ACORN gotcha man among four arrested for attempting to bug Mary Landrieu's office

[swag]

Source: Times-Picayune

The FBI, alleging a plot to wiretap Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu's office in downtown New Orleans, arrested four people Monday, including James O'Keefe, a conservative filmmaker whose undercover videos at ACORN field offices severely damaged the the advocacy group's credibility.

FBI Special Agent Steven Rayes alleges that O'Keefe aided and abbetted two others, Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan, who dressed up as employees of a telephone company and attempted to interfere with the office's telephone system.

A witness from Landrieu's staff said O'Keefe was present in the office and claimed to be "waiting for someone to arrive."

O'Keefe on Thursday gave a speech to Libertarian Pelican Institute in New Orleans.



Read more: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/01/acorn_gotcha_man_arrested_for.html

[BreweryYardRat]

1. HAH!

Enjoy your time in federal prison, you crooked little fucks!

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sharp_stick]

48. Great Minds Think Alike

then again simple ones probably do too. When I first read the post your exact words were the first thing that popped into my head.

[Warpy]

55. Yeah, this little schmuck belongs locked up

I just wonder which gang he'll join. I'm betting Aryan Brotherhood.

You know he's not going to tote a bible. You just know it.

[Name removed]

93. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bergie321]

112. He should have fun in prison

Explaining his views about ACORN, who helps the poor and minorities...

[DL in SoCal]

225. Who paid for this "caper"?

I can't help but wonder whether O'Keefe's work was commissioned by Faux News.

If that proves to be the case, Mr. Murdoch can say bye-bye to his Fox TV Stations broadcast licenses.

[tsuki]

234. Bugging seems to be a News Corps MO. They were busted for it

in England not too long ago.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1525933/Tabloid-trio-held-over-plot-to-bug-Camilla.html

[No Elephants]

235. Who will take Murdoch's licenses away?

The ruling party in the most powerful country in the world?

I wouldn't put money on it.

[butterfly77]

308. and who else are they bugging?

[Ian David]

2. Bwahahaha!

[FBaggins]

162. But HEY! His attorney says...

"I don't know the facts yet of what exactly happened, but at heart James O'Keefe is a good kid"

[clixtox]

176. What actually happened? How did they get "popped"?

I wonder if (at least) one of the alleged "perps" wasn't a double agent, so to speak, who is/was also a FBI, or another government intelligence operations, informant?

Pretty miraculous that they were arrested while actually committing the criminal behavior!

How maladroit is that?

The whole story, so far, is absolutely fabulous, but mysterious...

[Ian David]

192. They dressed-up like The Village People and tried to do it in plain sight...

... while videotaping it with a cellphone camera.

Duh!

[TxVietVet]

214. Mental giants

they are, they are! ;-*

[MUAD_DIB]

215. O'Keefe isn't a kid. He is an adult. Screw the "youthful indiscretion" BS.

His lawyer better come up with something better than that.

[murdoch]

262. Absolutely

He is 25 years old. He has been working on the GOP dirty tricks committee for years.

Can you imagine if a bunch of black 25 year olds were found in disguise, going through an office and then their lawyer said they were "just good kids"? You can't because that would never happen.

Search Google News for "tried as an adult". All over the country, 16 year olds, usually poor and working class, are being tried as adults.

This guy is an adult. This guy has been an adult for over seven years.

The people accusing a good organization like ACORN which organizes poor people of dirty tricks are of course the ones who themselves are engaged in dirty tricks.

These criminals need to pay.

[peace frog]

306. Damn right!

If the courts can charge underage kids as adults for their crimes then this creep has NO "shucks-he's-just-a-good-kid-at-heart" DEFENSE.

Throw the book at the slimey turd.

[No Elephants]

236. Really? Whose heart did O'Keefe eat?

[Joe Bacon]

169. Why?

:rofl:

[sabrina 1]

3. James O'Keefe, not a surprise. And to think it was based on this

far-rightwing thug's 'work' that Democrats in Congress violated the Constitution to go after ACORN so fearful were they that people like THAT, might think badly of them!

[Uncle Joe]

32. I actually hope your belief is correct because if they violated the Constitution; on behalf of the

corporations as a means to dis-empower the growing power of the people, then no one is on our side.

One thing is obvious the Supreme Court; isn't.

[sabrina 1]

42. Well, it's not my belief ~ ACORN sued Congress

based on the fact that what they did when they rushed to vote on defunding them without even an investigation (and we now know that so many lies were told and illegal activities including editing of the tapes, were engated in not to mention questions about who funded them) was against the Constitution. It is unconstitutional for Congress to single out a business for punishment without an investigation and proof they engaged in some illegal activity, by removing funding. It is called a 'bill of attainder'.

The case was settled quickly when the judge agreed with ACORN and Congress must either appeal, which no one believes they will as it ws so clearly wrong, or continue to fund ACORN.

ACORN Wins Federal Lawsuit

http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2009/12/acorn-wins-federal-lawsuit.html

I agree with you that no one is on our side, not Congress, the SC or the WH. But there are still a few who try to uphold the Constitution, and ACORN prevailed because of that. No apology from Congress though, and the irony of O'Keefe spying on Landrieu. She was one of those who based on the lies of O'Keefe, who certainly didn't defend ACORN.

[Uncle Joe]

54. I agree with you regarding the violating the Constitution part, I was just speaking as to

your take on their motivation for doing so.

<snip> "that Democrats in Congress violated the Constitution to go after ACORN so fearful were they that people like THAT, might think badly of them!"

I was postulating as to a darker, more cynical possibility for so readily violating the Constitution.

[sabrina 1]

99. Oh, sorry for misunderstanding. I hope you're wrong, but

at this point, nothing would surprise me at all. I was just commenting on how willing Democrats are to throw everyone who ever helped them get to DC under the bus as soon Fox et al criticize them. ACORN, who probably did more to help them gain a majority than any other group, were flung so fast under the bus, they violated the Constitution to do it. I wish I knew why! It is so disturbing to belong to a party that constantly sides with the opposition. After eight years, I'm still waiting for them to stand up for US for a change.

[RainDog]

148. blue dogs probably don't want the threat from ACORN voters

...that's about what it comes down to - cause then the blue dogs would have to compete with liberals for the democratic nomination, rather than compete with the conservative candidate from the other party.

in other words, conservadems.

[sabrina 1]

233. Good thinking, I forgot about that. ACORN registers poor people

and minorities and that is why they right is out to get them. Can't have those poor people having a say in their government.

[No Elephants]

238. Was it only Blue Dogs and Republicans who voted to de-fund ACORN?

[RainDog]

260. don't know. just know it was a repuke ploy and blue dogs are their buds

just ask Evan about his good bud, McCain - the asshole who gave Sarah Palin to the world.

Pence raised the rumble about running - I guess I'm too cynical, but wonder if that was to make sure Bayh didn't line up to keep his seat.

just idle speculation on my part.

[No Elephants]

283. The original filming and lies were certainly the ploy of O'Keefe and friends. However,

I would not call the de-funding vote a Repuke ploy. Call me old-fashioned, call me harsh, but I think each Senator and each Rep, Democrat or Republican, who voted to de-fund is responsible for his or her own vote.

The unconstitutional de-funding bill passed overwhelmingly in an overwhelmingly Democratic house and a Senate stacked 60/40 in favor of Democrats. House: (345-75) Senate n85 to 11. And, a Democratic President (and former Constitutional law professor)signed it.

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll718.xml

11.http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00289

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00275



I don't call that a repuke ploy. Or even a Repuke plus Purple Snake ploy.

I call that a bill that passed with solidly bi-partisan support--one of very few that passed that way in that Congress.

Sorry, but I just don't believe in denying reality, even if I'd rather believe something else.

[RainDog]

286. we don't substantively disagree

the dems have been spineless for years in the face of big bad repub tactics.

like all them waddling like lemmings onto the steps to recite the pledge... the context escapes me now. there've been so many of these repulsive moments since 2000 that they start to blend together.

but, what I was referring to initially was the way the repubes went after acorn. if they had not done so, no dems would be showing their worthlessness in the face of the constitution.

I don't know if our lawmakers think the constitution means anything anymore. we're like a post-modern republic and the text is unstable.

there comes a time when people have to say no to the wrong ideas, even if they're expedient. don't see that often, if at all that I know of, in DC.

[ronnie624]

310. Wow. I had no idea the passage of the bill had been so lop-sided.

I have a hard time believing so many lawyers are that ignorant of the constitution.

bill of attainder: A legislative act that singles out an individual or group for punishment without a trial.

Article I, Section 9, paragraph 3: No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law will be passed

There's nothing ambiguous about it.

