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U.S. NEWSMonday 9 November 2015
Carson: Questions on background
aren’t relevant to presidential bid
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks during a news conference in Palm Beach tioned whether the issues questioned and he later
Gardens, Fla. Carson said Sunday that he’s facing an unprecedented level of scrutiny about the dogging him over his auto- released a birth certificate
veracity of his life story. biography are important to showing that he was born
the nation’s search for the in Hawaii. Clinton’s marital
(AP Photo/Alan Diaz) next president. dalliances were probed
“Every single day, every during his 1992 campaign.
LAURIE KELLMAN publican presidential can- an unprecedented level of other day or every week, The Miami Herald staked
you know, they’re going to out then-Sen. Gary Hart’s
Associated Press didate Ben Carson said scrutiny about the veracity come out with, ‘Well, you townhouse in 1987 and
said this when you were caught him in an extramar-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- Sunday that he’s facing of his life story and ques- 13,’” the retired neurosur- ital affair. Hillary Rodham
geon said on CBS’ “Face Clinton, the front-runner for
the Nation.” the Democratic presiden-
“The whole point is to dis- tial nomination, last month
tract the populace, to dis- testified about the private
tract me,” Carson added. email server she kept at her
“If you’ve got a real scan- house and used for gov-
dal, if you’ve got some- ernment business while she
thing that’s really impor- was secretary of state.
tant, let’s talk about that.” Carson is a newcomer
Moving on, at least in the to presidential politics, so
short term, is unlikely. The much about his life, career
accuracy of Carson’s auto- and published works are
biography has dominated being raked over for the
his campaign in the past first time, and his longtime
few days, and there are status as an American suc-
likely to be more questions cess story examined. Car-
asked on Tuesday during son strongly disputed that
the next Republican presi- there was any dishonesty
dential debate. The scru- intended.
tiny reflects Carson’s trans- Gone Sunday was the
formation from political anger he showed during
outsider to the top of the a press conference on
polls in the unsettled nomi- Friday, when the usually
nation fight, second only to even-tempered Carson
billionaire developer Don- demanded that reporters
ald Trump. And in early vot- explain why, in his opinion,
ing Iowa, some polls show Obama had not been sub-
Carson’s leading. jected to the same scru-
Trump on Sunday tried to tiny. “My job is to call you
keep the allegations alive. out when you’re unfair,
On several news shows, he and I’m going to continue
repeated examples from to do that,” he said.
Carson’s autobiography, “Gifted Hands” is central
“Gifted Hands,” including to much of the scrutiny. It
Carson’s claim that he hit tells the story of Carson’s
his mother and unsuccess- rise from a childhood in in-
fully tried to stab someone. ner city Detroit to becom-
Several times, Trump quot- ing the director of pediatric
ed Carson as describing neurosurgery at Johns Hop-
his younger self as having kins Hospital in Baltimore.
a “pathological” temper In it, he tells of trying to stab
— and then demurred on a close friend when he was
his own opinion of Carson’s a teenager. CNN reported
character and veracity. it could not find friends or
“I just don’t know. I mean, confidants to corroborate
I’m not involved. I don’t re- that story.
ally know,” Trump said on Politico published a piece
CNN’s “State of the Union.” examining Carson’s claim
Carson insists no other can- of receiving a scholarship
didate has received the offer to attend the U.S.
level of scrutiny that he has. Military Academy at West
Asked on NBC whether he Point. The Wall Street Jour-
is getting more than Presi- nal said it could not confirm
dent Barack Obama and Carson anecdotes from
former President Bill Clinton, his high school and col-
Carson replied: “Not like lege years. The academy
this. Not even close.” does not offer scholarships,
Scrutiny of one’s past is par instead extending all ex-
for any major candidate for penses paid to students it
president, not only Carson. admits. Carson never ap-
Obama’s citizenship was plied for admission.q
