House Votes to Suspend Acorn Funds After Video Uproar

[nathanm]

Oh what freakin ever Swake. The insult I was going after you your attack on O'Keefe whom you likened to Liddy ("two peas in a pod"). Is O'Keefe a traitor because he exposed your beloved ACORN for the scum they are? You know, the same ACORN that is just COINCIDENTALLY disbanding and contemplating bankruptcy?

Coincidentally? They are disbanding and contemplating bankruptcy as a direct result of O'Keefe's lies and the credulity with which the media initially treated them driving away donors, not any finding of wrongdoing.

[swake]

Oh what freakin ever Swake. The insult I was going after you your attack on O'Keefe whom you likened to Liddy ("two peas in a pod"). Is O'Keefe a traitor because he exposed your beloved ACORN for the scum they are? You know, the same ACORN that is just COINCIDENTALLY disbanding and contemplating bankruptcy?

And if your super worried about me hurting the feelings of a forum member by ME calling him "oh genius one" (after that poster made the ____ number "idiot" attack on Palin), maybe you should stop reading the politics forum and grow a pair.

As to your last point, your attempt to preempt a possible response by me, I do not feel the need to point out the nuts on your side. This forum is laden with double standard bearers and I am frankly left to do nothing but laugh at their hypocritical attacks on repubs when just two years ago they were saying the same things about Bush.

First off, I don't love Acorn, I have no feelings at all about Acorn and my statement about O'Keife isn't about Acorn. I'm talking about his crime of attempting to bug a sitting senators office. Very similar to Watergate. I take it you think that's both actions were just fine then, right? Anything to win.

You constantly feel the need to point out lefty nuts and they aren't on "my side", idiots are idiots, period. And blindly taking sides like what you do is what's wrong with this country. It doesn't matter how ridiculous someone is, if they take "your side", you are defending them.

[Conan71]

At least according to O'Keefe, he wasn't trying to bug Landrieu's office.  He was trying to figure out if her claims of her phone system being jacked up were true or if her staff simply was refusing to field calls from constituents.  I've never read any evidence anywhere that they had the equipment to bug the phones.  O'Keefe has denied they had the equipment to bug the phone system.  The plot sounded, from his words, as if they simply wanted to get in there nad see if the phone system was working normally or not, or if Landrieu was lying.  Has anyone read of evidence they had bugging equipment?  I haven't.

"The bill of information says that in mid-January the four men discussed "planning possible scenarios" to engage the staff in the office of Ms. Landrieu, a Democrat, and to record the interactions. They decided that Mr. Basel and Mr. Flanagan would, "while disguised to look like telephone repairmen, state to staff members of the senator that they were following up on reports of problems with the telephone system, engage them in a conversation about the telephone system, and pretend to test the phone system," while Mr. O'Keefe recorded the interactions.

While the prosecutors do not reveal any of the thinking behind the plan, Mr. O'Keefe, in an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News, said he was investigating accusations by some other conservative activists that Ms. Landrieu's office had ignored phone calls from constituents who were complaining about the health care debate. Ms. Landrieu's office has denied ever ignoring calls and pointed out that voice mail systems of many senators had been strained "from a flood of calls during the most contentious weeks of the health care debate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/27/us/politics/27orleans.html?src=me

[Hoss]

At least according to O'Keefe, he wasn't trying to bug Landrieu's office.  He was trying to figure out if her claims of her phone system being jacked up were true or if her staff simply was refusing to field calls from constituents.  I've never read any evidence anywhere that they had the equipment to bug the phones.  O'Keefe has denied they had the equipment to bug the phone system.  The plot sounded, from his words, as if they simply wanted to get in there nad see if the phone system was working normally or not, or if Landrieu was lying.  Has anyone read of evidence they had bugging equipment?  I haven't.

"The bill of information says that in mid-January the four men discussed "planning possible scenarios" to engage the staff in the office of Ms. Landrieu, a Democrat, and to record the interactions. They decided that Mr. Basel and Mr. Flanagan would, "while disguised to look like telephone repairmen, state to staff members of the senator that they were following up on reports of problems with the telephone system, engage them in a conversation about the telephone system, and pretend to test the phone system," while Mr. O'Keefe recorded the interactions.

