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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: FreeReign

No, Politico is trying to help Hillary stop any GOP candidate. That site is full of leftist lying jackboots.


441 posted on 11/06/2015 11:47:40 AM PST by Baladas
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To: FreeReign

I think that by embellishing his chances at West Point and allowing everyone over time to believe he was accepted is actually more accurate. But still its fabrication by omission to clarify. Carson apparently was posting this embellishment on his Facebook page a few months ago.


442 posted on 11/06/2015 11:49:48 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: Baladas

Free Republic has been hit by a TROLL invasion. Thread should be pulled.


443 posted on 11/06/2015 11:50:09 AM PST by codder too
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To: usafa92

In his book Carson never said he applied at Westpoint nor did he ever say he went there. Politico implied all this. Read the book guys before you so cavalierly pass judgment!!!


444 posted on 11/06/2015 11:50:38 AM PST by GilGil
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To: dragnet2
#38 This is POLITICO working hard to find a story to help Trump stop Carson

In #38 You clearly suggested POLITICO is an ally of Trump and POLITICO did this to help Trump destroy Carson.

The word "ally" suggests a coordination to act together.

That's your assumption. I said no such thing.

You're full of it.

And you're nuts.

445 posted on 11/06/2015 11:53:21 AM PST by FreeReign
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To: GilGil

But he said he was offered a full scholarship which is a lie. Sucks that your candidate just imploded but sounds like you are the one not understanding.


446 posted on 11/06/2015 11:54:54 AM PST by usafa92 (Conservative in Jersey)
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To: Baladas
No, Politico is trying to help Hillary stop any GOP candidate. That site is full of leftist lying jackboots.

Yes. The senario...

Carson surges into the lead.

Politico helps Trump to stop the Carson surge and split the outsider vote, which helps Rubio, which helps Hillary.

447 posted on 11/06/2015 11:59:21 AM PST by FreeReign
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To: usafa92

When Westmoreland spoke to him he offered him a position at Westpoint and said they would pay for everything. At the time Carson took that to mean a scholarship.

What Politico represented in their article was totally false and inferred. Read the book before you pass judgment.


448 posted on 11/06/2015 12:06:36 PM PST by GilGil
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To: FreeReign
This is POLITICO working hard to find a story to help Trump stop Carson.

That's a bigger lie than what some are saying about POLITICO. What a fraud you are.

449 posted on 11/06/2015 12:12:38 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: dragnet2
Btw, it’s been Trump who’s very publicly broadcasted to the world it’s the U.S. media who’s putting out most of the lies and BS. In fact he does that at every single campaign stop.

Yes and Trump has several times singled out Politico when he speaks at his rallies as dishonest and possibly may go out of business.

450 posted on 11/06/2015 12:15:44 PM PST by Red Steel
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To: FreeReign
This is POLITICO working hard to find a story to help Trump stop Carson.

Btw slick, you wanna keep bringing up your political bull sh*t regarding your post #38, I'll gladly accommodate you.

451 posted on 11/06/2015 12:17:45 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: Rutles4Ever

The gymnastics are required because the Trumpswabs have allied themselves with the left wing Goebellsians to take down a good and decent man. I graduated high school at 16 with SAT’s in the top 1%/and gradez in the bottom 1%. I was also a pretty good running back and a shortstop who never hit below .450 on any team I ever plàyed on. Representatives from the US Merchant Marine Academy told me point blank that an appointment Would be arranged after getting my grades up in a prep school for post grads. I went but could not stand the culture so after football season my Dad sent me some money for a bus ride home. I ended up joining the Army and eventually getting a BS in engineering with my wife, two kids and dog in tow. So when I hear that Carson could not have been promised an appointment I know, not think, that is bs.


452 posted on 11/06/2015 12:18:37 PM PST by jwalsh07 (.)
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To: Rutles4Ever

Isn’t EVERY starting West Pointer a teenager?


453 posted on 11/06/2015 12:20:20 PM PST by Theodore R. (Liberals keep winning; so the American people must now be all-liberal all the time.)
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To: kingu

OMG! He wrote these books years ago, and a ghost writer helped him at least on the second one. I assume he and the ghost writer did not think he was applying to be President of the US or any other job. They were trying to convey his recollections about his youth and how he was able to go from an angry young man to a brain surgeon, I suppose. There was a whole heck of things corroborated about his story, if you go into it without the preconceived idea you want your “gotcha” takeaway. His recollection of his meeting with Westmoreland was corroborated, but it was a different month than he recalled, apparently. It was freaking 1969, for God sake, and he was a young, impressionable kid who may have remembered a scholarship offer that was merely an encouragement to “apply and you’d probably be a shoe-in” type of conversation. The point in the book was to mention that he had some other very tempting things to pursue but he really wanted to pursue medicine. There is really no there, there, unless you are hell-bent on pouncing on every jot-and-tittle.


454 posted on 11/06/2015 12:21:25 PM PST by Tennessean4Bush (An optimist believes we live in the best of all possible worlds. A pessimist fears this is true.)
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To: GIdget2004

I’m not a specific fan of Dr Carson, but, he is getting a raw deal here. The story is not true as it is being portrayed in the media. Dr. Carson did meet with Gen. Westmorland as described; and was encouraged to come to West Point. The Army was looking for more Black candidates at the time. It would not be a stretch for Dr. Carson, a young idealistic ROTC student to think that a scolarship was being offered to him as it was presented. At any rate, he never applied or followed through with the offer. End of story! This is a good opportunity to identify the Trolls coming on this site. All those who are jumping on the band wagon to crucify Dr. Carson based on this inflammatory story.


455 posted on 11/06/2015 12:24:43 PM PST by Desparado
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To: DH

Oh, go jump off a cliff. You are a very small person.


456 posted on 11/06/2015 12:33:58 PM PST by Tennessean4Bush (An optimist believes we live in the best of all possible worlds. A pessimist fears this is true.)
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To: Yashcheritsiy
Good grief - when you “concede that the story was false,” fabrication is rightly implied.

Nonsense. Telling a story and getting some details wrong, and fabricating a story are certainly two different things.

Now it could be Carson fabricated the story. Or it could be the story happened but he got some details wrong. But YOUR position was that his campaign admitted to the former characterization which seems very unlikely, so I simply asked for some evidence. My suspicion is that he and his campaign will maintain that he got confused and misspoke, not that he made the whole thing up.

457 posted on 11/06/2015 12:38:24 PM PST by AndyTheBear
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To: dragnet2
You clearly suggested POLITICO is an ally of Trump and POLITICO did this to help Trump destroy Carson.

Again, the words "POLITICO is an ally of Trump" are your words and not mine.

The word "ally" suggests a coordination to act together. That's your assumption. I said no such thing.

You added those words to what I said and that makes you a liar.

And a dumbass too, DragNut.

458 posted on 11/06/2015 12:39:53 PM PST by FreeReign
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To: FreeReign
This is POLITICO working hard to find a story to help Trump stop Carson.

Does your #38 not clearly suggest Politico is somehow allied with Trump and working hard to destroy Carson, to help Trump?

You wanna keep this up? No problem slick.

459 posted on 11/06/2015 12:44:16 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: FreeReign
This is POLITICO working hard to find a story to help Trump stop Carson.

I've got bad news for you if you think you're going to worm your way out of this loaded BS comment.

460 posted on 11/06/2015 12:48:24 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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