[Name removed]

81. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TankLV]

201. "Bill of ATTAINER" not "attainder" I believe...

anybody else know for sure?

[CLANG]

227. It's attainder

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_of_attainder

[fasttense]

292. I had no idea ACORN had WON their suit against the Federal Government.

And to think the illegal law to punish ACORN without a judicial process was passed by Democrats and signed by a democratic president.

I'm even surprised that the FBI would even investigate RepubliCONS. Now follow the money and see who paid for them to do it.

[No Elephants]

237. Child prostitution! Child prostitution! ACORN facilitating llegal immigrant child prostitution!

How could any self-respecting politician fail to act swiftly to violate the Constitution while those terms were being bandied about in connection with ACORN? Talk about toxic!

[Scurrilous]

4. LOL

K & R :thumbsup:

[Mari333]

5. gosh you cannot make this stuff up.knr

[pscot]

10. Sadly, you don't have to

n/t

[MidwestTransplant]

6. GOOD i hope he goes to jail. If the FBI is involved, he must be Federally F*cked

Maybe the Teabaggers will take up a collection for his defense.

[Bolo Boffin]

57. And anyone he may have informed about his little operation could be charged in the conspiracy

*ahemoreillybeckahem*

[struggle4progress]

127. Department of Justice Press Release

... If convicted, FLANAGAN, BASEL, O’KEEFE, and DAI each face a maximum term of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment ...

http://neworleans.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel10/no012610.htm

[Hansel]

154. Wait, charges? Isn't it time to just move forward...

and not allow partisan battles to get in the way?

Just in case :sarcasm:

[Name removed]

129. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TankLV]

202. at least maybe he'll finally find out what "teabagging" REALLY means...

unfortunately for him...!!!

[pleah]

7. Snicker

:evilgrin:

[vi5]

8. Knowing Landrieu...

She probably won't press charges and will offer to place the bugs in the office herself just to placate conservatives.

[Autonomy]

30. LMFAO

I love that over the top (but sadly right on) sarcasm!

[Joanne98]

37. LOL

[Wizard777]

66. Then you don't know her. Lil Mary would punch him the face. You're thinking of Obama.

[vi5]

67. Oh, I'm thinking of him as well....

Make no mistake about that.

Did Mary do something to stand up to Republicans that I missed? Every time I hear her name it's in reference to something on which she's capitulating to republican demands and repeating their talking points.

[Wizard777]

74. It was the republican fed and lead press during Katrina.

She told a helicopter full of reporters that if one more person calls those people "looters." She will punch them in the face. She was DAMNED serious too.

[vi5]

146. That's all well and good.....

Wonderful for her for saying that. And maybe to and for the people of Lousiana she is a tireless champion of the poor, middle class and the ones whose voices do not seem to get heard.

But as for her national profile and on legislation at the federal level and as a senator she is very right wing and caves to republican/big business interests.

[No Elephants]

239. And you knew she was "DAMNED serious" how?

If she had wanted to punch someone in the face, she should have done it before Katrina, when the Congress of which she was a member repeatedly voted against money to improve the the levees.

What she said for the camera after Katrina--and never followed up on, even though plenty of people referred to "looters" and worse, does not impress me as either brave or sincere.

If she did not punch Pat Buchanan for what he said, who the hell would she punch?

DAMNED serious? Based on what evidence?

[Wizard777]

316. The obvious stress levels.

No congress did not vote against the levee funds. They were part of the pentagon budget to the army corp of engineers. I think it was about 60 million. Bush reassigned the money to be used for Iraq.

[Tempest]

109. It's out of her hands

It's up to the FBI to file charges, and it looks like they will.

[aquart]

181. +1

[FBaggins]

9. "O'Keefe on Thursday gave a speech to Libertarian Pelican Institute"

Nah... that can't be. Libertarians are opposed to things like wire taps and bugs.

[frylock]

137. maybe he can give a speech at pelican bay..

oh how i wish!

[mzmolly]

11. Watergate part deux!

:toast: I wonder what the criminal penalties might be?

[Mnpaul]

33. We will have to start calling O'Keefe

James the plumber.

[mzmolly]

39. LOL

I like it!

[me b zola]

44. Pimpy McPlummer

:evilgrin:

[Judi Lynn]

128. That's REALLY catchy! Good one.

http://www.celebrations-party.co.uk.nyud.net:8090/acatalog/BigDaddyPimpCostume.jpg

[No Elephants]

240. Looks like an episode of Project Runway gone horribly wrong.

[icnorth]

51. Any relation to Joe? n/t

[No Elephants]

242. That's Sam to you. Joe is only his nom de plum(ber)

[icnorth]

296. Joe, Sam, George, there's so many of them

it's hard to keep em all "straight". :D

[No Elephants]

300. Why try to keep them straight? If they want to be gay, that's their choice, IMO.

Whadda you? Some kinna control freak?



;-)

[soleft]

91. Follow the Money

[mzmolly]

121. Yes

indeed! I can't wait to learn more!

[Downwinder]

216. 10 years, $250,000 .3 years supervision. n/t

[mzmolly]

223. And that's just the beginning from what I understand?

:hi:

[sabrina 1]

12. Oh yes, and the media who raised this criminal to the level

pulitzer-prize-winning journalist will be all over this, I'm sure, just as they were all over ACORN when he made his false accusations. Democrats will take this opportunity to expose the whole rightwing anti-ACORN cabal and apologize for jumping the gun on ACORN, because James O'Keefe was such a reliable source.

Breitbart and Fox too will be covering this just as they covered his 'work' on ACORN including the reinstatement of ACORN's funding! With the same Republican guests, like Karl Rove eg.

Now is the time for CA and MD to indict him for breaking their laws also. I don't know why that hasn't happened already.

He's a Rove wanna-be like so many of those 'Young Republicans' and he's definitely on course to realize his dream. Law-breaking is what they do so this will not affect his career at all in the Republican Party and Democrats are far too weak to go after him.

[onehandle]

13. Yay! The Feds picked him up. Enjoy prison, you little prick. nt

[Mnpaul]

14. What?

No headline over at biggovernment.com?

[sabrina 1]

24. Lol, at Breitbart's blog there is a story on

the break-in. But no mention of Breitbart's buddy, O'Keefe.

And from the one comment there so far, it's clear that even a right of center blue dog like Mary Landieu, is way, way too far to the left for them. She's a 'LIBERAL'

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9DFKM700&show_article=1

Please stop referring to Katrina Mary Landrieu as a moderate Democrat. She is as left as they come and as crooked as they come. Her constituents (New Orleans) love her because she brings home massive ENTITLEMENT programs designed to keep them on the government rolls. The rest of the state despises her and are humiliated by her "health care" Louisiana Purchase. She is a disgrace and she is a liberal. Please call her what she is. LIBERAL!

I wonder if that's O'Keefe himself ~ :rofl:

[StreetKnowledge]

205. Yeah, Mary is a liberal. Right.

She requires a nine-figure bribe to vote for a mediocre health car reform bill. A liberal woulda shouted down the clowns like Lieberman and Nelson and pushed it through. But then again, this is Breitbart we're talking about here.....

[kenfrequed]

311. Ridiculous

By that measure Newt Gingrich would have been the most liberal congressman in America in 1994. After all he brought more money to his district than in any other congressional district in America during the time he was speaker.

Please. Stop making foolish generalizations that are not based on substantive issues. All congressmen attempt to bring money back to their district or state.

[sabrina 1]

319. Mmm, I think you didn't click the link. That wasn't me talking

It was a commenter on Breitbart's blog ~ for the record I agree with you.

[kenfrequed]

320. Sorry.

I snapped a bit without taking everything in context.

[DemoTex]

15. O'Keefe: a thug that would make Nixon proud.

[Hugin]

16. So, I imagine this breaking news is streaming across the banner down at Fox News...

No?

I'm waiting... :eyes:

[glinda]

117. No but MSNBC still hasn't corrected the "allegedly" regarding Acorn yet

[No Elephants]

243. Yes. "O'Keefe, a Democratic operative, was apprehended today."

[Kingofalldems]

17. Could be a massive conspiracy--time to obtain a search warrant

for GOP HQ.

[Mnpaul]

23. Wouldn't it be neat

If O'Keefe got scared and ratted out some in the GOP who have been funding him

[Kingofalldems]

38. We could use another John Dean--yes.

[No Elephants]

244. You mean the Official Census Bureau?

:rofl:

Every bit as honest as O'Keefe and his defenders.

[burning rain]

18. k & r

.

[no_hypocrisy]

19. Karma Blowback!

[euphoria12leo]

20. Landrieugate

Landrieugate? Hahaha! I'm glad they got caught.


