McCain intern blamed for plagiarized recipes

Aide dealt with swiftly; recipe site down for revision

	Recipes on the campaign's web site attributed to John McCain's wife, Cindy, right, bore a striking resemblance to Food Network recipes and those of celebrity chef Rachael Ray.
Larry W. Smith / EPA

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updated 12:28 p.m. ET April 16, 2008

WASHINGTON - Call it plagiarized passion fruit mousse. Or a farfalle fake. Or maybe stolen slaw.

Republican Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign reprimanded an intern for claiming several Food Network recipes were those of McCain's wife, Cindy.

The campaign Web site had featured "McCain Family Recipes" including Passion Fruit Mousse, Ahi Tuna with Napa Cabbage Slaw and Farfalle Pasta with Turkey Sausage, Peas and Mushrooms, all seemingly identical to Food Network recipes. Another recipe, for rosemary chicken breasts and warm spinach salad with bacon, was similar to one by celebrity chef Rachael Ray.

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"One of our web interns apparently appointed Rachel Ray as the senior policy adviser in our campaign's department of gourmet," McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said Wednesday. "The intern was dealt with swiftly, and the site is down for revision. Our apologies to the Food Network."

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The Huffington Post blew the whistle Tuesday on the pirated recipes.

Recipes spiced up the campaign of a former GOP rival, Mitt Romney, whose wife Ann contributed Meatloaf Cakes and Welsh Skillet Cakes to Romney's Web site.

There are no recipes yet on the Web sites of Democratic Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

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