Mary Burke Plagiarizes Jobs Plan

Democrat Mary Burke is making national news.

She "borrowed" her jobs plan, one her campaign refers to as "uniquely her own."

Yeah, no.

Andrew Kaczynski, BuzzFeed, writes:

Large portions of Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke’s jobs plan for Wisconsin appear to be copied directly from the plans of three Democratic candidates who ran for governor in previous election cycles.

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, and John Gregg who ran for governor of Indiana in 2012 and lost to Mike Pence.

...A spokesman for the Burke campaign told BuzzFeed News named an “expert” Eric Schnur who also worked on the other campaigns as responsible for the similar text.

“The core strategies outlined by Mary Burke in “Invest for Success” and her vision for how to create jobs and grow our economy are uniquely her own, informed by her time at Harvard Business School, through starting her own small business, serving as a top executive at Trek and leading the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. Throughout the development of the plan, Burke discussed her ideas with a variety of experts both in state and nationally. Among those experts was an individual who also worked with the Markel, Cammareck and Gregg campaigns which explains why in a few, isolated instances similar language from those plans is used to describe ideas that are widely accepted as best practices or are ideas which hold promise for Wisconsin.”

So, Burke's plan is "uniquely her own"?

Here's just one example of Burke's "uniqueness":

Ward Cammack's Plan:

Requiring our land-grant institutions to make supporting small farms a priority. These institutions can provide a wide range of support to small farmers to help them to improve farm profitability. Research and new technologies have played a significant role to increase yields and reduce costs throughout the agricultural system. Many of these advances can be targeted to help small farmers who could and benefit greatly from having site-specific information to increase yields, and therefore, improve economic performance. We can make new advances in technology – GPS systems to guide farm machinery and reduce overlap, early pest detection, identification of soil nutrient deficiencies, detection of plant stress, use of yield monitoring equipment – all advances that can significantly help the small farmer.

Mary Burke's Plan:

These institutions can provide a wide range of support to a new generation of small farmers to help them to improve productivity and profitability. Research and new technologies have played a significant role to increase yields and reduce costs throughout the agricultural system. New technologies – like GPS systems to guide farm machinery and reduce overlap, early pest detection, identification of soil nutrient deficiencies, detection of plant stress, use of yield monitoring equipment – can significantly help farmers be more productive.

"Expert" Eric Schnur doesn't have the greatest track record.

Cammack and Gregg both lost with the Schnur plan, the one uniquely Burke's own.

Amazingly, Dan Bice, writing for Mary Burke in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, covers the story.

Mary Burke accused of copying portions of jobs plan from other Democrats

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke is being accused of lifting sections of her jobs plan from three Democratic candidate who ran for governor elsewhere.

BuzzFeed reported late Thursday that Burke's plan, called "Invest for Success," includes nearly verbatim passages from the economic development plans put forward by Delaware Gov. Jack Markell in 2008, Ward Cammack of Tennessee in 2009 and John Gregg of Indiana in 2012. Cammack and Gregg lost their bids.

The Burke campaign blamed the similarities on a consultant, Eric Schnur, who worked on the other jobs plans.

Burke spokesman Joe Zepecki said the campaign fired Schnur effective Thursday evening.

She's accused?

That's funny.

This is black and white.

The headline should be something about portions of Burke's plan being IDENTICAL to three other Democrats, two losers.

Funny that "Expert" Schnur was fired by Burke.

Why should he get canned?

Zepecki's statement doesn't discuss any wrongdoing on the part of "Expert" Schnur. Actually, Joe seems to defend him a bit.

"Among the experts Burke spoke with was an individual who also works with other campaigns, including the Markel, Cammareck and Gregg campaigns for governor, which explains why in a few, isolated instances similar language from those plans is used to describe ideas that are widely accepted as best practices or are ideas which hold promise for Wisconsin."

Who is "Cammareck," Joe?

"Isolated instances." "Similar language."

Not good, Joe. Not good.

Burke's campaign is in disarray.

This highlights what a lightweight Burke is. She's an empty pantsuit.

Plagiarism is always bad, but it's especially embarrassing that Burke's "uniquely her own" jobs plan was embraced by losers.