While the prosecutors do not reveal any of the thinking behind the plan, Mr. O'Keefe, in an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News, said he was investigating accusations by some other conservative activists that Ms. Landrieu's office had ignored phone calls from constituents who were complaining about the health care debate. Ms. Landrieu's office has denied ever ignoring calls and pointed out that voice mail systems of many senators had been strained "from a flood of calls during the most contentious weeks of the health care debate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/27/us/politics/27orleans.html?src=me

And that warranted O'Keefe and his associates to pose as phone company repairmen?  Come on...while it would be nice to find out if the claims she made were true, totally the wrong (and illegal) way to go about it.

[Conan71]

And that warranted O'Keefe and his associates to pose as phone company repairmen?  Come on...while it would be nice to find out if the claims she made were true, totally the wrong (and illegal) way to go about it.

Uh, hello?  If they wanted to pick up a phone and see if they were working correctly what would be the best cover?

Got evidence of bugging or not?

[Hoss]

Uh, hello?  If they wanted to pick up a phone and see if they were working correctly what would be the best cover?

Got evidence of bugging or not?

You're not listening or reading.  Posing as someone you're not to gain access to a federal building (in this case, an office of Congressperson) is AGAINST THE LAW.  I'm not doubting the logic of it.

[swake]

Uh, hello?  If they wanted to pick up a phone and see if they were working correctly what would be the best cover?

Got evidence of bugging or not?

The FBI said O'Keefe, 25, of New Jersey, used his cell phone to try to capture video of two other men who posed as telephone repairmen and asked to see the phones at Landrieu's office. The fourth allegedly waited outside in a car with a listening device.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iOPYG88jeK2TsjGuir7DJFttW5NQD9EMKRF80

[guido911]

Coincidentally? They are disbanding and contemplating bankruptcy as a direct result of O'Keefe's lies and the credulity with which the media initially treated them driving away donors, not any finding of wrongdoing.

Got it again. ACORN good. O'Keefe bad.

[Conan71]

The FBI said O'Keefe, 25, of New Jersey, used his cell phone to try to capture video of two other men who posed as telephone repairmen and asked to see the phones at Landrieu's office. The fourth allegedly waited outside in a car with a listening device.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iOPYG88jeK2TsjGuir7DJFttW5NQD9EMKRF80

Sorry, I'm a stickler for facts.  Nowhere does that story say a thing about bugging a phone system.  If one of the guys was waiting outside with a listening device, it very well could have been to recieve input from a hidden mic one of them was wearing.  Vastly different than bugging a phone system.  I'm just saying the man accused denies having bugging equipment and nowhere did the prosecution say there was such an attempt.  The final charges don't bear that out.  My read is they went in to capture on video that the phone system was working while Landrieu was trying to claim it was not working and that's why constituents could not get ahold of her staff.

"Federal authorities initially accused the four of trying to tamper with Landrieu's phones, but the new filing merely says they planned to pretend to test the phone system."

That's hardly the result of a plea deal, IMO.  That would have been some serious crap trying to bug a Federally-owned (I'm assuming) Senator's phone system, and you'd never wind up with a charge similar to malicious mischief out of that if these guys would have had bugging equipment on them.

Yep, these guys broke the law.  But this is a prime example of the exaggerations used in a hostile political environment to doosh up the opponent's team as much as possible.

[swake]

"Federal authorities initially accused the four of trying to tamper with Landrieu's phones, but the new filing merely says they planned to pretend to test the phone system."

That's hardly the result of a plea deal, IMO.  That would have been some serious crap trying to bug a Federally-owned (I'm assuming) Senator's phone system, and you'd never wind up with a charge similar to malicious mischief out of that if these guys would have had bugging equipment on them.

It's a plea deal:

J. Garrison Jordan, a lawyer for defendant Robert Flanagan, said his client has "an agreement worked out with the government" but wouldn't elaborate.
"I think it's a fair resolution to the charges, and I'm happy with the agreement we've worked out," he said.

Yep, these guys broke the law.  But this is a prime example of the exaggerations used in a hostile political environment to doosh up the opponent's team as much as possible.