:bounce:

[Lochloosa]

21. I guess I'll have to watch hannity and get the "rest of the story"

:hide:

[SlingBlade]

22. Deja-Vu of Nixons Watergate

These dumbass republicans will never learn will they

[TankLV]

204. You must have been asleep for the previous 8 years then...

Repukes LEARN, and they LEARN WELL, every ADDITIONAL CRIME they do...

we still havn't even investigated, let alone punished the repukes for all the crimes, including WAR CRIMES in addition to ELECTION THEFT...

on the contrary - they learn and learn WELL - I just wish we had Democrats that were able to stand up to them!!!

[SlingBlade]

314. Nope, Not Asleep, At least no more so than

The Democratic Majority since 2006 or our present super majority minus one.

It's all about bi-partisanship now, Looking forward rather than backwards

Remember :) :puke:

Hey, Not that I disagree with you about not fighting back cause if I recall
every single republican president since Nixon could and should have been impeached
for crimes while in office. Yet time and time again we let 'em slide and they come
back right where they left off at, Not even missing a beat and in fact, WORSE.

Thank You Democrats,
Remind me not to share a fox hole with any of these whimmpy whiny SOBs.
And they called old man Bush a wimp.

[veganlush]

25. sorry, i didn't see this post and re-posted the story..n/t

[fascisthunter]

26. They Better Be in Federal Prison after This (nt)

[izzybeans]

27. I wonder how many Democratic offices are tapped.

[Iggo]

118. There it is.

How many times were they successful before they were caught.

[TankLV]

206. oh no - DON'T GO THERE!!! Got to stay NARROWLY FOCUSED on THIS ONE CRIME!!!

I mean, "we don't want to be like the repukes" I'm sure posters like Treestar will spew in 3,2,1...

[MrScorpio]

28. Hah HAh HAHAHAH!!

[Techn0Girl]

29. I LOVE the smell of Schadenfreude in the morning...

it would smell like Victory if we all weren;t getting screwed so badly.

[No Elephants]

245. Compliments to the chef on that post!

[veganlush]

31. "Which- of these stories-will you be talking about...."

Obermann is loving this one!

[SpiralHawk]

34. Repukelicon family values are soooo skanky

Ptoooey.

[ck4829]

35. Good work, FBI agents and everyone else who caught them! K&R

[Joanne98]

36. YAY

[Rebubula]

40. Enjoy your TIME

Asshole

[Enrique]

49. it's hard in here for a fake pimp n/t

[fascisthunter]

75. you know that act of his may cause him lot's of trouble in prison

once inmates hear about this, they will know he's a rat fink and a punk.

[stubtoe]

89. ..

:rofl:

[No Elephants]

246. Good one!

this is an enjoyable thread!

[Ellipsis]

43. It's gone viral in the last 15 minutes, gotta love it.

[budkin]

45. Finally some good news! Karma's a bitch!

[d_b]

46. lol twat

"durrr it was so easy at the ACORN place durrrr"

[madmom]

47. O'Keefe........... can ya hear me now?

[sabra]

50. TheHill: one of the men arrested is the son of the acting U.S. attorney for Western Dist of LA

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/78113-acorn-pimp-arrested-trying-to-tap-sen-landrieus-phone

<snip>

FBI Special Agent Steven Rayes alleges that O'Keefe aided and abetted Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan, who dressed up as employees of a telephone company and attempted to interfere with the office's telephone system. Flanagan is the son of William J. Flanagan, acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, a Democratic official said.

[Ellipsis]

56. I was just going to post that... this could get juicy.

[me b zola]

61. Ooooh, this story is just warming up

:popcorn:

[mainer]

79. What can you tell me about William Flanagan?

And does he deserve this embarrassment?

[No Elephants]

252. He will not be the first parent or the last who ends up in the media bc of something his child did.

[struggle4progress]

290. It's worth asking whether US attorney Flanagan was involved in Bush machinations against ACORN

We know the Bush administration fired at least one US attorney for finding no evidence of illegal activity by ACORN -- and Louisiana GOPers were pushing the ACORN meme hard before the 2008 elections

[starroute]

84. Only just made acting US Attorney last week

Though he'd held the same interim position in 2000-01.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/acadiana/82260077.html

Jan 21, 2010

President Barack Obama has nominated Stephanie Finley as U.S. Attorney for Louisiana’s Western District. Finley was one of two people recommended in July by U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. . . .

If confirmed by the Senate, Finley will replace former U.S. Attorney Donald Washington, who was appointed by President George W. Bush in September 2001.

Washington announced his resignation Jan. 7. His last day in office was Monday.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Flanagan is serving as interim U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana.

[defendandprotect]

179. Zowie . . . Imagine where this could end up! Cover up begins?

[TankLV]

207. and he is "acting US attorney" because the REPUKES are holding up THIS position by Obama, too...

[No Elephants]

247. No. That may be the reason an acting US attorney was needed. It did not have to be Flanagan, tho.

[Name removed]

52. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sonias]

53. Send this terrorist to jail!

Rich irony - I can not believe it. It seems too good to be true!

:woohoo:


Sonia

[Ian David]

58. Also arrested, son of acting U.S. Attorney Bill Flanagan in Shreveport.

The fourth person is Stan Dai, accused of aiding Basel and Flanagan. The AP is reporting that Flanagan is the son of acting U.S. Attorney Bill Flanagan in Shreveport.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/filmmaker_who_broke_acorn_story_arrested_for_attem.php




Local attorney acquitted on federal income tax charges
Cryer stopped filing income taxes more than 10 years ago
July 13, 2007

A Shreveport attorney who has challenged the government for years on the legality of filing federal income taxes has been acquitted on charges he failed to file returns.

A federal jury unanimously found Tommy Cryer not guilty this week on two misdemeanor counts of failure to file.

And according to Cryer, the prosecution dismissed two felony charges of tax evasion prior to trial.

More:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1486143

[struggle4progress]

125. Ooooh! Just days after Landrieu's suggested replacement for his daddy was nominated!

Finley nominated for U.S. attorney
By JASON BROWN
Advocate Acadiana bureau
Published: Jan 21, 2010 - UPDATED: 10:40 a.m.

LAFAYETTE — President Barack Obama has nominated Stephanie Finley as U.S. Attorney for Louisiana’s Western District.

Finley was one of two people recommended in July by U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La ...

If confirmed by the Senate, Finley will replace former U.S. Attorney Donald Washington, who was appointed by President George W. Bush in September 2001.

Washington announced his resignation Jan. 7. His last day in office was Monday.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Flanagan is serving as interim U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/acadiana/82260077.html

[Name removed]

59. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

60. New developments:

Filmmaker Who Targeted ACORN Arrested in Alleged Senate Phone Scheme

Updated January 26, 2010
FOXNews.com

The independent filmmaker who brought ACORN to its knees last year with an undercover expose was arrested this week along with three others, including the son of a federal prosecutor, and accused of trying to interfere with the phones at Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu's office.

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, according to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten's office. Letten says O'Keefe recorded the two with his cell phone.

Once inside the reception area, Flanagan, the son of acting U.S. Attorney Bill Flanagan in Shreveport, and Basel asked for access to the main phone at the reception desk.

[progressoid]

62. the son of acting U.S. Attorney Bill Flanagan ?

Holy shit.

[No Elephants]

250. Filmmaker? Brought ACORN to its knees? Are they kidding?

What might have brought ACORN to its knees was the speedy unconstitutional action Congress took. However, ACORN did not get on its knees. It sued and the judge allowed a settlement instead of ruling in favor of ACORN.

Filmmaker? LOL

Oh, wait. It's Fox. never mind.

[JI7]

63. SCUMBAG SHITHEAD, HAHAHHA

I HATE THAT ASSHOLE. THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY.

[AlbertCat]

144. SCUMBAG SHITHEAD

No no... like Fox News says: he's an ACTIVIST who brought ACORN TO ITS KNEES.


Well, I suppose they aren't exclusive.... a SCUMBAG SHITHEAD activist.

[Ian David]

64. UPDATE: They're already singing like birds

Conservative Anti-ACORN Activist Arrested In FBI Wiretap Plot Against Democratic Senator.

<snip>

UPDATE: According to the FBI affadavit, acquired by POLITICO, the four men involved in the scheme have admitted to entering the office under false pretenses and that they had conspired together to secure entry. A third alleged co-conspirator, Stan Dai, has been identified. Here's what the affadavit says:

Subsequently, Flanagan and Basel have admitted to federal agents that they were not telephone repairment and that they entered the office of Senator Landrieu under false pretences. O'Keefe and Dai have also admitted to federal agents that worked with Flanagan and Basel in the planning, coordination and preparation of the operation. O'Keefe further admitted to recording to Flanagan and Basel inside of Senator Landrieu's office.

