NY Politician's Letter Supporting Comcast/Time Warner Cable Either Written By Comcast Or Plagiarized From Comcast

from the or,-i'm-sure-it-could-just-be-a-big-coincidence...-right? dept

Fri, Aug 15th 2014 8:18am — Mike Masnick

It's no secret that politicians will often... er... "repurpose" legislation and talking points handed to them by companies. In some cases, they're even willing to admit who really wrote things. But, more generally, they at least try to hide it. However, sometimes they don't try very hard. NY State Assembly Leader Joe Morelle recently decided to send a letter expressing his support for the merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Fair enough. But the folks over at Stop The Cap noted that much of the letter appeared to be word for word identical to Comcast's David Cohen's Congressional testimony and Comcast press releases. This leaves a few possible explanations:

Comcast wrote the letter.
Joseph Morelle (or some poor intern he has) is a really bad plagiarist, who happens to only use Comcast's own material as source material.
It's all a big coincidence. Only so many words out there, right?

I guess there could be a few other options as well, but they're mostly escaping me at this point... Either way, the similarities noted by Stop the Cap:

N.Y. State Assembly Leader Joe Morelle: “The combination of Comcast and Time Warner Cable will create a world-class communications, media and technology company to help meet the increasing consumer demand for advanced digital services on multiple devices in homes, workplaces and on-the-go.”

David Cohen, executive vice-president, Comcast: “The combination of Comcast and TWC will create a world-class communications, media, and technology company to help meet the insatiable consumer demand for advanced digital services on multiple devices in homes, workplaces, and on-the-go.”
Joe Morelle: “Comcast has a proven record of investing in new technologies, facilities and customer support to provide the best in broadband Internet access, video and digital voice services.”

David Cohen: “Comcast has a proven record of investing in new technologies, facilities, and customer support to provide the best in broadband Internet access, video, and digital voice services.”
Joe Morelle: “Similarly, TWC has made significant strides in offering a diverse array of video, broadband, and voice services to its customers.”

David Cohen: “Similarly, TWC has made significant strides in offering a diverse array of video, broadband, and voice services to its customers.”
Joe Morelle: “Combining the two companies’ complementary strengths will accelerate the deployment of next-generation broadband Internet, video and voice services across the new company’s footprint.”

David Cohen: “Combining the two companies’ complementary strengths will accelerate the deployment of next-generation broadband Internet, video, and voice services across the new company’s footprint.”
Joe Morelle: “Residential customers will benefit from technological innovations including a superior video experience, higher broadband speeds and the fastest in-home Wi-Fi, while also generating significant cost savings and other efficiencies.”

Comcast Press Release: “Through this merger, more American consumers will benefit from technological innovations, including a superior video experience, higher broadband speeds, and the fastest in-home Wi-Fi. The transaction also will generate significant cost savings and other efficiencies.”
Joe Morelle: “In just two-and-a-half years, over 350,000 families, representing approximately 1.4 million low-income consumers, have been connected to the Internet thanks to this program. This proposed merger would extend this vital program to many more low-income households in New York by providing access to it in certain areas of the state currently only served by Time Warner.

David Cohen: “In just two and a half years, over 300,000 families, representing some 1.2 million low-income consumers, have been connected to the transformative power of the Internet thanks to this program. The transaction will extend this vital program to millions more Americans in the areas currently served by TWC.”

Yeah, I'm sure it's all just a completely random coincidence...

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Filed Under: david cohen, joe morelle, lobbying, merger, new york, plagiarism, talking points
Companies: comcast, time warner cable

28 Comments

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Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 15 Aug 2014 @ 8:29am

"Yeah, I'm sure it's all just a completely random coincidence..."

The universe is rarely ever so lazy.
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- justok (profile), 15 Aug 2014 @ 8:39am
  
  Re:
  Yeah, I'm sure it's all just a completely random coincidence..."
  
  The universe is rarely ever so lazy.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2014 @ 10:36am
    
    Re: Re:
    A black cat went past us, and then another that looked just like it.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 17 Aug 2014 @ 7:19am
    
    Re: Re:
    Comment piracy is going to destroy internet commenting, a 40 billion dollar a year industry. Who is going to comment if their comments keep getting stolen?
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
SolkeshNaranek (profile), 15 Aug 2014 @ 8:32am

Contact the shill
Here is his publicly available email address (in case anyone wishes to send him a link to the story and also inform him he is obviously a paid shill for Comcast):

morellej@assembly.state.ny.us
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2014 @ 8:34am

Out-comcasting comcast:

Comcast: “In just two and a half years, over 300,000 families, representing some 1.2 million low-income consumers ...

Friendly politician: “In just two-and-a-half years, over 350,000 families, representing approximately 1.4 million low-income consumers ...

As we thought, politicians always exaggerate.

