The eternal US elections - 2016 edition

[YMix]

Ben Carson admits fabricating West Point scholarship

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 these facts, 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 added. “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.”

This admission comes as serious questions about other points of fact in Carson’s personal narrative are questioned, including the seminal episode in which he claimed to have attempted to stab a close friend. Similarly, details have emerged that cast doubt on the nature of Carson’s encounter with one of the most prominent military men of that era.

The West Point spokeswoman said it certainly is possible Carson talked with Westmoreland, and perhaps the general even encouraged him to apply to West Point. However, she said, the general would have explained the benefits of a West Point education without guaranteeing him entry.

An application to West Point begins with a nomination by a member of Congress or another prominent government or military official. After that, a rigorous vetting process begins. If offered admission, all costs are covered; indeed there are no “full scholarships,” per se.

In “Gifted Hands,” Carson says he excelled in his ROTC program at Detroit’s Southwestern High School, earning the respect of his superiors — just a couple years after anger problems led him to try to murder a friend. He attained the rank of second lieutenant by his senior year of high school and became the student leader of the city’s ROTC programs.

In May of his senior year, he was chosen to march in the city’s Memorial Day parade.

“I felt so proud, my chest bursting with ribbons and braids of every kind. To make it more wonderful, we had important visitors that day. Two soldiers who had won the Congressional Medal of Honor in Viet Nam were present,” he wrote. “More exciting to me, General William Westmoreland (very prominent in the Viet Nam war) attended with an impressive entourage. Afterward, Sgt. Hunt” — his high school ROTC director — “introduced me to General Westmoreland, and I had dinner with him and the Congressional Medal winners. Later I was offered a full scholarship to West Point.”

But, according to records of Westmoreland’s schedule that were provided by the U.S. Army, the general did not visit Detroit around Memorial Day in 1969 or have dinner with Carson. In fact, the general’s records suggest he was in Washington that day and played tennis at 6:45 p.m.

There are, however, several reports of an event in February of that year, similar to the one Carson described. Then, Westmoreland was the featured guest at a 1,500-person banquet to celebrate Medal of Honor recipient Dwight Johnson. The event drew prominent guests, including the governor at the time, the mayor of Detroit, the president of Ford Motor Company and nine previous Medal of Honor awardees, according to an Associated Press account of the event.

Carson, a leader of the city’s ROTC program at the time, may have been among the invited guests at the $10-a-plate event.

Carson’s later retelling of the events in this period of his life downplays his meeting with Westmoreland and that event’s link to a West Point acceptance. In his January 2015 book, “You Have a Brain,” — a book geared toward teenagers — Carson again recalls his rapid rise through his high school ROTC program to become the top student officer in the city.

“That position allowed me the chance to meet four-star general William Westmoreland, who had commanded all American forces in Vietnam before being promoted to Army Chief of Staff at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.,” he wrote. “I also represented the Junior ROTC at a dinner for Congressional Medal of Honor winners, marched at the front of Detroit’s Memorial Day parade as head of an ROTC contingent, and was offered a full scholarship to West Point.”

Carson has said he turned down the supposed offer of admission because he knew he wanted to be a doctor and attending West Point would have required four years of military service after graduation.

Cecil Murphey, who ghostwrote “Gifted Hands,” told POLITICO that his memory of Carson’s exchange with Westmoreland was hazy.

“My gut response is that it was not a private meeting, but there were others there,” he said in an email. “The general took a liking to Ben and opened doors.”

Ooooops!

[kmich]

The "full scholarship" story always struck me as fishy. Narcissists tend to disregard context and make up stuff to suit their image. A surgeon who works in the application of technical skills and implementing procedural protocols would likely get away with that deficiency, but it would be a disaster in a political leader.

[Nonc Hilaire]

The "full scholarship" story always struck me as fishy. Narcissists tend to disregard context and make up stuff to suit their image. A surgeon who works in the application of technical skills and implementing procedural protocols would likely get away with that deficiency, but it would be a disaster in a political leader.

I think all federal U.S. Military academies are 100% full scholarship and by Presidential appointment only.

[kmich]

The "full scholarship" story always struck me as fishy. Narcissists tend to disregard context and make up stuff to suit their image. A surgeon who works in the application of technical skills and implementing procedural protocols would likely get away with that deficiency, but it would be a disaster in a political leader.

I think all federal U.S. Military academies are 100% full scholarship and by Presidential appointment only.