More:
http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=01&year=2010&base_name=conservative_acorn_mercenary_a

Hat-tip to: http://twitter.com/AdamSerwer

[Techn0Girl]

76. The End Result Was that A Bill was PASSED that DEFUNDED ACORN ....

Which is what this was really all about anyway - removing a politically active entity which favored the lower and middle class.

[No Elephants]

251. The end result was the ACORN successfully claimed that Congress rushed to violate ACORN's

Constitutional rights so fast that its attempted cover up was pathetically obvious.

Shameful, shameful, shameful.

[louis-t]

114. Jeez, they didn't even have to torture them.

:eyes:

[704wipes]

168. what else was o'keefe taping/snapping pictures of in there?

Maybe he wasn't just taping his buds, but other things in the office too?
Photos of documents?

[progressoid]

65. ... ... ...

[Oerdin]

68. Jail

I hope they send that turd to jail.

[Wizard777]

69. They should be charged with Espionage against the US and executed as Spies.

:rofl:

[zeemike]

110. No they should be sent to a special place

Where they are given extraordinary rendition to find out who funded the operation///
Believe me they will give up names the first time they are water boarded.

[Wizard777]

140. I like you! YES! Let's water board them and then execute them as spies.

:applause: :headbang: :yourock: :headbang: :applause:

[zeemike]

158. I am not as concerned abut them as I am about them that brought em

If they spilled all they know throw them in jail for a while....besides they are still kids really...in there 20s...they can change.

[Jim__]

70. This must be treated like a crime - not a prank.

Hard time for these assholes.

[graywarrior]

71. Phonegate

LOL!

[mwb970]

72. When, if ever, will the public realize that many conservatives are crooks?

This is such an old story for us. The conservatives can't win on their "ideas", so they lie, cheat, and buy elections. They can't even make an investigative video without violating federal law (which, like all laws, does not apply to conservatives). How many laws on all levels did bush and the Dick break? And what about Limbaugh's drugs and sex scandals? Etc.

The conservative movement has well and truly lost its way when people like O'Keefe are their heroes.

[peacetalksforall]

221. This O'Keefe gut must be pretty pathectic compared to Rove. Rove is still free after

25? 30? years of dirty and illegal tricks.

[LeftHander]

73. How many other "operations" did he do for the GOP....?? nt

[Zambero]

77. I'm sure Glenn Beck will be right on this story

Why, the fascist thugs from ACORN must have set the poor guy up!

:sarcasm:

[Ian David]

78. Fox "News" is not dealing with this well...

Fox News Devastated Over Arrest Of ACORN Pimp, Says The Story Probably Needs ‘A Lot Of Context’

Fox News has been one of the biggest supporters of James O’Keefe, who is infamous for dressing up as a pimp and videotaping ACORN staffers offering to help the supposed pimp and his prostitutes secure funding for a brothel. The network constantly replayed coverage from his operation. In September, Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace named O’Keefe his “Power Player of the Week,” calling him an “undercover reporter” and a “fascinating character.”

Today, the FBI arrested O’Keefe and three others — “charged with entering federal property under false pretenses with the intent of committing a felony” — saying that they were plotting to wiretap Sen. Mary Landrieu’s office (D-LA). One of the other men, Robert Flanagan, is the son of William Flanagan, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana. Two of the men “dressed as telephone company employees” and showed up to Landrieu’s New Orleans office, saying they had to “fix phone problems.” O’Keefe was already there and was “positioning his cell phone in his hand to videotape the operation”:

<snip>

Fox News aired a report about the arrests shortly after the news broke. However, reporter Tim Vaughn tried to downplay the news:

VAUGHN: very weird story that probably needs a lot of context and a lot of looking into, which is what we’re going to do here. I just wanted to get it on the record with it right now.

SHEP SMITH: So, they’re saying basically, they’re in there — It sounds as if what they’re saying is, they’re looking for some ACORN hanky panky and they try to tap into Mary Landrieu’s telephone to get it.

VAUGHN: That could be one way of looking at it, yes.

More:
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/01/26/fox-okeefe/

[Hugin]

80. Thanks for the update, Ian David!

Personally, I hope they choke on it...

[Beaverhausen]

82. That's odd- is Shep saying, its OK since they are looking into ACORN hanky-panky?

he knows better than that. Shame on him!

[JonLP24]

90. He was speculating that is what they were doing

no mention that it was ok. I do find it ironic that the reporter says "probably needs a lot of context" when "context" wasn't an issue with the ACORN videos he shot.

[Beaverhausen]

94. or that there is some context that would make this thing OK

Seriously, in what context is what these thugs did OK? Fox is really going to look like idiots for supporting this creep.

[Hansel]

156. Isn't it though? They had ACORN tried and convicted, but

we have to give these guys the "presumed innocent" treatment. Hmmm, I wonder why that would be?

[icnorth]

297. Translated this means,

oh oh, we're in shit again, get our spin misters on top of it now.

[stubtoe]

86. Here is a link to the story on their website:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/01/26/acorn-antagonist-arrested-senate-phone-scheme/">Filmmaker Who Targeted ACORN Arrested in Alleged Senate Phone Scheme

Not a single comment on the article. Hmm. They DO spend a lot of time discussing how he "brought ACORN to it's knees", blah blah

[arcadian]

95. This makes no sense at all.

Why would you video tape your own crime?

[JonLP24]

106. I saw that too

My thoughts exactly.

[Hansel]

160. Needed evidence in order to get paid and didn't think they'd be caught?

Hubris? Whatever the reason they confessed so it's a moot point.

[louis-t]

116. Oh, they were going after ACORN?

Oh, then that's OK. :eyes:

[Blue_Tires]

173. i'd expect as much

FAUX made the fucker famous in the first place...

[TankLV]

210. FUX - gotta "luv" 'em...!!!

The ENTIRE WORLD reports things one way, and ONLY FUX has something ELSE!!!

same shit from the same assholes...

[No Elephants]

254. Dressed up as a pimp? By wearing a woman's fake fur?

Filmmaker? His operation? Undercover? I just wanted to it on the record with it right now>

Come on, people, don't be so damned partisan. Give Fox Comedy Network a little credit here. This stuff is downright high-sterical.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

83. Karma....karma.....karma....

How sweet it is.

[laughingliberal]

85. Best new of the day!

:bounce:

[qanda]

87. This is delicious!!!!

I love it.

[dogday]

88. This might be a good time for all Democrats to have their phone lines

checked. They could of bugged many lines previous to this, who knows? :shrug:

[arcadian]

92. What a dumb ass. You can buy scanners that can pick up cell phone calls.

Bugging is so 1972. Who wants to bet the charges are dropped against him?

[icnorth]

120. G. Gordon Liddy is rolling

over in his grave... ;-)

[Hansel]

159. One could hope.

But I don't think he's dead.

[8 track mind]

187. I think Liddy is still alive

Now he looks like he's been dead for a few days, but he's still kicking ;)

[Rozlee]

218. He probably has all the missing neighborhood kids in his garage

And Fux News is spinning the story by emphasizing how awful that Landrieu woman is. Why, she was just ASKING to have her phone bugged. Crikey, how fair and balanced can you get?

[No Elephants]

255. To be fair, he always looked like the undead. Acted that way, too.

[icnorth]

295. No Liddy isn't dead

but he will be when he reads about these amateurs.:toast:

[Libertas1776]

96. Enjoy prison...asshole!

[Zoeisright]

97. Gee, what a surprise.

NOT. Another lying, traitorous, greedy, stupid repuke.

[dogday]

98. FBI Affidavit can be found here

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Sections/NEWS/PDFs/100126_O'Keefe_Affidavit.pdf

More on the story


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35083861/ns/politics-more_politics/

[mod mom]

103. "Flanagan is the son of William J. Flanagan, the acting U.S. attorney for western Louisiana,

WOW! from your link:

The FBI said in an affidavit that James O’Keefe was among the four men who were arrested Monday. Special Agent Steven Rayes said O’Keefe was helping two others, Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan, who were dressed as employees of a telephone company and attempted to interfere with the office’s telephone system, The Times-Picayune of New Orleans reported Tuesday on its Web site.

Flanagan is the son of William J. Flanagan, the acting U.S. attorney for western Louisiana, a Democratic official told the political newspaper The Hill.

[dogday]

107. I am interested if anyone else behind the scene will

be named. You know these four guys were not the only ones involved.

[Blue_Tires]

248. +1

[WolverineDG]

100. I guess they thought no one would be suspicious

because they weren't dressed like plumbers.

Oh please oh please oh please oh please let there be a smoking gun leading right to the top of the GOP leadership! :evilgrin:

dg

[pinto]

101. That's the tell, as they say.

Busted.