We also know that our friend-of-the-common-man politician either lacks a dictionary or doesn't think much of any constituents who might read his Ode to Comcast. Apparently "insatiable" is one of them thar eddycated werds like wot eggsekytivs kno.
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- Michael, 15 Aug 2014 @ 8:44am
  
  Re:
  My guess is he thinks 6 inches is 12 as well.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2014 @ 9:04am
    
    Re: Re:
    We went fishing, and I caught one thiiiiis big.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2014 @ 9:05am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      we started talking, and we lied this big
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Adam V, 15 Aug 2014 @ 8:55am
  
  Re:
  No, odds are his handler at Comcast got him updated numbers for the statement he parroted for them... er, came up with on his own.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Trevor, 15 Aug 2014 @ 8:38am

If you repeat it enough times, does it become true?

...because none of that is true yet. Keep trying!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Michael, 15 Aug 2014 @ 8:41am

Dirty Pirate!

Stealing someone else's ideas is a crime!
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2014 @ 8:47am

Option #4: He's bought and paid-for by Comcast.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2014 @ 8:53am

Policy laundering happens at an alarmingly high rate...see how ALEC (another major enemy of Net Neutrality, BTW) laundered an environmental bill in another state, with their name directly on it!
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- Alien Rebel (profile), 15 Aug 2014 @ 9:08am
  
  Re:
  Wouldn't it be funny if there was some connection between COMCAST and ALEC?
  
  "Yeah, I'm sure it's all just a completely random coincidence..."
  
  The universe is rarely ever so lazy.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
William Conlow (profile), 15 Aug 2014 @ 9:03am

David Balto:

Comcast is widely seen as the technology leader, offering the nation’s fastest broadband and unprecedented access to mobile, streaming and video on demand.

http://www.losangelesregister.com/articles/comcast-602538-transaction-internet.html
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2014 @ 9:03am

N.Y. State Assembly Leader Joe Morelle: “The combination of Comcast and Time Warner Cable will create a world-class communications, media and technology company to help meet the increasing consumer demand for advanced digital services on multiple devices in homes, workplaces and on-the-go.”

Does the world need *another* ? In the US, this can be described as Verizon or ATT. I am sure there are more internationally.

Not to mention that in different spaces, Google, Amazon, Netflix, and Microsoft fit this definition.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2014 @ 9:21am

In Defense
With all due respect, I'm SURE the intern called Comcast for talking points...and this is just what he came up with while on hold for 3+ hours...
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2014 @ 9:33am

Quantum entanglement?
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Baron von Robber, 15 Aug 2014 @ 10:00am

I think if we do a MRI on N.Y. State Assembly Leader Joe Morelle, we will find David Cohen inside him.
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- Alien Rebel (profile), 15 Aug 2014 @ 10:24am
  
  Re:
  My conspiracy theory is that if we check his DNA, we'll find conclusive proof that politicians are now GMOs. My guess is some combination of carp, neanderthal, and parrot genes.
  
  -Politician want a cracker?
  
  . . . kraaah, politician want a cracker?. . kraaah, . .
  
  --
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Coyne Tibbets (profile), 15 Aug 2014 @ 10:29am

Representatives do less--news at 11
What's new about this? Well I'll tell you: It used to be that companies and ALEC just wrote the laws for politicians. Now they write the speeches and letters, too.

...and you thought your representatives couldn't do any less.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2014 @ 10:44am

Ghost writers
I have long believed that there should be a requirement that all text in any act/bill to be voted on by any legislative body should have a section that documents who actually wrote that text. Then we would find out who is really supplying the stuff that becomes law.
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- Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2014 @ 3:44pm
  
  Re: Ghost writers
  And My Idea is this
  Ghost writers
  I have long believed that there should be a requirement that all text in any act/bill to be voted on by any legislative body should have a section that documents who actually wrote that text. Then we would find out who is really supplying the stuff that becomes law.
  
  :)
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
KevinEHayden (profile), 15 Aug 2014 @ 11:09am

Fire this guy's ass!
Hey New York voters, Get rid of this guy in the next election. He can't even write his own opinions. Vote him out and vote in someone with integrity. Maybe if enough of you did this instead of sitting back relaxing and watching TV, the rest of them would sit up and take notice and realize that they work for the voters and not the corporations.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2014 @ 7:08pm

Come on, Comcast would never try to directly influence politicians.
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InternetBrowser, 16 Aug 2014 @ 9:05am

He downloaded his bullshit off the pirate bay
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Sheogorath (profile), 17 Aug 2014 @ 8:23am

Fixed that for both of them
"The combination of Comcast and Time Warner Cable will create a worldwide communications, media, and technology monopoly that won't bother trying to go anywhere in meeting the satiable consumer demand for advanced digital services on multiple devices in homes, workplaces, and on-the-go.”
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