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Ben Carson admits fabricating West Point scholarship
Politico ^ | 11/06/2015 | Kyle Cheney

Posted on 11/06/2015 8:33:42 AM PST by GIdget2004

Ben Carson’s campaign on Friday admitted, in a response to an inquiry from POLITICO, that a central point in his inspirational personal story was fabricated: his application and acceptance into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

The academy has occupied a central place in Carson’s tale for years. According to a story told in Carson’s book, “Gifted Hands,” the then-17 year old was introduced in 1969 to Gen. William Westmoreland, who had just ended his command of U.S. forces in Vietnam, and the two dined together. That meeting, according to Carson’s telling, was followed by a “full scholarship” to the military academy.

West Point, however, has no record of Carson applying, much less being extended admission.

“In 1969, those who would have completed the entire process would have received their acceptance letters from the Army Adjutant General,” said Theresa Brinkerhoff, a spokeswoman for the academy. She said West Point has no records that indicate Carson even began the application process. “If he chose to pursue (the application process) then we would have records indicating such,” she said.

When presented with this evidence, Carson’s campaign conceded the story was false.

“Dr. Carson was the top ROTC student in the City of Detroit,” campaign manager Barry Bennett wrote in an email to POLITICO. “In that role he was invited to meet General Westmoreland. He believes it was at a banquet. He can’t remember with specificity their brief conversation but it centered around Dr. Carson’s performance as ROTC City Executive Officer.”

“He was introduced to folks from West Point by his ROTC Supervisors,” Bennett went on. “They told him they could help him get an appointment based on his grades and performance in ROTC. He considered it but in the end did not seek admission.”

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bencarson; cantbepresident; carson; carsonbio; elections; lies; mediabias; politicolies; scholarship; slander; smear; westpoint
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To: drjimmy

D’oh! LOL


321 posted on 11/06/2015 9:56:09 AM PST by sparklite2 (All will become clear when it is too late to matter.)
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To: gdani

I can’t believe you can call him an idiot. He was the first surgeon to successfully disjoin twins with a shared brain.


322 posted on 11/06/2015 9:56:11 AM PST by Rusty0604
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To: miss marmelstein

Which? Here is another Harvard link: http://www.npr.org/2012/05/22/153214284/obamas-harvard-days-began-with-exclamation-point

Or this: http://www.factcheck.org/2010/02/obama-at-columbia-university/


323 posted on 11/06/2015 9:56:31 AM PST by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: Amntn

3 more days until the debates. Will Carson be there?


324 posted on 11/06/2015 9:56:39 AM PST by Karl Spooner
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To: GIdget2004

Given what a nut he is, I’m starting to wonder how much of his life story is really true.


325 posted on 11/06/2015 9:56:51 AM PST by mlo
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To: FourtySeven

Sorry, but it’s going to be hard to editorialise your candidate’s way out of this one. Unless you’re saying that Politico flat out made up the part about Carson’s campaign admitting the story was false, no amount of arguing about “editorialising” is going to change the fact that it was a fabrication.


326 posted on 11/06/2015 9:56:57 AM PST by Yashcheritsiy (It's time to repeal and replace the GOP)
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To: GIdget2004

Sounds like a typical politician.


327 posted on 11/06/2015 9:57:10 AM PST by MamaB (Heb. 13:2)
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To: FourtySeven

Here he is telling the same story to Charlie Rose on PBS. Yea, it’s from media matters, but this story should end his campaign.No way he can tap dance around it. He’ll try through.

http://mediamatters.org/research/2015/11/06/conservative-media-react-to-ben-carsons-admissi/206676


328 posted on 11/06/2015 9:57:15 AM PST by NKP_Vet (In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle,stand like a rock ~ T, Jefferson)
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To: from occupied ga

It’s like the guy who taught a class on the Vietnam War and claimed he was a Vietnam Vet . . . and wasn’t.


329 posted on 11/06/2015 9:58:05 AM PST by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: jimbo807
Infrared Scans Show Possible Hidden Chamber in King Tut's Tomb. Could it be?
330 posted on 11/06/2015 9:58:34 AM PST by McGruff (Trump-Cruz 2016. Make America Great Again.)
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To: Tennessean4Bush

Why did the candidate’s campaign admit it then?


331 posted on 11/06/2015 9:58:40 AM PST by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: Tijeras_Slim

Why lie these days when people can find the truth?


332 posted on 11/06/2015 9:58:53 AM PST by MamaB (Heb. 13:2)
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To: NKP_Vet

He’s arrogant.


333 posted on 11/06/2015 9:59:13 AM PST by jimbo807
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To: sparklite2

the point is nowhere in the article does anyone in Carsons campaign concede the story is false...politico is the one planting that idea....I like Carson and I’m not trying to defend him but I’d rather hear it from Carson admit he lied than coming from a dem operative..


334 posted on 11/06/2015 9:59:16 AM PST by SteveinSATX (C'mon Cruz, Trump or Carson ...baby needs a new pair of shoes!)
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To: Wilderness Conservative

I would vote for Ben over Bush no matter the party label.


335 posted on 11/06/2015 9:59:46 AM PST by Glad2bnuts (If God himself said every 50 years debt should be erased, and land returned, who am I to disagree?)
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To: FreeReign

Nope. Politico is the GOPe organ, and it was originally designed to take Trump out. Once they got Carson in the lead in a couple of polls, it was inevitable they would take out Carson. If Cruz ever gets above 10% in more than a poll or two, they will take him out too. The only Republicans they are trying to help are Rubio and Yeb.


336 posted on 11/06/2015 10:00:06 AM PST by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: Yashcheritsiy

Show me where his campaign said “it is false” show me the word “false”. Better yet, honest people searching for the truth should be able to answer the four questions I posed. Until or unless they are answered (without Politico’s “help”) we are in danger of enabling another MSM slime of another Republicwn candidate for office.

I don’t know why you are so willing to believe them when they are the only ones saying this (now). All I’m asking for is independent verification. Is that so bad?


337 posted on 11/06/2015 10:00:16 AM PST by FourtySeven (47)
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To: McGruff

I just hope they don’t find sacks of grain in there. lol


338 posted on 11/06/2015 10:00:19 AM PST by jimbo807
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To: Yaelle
"Someone up thread said this was his Herman Cain moment, but Herman Cain didn’t lie about his military past! It is worse to lie about that, than to lie about cheating ...."

Unless you're a democrat running for a senate seat.

Richard Blumenthal (d) Ct. was elected in a landslide after lying about serving in Vietnam numerous times. I won't even get started on that traitor John Kerry.

339 posted on 11/06/2015 10:00:24 AM PST by Godebert
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To: Jane Long

“As others have said...where was all of this investigative reporting on 0blama and Hellary? Hmmm?

And, why the constant crickets from Pubbies when this happens?”

It’s probably because it’s been said so many times, we all just accept it. “Leftist media” is unoriginal cliche’ by now.


340 posted on 11/06/2015 10:01:09 AM PST by sparklite2 (All will become clear when it is too late to matter.)
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