What if O'Keefe was filming the removal of the wiretap from

[JDPriestly]

Landrieu's phones? We need to be very careful in jumping to conclusions about what those guys were doing in that office. We don't know enough yet.

Yes. They would be in serious trouble if they tapped the phones of a senator. But we just don't know the facts.

Remember the balloon kid. First reactions are often wrong. So let's settle down about this story. We have to wait until we know all the facts.

Yes. It is most likely that they were putting a wiretap on the phones, but we really don't know.

[JI7]

1. huh ? filming removal of wiretap ? doesn't that assume they put it in ?

also, they lied about who they were .

i don't really get what you are saying.

[JDPriestly]

5. I'm not questioning that they put it in. I'm questioning when they

may have put it in.

We don't know whether they were putting something in or having a film made that would prove they were in the office and could have put something in.

If they were really trying to do something surreptitiously, they probably would not film it. If they wanted to prove the authenticity of a claim that they had tapped her phones (albeit illegally), they would film it.

And if they had put in a tap at an earlier time and wanted to show that some "transcript" was authentically the result of tapping her phones, they would want a tape showing that they accessed or could have accessed her phones and the phone lines. It would still be illegal, but a "transcript" could be used to embarrass or damage Senator Landrieu as a senator.

Don't jump to this conclusion or any other conclusion about this matter until the facts are in.

I'm not suggesting that this is what happened. I'm just saying to use caution because we don't know much of anything yet.

[JI7]

6. what you say would be worse for O'Keefe, are you saying that

they might have something on Landrieu ?

[DearAbby]

10. you think information illegally obtained

from the office of a Senator, will negate the fact this man and his three accomplices committed a felony? What exactly are we supposed to refrain from and why>?

[alcibiades_mystery]

26. This is, indeed, JDPriestly's

Mostly Moronic Idea.

[dkf]

2. How would they know of a wiretap if they didn't put it in?

[JDPriestly]

3. The removal of a wiretap they put in on an earlier occasion, that's what

I am asking. What if O'Keefe's purpose was to film them so that if they release some sort of "transcript" of bugged calls, they can show that they really were in Landrieu's office and messed with the phones?

Everyone is jumping to conclusions about how stupid these guys were. Regardless of what they did or did not learn, they broke the law. But they are rich and well connected so they may get by with it.

Who knows what they did or did not do?

[dkf]

4. Um wouldn't that be worse?

Attempting to wiretap a senators office is not as bad as actually doing it. That would mean 2 entrances too.

[JDPriestly]

8. Yes. From the point of view of criminal law it might be worse for the criminals,

but from a political point of view, it might be worse for Democrats.

I'm not suggesting that the theory in my OP is any more true than any other theory. I'm just pointing out that we don't know much yet so don't jump to any conclusions about what happened or who is or is not an idiot. We just don't know.

That these guys committed what apparently was a crime -- that's all we know.

[JDPriestly]

27. Point is it could be worse. They may never have placed any

wiretap. Point is, we have no idea what happened.

[cali]

7. this isn't like the balloon boy story

they've been arrested. They've at least partially admitted what they were up to, and they were so inept, I doubt they were there removing a wiretap that they had placed at an earlier time.

[Luminous Animal]

9. I had a similar thought earlier but I think I've come to a different conclusion.

I won't make any assumptions as to your point but given O'Keefe's reaction to his arrest, what if he thinks, as a self-proclaimed journalist, he already has the "goods" on Landrieu.

[JDPriestly]

28. It is equally likely that his smug looks are due to the fact

that he is somewhat deluded about his power. It's called self-righteous indignation. He may imagine that his cause is so just, so "right" that he is above the law. Does that sound familiar? GWB anyone? Rove anyone?

So, we really don't have enough facts about this case. The charges against him are very, very bare bones. They simply allege the most obvious of charges, that this group of men went to Landrieu's office attempting to look like telephone repair men and tried to get access to the phone system. Nearby, an accomplice was found in a car with some sort of listening device.

Beyond that, we don't know much. O'Keefe has an arrogant, cocky look on his face. That means nothing. Many arrestees have that look until they appear at their arraignment.

Most arrestees have some kind of complicated story that their mother and a few select friends believe. He will hire a lawyer who will try to at least act like he hasn't heard a million excuses before, a lawyer who will try to act like he believes his client is innocent. It's called an attorney's ethical duty of loyalty to the client.

We don't know the facts yet. Nobody does, not even O'Keefe.

