Press trashes Politico 'scoop' on Ben Carson

By RYAN LOVELACE (@LOVELACERYAND) • 11/6/15 2:47 PM

Did Ben Carson admit to fabricating a story about his application and acceptance into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point nearly 50 years ago?

The website Politico thought it caught the retired neurosurgeon red-handed, but others think the Arlington, Va., based publication rushed to judgment.

Kyle Cheney of Politico wrote that the Carson campaign "admitted that a central point in his inspirational personal story was fabricated: his application and acceptance into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point." Cheney fingered Carson's book Gifted Hands as evidence of the GOP front-runner's misdeeds.

But that story seemed to unravel soon after it came out, as other journalists began to point out that the book does not make any mention of Carson having applied to West Point, nor being accepted into the institution.

"Can't find anywhere in 'Gifted Hands' that Carson claims he applied to West Point, which Politico claims in lede," tweeted the Daily Caller's Paul Conner. The Washington Post's Dave Weigel also tweeted about the "gap" he saw in the Politico story. The Washington Examiner's reading of the book's relevant passages yielded similar questions, as Carson never claims to have applied to West Point.

In the book, Carson says he was "offered a full scholarship" to West Point, but said he "wasn't really tempted" because he wanted to be a doctor.

In a Facebook post from August, Ben Carson explicitly contradicted the allegation that he applied to West Point:

"I was the highest student ROTC member in Detroit and was thrilled to get an offer from West Point," Carson wrote. "But I knew medicine is what I wanted to do. So I applied to only one school (it was all the money I had). I applied to Yale and thank God they accepted me. I often wonder what might have happened had they said no."

Politico also took issue with Carson claiming to have received a "full scholarship" to West Point because, Cheney noted, "If offered admission, all costs are covered; indeed there are no 'full scholarships,' per se."

However, Carson campaign manager Barry Bennett told the Washington Examiner in a statement that, "I would argue strongly that an appointment [to West Point] is indeed an amazing full scholarship."

Carson told the New York Times Friday that he was told casually that he could have attended if he wanted, and indicaed he interpreted this as a "scholarship," even though he never formally tried to go to West Point by seeking an appointment or applying. "It was, you know, an informal 'with a record like yours we could easily get you a scholarship to West Point.'" he said.

The campaign's full statement provided to the Examiner includes no admission of guilt, even though Politico called it an admission of a prior incorrect statement:

"Dr. Carson was the top ROTC student in the city of Detroit. In that role he was invited to meet Gen. [William] 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 continued. "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. There are 'service connected' nominations for stellar high school ROTC appointments. Again he was the top ROTC student in Detroit. I would argue strongly that an appointment is indeed an amazing full scholarship. Having ran several congressional offices, I am very familiar with the nomination process."

"Again though, his senior commander was in touch with West Point and told Dr. Carson he could get in, Dr. Carson did not seek admission," Bennett said.

The Washington Examiner is not 'the press'. Good try, but he lied.

Trump added that the media investigation into Carson’s past is worthwhile and not just a witch hunt.

“I don’t think it’s small ball if you have somebody that admits that he suffers from pathological disease,” Trump said.

Yeah, Right Wrote:
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> The Washington Examiner is not 'the press'. Good
> try, but he lied.


The Examiner is referencing other press...


Where Politico's Ben Carson 'scoop' went wrong

By Dylan Byers @CNNMoney

What initially looked like a disaster for Ben Carson could now be a major black eye for Politico.

On Friday, Politico reported that Carson had "fabricated" his application and acceptance into West Point, and that his campaign had acknowledged as much in an interview.

That story was initially headlined "EXCLUSIVE: Ben Carson admits fabricating West Point scholarship." It seemed like the sort of story that had the potential to ruin Carson's ambitions for the presidency.

But the Politico story was not accurate on some key points.

And in the wake of pushback from the Carson campaign -- which called the story an "outright lie" -- Politico softened its headline, removed the "fabrication" language, and changed some key details -- even as it said it was "standing by its story."

In a statement, Politico said, "We stand by our story which is a powerful debunking of a key aspect of Ben Carson's personal narrative. The story online includes additional details now as well that bolster this account."

The rewritten article did not initially include a correction or editor's note, although a note was later added on Friday.

Well, lookey here...the story's changed again (CNN Money):

"Ben was offered a nomination which he declined," Bennet wrote.
[Barry Bennet is Carson's campaign manager]

It just gets better and better.

Yeah, Right Wrote:
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> The Washington Examiner is not 'the press'. Good
> try, but he lied.


Yes, of course. Any media that isn't part of the liberal, democrat-party-pimping cabal isn't 'press'. You think CNN is somehow more credible than the Washington Examiner or the WaPo is more credible than the Washington Times? If you do, you're an idiot. They all spin. And how did Carson lie again? So far, in the dozens and dozens of posts on here, no one can show that.

is don't write a book boasting about your accomplishments and throw your hat in the ring for the Presidency. Every part of your life will be scrutinized and if it's in writing then you fucked yourself.
Mistakes like this will eliminate you from the race.

So a guy with connections told him he could get him in but he didn't pursue it. That's a scandal?

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Attachments:

GOP's finest - he is one weird unit friends. Thinks the Pyramids were grain storage for Joseph. If people knew what 7th day Adventists took as fact they would never even consider Ben.

one weird unit Wrote:
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> GOP's finest - he is one weird unit friends.
> Thinks the Pyramids were grain storage for Joseph.
> If people knew what 7th day Adventists took as
> fact they would never even consider Ben.

You're gonna vote for Hillary anyway, right?
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Its in print. Whats left to debate? I suppose the doctor doesnt know what a full scholorship is? Is that the excuse?

Gerrymanderer2 Wrote:
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> Its in print. Whats left to debate? I suppose the
> doctor doesnt know what a full scholorship is? Is
> that the excuse?


Lame