Title: Ben Carson admits fabricating West Point scholarship (leftists lied then retracted this story) Source:
Politico URL Source:http://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/ben-carson-west-point-215598 Published:Nov 6, 2015 Author:Kyle Cheney Post Date:2015-11-06 15:50:03 by Willie Green Keywords:None Views:7630 Comments:41
Carson's campaign on Friday conceded that a central point in his inspirational personal story did not occur as he previously described.
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.
“In 1969, those who would have completed the entire process would have received their acceptance letters from the Army Adjutant General,” said Theresa Brinkerhoff,a spokeswoman for the academy. She said West Point has no records that indicate Carson even began the application process. “If he chose to pursue (the application process), then we would have records indicating such,” she said.
When presented with these facts, Carson’s campaign conceded the story was false.
“Dr. Carson was the top ROTC student in the City of Detroit,” campaign manager Barry Bennett wrote in an email to POLITICO. “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,” Bennett added. “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.”
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.
An application to West Point begins with a nomination by a member of Congress or another prominent government or military official. After that, a rigorous vetting process begins. If offered admission, all costs are covered for all students; indeed there are no “full scholarships,” per se.
The statement from Carson’s campaign manager on Friday went on to say: “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 concession from Carson’s campaign comes as serious questions about other points of fact in Carson’s personal narrative are questioned, including the seminal episode in which he claimed to have attempted to stab a close friend. Similarly, details have emerged that cast doubt on the nature of Carson’s encounter with one of the most prominent military men of that era.
The West Point spokeswoman said it certainly is possible Carson talked with Westmoreland, and perhaps the general even encouraged him to apply to West Point. However, she said, the general would have explained the benefits of a West Point education without guaranteeing him entry.
In “Gifted Hands,” Carson says he excelled in his ROTC program at Detroit’s Southwestern High School, earning the respect of his superiors — just a couple years after anger problems led him to try to murder a friend. He attained the rank of second lieutenant by his senior year of high school and became the student leader of the city’s ROTC programs.
No, Willie Green did not lie. He used the precise original title as published by Politico (before they changed it). There are plenty of lies by Politico, but none of them belong to Willie.
Original Politico title:
Ben Carson admits fabricating West Point scholarship
Poiltico later changed the title to:
Exclusive: Carson claimed West Point 'scholarship' but never applied
Apparently an LF moderator then added to the original title here:
leftists lied then retracted this story)
Actually, slimy Politico added the following obfuscatory statement, compounding the their lies. Note that they retracted their title and explicitly stated they stood by their reporting on this story. They retracted the title but not the story. The moderator apparently was deceived by Politico.
Of course, the story has now been very thoroughly debunked in its particulars.
Editor’s note: POLITICO stands by its reporting on this story, which has been updated to reflect Ben Carson’s on the record response. The original story and headline said that Carson’s campaign had admitted he "fabricated" a "full scholarship" from West Point, but now Carson denies that his campaign’s statement constituted such an admission, and the story and headline were changed to reflect that. POLITICO’s reporting established that Carson said he received a "full scholarship" from West Point, in writing and in public appearances over the years — but in fact he did not and there is actually no such thing as a "full scholarship" to the taxpayer-funded academy. And today in response to POLITICO he acknowledged for the first time that was not the case. Carson never explicitly wrote that he had applied for admission to West Point, although that was the clear implication of his claim to have received an offer of a "full scholarship," a point that POLITICO’s initial report should have made clear.
Ben Carson had admitted nothing to Politico. Ben Carson has not claimed to have received any scholarship from West Point. He wrote that such was offered, but that he decided not to pursue that offer, but a career in medicine.
Ben Carson did not make up the use of the term full scholarship with relation to West Point. West Point did that.
See Ebony magazine, October 1979, page 37, emphasis added.:
Earn a Degree, Build a Future, And Do It at West Point
Leadership qualities
College Education
Rewarding Career
If you're a good student seeking more than just a college education, a challenge awaits you at the United States Military Academy. Here's your chance to be part of America's new wave of leadership. West Point trains its graduates to "take charge" in an increasingly complex world.
Sure it's tough, but it you measure up, you'll come away with a bachelor of science degree and experience that cannot be matched by any traditional college or university.
Whether you decide to pursue career opportunities in the military or enter executive civilian positions after your military service, you'll be a trained leader. And, while i's quite an achievement and a challenge to attend West Point, the financial advantages should not be overlooked. As a cadet you receive a full four-year scholarship plus room, board, and full medical care...you'll even earn a salary of more than $4,000 a year.
If college and the future are important to you, it's time to investigate the challenging to investigate the challenging opportunities available at West Point. Fill out the coupon to find out how you can get top-quality leadership training, an excellent education, and most importantly, a competitive edge on the future of your choice. Do it all at West Point!
The advertisement in Ebony was accompanied by pictures of black cadets in uniform and a coupon to be filled out and submitted to the West Point Director of Admissions.
i had 3 friends graduate from WP, and one from the AF Academy. You might remember the name of the last one. It was Richard Myers. Willie is still a liar.
