Barack Obama has been lauded over the course of this campaign for his beautiful speeches. On Saturday, in Wisconsin, Obama made a speech with uncanny similarities to a speech given by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick when he was running for governor in October 2006.
Both speeches also appear to be reactions against criticism that the candidate’s platform is all rhetoric and no substance.
UPDATE: From today’s NY Times…
“In a telephone interview on Sunday, Mr. Patrick said that he and Mr. Obama first talked about the attacks from their respective rivals last summer, when Mrs. Clinton was raising questions about Mr. Obama’s experience, and that they discussed them again last week. Both men had anticipated that Mr. Obama’s rhetorical strength would provide a point of criticism. Mr. Patrick said he told Mr. Obama that he should respond to the criticism, and he shared language from his campaign with Mr. Obama’s speechwriters. Mr. Patrick said he did not believe Mr. Obama should give him credit. ‘Who knows who I am? The point is more important than whose argument it is,’ said Mr. Patrick, who telephoned The New York Times at the request of the Obama campaign. ‘It’s a transcendent argument.’ David Axelrod, the chief strategist for Mr. Obama who also advised Mr. Patrick, said Sunday that Mr. Obama adapted the words from Mr. Patrick. Mr. Axelrod said that he did not write the words for either candidate…”
UPDATE II: Obama responds…”‘He has occasionally used lines of mine. I have occasionally used some words of his. I know Sen. Clinton has used words of mind as well. I don’t think that is something that workers here are concerned about,’ he said, adding that ‘I’m sure I should have’ given credit to Patrick. Bottom line: ‘I really don’t think this is too big of a deal,’ Obama said.”
Check out a comparison clip, AFTER THE JUMP…
