Montana Senator John Walsh's plagiarism of his thesis at the Army War College cost him a spot on the ballot in November. Now it's cost him his degree.

New York Times:

The Army War College rescinded the master’s degree of Senator John E. Walsh on Friday, determining that Mr. Walsh, a Montana Democrat, plagiarized his final paper there in 2007.

Mr. Walsh, a retired colonel in the National Guard, withdrew from this year’s election in August, weeks after The New York Times reported that he had copied large portions of the paper he submitted as a requirement to graduate from the War College.

“The Army War College commandant notified Mr. Walsh on Oct. 10 of the final decision to revoke his status as a graduate of the Army War College,” said Carol Kerr, the school’s public affairs officer.

The determination was made by an academic review board composed of faculty members at the college, in Carlisle, Pa. “The college followed the same proceedings as with every student or graduate,” Ms. Kerr said.

As with others who have had their degrees revoked, she said, Mr. Walsh’s name will be removed from the bronze plaque listing the school’s graduates, which is a focal point of the campus.

In a statement, Mr. Walsh indicated that he would not resign before his term expires this year. But for the first time, he acknowledged and apologized for his actions.

“Though I disagree with the findings made by the War College, I accept its decision with great humility and respect for the U.S. military,” Mr. Walsh said. “I apologize to all Montanans for the plagiarism in my 2007 paper, and I am prepared to live with its consequences.”

When confronted by The New York Times about his plagiarism in July, Mr. Walsh denied that he had presented other people’s writings as his own.

Why does he disagree with the findings of the board but admit to the plagiarism? It's a tactic that crisis PR managers are using more and more; presenting oneself as a victim while admitting wrongdoing. It demands a high level of cognitive dissonance to actually think it works.

Walsh is a decorated soldier who served in Iraq with distinction. It's a shame his career has to end like this, but he has no one but himself to blame. There is probably a lot more plagiarism going on among the elites than we know because of a lot of plagiarizers like Walsh utilize obscure sources that only the author would recognize as being stolen.The chances of getting caught in those cases is slim.

Not in Walsh's case, however.