[NecklyTyler]

102. Conservative values on display

Republicans have to cheat to win

[liberal N proud]

104. The right wing nuts think it is OK to listen to others conversations

It all started with Watergate and continued through the bu$h regime and they are still trying to tap everyones phone who they oppose.

[adamuu]

wow. n/t

[Dogmudgeon]

105. There is only ONE thing harshing on my schadenfreude ...

... the inevitable prison-rape "gags".

Gentlemen, please: we're DEMOCRATS, not "Morning Zoo" DJs. Plain old public humiliation and incarceration are appropriate punishments. There will be enough pleasure in watching this scandal unfold without rape fantasies.

--d!

[Webster Green]

155. Yeah, I hate that stuff too.

I think the mods may have deleted a few of those in this thread. I was reading it a while ago and there were a couple that I saw right at the top.

If so, good work mods! The fact that prison rape is such a common source for chuckles has always amazed me. :puke:

[TankLV]

213. What about "Teabagging" - is a little "Teabagging" OK?!!!

OK - then how 'bout "just placing it on the chin" - they way these rightwing pricks believe it is !!!

[proud2BlibKansan]

108. Best news in days!!

Can't wait to ask the wingnuts to comment.

[Hubert Flottz]

111. The laws and taxes are only for poor people and democrats...

"Case Dismissed!"

[Arkana]

113. Watereddownsgate?

[No Elephants]

257. Excellent!

[VOX]

115. "...conservative filmmaker..." -- there's an oxymoron for the books...

Will Faux be trumpeting this arrest? Will Rush demonize the perpetrators?

I think not. :nuke:

[havbrush]

119. Acorn Gotcha Man

I know there are good intentions reporting this story but the headline is horrible. It seems to say that someone from Acorn was arrested trying to bug the Senator's office when just the opposite is true. There has to be a better way of wording this.

[No Elephants]

258. In what respect, Charlie?

Sometimes, headline writers hit exactly what they aim at. And their target is not necessarily accuracy,.

[Ellipsis]

122. What We Know about the Young Republican Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight

http://gawker.com/5457611/what-we-know-about-the-young-republican-gang-that-couldnt-shoot-straight?skyline=true&s=i&autoplay=true


James O'Keefe
O'Keefe came to fame last summer when he and his colleague Hanna Giles dressed up for Halloween early and walked into ACORN offices nationwide pretending to be a hooker and a pimp seeking tax advice, thereby blowing the lid off the sordid scandal that was ACORN's free tax advice to people pretending to be hookers and pimps. The sting was tightly coordinated with the launch of Andrew Breitbart's BigGovernment.com and promoted beyond saturation by Fox News, which heralded the pair as the conservative answer to 60 Minutes. We've asked Breitbart whether O'Keefe and his pals were on assignment for Big Government when they were arrested, but haven't heard back. The Washington Independent's David Weigel says his sources are saying they weren't.

And, of course, Fox News, which was one of the outlets that pushed hardest to turn O'Keefe into a folk hero, is taking the position that this Landrieu office incident is a story "that probably needs a lot of context and a lot of looking into" before anyone jumps to conclusions. Unlike, say, videos of a white boy in garish pimp clothes which are prima facie evidence of ... something.


Robert Flanagan
Flanagan is the son of William Flanagan, the acting U.S. Attorney for the western district of Louisiana. Which makes it rather awkward that he was arrested in, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for, the eastern district of Louisiana. The elder Flanagan ascended to the gig just one week ago after his Bush-appointed boss left office; none other than Sen. Mary Landrieu has submitted recommendations for his replacement to the White House.

Stan Dai
Dai appears to be a long-time conservative rabblerouser: A Stan Dai was the head of George Washington University's Conservative Student Union, and a GWU student by the same name was quoted in 2004 in support of some pro-life student activists engaging in political theater at a John Kerry campaign event. And a then-17-year-old named Stan Dai in Naperville, Ill., told a USA Today reporter covering a student anti-war protest in 2003: "The people who organize the anti-war movement annoy me." This picture is from the Facebook page of a Stan Dai who attended GWU and is friends with Joseph Basel, one of the other plumbers busted yesterday. UPDATE: Lindsay Beyerstein finds two delightful datapoints about Dai: He was the recipient of a scholarship from the conservative Phillips Foundation, which also awards the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship (he'd approve!), and he is an assistant director at Trinity University's Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence, which trains people how to be spies.


Joseph Basel
A Joseph Basel is listed as one of 15 University of Minnesota-Morris College Republicans who attended George W Bushes s inauguration in 05 with the help of Sen. Mark Dayton, and there's a Joseph Basel on Facebook who attends the University of Minnesota-Morris and is friends with Stan Dai and James O'Keefe.

[Sans Culottes]

123. Trained at

the "Watergate Professional 2nd-Story Man School".

[donco6]

124. Even Michelle Malkin calls the evidence "damning"

Wow. This guy really *IS* toast.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that James O’Keefe, half of the ACORN-busting duo that conducted undercover stings across the country last summer, was arrested today in an alleged wiretapping plot at the New Orleans office of Democrat Sen. Mary Landrieu. O’Keefe and three other young men were arrested by the FBI. One of the men is the son of the acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana.

The Times-Picayune has not posted the full FBI affidavit, but the details they have are damning. This is neither a time to joke nor a time to recklessly accuse Democrats/liberals of setting this up — nor a time to whine about media coverage double standards. Deal with what’s on the table:

[No Elephants]

261. Not a time to joke? You must be kidding.

[donco6]

305. Nope. It's right on her blog.

It was one of the first things to come up on teh Google.

[mzmolly]

126. Possible penalties - max 10 years in prison and 250K fine.

If convicted, FLANAGAN, BASEL, O’KEEFE, and DAI each face a maximum term of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

http://washingtonindependent.com/74832/acorn-investigator-james-okeefe-arrested

[Name removed]

130. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[CatWoman]

131. cue Nelson

[SalmonChantedEvening]

132. Hello Felon.

This lad deserves some sincere jail time.

Either that or he just locked up the GOP nomination for 2020.

[Enthusiast]

133. Again, in this instance, and where

James O'Keefe is concerned, we simply must "look forward".

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

134. Fuck you Not-So-Breitbart and FAUX News!

I'm sure this will be buried by those reputable news organizations.

[Wizard777]

135. In keeping with his previous M.O. The FBI should do security sweeps on ALL Congressional offices.

Mary's Office may not be only one they've bugged or tried to bug. Who know what will be released next week? They should also make O'Keefe and his co-conspirators pay for that.

[underpants]

136. He'll probably turn this failure into a radio gig like G.Gordon did

[Hansel]

166. Well it does look like O'Keefe has now met the final criteria for Fox pundit.

So I'm sure he's got a guaranteed gig on Fox.

[No Elephants]

259. Or a prison ministry, like Colson did.

[Kablooie]

138. Why is it that these criminal conservatives are always winning the political sweepstakes.

Democrats have control of the whole government and still Fox News Teabaggers are the only ones that are getting what they want.

[groundloop]

139. DAM, it's not a slow news day anymore.

I've got a sneeky suspicion these idiots weren't funded by the repuke party but by Fox News. Doesn't is sound like a stunt O'Reily would pull?

[democracy1st]

141. K & R

[Canuckistanian]

142. Why Landrieu?

Why do they think SHE's conspiring with ACORN?

Or maybe this has something to do with "the HCR bribe"?

[gatorboy]

147. I would guess they believe she is a weak link in the chain of Dem Senators

And could be easily replaced with a Repug if they could get any dirt on her.

Oh, the arrogance of the right. I'm loving this. :rofl:

[Canuckistanian]

177. That's a good theory, I never thought of that

Convince the voters that they could replace their corrupt Dem Senator with a corrupt Repug Senator, because it wouldn't make any difference.

Interesting.

[Snazzy]

228. Something with Jindal perhaps

Longwinded theory of unknown origin to me is here:

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20100125/OPINION/1250347/1014/COMMENTARY--A-victory-by-Landrieu-would-mean-political-musical-chairs

With Landrieu's brother winning NO mayor, Jindal gets replacement pick, making new fundy gov because he steps down to run against Landrieu or Obama or someone. If I get the gist right, trying to figure out wtf myself and didn't know about her brother.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Landrieu

[npk]

174. Yep my guess is on the money she received for her support of the HCR bill

I am sure they were hoping to catch her on tape talking about the money or something they could sell to the media. They were pretty stupid to think that people weren't watching them after the ACORN scandal. I mean hello.

[cstanleytech]

143. This is a prime example of Karma :)

[seeinfweggos]

145. this makes my day

how funny is this? really. has fox news done a big story on it yet?

