists now attacking Ben.
The bottom line is: I know it when I see it. And, painfully, Domenech's detractors, are right. He should own up to it and step down. Then, the Left should cease its sick gloating and leave him and his family alone.
Rick Moran agrees:
But what simply cannot be tolerated in any venue where the written word is revered and opinions respected is plagiarism. And according to material dug up by several lefty bloggers, the shocking fact seems to be that Domenech is a word stealer of epic proportions, someone who has lifted entire articles from other sources and claimed the words and ideas as his own . . . If we conservatives have any claims to promoting honesty and decency, there will be more calls on the right for Mr. Domenech to do the honorable thing and save himself and his employer the embarrassment of being fired by resigning immediately. Little can be gained from his continuing to blog at the Washington Post as I for one never plan on linking to anything he writes and would hope that other conservatives would join me in such a boycott.
Any other examples of the right calling for Ben's resignation? Please put 'em below.