Digging the Dirt: I'm not referring to sustainable farming

Usually when I think and occasionally write about politics and food, or the politics of food, it's about things like access and equity and choices and sustainability and other nice Kingsolvery, Gore-ish, Waters-ly, Pollan-esque type stuff. 

But maybe I'm feeling a little mean today, because this story was so juicy, so delicious, that I couldn't quite keep it to myself.  So read amongst yourselves, and decide whether or not John McCain's wife has actually ever tied on a frilly posied apron in order to start wielding her spatula.

Done?  Okay.  Now, I was originally going to link to "Cindy's Recipes" directly on McCain's site, which also bore the proud banner of "McCain Family Recipes" (I don't know about your family, but my grandma was most assuredly not busy whipping up Ahi Tuna with Napa Cabbage Slaw or Passion Fruit Mousse).  But this very morning, as I was about to start creating the links, the pages began to disappear from the McCain website in front of my very eyes.  Some busy little person who lifted those recipes in Cindy's name is desperately trying to save their job -- unless, of course, they're already history, and the task of erasing this embarrassment has been undertaken by a new fetchit. 

But at least you have the pretty side-by-side recipe comparisons in the Huffington Post article to keep you entertained while you decide how to cast your vote come November, you foodie, you. 

Comments

[aimai]

ah, yes, I saw that this morning over at SteveM's "No more mr. nice blog" one of my favorite sites. Cool idea, is there any wya we can post over there? I'm going to go over and check.

aimai

[Susan]

That was delicious. Although I'm a little sad that food was tainted by politics, boo.

[Ari (Baking and Books)]

Wow, thank you for posting about this - I hadn't heard about this story but now that I have I can't believe it! Lifting recipes from the Food Network? Come on...

[Julie]

Aimai, I liked SteveM's spin on it too.

Susan, it was kinda yummy, wasn't it? Sadly, I think food is more tainted by politics than any of us know. It's just not usually as part of a campaign, and not necessarily about such direct acts of plagiarism.

Ari -- ridiculous, right? Whoever did this didn't even bother with the tiniest bit of re-writing or reframing..

Perhaps I'm venturing a bit far into partisan waters with this tidbit. I did think I was pretty early on the scoop here, right after I saw it at the huffington post -- and then as the day went on, I saw it everywhere, including the Times.

[Melissa]

Perhaps I am a bad person, but I thought your post was delicious. Maybe not quite as delicious as dessert, but enjoyable nonetheless. I saw it here first and subsequently the Times as well.

[Lindy]

Whoa, Cindy. I'd have thought the McCain folks could afford to assign this tale-spinning to someone who could tell the difference between a food channel concoction and a "family recipe." Seriously amateur fiction-and I thought these guys were the playing with the pros! Great story.

[Hygeian Stew]

Yikes, even a middle schooler would get caught for that kind of plagiarism! Thanks for the links!