On Tuesday, the Morning Joe conversation was dominated by allegations of Melania Trump plagiarizing her highly anticipated speech last night from portions of Michelle Obama’s speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The mainstream media’s double standard radiated when the focus shifted to past allegations of plagiarism by prominent Democrats Joe Biden and Barack Obama.

According to MSNBC, when Democrats plagiarize off other Democrats it is merely “wrong,” but when a Republican plagiarizes off a Democrat, it is “the dumbest thing you could ever do.”

Initially, co-host Joe Scarborough confessed that “if I were going to plagiarize a speech it would have been Neil Kinnock’s speech.” Keep in mind, Scarborough is a former elected official who went to law school.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: …And in 1987, remember this, senator Joe Biden plagiarized a speech by British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock. JOE SCARBOROUGH: But it was a good speech. BRZEZINSKI: Leading to more revelations— SCARBOROUGH: No, no, seriously, if I were going to plagiarize a speech it would have been Neil Kinnock’s speech. MARK HALPERIN: Biden has called it an homage. SCARBOROUGH: It is an homage.



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The liberals at MSNBC were at ease as they joked about Democrats plagiarizing from other Democrats, yet their tone drastically shifted when they addressed the “stupidity” of Melania Trump’s speechwriter.

HEILEMANN: For Joe Biden to plagiarize Neil Kinnock is wrong. But Joe Biden is a Democrat, Neil Kinnock is a Labour Party politician. SCARBOROUGH: Right. HEILEMANN: The same thing is true with Barack Obama and Deval Patrick. Somebody got it in their mind when they were under pressure, trying—stressed out, trying to get this speech together for her— BRZEZINSKI: What to cut and paste?! HEILEMANN: —to cut and paste Michelle Obama's speech at the Trump campaign. What are—I mean it's one thing to be a plagiarist, it's another thing to be a moronic plagiarist. This is like the stupidest form of plagiarism you could ever engage in.

The double standard here couldn’t be any more stark. Liberal John Heilemann jumped to the defense of the “stressed” speechwriter who was “under pressure” and plagiarized an Obama speech from Deval Patrick. And, it’s okay when Joe Biden plagiarizes off of a Labour Party leader because, well, at least they share the same ideology.

However, when it comes to the unnamed speechwriter who allegedly pulled parts of Melania Trump’s speech from Michelle Obama, it is “the stupidest form of plagiarism you could ever engage in.”

Someone should inform Heilemann that there is no sliding scale when it comes to plagiarism, even for liberals. Regardless of your political party or profession, all plagiarism is “moronic” in that it the benefits will never outweigh the costs.

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