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Ward remarks close to Obama speech

By Josh Kraushaar

Idaho Republican Vaughn Ward has already come under fire for mimicking other candidates’ policy language on his website, but now the congressional candidate is facing accusations of plagiarizing from another source: President Barack Obama.

In a kickoff speech for his campaign in January, Ward used language that closely followed Obama’s 2004 speech to the Democratic National Convention, and a conservative Idaho blog spliced together the two sets of remarks to show their similarities, accusing Ward of cribbing from Obama’s remarks.

Here’s what Obama said in 2004: “As we stand at the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices and meet the challenges that face us. If you feel the same urgency that I do, if you feel the same passion that I do, then I have no doubt the people will rise up in November and this country will reclaim its promise and out of this long political darkness, a brighter day will come.”

And here’s what Ward said in January: “As we stand on the crossroads of history, I know we can make the right choice and meet the challenges that lay before us. If you feel the same urgency and the same passion that I do, then I have no doubt that our voices will be heard in November. And our country will reclaim its promise and out of this darkness, a better day is on the horizon.”

Ward’s campaign dismissed the video, and spokesman Mike Tracy told POLITICO: “This is just more of the same from folks who are afraid that Vaughn’s the front-runner.”

“Folks are getting desperate — they’re saying anything to get Vaughn to go after him. If anyone thinks he’s anything like Obama, they’re dead wrong,” Tracy said.

Ward, who looked like an early front-runner for the GOP nomination in Democrat Walt Minnick’s district, is in a close fight in Tuesday’s House primary with state Rep. Raul Labrador. The most recent poll of the race, conducted for the Idaho Statesman, showed Ward with a three-point advantage over Labrador, leading 31 percent to 28 percent.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin visited the district Friday to campaign for Ward, appearing at a rally and a fundraiser for him in Boise and raised between $40,000 and $50,000, according to Tracy.

Here’s the video of Ward and Obama’s remarks, posted by Idaho blogger Lucas Baumbach, a tea party activist who’s running for state Senate: