News Munchies
Something Borrowed, Now She's Blue
Originally Posted
Updated
History repeats itself. Even non-historians know this, so why is it that popular political historian Doris Kearns Goodwin couldn’t remember?
This woman, a regular know-it-all on CNN, Meet the Press, and other Sunday morning political talk shows, committed one of academe's biggest no-nos when she "borrowed" the writings of other historians and was caught.
Now the ubiquitous Ms. Goodwin is doing damage control. Robert Shrum, the political consultant she hired, has her speaking out against plagiarism and showing up on David Letterman.
Can her image be mended? Robert Darnton, a former president of the American Historical Association, says "If she is organizing a PR campaign to exculpate herself," it is "unprofessional conduct."
None of the dead politicians care what she’s done, but the rest of us won’t forget.