Joe Biden accused of plagiarizing late Canadian politician Jack Layton in DNC speech

Judge for yourself. Biden's words were: "For love is more powerful than hate. Hope is more powerful than fear. And light is more powerful than dark."

In his goodbye letter just before his death, Layton wrote the following: "My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair."

In a now-deleted tweet, Trans activist Sophia Banks wrote, "Jack Layton is trending. One of Canada’s most beloved politicians. As Biden butchers his dying words left to us"

Sandy Hudson, a Black Lives Matter activist, added "So very very Jack Layton."

Comedian Mark Critch tweeted "Joe Biden lifts some Jack Layton. The last time an American copied a Canadian this obviously was when Lenny Kravitz covered the Guess Who"

Twitter user @RodneyTory wrote, "Joe Biden will plagiarize Jack Layton's speeches but not Jack Layton's policy. We have health care in Canada, thanks to the NDP's Tommy Douglas, the father of Jack Layton's party!"

While the phrases used by Layton and Biden are similar, it could be that Biden was merely paying homage to the late former head of Canada's New Democratic Party, or it could be chalked up to a case of similar platitudes as opposed to plagiarism.

Biden, however is no stranger to plagiarism scandal. Biden was forced to end his 1988 presidential bid after he was busted lifting from British politician Neil Kinnock.

Kinnock's speech: "Why am I the first Kinnock in a thousand generations to be able to get to university? Why is Glenys (his wife) the first woman in her family in a thousand generations to be able to get to university? Was it because all our predecessors were thick?"

Biden's speech: "I started thinking as I was coming over here, why is it that Joe Biden is the first in his family ever to go to a university? Why is it that my wife who is sitting out there in the audience is the first in her family to ever go to college? Is it because our fathers and mothers were not bright?"

However, Jonathan Bradley of the National Post points out that "the sentiments Layton made also channel lines from a speech former prime minister Wilfrid Laurier gave in 1916."

Laurier's speech: "Let me tell you that for the solution of these problems you have a safe guide, an unfailing light if you remember that faith is better than doubt and love is better than hate."