Kind of like what O'Keefe did to Acorn? Like wearing different clothes before and after the videos to make it seem like he was dressed like a clownish pimp while he was in the Acorn offices?  Like his editing the videos to make the people in the offices look as bad as possible? Like he omitted the fact that two different offices called the police on him regarding what he said in the interviews?

Certainly Acorn had some bad people working for them.  They were in many cases helping street people, and would often the same people once they got on their feet. In that context what happened is not shocking. Was Acorn corrupt as an political organization, I don't know. At least part of their leadership was financially corrupt. Did they have some really shady idiots working for them, certainly, obviously. Did they provide help to people that needed it? Yes again. Hopefully a less shady and better run organization will replace them.

[Conan71]

Kind of like what O’Keefe did to Acorn? Like wearing different clothes before and after the videos to make it seem like he was dressed like a clownish pimp while he was in the Acorn offices?  Like his editing the videos to make the people in the offices look as bad as possible? Like he omitted the fact that two different offices called the police on him regarding what he said in the interviews?

Exactly like that.

You apparently missed what I was saying about a plea deal.  There's no way the Feds would have reduced charges to something akin to malicious mischief from supposedly bugging a Federally-owned phone system.  That's a major no-no.  Show me the evidence they bugged or had the equipment to bug the phone system and I'll shut up.  This is simply an example of how much exaggeration gets thrown into partisan politics these days to try and discredit the opposition.  Much like Tea Partiers are made to look like a bunch of neanderthals by supposedly being behind every death threat toward a Congressman, stray bullet, and private airplane which crashes into a government building.

[fotd]

Exactly like that.

You apparently missed what I was saying about a plea deal.  There's no way the Feds would have reduced charges of something akin to malicious mischief from supposedly bugging a Federally-owned phone system.  That's a major no-no.  Show me the evidence they bugged or had the equipment to bug the phone system and I'll shut up.  This is simply an example of how much exaggeration gets thrown into partisan politics these days to try and discredit the opposition.  Much like Tea Partiers are made to look like a bunch of neanderthals by supposedly being behind every death threat toward a Congressman, stray bullet, and private airplane which crashes into a government building.

Ease up...it's so obvious what O'Fairy was up to and you seem to think breaking and entering a Senators office is law abiding? You don't think his little ACORN set ups were exaggerations...such a hypo critter

[Conan71]

Ease up...it's so obvious what O'Fairy was up to and you seem to think breaking and entering a Senators office is law abiding? You don't think his little ACORN set ups were exaggerations...such a hypo critter

Ho-hum.  Try catching up with the rest of us before you comment.

"Yep, these guys broke the law.  But this is a prime example of the exaggerations used in a hostile political environment to doosh up the opponent's team as much as possible."

[nathanm]

Got it again. ACORN good. O'Keefe bad.

It's got nothing to do with a value judgement about either of them. That's what happened, bare of any speculation.

[guido911]

It's a plea deal:


Kind of like what O'Keefe did to Acorn? Like wearing different clothes before and after the videos to make it seem like he was dressed like a clownish pimp while he was in the Acorn offices?  Like his editing the videos to make the people in the offices look as bad as possible? Like he omitted the fact that two different offices called the police on him regarding what he said in the interviews?

Certainly Acorn had some bad people working for them.  They were in many cases helping street people, and would often the same people once they got on their feet. In that context what happened is not shocking. Was Acorn corrupt as an political organization, I don't know. At least part of their leadership was financially corrupt. Did they have some really shady idiots working for them, certainly, obviously. Did they provide help to people that needed it? Yes again. Hopefully a less shady and better run organization will replace them.

Come on Swake, those ACORN folks in Baltimore were giving advice on the tax implications of bringing in underage sex slaves from El Salvador. Is there any way but a bad light that could shine on that. As for ACORN in general, 2 members were recently charged with voter fraud in Wisconsin:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/03/08/acorn-registration-workers-charged-felony-voter-fraud/

The brother of ACORN's founder embezzled $5M from ACORN:

http://www.frugal-cafe.com/public_html/frugal-blog/frugal-cafe-blogzone/2009/10/05/embezzlement-acorn-founder-wade-rathke-embezzled-5-million-from-louisiana-acorn-subpoena-issued/

I am not sure how reliable this site is, but it details alleged ACORN voter irregularities:

http://www.rottenacorn.com/activityMap.html#nv