Politico lies about Ben Carson

[Misty]

No, Ben Carson Didn't Lie About West Point. It's Another Media Hit Job.

"Politico followed up on this story. They reported one additional piece of information that seems to conflict with Carson’s story: Carson never applied to West Point, and was never extended admission.

But Carson never said he applied. He said he was extended a full scholarship offer. What’s more, West Point doesn’t offer scholarships: all admission is free contingent on serving in the military afterwards. It thus seems probable that Westmoreland or another military figure tried to recruit Carson, telling him that he wouldn’t have to pay for his education – and that Carson read that as a “full scholarship,” and never applied.

In fact, that’s exactly what Carson’s campaign manager said to Politico in an email:

Dr. Carson was the top ROTC student in the City of Detroit. 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. 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.

But here’s how Politico editorialized: “When presented with this evidence, Carson’s campaign conceded the story was false.”

 

[Arianrhod]

Thread #2 on the same topic...

 

[Katzndogz]

Carson never met with Westmoreland. Unfortunately Carson's explanations are only making things worse.

 

[TNHarley]

Thread #2 on the same topic...

There is another one now..

 

[The Rabbi]

Carson never met with Westmoreland. Unfortunately Carson's explanations are only making things worse.

His campaign already admitted the book was wrong. I dont see why people are jumping to defend him with a "depends on the meaning of "is" defense.

 

[ClosedCaption]

So he did met Westmoreland?

A West Point spokesperson told Politico that it is possible Carson spoke with the general, but records provided by the Army showed Westmoreland did not visit Detroit on the day Carson wrote about.A West Point spokesperson told Politico that it is possible Carson spoke with the general, but records provided by the Army showed Westmoreland did not visit Detroit on the day Carson wrote about.
Ben Carson Campaign Admits Claim Of West Point Acceptance Is False

 

[Misty]

"“Dr Carson was the top ROTC student in the City of Detroit. 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. 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.

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.

The campaign never “admitted to anything.”

This is what we have come to expect from Politico.”

Politico reporter Kyle Cheney, who has the byline on the Carson story, did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment."





Read more: Team Carson: ‘Politico Story Is An Outright Lie’

 

[Misty]

"UPDATE: Politico has begun stealth editingthe story in question, removing tons of the most incendiary claims without making any public indication that they have corrected the story at all. This is the mark of a junior league, unethical news organization, and stands as conclusive proof that their story is crap and they know it."

Politico Outright Lies about Ben Carson | RedState

 

[Misty]

"There's just one problem with Politico's story - neither Carson's book nor Carson's campaign has ever claimed that he applied to or was accepted to West Point. In fact, they have both consistently said that he did not ever apply to West Point. The relevant passage from his book is abundantly clear that he never had interest in attending West Point and never applied to do so:"

Politico Outright Lies about Ben Carson | RedState

 

[Rexx Taylor]

what difference does it make,,hes black, and its time for the First Black President !!!!!

 

[Vigilante]

• Carson’s Stumbles Could Benefit Ted Cruz in Iowa
  National Review ^ | November 6, 2015 | Eliana Johnson
  There are whispers in Iowa that volunteer supporters of Ted Cruz have been spreading malicious rumors about Dr. Ben Carson, claiming he is a supporter of mandatory vaccinations and conducted research using the tissue of aborted babies. Though they could hurt Carson with the evangelical voters who have flocked to him in Iowa and across the country, none of these attacks have gotten much oxygen on the national stage - certainly not from Cruz himself. Cruz has the ability and desire to appeal to the Christian conservatives who tend to dominate the Iowa caucuses, but Carson has emerged as the...

 

[Lakhota]

A West Point spokesperson told Politico that it is possible Carson spoke with the general, but records provided by the Army showed Westmoreland did not visit Detroit on the day Carson wrote about.

As recently as Aug. 13, Carson wrote on Facebook during his weekly Facebook chat that he was "thrilled to get an offer from West Point" but said he only applied to Yale.

Bill, that is true. I was the highest student ROTC member in Detroit and was thrilled to get an offer from West Point. 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.
​

More: Ben Carson Campaign Admits Claim Of West Point Acceptance Is False

Holy shit, Army records showed that General Westmoreland was not even in Detroit on the day Carson wrote about.

 

[Siete]

Dr Ben whiffs the nightie-nite gas down in surgery...

 

[Misty]

Politico stealth edits Carson story

"Politico has made significant changes to a report claiming 2016 Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson "fabricated" his story about being offered full scholarship to attend West Point, and there is nothing in the story to indicate that the article has been edited."

"A few social media users disputed Caron's use of the term "full scholarship," as West Point's admissions process differs greatly from that of an ordinary university."

"However, as noted by a few reporters Friday afternoon, West Point itself uses the term "full scholarship" in much of its recruitment material.

Politico has since amended its story to remove language that accused Carson of lying about the whole story.

 

[Votto]

Politico just chaged their story cuz they lied.

Politico Edits Ben Carson Hit Piece, Drops Claims of 'Fabrication' - Breitbart

 

[Misty]

A West Point spokesperson told Politico that it is possible Carson spoke with the general, but records provided by the Army showed Westmoreland did not visit Detroit on the day Carson wrote about.

As recently as Aug. 13, Carson wrote on Facebook during his weekly Facebook chat that he was "thrilled to get an offer from West Point" but said he only applied to Yale.

Bill, that is true. I was the highest student ROTC member in Detroit and was thrilled to get an offer from West Point. 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.
​

More: Ben Carson Campaign Admits Claim Of West Point Acceptance Is False

Holy shit, Army records showed that General Westmoreland was not even in Detroit on the day Carson wrote about.

Give it up. Politico lied and they are now walking back the story.

 

[TyroneSlothrop]

Ben Carson supporters

if you are sad do not fear friend i am sending puppies to help u

 

[Lakhota]

Army records show that General Westmoreland wasn't even in Detroit on the day Carson wrote about.

 

[TyroneSlothrop]

the pro-Carson push back is based on what Carson claims was a banquet where he met with General William Westmoreland 1969. The idea seems to be that at the banquet Westmoreland or some people from West Point said something to the effect of 'You've got great grades, you're an impressive young man, you should or could go to West Point, etc.' That is not at all implausible since Carson was a young African-American man at the top of his ROTC class at the height of the Vietnam War. According to Carson's campaign manager, the West Point folks at the banquet, "told him they could him him get an appointment based on his grades and performance in ROTC. He considered it but in the end did not seek admission."

Now, there's a separate point that you can't get "scholarship" because West Point doesn't charge tuition. You commit to being in the Army after your graduation. In effect, you're already in the Army. But setting that aside, the best explanation of Carson's story is that representatives from West Point said they could help him getting an appointment to West Point and he interpreted this as getting an offer of admission or a "scholarship".

One might imagine that 18 year Carson didn't grasp the distinction. Maybe. But it's basically impossible to believe that the sixty-something Ben Carson telling people this on Facebook a couple months didn't realize that, by any reasonable standard, he was saying he was offered admission to West Point and turned it down.

Carson's apparent cluelessness is now put forward as his saving grace.


I don't think Carson is that clueless. This sounds to me like an extreme exaggeration - a fib - that got embellished and embellished over the years until it just became part of Carson's rags to riches narrative..
Chauncey Carson(er)

 

[Mac1958]

Looking forward to getting the real story, once the partisan ideologues have grown tired of it.