Dealing with plagiarism

It appears that conservatives and Republicans are back at it again. Some recent letters to the editor concerning the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court seem to do more than just parrot the party line. I believe there may be a few letters either plagiarized from online blogs or simply picked up from form letters sent to constituents with the intention of being submitted to local newspapers.
Changing a word here or a phrase there in something that someone else wrote is still plagiarism.
Taking a letter written by someone else and submitting it to the local paper is against the policy of all newspapers, even if the submitter changes a word here and there.
I am concerned because of the content in letters that I have read in other newspapers. Also, articles that I have read online seem to be lifted in part or in whole.
I know there is a person at the Sun Journal and some other papers who calls submitters to verify that the submitter is the actual author and that the letter is not being submitted elsewhere.
Plagiarizing and submission of another’s words has been going on for a long time nationally. It seems that the supporters of hatred and bigotry can’t come up with words of their own, or original thoughts.
I am not surprised.
Judson R. Duncan, Monmouth