This might mark the end of Ben Carson’s campaign…

Pat Powers

From Politico:

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.

Read it here.

31 thoughts on “This might mark the end of Ben Carson’s campaign…”

  1. Politico and CNN making extreme fools of themselves over this attempt to smear Dr. Ben Carson. This actually should strengthen his candidacy because he exposed the extent to which the media will go to destroy him. The Left must destroy Dr. Ben Carson and will do it by any means necessary because he shows their 50+ years of deceit, poverty and gov’t dependency does not work and is unsustainable.

  2. Politico and CNN making extreme fools of themselves over this attempt to smear Dr. Ben Carson. This actually should strengthen his candidacy because he exposed the extent to which the media will go to destroy him. The Left must destroy Dr. Ben Carson and will do it by any means necessary because he shows their 50+ years of deceit, poverty and gov’t dependency does not work and is unsustainable.

    1. Evidently this “smear” is based on facts unlike the created “scandals” of the right.. Do you not want to know when your guys lie, or cannot differentiate between reality anf fantasy? Of course not.

      1. Which facts is this smear based?

        How does one “lie” about having applied or admitted or accepted into WP when you never claimed to have applied, or been admitted or accepted into WP?

        1. Ask his campaign folks that today said the story was “fabricated. He said he got a “full scholar ship”— ” Also, according to West Point, there is no such thing as a “full scholarship” to the military academy, as Carson represented in his book.”– He lied…again.
          Do you believe a bible character built the pyramids to store grain?

          The guy lives in a fantasy world.

  3. Based on his grades and performance as the top ROTC student in the city of Detroit, Carson was told he could get an appointment to West Point under which all the costs of his education would be covered. It’s not unreasonable that a 17-year-old raised in poverty would think of that as a full scholarship.

    Politico doesn’t quote Carson’s claim of “application and acceptance” into West Point, and I frankly doubt he ever made such a claim.

    Ben Carson is an honest man, and this is obnoxious smear journalism by Politico.

    2. “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.”

      “http://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/ben-carson-west-point-215598

      “Carson would have needed to seek admission in order to receive an offer of free education from West Point. Also, according to West Point, there is no such thing as a “full scholarship” to the military academy, as Carson represented in his book.”
      This is the quote from his book–“In Carson’s 1990 autobiography, ‘Gifted Hands,’ he wrote: “Later I was offered a full scholarship to West Point.”

      http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/06/us-usa-election-carson-idUSKCN0SV2CT20151106

      1. Did he say he applied? He only said it was offered to him. Politico has been found to have egg on its face. It has over-reported and jumped to conclusions, as have apparently you.

    1. “The Politico story is an outright lie. Dr. Carson as the leading ROTC student in Detroit was told by his commanders that he could get an appointment to the academy. He never said he was admitted or even applied.”
      —Carson spokesman Ben Watts

      1. “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.”—- How do you define “fabricated” ?

        1. That’s the second time you’ve quoted a Politico paragraph that was already quoted in the post above. We’ve all read it.

          Also, if you check the link, you’ll see that Politico has removed that paragraph, with no apology, explanation or even notation.

              1. –A person gets into West Point by being nominated by a congress person…

                Well no. There are several other ways of being admitted.
                In fact, the president can nominate folks to WP.

                From the USMA:

                Congressional Nominations – Who Can Nominate?

                The Vice President
                U.S. Senators
                U.S. Representatives
                Delegates to the House of Representatives from Washington, D.C., the Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands
                The Governor of Puerto Rico
                The Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
                The Secretary of the Army

                You’re an embarrassment.
                JD.

  5. So this is deemed a lie and the end of Carson’s campaign, when Hillary lied about Benghazi, lied about her emails, etc? Typical lefty tactics and smear campaign.

    1. “This might mark the end of Ben Carson’s campaign…”– No, because as we see those supporting the guy are not rational.. They will believe any lie they wan to hear and reject any truth they don’t wan to hear

  6. It is not a lie in most people’s minds – at least in this echo chamber. Simply another nice little comfort world Republicans construct for themselves as something they “wish” could be rather than the way things really are. As Carson’s past is examined more and more closely, more blemishes will appear. I’m not sure his halo will hold up, but simply can’t believe and entire electorate would be so stupid to elect someone who thinks like Carson does on so many important topics.

    The electorate as a whole will not stand for him, but the Republicans are, in fact, stupid enough to put up a man with his beliefs. Granted, not all of his beliefs are bad – but some are just from outer space. Trump is already ripping the meat off the Carson carcass’s bones.

    1. Heisenburg, I agree that it will likely be Trump who takes him out if anyone does. Assuming that happens, where do his fans go? Cruz?

    1. Carson may get the last laugh, but it will be more like a weak, disconnected chuckle. And it won’t be as the Republican presidential candidate.

      1. That’s the problem with the one that laughs last, he may laugh best, but he sure sounds stupid.
        And most of them go to Rubio.

  10. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politicians-press-pile-on-politico/article/2575867?utm_content=bufferf126b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

    Reporters and politicians ripped into Politico for publishing a story Friday saying Ben Carson “fabricated” a story about being offered a full scholarship to attend West Point.

    By Friday, it seemed as if everyone had joined in questioning Politico’s editorial judgement after its story on Carson was torn up over Twitter.

    “I’ve been a reporter for almost 30 years. Politico’s Ben Carson story is among the stupidest things I’ve ever seen in print,” TheBlaze’s Scott Baker said on social media.

    Politico originally reported that, “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 story, titled “Ben Carson Admits Fabricating West Point Scholarship,” also claimed that Carson’s spokesman “conceded” the 2016 Republican presidential candidate had “fabricated” a story about applying and being accepted to West Point.

    Further, Carson himself has never claimed that he applied to West Point. He has also never said that he was accepted by the storied military academy. Rather, the retired neurosurgeon has always maintained in speeches and writing that he was extended a “full scholarship,” but that turned down the offer because he wanted to pursue a career in medicine. Carson has also always said that he applied to only one college: Yale.

    As these and other details surfaced Friday afternoon, it became clear that Politico oversold its “scoop,” and the press and political class made their opinion of the story clear.

    “Not accurate in Politico story: Carson claimed to have applied to West Point,” CNNMoney’s Dylan Byers noted on social media.

    Byers, formerly of Politico, took it a step further by suggesting in an article that, “What initially looked like a disaster for Ben Carson could now be a major black eye for Politico.”

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