You are generally correct. Nominations are by Senators, Congressmen, and the VP typically. Anyone who has any minimal experience with the admission process in the service academies knows there is no such thing as a formal "scholarship." I was given an alternate nomination to the Naval Academy and ended up deciding to go to UVA for the full NROTC scholarship to a civilian university. Just as well. I never would have lasted at Annapolis.

[Mr. Perfect]

It's hilarious. The MSM has now spent more time investigating the "lie" of Ben Carson then the lies of the obama administration regarding an internet video spurring a spontaneous attack in ME country known as Libya. LOL.

If there is a lie here it is the politico title, Carson has acknowledged no fabrication, it is the recollection of a teenager of an encounter he had with a powerful military man.

[Mr. Perfect]

It's been a good week for teabagging. Red USA, already dominant, is even more dominant after these elections. As we close in on the WH, the GOP will be arguably the most powerful political party in history, Fed/state/local.

How did this happen?

[Mr. Perfect]

Ben Carson admits fabricating West Point scholarship

Ooooops!

Politico changed the headline. Because the headline was a lie. You published a lie.

ooops. New headline


Exclusive: Carson claimed West Point 'scholarship' but never applied

Your problem with falseness is turning into a pattern. BTW the new headline is meaningless. The "story" is meaningless.

[Zack Morris]

Someone's getting defensive because his co-ideologues have been revealed to be complete morons by their choice of candidates. Ben Carson lies about his character, lies about West Point, lies about Mannatech, says crazy stuff about the pyramids, and next thing you'll know, we'll wake up to the big reveal: he's not even a brain surgeon!

[Zack Morris]

It's been a good week for teabagging. Red USA, already dominant, is even more dominant after these elections. As we close in on the WH, the GOP will be arguably the most powerful political party in history, Fed/state/local.

How did this happen?

It happened the same way it always happens: the slight minority of Republican voters were more motivated and bette organized, so they managed to vote down a city ordinance people assumed would pass with below average voter turnout. Still doomed in the long run and a lot of these "gains" will be reversed once Democrats get sufficiently angry to step out of their high-paying jobs and cast votes.

You'll never have the Hispanic vote, nor the Asian vote, nor the educated vote, people are becoming less religious, and your core constituency is dying out. Enjoy the victory lap -- we aren't worried.

[Mr. Perfect]

Someone's getting defensive because his co-ideologues have been revealed to be complete morons by their choice of candidates.

I enjoy exposing left wing lies. I'm really enjoying myself.

Ben Carson lies about his character,

No he didn't.

lies about West Point,

No he didn't

lies about Mannatech,

Whatever that is.

says crazy stuff about the pyramids,

I don't know anyone who doesn't say crazy things about the Pyramids.

and next thing you'll know, we'll wake up to the big reveal: he's not even a brain surgeon!

Because he's black?

Off the top of my head, Hillary lied about sniper fire, Rose Law firm records, Benghazi, her emails, obama's lied about obamacare Bengazi and many others easily found on youtube, and you guys celebrated. Now you're lying about Ben Carson. Because you serve the father of lies.

[Mr. Perfect]

It happened the same way it always happens: the slight minority of Republican voters were more motivated and bette organized, so they managed to vote down a city ordinance people assumed would pass with below average voter turnout. Still doomed in the long run and a lot of these "gains" will be reversed once Democrats get sufficiently angry to step out of their high-paying jobs and cast votes.

You'll never have the Hispanic vote, nor the Asian vote, nor the educated vote, people are becoming less religious, and your core constituency is dying out. Enjoy the victory lap -- we aren't worried.

Here in the high info universe much more than a city ordinance got voted on this week. How is it that smarter voters don't know how to organize or understand how an election is going to turn out.

People used to say that we would never have the white working vote and the senior vote, the historical backbone of the Democrat Party. And you gave them to us. You will give us all your demographics fairly soon. All of them.

[YMix]

ooops. New headline

Republican hits POLITICO story, later admits to The New York Times he wasn’t offered aid.

[manolo]

Someone's getting defensive because his co-ideologues have been revealed to be complete morons by their choice of candidates. Ben Carson lies about his character, lies about West Point, lies about Mannatech, says crazy stuff about the pyramids, and next thing you'll know, we'll wake up to the big reveal: he's not even a brain surgeon!

Folks,

I heard Carson on the radio, getting angry about the questions. He has a high, squeaky, voice when annoyed.

This compares badly to Trump who handles his regular bouts of annoyance with a more manly voice. I can see now why Carson whispers.