[JNelson6563]

149. Ok, how fun is this??

Really, really, really, really fun! that's how fun it is! :toast:

Julie

[Jefferson23]

150. So maybe their fucking empty basis bullshit screaming meme

will finally die. Freaking lowlife Republicans.

[IndianaGreen]

151. 'It was poor judgment,' Robert Flanagan's lawyer, Garrison Jordan, said

"It was poor judgment," Robert Flanagan's lawyer, Garrison Jordan, said in a brief interview outside the courthouse. "I don't think there was any intent or motive to commit a crime."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35083861/ns/politics-more_politics/



The Flanagan wiretappers broke federal law, just as the Watergate burglars did. Unlike Flanagan & Co., the Watergate burglars were proud of what they did. They thought they were fighting international communism and that their activities would expose ties between DNC Chair Larry O'Brien and communist fifth columnists in the USA.

[Kurt Remarque]

152. just some crazy kids havin' fun!

[IndianaGreen]

157. A frat prank!

Having a US Attorney as one's daddy helps too!

[alcibiades_mystery]

171. Heh heh heh...Flanagan

Yeah, that's the ticket...

[Forkboy]

153. Well well well....

Who would've guessed....

[Scruffy1]

161. I think the feds have been on this all along..

When the state attorney in Maryland decided not to press charges last year I thought it fishy. I think that the speed in which they were charged points to an informant who had it already to go. Might be some evidence leading to his handlers. These people are incredibly stupid, but if these actions were directed by other parties that actually have some money Acorn could end up in the dough.
this is speculation at this point but as they look at ten years in the joint they will rat out their own mother.

[jaysunb]

163. Who funds these operations ?

Maybe the DOJ can follow the money on this...we know the motivation. :evilfrown:

[suffragette]

164. More on O'Keefe's accomplices

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201001260052

[alcibiades_mystery]

172. What a pack of buffoons

[IndianaGreen]

165. Landrieu Phone Bugging Case: What Is The Pelican Institute?

Landrieu Phone Bugging Case: What Is The Pelican Institute?

Justin Elliott | January 26, 2010, 6:48PM

There's a lot we still don't know about the four men implicated in the alleged attempt to bug Sen. Mary Landrieu's phones yesterday, but a little-known organization called the Pelican Institute appears to be key to the story.

Located at 400 Poydras St. in downtown New Orleans -- half a block from Landrieu's office at 500 Poydras St. -- Pelican describes itself as a state policy think tank dedicated to advancing "sound policies based on the principles of free enterprise, individual liberty, and limited government."

James O'Keefe, the conservative filmmaker behind the ACORN stings who has been charged in the Landrieu case, was scheduled to give a talk at Pelican last Thursday on "Exposing Truth: Undercover Video, New Media and Creativity." Tickets were $35; the setting was the posh Plimsoll Club at the World Trade Center. An ad for the luncheon promised attendees insights into O'Keefe's special strain of new media genius:

"James' videos of ACORN employees providing advice on how to break the law created a sensation. Shortly after the videos were released Congress voted to defund ACORN. James has been a pioneer in the use of new media to drive these kinds of important stories. He will discuss the role of new media and provide examples of effective undercover video."

Another of the charged men, Robert Flanagan, works for Pelican, his attorney told the Times-Picayune. Flanagan allegedly dressed up a telephone repairman to infiltrate Landrieu's office.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/landrieu_phone_bugging_case_what_is_the_pelican_in.php?ref=fpa

[naaman fletcher]

167. Amazing how stupid this guy is..

I won't get into all the ways he is a schmuck, as it has been well covered, but if you read the article it is amazing how dumb this guy is. He obviously didn't spend more than a few minutes thinking of the various ways he might get caught and the seriousness of what would happen if he did get caught.

[PfcHammer]

170. Hannah Giles from them ACORN flicks

gotta nice booty. Jus sayin.

[Ranting_Wacko]

175. Everybody Sing!

James O'Keefe Keefe Keefe is going to jail jail jail!

He will take it take it take it in the tail tail tail!

[defendandprotect]

178. Where'd the money for this come from? Likely GOP inspired --

"I think it was poor judgment. I don't think there was any intent or motive to commit a crime."

Right, only liberals doing something like this would be guilty of more than "poor judgment"

and charged with "intent or motive to commit a crime" -- !!! Wow!!

Lawyer liars for hire!!

[Quasimodem]

220. Republicans are capable of 'youthful indiscretions' until they are over seventy. n/t

[No Elephants]

284. And even then....

[Turborama]

180. I wonder what they'll uncover when they search his apartment. Hopefully unedited ACORN tapes

For a start.

I'm ecstatic that he got caught!

[defendandprotect]

184. Sharp thinking -- !!

[Turborama]

196. His hard drives and email/bank accounts should contain some juicy stuff, too!

:popcorn:

[defendandprotect]

200. Sweet Justice -- and hope you'll be right!!

[tammywammy]

211. Oh, smart thinking! That would be great. n/t

[deminks]

182. KO reporting a listening device was found nearby in a car. nt

[jillan]

183. I think John Lennon expressed it best -

Something you should know about Instant Karma Lyrics

Title: John Lennon - Instant Karma lyrics

Artist: John Lennon Lyrics

Visitors: 31782 visitors have hited Instant Karma Lyrics since May 27, 2008.
Listen to Instant Karma
Play Instant Karma from John Lennon now.
playme.com
Instant Karma Lyrics
All John Lennon Lyrics from largest lyric site on the net!
best-song-lyrics.com
Ads by ClickFuse



Send "Instant Karma" Ringtone to Cell


Instant Karma's gonna get you,
Gonna knock you right on the head,
You better get yourself together,
Pretty soon you're gonna be dead,
What in the world you thinking of,
Laughing in the face of love,
What on earth you tryin' to do,
It's up to you, yeah you.

Instant Karma's gonna get you,
Gonna look you right in the face,
Better get yourself together darlin',
Join the human race,
How in the world you gonna see,
Laughin' at fools like me,
Who on earth d'you think you are,
A super star,
Well, right you are.


:toast:

[David Zephyr]

185. This is the tip of an iceberg...and I think that iceberg has Fox News as a molecule.

This is just the beginning of this story.

[mainer]

186. sorry -- don't know -- is Flanagan a republican judge?

because they keep quoting "a Democratic source".

[Ian David]

188. FLASHBACK: 31 House Republicans Supported Resolution Honoring Alleged Felon James O'Keefe

FLASHBACK: 31 House Republicans Supported Resolution Honoring Alleged Felon James O'Keefe
http://mediamattersaction.org/blog/201001260008

[No Elephants]

285. For something that got much broader support, though. Pls. see Reply # 283.

[Ian David]

189. O’Keefe has been up for CPAC's prestigious Reagan Award

O’Keefe had become a conservative media star since the ACORN sting. I just talked to Lisa De Pasquale, director of CPAC, who said that O’Keefe, along with co-stinger Hannah Giles and Andrew Breitbart, is (or was) under consideration for the annual conservative conference’s coveted Reagan Award.
http://washingtonindependent.com/74832/acorn-investigator-james-okeefe-arrested

[Tx4obama]

190. The 4th guy arrested IS A TRAINED SPY

Copy and paste from a comments area I saw earlier this evening....

The 4th person arrested Stan Dai might have had the know-how to wire tap.

One Stan Dai was listed as the Assistant Director of the The Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence (ICCAE) at Trinity (Washington) University. The ICAE prepares young people for careers in intelligence.

• Mr. Dai was the first Assistant Director of the Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence at Trinity in D.C. • Prior to that, he served as the Operations Officer of a Department of Defense irregular warfare fellowship program.

