A conservative activist who posed as a pimp to target the community-organizing group ACORN and the son of a federal prosecutor were among four people arrested and accused of trying to interfere with phones at Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu's office.In a freakin' Federal building. Geez. The affidavit is here.
Activist James O'Keefe, 25, was already in Landrieu's New Orleans office Monday when Robert Flanagan and Joseph Basel, both 24, showed up claiming to be telephone repairmen, U.S. Attorney Jim Letten's office said Tuesday. Letten says O'Keefe recorded the two with his cell phone.
UPDATE 27JAN10: What seems stupid in a sinister, Nixonian kind of way, is starting to make sense. It doesn't make it any less stupid or wrong, but bear with me as to a why. Read the affidavit closely, especially the allegations of James O'Keefe trying to covertly record the others using his cellphone. Not the typical bahavior of a wiretapper. James O'Keefe made his name with theatrical undercover stings exposing ACORN. It's his thing, so to speak. That's Item 1. Item 2 is this: Senator Mary Landrieu, since she voted for cloture in the first round of health care, has been singularly inaccessible to her constituents by phone, email or fax. It is common knowledge I know all too well, as it has been a huge source of frustration and anger for our BRTP members. Mary's excuse was the phone lines are "jammed". Oops. Sorry. Call back later...
I think that is what O'Keefe and his bunch were after - trying to expose Mary's lame excuse for what is was by using the same theatrics as they did with ACORN. A we-checked-and-her-phones-worked-just-fine stunt. A PUNK'D moment. But to think they could do that in a Federal building was, to put it politely, beyond fucking dumb. The Feds don't have a sense of the theatrical. And in this post 9/11 age, I can't blame them. So if these four gentleman did what they are alleged to have done, then they deserve what they get - no matter the why.
2 comments:
There's more to the story than what's in the complaint. Which is not to exonerate O'Keefe - at best he's engaging in a pretty reckless prank here, regardless of what he thinks he's got.
Of course, the Louisiana Democrat Party has figured out who the real culprit is here.
Why, it's David Vitter!
http://thehayride.com/2010/01/breathless-state-dems-attempt-to-tar-vitter-for-okeefe-caper
It's going to be interesting to watch this unfold. I'm withholding judgement until more information becomes available.
On another, unrelated note. We're gonna kick some Saint's butt in the Super Bowl.
Here in Fort Wayne we're mildly famous for greasy sliders, (Powers Hamburgers), Mad Anthony Brew, strip joints and churches.
Since you already have plenty of churches, and a bonanza of naked breasts during Mardi Gras, we'd be willing to wager a bet of a case of Indiana Mad Anthony Beer (www.madbrew.com) in exchange for something similar.
That is, if you think your boys can do the job.. game on? BTW, Indianapolis Mayor Ballard and your Mayor, Ray Nagin are betting shrimp cocktails and king cakes? Let's out-do them.
Regards,
AWB
awb@angrywhiteboy.org
Post a Comment