Dowd's Plagiarism Excuse Inexcusable

Maureen Dowd's excuse for being caught plagiarizing is as lame as her plagiarism is inexcusable.

A friend fed her a line? And she used it? Not realizing the friend was quoting Marshall?

Oh. Well.

In that case, forget we brought it up.

I teach journalism at Medill and her excuse doesn't, if you'll pardon the wordplay, excuse her.

Plagiarism is still plagiarism no matter the source from which the words are stolen. Perhaps she thinks because this imaginary friend of hers doesn't have a column or blog that is published that she can slip the noose here.

But in fact, it's almost less excusable that she stole it from a friend than had she copped to having lifted it from Marshall: Stealing from a friend without giving the friend credit is just as reprehensible.

Don't you think the editors at the Times pay Dowd for Dowd, rather than for the company she keeps and the lines that she's fed?

I'd be interested in meeting her friend.