[Caretha]

195. They obviously forgot to check this out but...

he most likely graduated in the bottom 1% of his class....:rofl:

[Cha]

241. Didn't even bother to get fake ID

in case anyone asked for it..in a Senator's office:silly:

[Ian David]

191. NEXT ON THE WHITE POWER CHOPPING BLOCK: ACORN JAMES O' KEEFE, 3 OTHERS

NEXT ON THE WHITE POWER CHOPPING BLOCK: ACORN JAMES O' KEEFE, 3 OTHERS

You might remember James O'Keefe as the guy who dressed as a pimp to "expose" ACORN in a series of videos that made the right-wing case that a group connected to President Obama was corrupt. This made him a hero to conservative activists, so much so that according to Dave Weigel of the Washington Independent, the Conservative Political Action Committee director Lisa De Pasquale told him that O’Keefe, along with co-stinger Hannah Giles and Andrew Breitbart, was under consideration for CPAC's Reagan Award this year. He was however suspect to everyone else as it became apparent that O'Keefe and those he was working with wasn't telling the whole story about his little visits to ACORN offices around the country. O'Keefe, who by the way is someone we dealt with before his ACORN noteriety back when he was a right-wing activist at Rutgers University, had made a name for himself with his supposed "stings" where he spins situations caught on tape to make it seem as if he caught some liberal in a compromising position. Now he's in big trouble. Huge. Seems he and three friends were looking to "sting" Senator Mary Landrieu - and got stung themselves. These idiots got it in their head that it was perfectly fine to go into the Senator's New Orleans offices dressed as telephone company workers, and screw with the telephone system to wiretap the the place. We just hope they didn't have the nerve to act surprised when the Feds came to snatch them up for entering federal property under false pretenses with the intent of committing a felony. O'Keefe is an example of the kind of people conservatives have become. The only reason why they are throwing O'Keefe under the bus after this episode is because they don't want to be exposed along with him, but it doesn't work. Hell, even while Michelle Malkin was doing her best to detach herself from O'Keefe (along with Andrew Breitbart of BigGovernment.com who first released the ACORN videos - his statement is here), one guy named Michael Swartz complains in her comments section of "this to be all over the media which ignored the ACORN videos. It will be in an inverse proportion to their previous coverage." What media ignored the ACORN videos, Swartz? They were on the Daily Show, for Pete's sake! Truth is, it will be all over the media, and eventually O'Keefe will be another person, just like Tim McVeigh, that conservatives will complain about being brought up all the time. Well, also like Tim McVeigh, they created him, now they have to deal with what comes.

More:
http://www.onepeoplesproject.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=304:next-on-the-white-power-chopping-block-acorn-james-o-keefe-3-others&catid=34:ye-olde-white-power-chopping-block

[Daemonaquila]

193. That is made of awesome...

smothered in awesome sauce with a side of awesome. Let's see how far this plot gets...
:headbang:

[Turborama]

197. Sprinkled with a heap of WIN!

:fistbump:

[rpannier]

194. The laugher of the story is at the end

Robert Flanagan's attorney, J. Garrison Jordan, said he believes his client works for the Pelican Institute. Asked the motivation for the alleged wiretap plot, he said: "I think it was poor judgment. I don't think there was any intent or motive to commit a crime."

[Caretha]

198. ROFLMFAO

The guy can't even get a decent attorney....heh. That's got to be one for the books...

"Judge my client had "poor judgement"...he thought it was perfectly legal to walk into a federal building and try to wiretap an elected official of the United States of America....honest to goodness...he really didn't know that wasn't legal".

Let see what judge would ever in his right mind think that was a defense...even if is the most right wing mother-fucker in the US.

AS They say...that lead balloon don't fly.

[TankLV]

217. Scalia, Roberts, etc...

You don't have to look very far to find some repuke idiots that would "sincerely" beleve that bullshit...

[Caretha]

222. I don't doubt

that there "right wing idiots" that believe that bullshit. Mostly they live in their small smelly mother's basement.

Fortunately the courts and the rest of the world don't let incompetent lawyers present stupid alibis, especially when it's presented and prosecuted by the FBI.

Believe it or not, the FBI doesn't just present shit to the courts, they do know the law and don't go around arresting those poor right-wing prangsters who are only trying to have a good time. ;)

[No Elephants]

287. Please don't confuse "evil" with "dumb." Both Scalia and Roberts are very, very smart,

and very, very brazen, dishonest and evil.

Misunderestimating your enemies is always dangerous. Just ask Dummya.

[alcibiades_mystery]

229. Ignorance of even a blazingly obvious law is no defense

Senator Landrieu, in any case, sits on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and one would think that even dumbshits like conservative activists would know that wiretapping a Senator tasked with overseeing homeland security provisions would be considered a wee no-no, federal crime-wise.

[StreetKnowledge]

199. Hee hee hee.

Ah yes, where in the Conservative Outrage now? Didn't the GOP try a similar stunt to this about, oh, 40 years ago at the Watergate Hotel in Washington?

And as for this O'Keefe fool, now maybe the MSM can get the story right with ACORN and admit that this jackass is a fraud.

[defendandprotect]

203. K&R -- Just LOVE this story -- !!!!

[ShadowLiberal]

208. You would think they'd want to do this to a democrat up for reelection this year, not 2012

Does it strike anyone else as strange to do this to a senator up for reelection in 2012, and not 2010?

Even if he got some damaging info on Landrieu, there's plenty of time for people to forget it between now and 2012 when it'll matter most.

[Turborama]

209. Anderson Cooper just mentioned it

Looks like AC360 is going to have a piece on it after the break...

[TxVietVet]

212. It's all about KARMA

we'll see if these young conservanazis get off the hook. Seems like one or two is well connected. I believe they were there because they thought every dimocrat is very stupid. No nearly as smart as they are. WEll, KARMA IS A BITCH.

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together and the conservanazi weasels get caught! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ;-)

[ooglymoogly]

219. What goes around tsunami's around.

Hope he finds a really big grunt, "protector" in prison who might just find pimping him out rewarding in cigarettes and all sorts of prison "money".

[madmax]

224. Send him to GITMO

:bounce: :silly:

[Major Hogwash]

226. "dressed up as employees of a telephone company" -- *knock knock* who's there? candygram

LoL

Best skit Chevy was ever in on SNL.

I love it -- "dressed up as employees of a telephone company".

[RZM]

230. While on the surface this looks 'Watergate-ey'

I'm not so sure yet. Nobody knows many details at this point so this is all speculation, but Watergate was top-down operation, carried out and directed by operatives for the 'greater good' of the Nixon campaign and Republican party. This O'Keefe guys strikes me as less of a hatchet man and more of a primadonna, in 'the game' for himself (unlike the Watergate guys) and ultimately seeking to gain profile in conservative circles and in the media world in general. My guess is that he had some sort of tip or hunch about nefarious doings in the Landrieu camp and this was part of some hare-brained scheme to 'expose' whatever he thought was going on -- the intention being for him to be seen as the 'hero' and as a great 'investigative journalist' when he finally went public with whatever he found (concealing how he obtained the information of course).

Of course I might be wrong . . . Perhaps this might turn out to be more like Watergate -- perhaps he is just a cog in some larger conspiracy. But I figured that on the off chance my prediction is correct, I should get it out there ASAP :eyes:

* Edited for grammar *

[Odin2005]

231. Karma's an SOB.

[wial]

232. the big question is

were they trying to apprehend the thief who stole the Pink Panther diamond?

[Sultana]

249. LOLOLOL

:rofl:

[JCMach1]

253. Karma's a bitch, huh?!?

[John Kerry VonErich]

256. Outright guarrantee!!!

All charges dropped.

[johnfunk]

263. UPDATE: Four Charged in Alleged Scam at Senator's Office [LISTENING DEVICE FOUND]

Source: Wall Street Journal

A federal law-enforcement official said one of the suspects was picked up in a car a couple of blocks away with a listening device that could pick up transmissions.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703906204575027500584356116.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsTop

---

Update to the article, posted a few minutes ago.

This was an attempted bugging. James O'Keefe is the new E. Howard Hunt.

[Sanity Claws]

264. Out on $10K unsecured bail

Will they show up? If they have deep pockets behind them, they will flee.

[Windy]

265. Boy do I hope that Fox/Beck was in on this... nt

[corpseratemedia]

266. did James O'Keefe know anything about Watergate?

No?:rofl:

[Xipe Totec]

268. Worse than Watergate

This was on federal property.

[defendandprotect]

277. Think you have a lot to

find out about Watergate!!

[Xipe Totec]

293. Think you have a lot to

find out about supporting your side and creating buzz.

But thanks for the snobbish crack.

[defendandprotect]

315. "Creating buzz" . . . ???

There are similarities to this event and Watergate re bugging --

However, if you are saying that Watergate was simply a "third rate burglarly"

then you are mistaken.

Keep in mind that like every other right wing criminal act the cover up not

only exists to cover up information -- it exists to propagandize to make the

event disappear. Be meaningless.

That's what they've tired to do with Watergate.

Again -- if you think this is "worse than Watergate" you are underinformed.

[Scurrilous]

267. K & R

:thumbsup:

[cheapdate]

269. Hope these bastards get prison time. n/t.

[redwitch]

270. "Follow the money"

This should be interesting. :-)

[Edweird]

271. My money is on this going away.

[Tx4obama]

272. One of them was a trained SPY

The 4th person arrested Stan Dai might have had the know-how to wire tap.

One Stan Dai was listed as the Assistant Director of the The Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence (ICCAE) at Trinity (Washington) University. The ICAE prepares young people for careers in intelligence.

• Mr. Dai was the first Assistant Director of the Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence at Trinity in D.C.
• Prior to that, he served as the Operations Officer of a Department of Defense irregular warfare fellowship program.

