I took a stand, but now I'm giving it back.

I tend to use "plead" (also spelled "pled",) but I don't think there's a "right" version. They're both listed. And since it's not an Old English word, but crept into Middle English via French, my studies of Old English tell me that my instinct to use "pled" is wrong, since it can't possibly be a "strong" verb. (The strong verbs in Old English are the ones that change their internal vowels to change tense, while the weak verbs are the ones that take simple suffixes like -ed. Any late borrowing into English should be weak.)

I feel like 'pleaded' has been on the rise in the last couple of years on newscasts and such and I don't like it.

If I can find the Google tool Language Log uses to track uses of words over time, I'll see if I can do an experiment.

Yeah, I found it a little after I commented, and I put up a post. Looks like "pleaded" has always been more common, but "pled" vs. "plead" has gone back and forth.

User urbeatle referenced to your post from I Pleaded, Then Pled saying: [...]  is running a little poll about the past tense of "plead" [...]

Interesting question. My initial reaction was that the past tense of "plead" is "plead." As in, "I plead guilty." But then I thought of the case as in "was formerly pleading," and in that case I feel like it should be "pleaded," as in, "I pleaded for his life but they shot him anyway." But I guess I would be okay with "plead" in both cases, but I would definitely not be okay with "pleaded guilty" which sounds like "bestest friend" to me.

Somewhat related, I am often bothered by "obligated" instead of "obliged" and similar words.

This makes me want to get started on "troops" and "Troopers"