Alex.

[kmich]

Running for public office means that you, your life, and your statements will be closely scrutinized, sometimes fairly, sometimes unfairly. If you are not ready for that, don't jump in the ring.

Trump has successfully managed to fend that stuff off because he doesn't take himself, other people, and the process seriously. He basically blows it off, sometimes with outrageous statements, sometimes with humor..

Carson takes himself and his stories very seriously, so he becomes the angry, petulant victim. Not ready for prime time. As Harry Truman liked to say, "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen..."

[YMix]

Yet just a couple of hours after the news conference, another report, in The Wall Street Journal, challenged events Mr. Carson has recounted.

One of them, recalled in “Gifted Hands,” involved a psychology class he said he had attended at Yale University, called Perceptions 301. Mr. Carson described the professor’s conducting an honesty experiment on the class and wrote that he was the only one who passed, prompting The Yale Daily News to take his picture.

But no photo identifying Mr. Carson as a student appeared in the newspaper’s archives, The Journal reported, and a Yale librarian told the newspaper that there was no psychology course by that name or class number during Mr. Carson’s years at Yale.

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-d ... est-point/

[YMix]

Your problem with falseness is turning into a pattern. BTW the new headline is meaningless. The "story" is meaningless.

Your compulsive reaction is to describe every piece of inconvenient information as a lie is pathological and it undermines your credibility.

[Parodite]

Trump is less creepy than Carson. Literalist bible thumpers are too disconnected from reality.

[kmich]

Carson's 1996 book "Gifted Hands" stated that he was "offered a full scholarship to West Point" after attending a dinner where he was introduced to West Point personnel by his ROTC supervisors. Now he says he "never applied."

Soooo, how do exactly you get "offered" a non-existent scholarship without applying for one? Must be like not applying for the "rapture." What do you do then? Left behind?

sluNuVp2_TE

[Typhoon]

says crazy stuff about the pyramids,

I don't know anyone who doesn't say crazy things about the Pyramids.

Suggest a wider circle of people to interact with.

and next thing you'll know, we'll wake up to the big reveal: he's not even a brain surgeon!

Because he's black?

. . .

No. Because he come across as both mendacious and, more to the point, completely batsh*t crazy.

Not someone whom I would want with his finger on the Button.

[kmich]

[Typhoon]

Running for public office means that you, your life, and your statements will be closely scrutinized, sometimes fairly, sometimes unfairly. If you are not ready for that, don't jump in the ring.

Trump has successfully managed to fend that stuff off because he doesn't take himself, other people, and the process seriously. He basically blows it off, sometimes with outrageous statements, sometimes with humor..

Carson takes himself and his stories very seriously, so he becomes the angry, petulant victim. Not ready for prime time. As Harry Truman liked to say, "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen..."

Reason | Ben Carson is running on his life story, but his story is falling apart

In his runaway bestselling 1992 book Gifted Hands, Ben Carson, the superstar nuerosurgeon who is now leading the GOP primary race in some polls, claimed to have been "offered a full scholarship" to the West Point military academy following a meeting with General William Westmoreland in 1969 (Carson was a top ROTC student in high school).

The anecdote is a notable element in Carson's overall life story, which is built around his rise from poverty and hardship and his path to eventually becoming one of the most celebrated pediatric nuerosurgeons in the world.

There's a big problem with the story, though. It isn't true.

As Politico reports today, West Point verified that it had no record of Carson's application or acceptance, and Carson's campaign has admitted that the story is incorrect:

What is not clear is whether or not this revelation will hurt Carson's support.

I suspect not. The wagons will only be circled tighter.

[Heracleum Persicum]

.

sluNuVp2_TE

.

What a disaster

.

[Nonc Hilaire]

I am not concerned that Carson fluffed up his autobiography. He's still more honest than Clinton.

What bothers me about Carson is his political naïveté. He's the perfect puppet.

[Typhoon]

I am not concerned that Carson fluffed up his autobiography. He's still more honest than Clinton.

Unfortunate that with politicians one is reduced to weighing relative mendacity.

However, a Clinton comparison would suggest fluffing his ghost biographer . . .

What bothers me about Carson is his political naïveté. He's the perfect puppet.

Quite.

[Mr. Perfect]

Carson never said he applied for anything. He said that a high ranking military officer offered him a "scholarship", the impression of going to school for free to a 17 year old teenager.

The only people lying are people lying about Carson, including people here.