[Vinnie From Indy]

273. That is an important point

If this Dai guy had intelligence training it is going to be hard to swallow the story that these guys were simply stupid kids.

[Downwinder]

279. Will Dai get deported back to China? n/t

[zeemike]

275. They always have the lose cannon excuse.

But if there is anyone big involved they will be well insulated from it.

[CanonRay]

274. The ball is in the Justice Dept's court

will they do anything with it????

[defendandprotect]

276. LOVE THIS STORY ....

[JimRob_is_a_douche]

278. Over at Freak Republic...

...they're claiming a set-up!

I LOVE it! You have to read their posts starting at the beginning up until about a page into it!

They start with "Oh no! They're in some big trouble!" and you can just SEE the crazy start to boil up from below! Later they claim some huge set-up with Obama pulling the strings!! Haha!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2437809/posts


I really love it when they turn up the crazy!

(I hope I'm allowed to link to their site- if not, forgive me!)

[UpInArms]

280. O'Keefe is a nasty piece

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/26/AR2010012604145_pf.html

O'Keefe is well-known, but Flanagan, Basel and Dai are not. Flanagan worked last year as a paid intern for Rep. Mary Fallin (R-Okla.).

Dai, who is from Alexandria, is a Chinese immigrant and was president of the Conservative Student Union at George Washington University in 2005, student records show.

Basel, a Mankato, Minn., native, and O'Keefe became friends as fellow founders of conservative newspapers at their respective colleges, O'Keefe at Rutgers and Basel at the University of Minnesota-Morris.

In a joint interview given to CampusReform.org two weeks ago, O'Keefe and Basel were quoted about their frustration with what they considered to be the liberal bent of college media. O'Keefe urged young conservatives to think and act boldly to avoid complacency.

"The more bold you are, the more opportunities will be open to you," O'Keefe said. "The less bold you are, the less opportunities in life will be open to you."

modeling his world after kkkkarl -these people are scum (not to disparage real scum)

[Snazzy]

281. 2 degrees of protege?

Snip from:

http://nomoremister.blogspot.com/2010/01/wingnut-welfare-got-them-here-wingnut.html

So where can they turn for help? Well, I don't know about Flanagan, but presumably Basel as well as O'Keefe can get some assistance from former mentors:

O'Keefe became the founding editor of The Centurion at Rutgers. Around the same time, frustrated conservative student Joe Basel started The Counterweight at the University of Minnesota-Morris. Both papers were started with assistance from the Leadership Institute "Balance in Media" grant...

The Leadership Institute is headed by its founder, Morton Blackwell -- who is, by the way, a Louisiana native and a former member of the Louisiana Republican Party's central committee. The institute's alumni include Karl Rove, Ralph Reed and Jeff Gannon. A year ago, many famous right-wingers (Steve Forbes, Pat Toomey, Richard Viguerie, Phyllis Schlafly) endorsed Blackwell as a candidate for chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Stan Dai, in his student days, was a fellow of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (a right-wing think tank whose board and "leadership council" include Steve Forbes, Newt Gingrich, Joe Lieberman, James Woolsey, and Bill Kristol, and whose board of advisors includes Gary Bauer, Charles Krauthammer, Eric Cantor, and Richard Perle) and of Students Defending Democracy, which is also part of Morton Blackwell's empire.

So I think someone could help these guys make bail.

****

UPDATE: Lindsay Beyerstein has more -- she finds him speaking on torture at a CIA event earlier this year; another speaker at the event was the press secretary of Dick Armey's FreedomWorks. She also quotes from the masterpiece he coauthored for his student paper -- The Penis Monologues:

MY PENIS IS ANGRY!!!!!!! ...

And damn, I forgot to note, for those who've forgotten, that Morton Blackwell was the Purple Heart Band-Aid guy at the 2004 Republican convention.

(lots of links in original)

[No Elephants]

288. Joe Lieberman is on the board of a right wing think tank? Will no one rid us of that pestilence?

[UpInArms]

313. what a line up of creepy reich-wing fucknuts!

'tis a cesspool of gacky filthy creeps - and lookie there! funny little bible thumping holy joe LIEberman is in with them all, too!

[Odin2005]

282. WATERGATE II!!! WATERGATE II!!!

[No Elephants]

289. Bless swag for posting this. I have not enjoyed a thread this much in a long time.

Missing from this thread:

The trolls who show up on ACCORN threads to pile on whenever they even think they smell ACORN's blood. How it must suck to be them.

[Shining Jack]

291. Sounds familiar.

Is Joseph Basel the real name of Joe the Plumber ?

[No Elephants]

298. Joe the Plumber was neither Joe nor a Plumber. Discuss.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3547944

[DailyGrind51]

294. Mary, "they" will never be your friends, come back "home" with your vote!

[Vinca]

299. At this point I'd love to be an FBI agent with the power to get search warrants for computers.

[Steerpike]

301. If this case has to handled by the Justice Department,

I doubt there will be any hard core prosecution. All involved will get a slap on the wrist if that. This justice department does not seem to be too enthusiastic about prosecuting Repugs.

[No Elephants]

302. Don't usually watch Morning Joe, but, when Joe and Mika first told this story

shortly after 6 a.m., they were laughing so much you could not even understand what they were saying. You would have thought O'Keefe and company had simply mooned someone or something like that. Assuming you even understood that O'Keefe was the same guy who filmed ACORN.

By 8 a.m., though, they were keeping a straight face when telling the story and treating it seriously. I wonder if someone told them to straighten up and fly right. However, Joe did say something like, "It's one thing if it's ACORN, but this was a United States Senator's office." Also, word is, the perps are denying any intent to bug the phone.

[customerserviceguy]

303. It's pretty sad

when this is the only good news we've had for a month or so. Most reich wingers are too busy planning victory in November to bother getting in too much trouble.

[TommyO]

304. Silly boy, doesn't he know wiretapping is AT&T's job?

[peace frog]

307. Bottom line

These creeps thought they were untouchable, that they could get away with anything. Let's show them the error of their ways by making convicted felons of them, shall we?

[YOY]

309. Somehow something tells me they will weasel out of doing real time.

Just a hunch.

[Blue Owl]

312. GO TO JAIL

THROW THESE GOP CRIMINALS IN JAIL!

And remind me, what self-respecting Democrat would even entertain the notion of bipartisanship when the other side behaves like this?

[Ian David]

317. Looks like one of them was "boning Scott Brown's daughter."

Is One Of The ‘Watergate Jr. Four’ Boning Scott Brown’s Daughter?



Let’s go ahead and say Yes. Or at least they — Joe Basel, one of the young gents arrested Monday with James O’Keefe, and the non-singy Scott Brown daughter — appear to have a date scheduled, according to young master Basel’s Facebook bragging which was probably just bullshit babble anyway. {Mean old Gawker who published the same tip first. ONE OF THESE DAYS, PAREENE!}

More:
http://wonkette.com/413389/is-one-of-the-watergate-jr-four-boning-scott-browns-daughter

[Ian David]

318. Going Through The ‘Watergate Jr. Four:’ The One Who Wrote ‘The Penis Monologues’

Going Through The ‘Watergate Jr. Four:’ The One Who Wrote ‘The Penis Monologues’

The ACORN douche-pimp. The one who bones Scott Brown’s Daughter. And now we have the one who wrote an anti-feminist parody of The Vagina Monologues called The Penis Monologues, for his conservative George Washington University newspaper, THE PATRIOT. Let’s see what Stan Dai wrote, in The Penis Monologues!

Quoth “The Giant Coochie Snorcher That Could,” about a local Giant Coochie Snorcher lady.

<snip>

What are these vaginas angry about? Tampons, thong underwear, and gynecologists. Shouldn’t feminists be more concerned with encouraging women to go to the gynecologist to prevent cervical, uterine, and breast cancer (which, of course, are the fault of evil repressive men)? Why must the only reference to the sanctity of motherhood be given to a lesbian couple? Can’t men be more than just sperm donors and rapists in a feminist’s world? Justice Blackmun doesn’t even get a shout-out! If feminists want to really make a difference, why don’t they get out and change the world, instead of sitting in basements writing a litany of complaints to depress the world.

God, someone buy this kid a prostitute and let him finally get it over with, right?

More:
http://wonkette.com/413391/going-through-the-watergate-jr-four-the-one-who-wrote-the-penis-monologues

[atmame77]

321. O'Keefe is going to da big house

He's going in as a tight end and he's going to come out as as a wide receiver! LOL

[atmame77]

322. Water board this Terrorist!

Water board(Use Enhanced Interrogation techniques) this Terrorist! Get the names of all the conspirators. Don't let Him Lawyer up. LOL!