Those Rightwing Bloggers!

It looks like Power Line can add a scalp to its belt. According to the Associated Press, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune is investigating editorial page writer Steve Berg for plagiarism.

Power Line discussed Berg's latest daliance with the work of others in this post from November 11, 2006. Evidently, some Strib editors must read Power Line, because, according to the A.P., management decided to investigate the similarities after the last Power Line post on the subject.

What is it with journalists these days? When I went to j-school, thou shalt not rip off other people's work was the 11th commandment (the profs didn't really recognize the 10 Commandments, considering them just some silly mythology, but the metaphor works, y'know). Now it seems that every year there are at least two or three of these guys outed. From the frequency, you'd think they were gay Republicans who voted against homosexual marriage in an election year or something.

One can only assume that the difference between, say, a Janet Cooke and a Jayson Blair is that now there are those damn bloggers in pajamas checking up on 'em all the time. Not to mention the ease with which such plagiarism can be spotted. Hey, Berg. Ever hear of Google?