Plagiarism charge leveled in congressional campaign

Staffers for Fourth Congressional District candidate Charlie Brown are accusing Republican challenger Tom McClintock of plagiarizing Brown's Web site dedicated to providing resources for active and retired military veterans.

McClintock's campaign recently launched www.vetsfortom.com, that lists resources for military personnel, such as Amvets, that Brown's campaign alleges, lists the same organizations, "in the exact same order, as those listed on the veteran's center that Retired Lt. Col. Brown has had online for more than a year.

Brown campaign spokesman Todd Stenhouse said the moves explain how little McClintock knows about the military.

"Our basic position is, everything (McClintock) learned from veterans and military affairs comes from Charlie Brown."

McClintock spokesman Bill George refuted those claims, saying that Brown's campaign should focus on issues more important to the Fourth Congressional District, such as the collapse of the financial markets, which was exacerbated Monday when the House failed to authorize a $700 billion bailout plan.

"There is no plagiarism," George said Monday. "We have not taken any statements from their Web site."

George said the site, www.vetsfortom.com, was created in part to set the record straight on McClintock's stance on military issues.

"Charlie Brown has wrapped himself in the cloak of patriotism, when in fact, he's been anti-war, anti-surge and disrespecting our veterans and our troops by wearing his Air Force jacket to an anti-war rally."

Brown spent 26 years in the U.S. Air Force.

McClintock and Brown are competing for the seat being vacated by Rep. John Doolittle.

To contact Staff Writer David Mirhadi, e-mail dmirhadi@theunion.com or call 477-4239.