I suspect that the accomplice in the car is already trying to talk his way out of whatever was going on. He is in the most trouble because he was found with a listening device -- hard to explain.

Also, it is possible that these guys were already under surveillance before they went to Landrieu's office -- or not.

This is like the balloon story in that the facts may turn out to be very different from the initial news story.

Anyway, this will be interesting.

Remember, the ACORN story according to O'Keefe turned out to be very different from the actual ACORN facts. This O'Keefe is a bit of a megalomaniac show-off.

[eirteacher]

11. Bullshit!!! The little pimp got busted. Third generation Ratfucker

Bullshit!!! The little pimp got busted.
He is nothing but a third generation Ratfucker like his nemesis Karl Rove and Ratfuck founder Donald Segretti of watergate fame.

[Rex]

12. Well based on his track record, I doubt it but

hold on to that thought.

[grasswire]

13. freepers are trying to parse that

you might want to read the whole thread I've linked to over there. They seem to think that the fact that O'Keefe was ready to record the other two when they came to fiddle with the handset means something planned. Check it out.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2437829/posts?q=1&;page=301

[Make7]

14. This may be the worst thing to happen to Dems since Franken won his recount. ( n/t )

:sarcasm:

[notesdev]

15. For the record

I called the balloon kid perfectly when the story came out.

[maddezmom]

16. the feds have said he's admitted to his role

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Mr. O'Keefe, who had traveled to New Orleans and delivered a speech Thursday, admitted to helping plan and coordinate the scheme.

The other men arrested were identified as Joseph Basel, 24, Stan Dai, 24, and Robert Flanagan, 24, of New Orleans. Mr. Flanagan is the son of William J. Flanagan, the interim U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana. The suspects are scheduled to appear in federal court in New Orleans on Feb. 12.

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

[Touchdown]

17. Your right. we can't jump to conclusions.

He is just as likely to have filmed his buddies whacking off on her desk.

:eyes:

[Chulanowa]

18. Nice satire

This is satire, right? I've been caught in a satire snare twice today, I just wanna make sure...

[Bucky]

19. What if the Joker was just checking Gotham's water supply for fluoride when Batman beat him up?

There's no reason to just assume that the big keg of poison right next to him actually belonged to the Joker... or, if it was his, that he actually intended to pour it into the reservoir. We shouldn't jump to conclusions just because that poor sick clown has made a few errors in judgment in the past.

[H2O Man]

20. Or what if they

were there to film the licking of a refrigorator?

[JVS]

21. Is this some kind of joke?

[SpiralHawk]

22. What if they were there to liberate David Vitter's secret diaper stash?

That would really stink.

[maddezmom]

23. LOL

:D

[trumad]

24. JD

I've read your comments below....and I must say, you sound like you're of your meds.

[zbdent]

25. back in the days when a Dem President was in charge and the Repugs

controlled the house and the senate, illegal wiretaps were just that ... illegal ...

Gingrich got caught doing a lot of deal-making, which was partly illegal, and went against the House ethics.

However, because it was done by a couple who figured out a way to listen in to cell phone/wireless phone conversations, and the "liberal media" was (and still is) beholden to the Reichwingers, the couple who recorded Gingrich's conversations (bribes) were arrested and charged with crimes. No action was taken against Gingrich because the evidence was inadmissible ...

Now, the tone is different ... well, maybe not ... the "liberal media" is still beholden to the Repugniconvicts, and there are still plenty of Bush appointee leftovers in the judicial branch (see recent dismissals of court cases) ...

If the pimp was there to "remove the taps he put in", you would look for the charges of the pimp to be dropped (despite the videotape of the removal being evidence of committing TWO crimes), and Landrieu to be "exposed" to legal process, despite the fact that the "evidence" obtained from the taps SHOULD have been inadmissible ... and Landrieu would be tried in the only court which counts any more, the court of the "liberal media" ...

[JDPriestly]

29. The evidence would be inadmissible.

And O'Keefe and his friends would be in deeper trouble than we could possibly imagine based on the charges brought against them at this time. Landrieu might or might not be embarrassed. I doubt that she holds confidential conversations that could embarrass her (if such exist) on the office in which she meets constituents. She probably does not spend that much time in New Orleans.

I don't know why people assume I am excusing O'Keefe. I'm suggesting that the facts could be a lot worse for O'Keefe -- or a lot better. He may been trying to show how easy it would be to wiretap Landrieu's office -- in which case he did not succeed.