O'Keefe supporters: intent was to show that citizens can't get through to Landrieu's office

[sabra]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/27/AR2010012702917.html?hpid=topnews

<snip>

Conservative supporters of O'Keefe claim he and two others entered Landrieu's office in an effort to conduct another undercover video sting -- to show on video that citizens trying to call the senator's phones to complain could not get through. Two of O'Keefe's partners, prosecutors allege, pretended they were telephone repair workers to get access to the office receptionist's phone, while O'Keefe was inside the office and using a cellphone to record them trying to call the line.

Opponents of the health-care reform legislation had complained earlier this year that they repeatedly heard busy signals when they tried to call Landrieu's office to register their views. In the recent incident, prosecutors allege, both of the men impersonating repair technicians, Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan, tried to call the unused telephone with their cellphones and Basel stated that he could not get through.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in New Orleans declined to comment on the allegation or the details of what O'Keefe and the others were attempting to do. A law enforcement source said investigators are still sorting through the evidence and conducting interviews.

[maddezmom]

1. not buying it

[sabra]

3. looks like the talking point/meme has been formed...

I imagine we'll hear more about this from other "sources"

[kenfrequed]

13. It is a lie.

Why would you need to access the telephone controls for this. They tried to lie their way into a federal building. Hopefully their equipment was seized when they were arrested by US marshalls.

[maddezmom]

27. they've been trying out a few. None of them make sense.

good to see you Sabra. :hug:

[Bitwit1234]

37. And neither is any other intelligent being on the whole planet

[Arctic Dave]

2. Riiiiiight. Videotaping themselves making phone calls would not do the same thing.

[derby378]

4. We shall guarantee Landrieu's accountability - by compromising her security?

How the hell do you spin something like this?

[mzmolly]

5. Bull

shit. One could easily demonstrate that by trying to call on video, right James?

[devilgrrl]

6. What a pile of horseshit!

:nuke:

[WhiteTara]

7. what a bunch of sleazoids. n/t

[krispos42]

8. I think it's more important that SPIES can't get into a Senator's office

Idiots.

[Jim__]

9. And, why, exactly, did they have to get into the phone closet? - n/t

[Rosa Luxemburg]

10. Like a bloody Monty Python sketch

oh yes we just wanted to see if we could get through - nice try!

[Ikonoklast]

11. And the lawyer that brings that defense before a judge will get laughed out of the courtroom.

Conspiracy to commit a crime on Federal property is in itself a Federal crime.

[LiberalFighter]

31. I hope it is James Bopp Jr

[ddeclue]

12. WHO GIVES A FUCK? They don't get to make excuses for BREAKING THE LAW

They belong in a Federal Prison for a long long long long time. Conspiracy, fraud, wiretap, espionage, sabotage - any of these ring a bell Mr. O'Keefe?

[BOSSHOG]

16. And

The Head FBI guy in New Orleans, Jim Letten is a badass law and order ass kicking motherfucker. I hope he punishes with gusto.

[renegade000]

14. what so they're pretending like they're actually repairmen now?

"We're just concerned citizens who felt it was our civic duty to gain access to the telecommunications hub of our local federal facility and effect repairs!"

:crazy:

[Fleshdancer]

15. BULLSHIT!

:rofl:

You don't need to illegally tap a senator's phone to prove this! Put your own phone on speaker, videotape you dialing the number, then keep recording while the busy signal comes on. This is the problem with republicans: NO creativity. I demand funnier justification or conspiracies from these nuts. Right now they're only giving me maybe 1/3 of their crackpot effort and, quite frankly, I'm disappointed.


:rofl:

[anonymous171]

17. Who cares? Just throw the freak in prison already.

[Fleshdancer]

21. I do! The very least these "supporters" can do is to think up something funnier

It's a republican scandal and over the years I've come to expect funnier theories from these idiots. They are not giving their full effort on this one!

[DireStrike]

18. Erm... I don't believe that is a valid reason for breaking the law

These desperate but pointless excuses make me happy. I take them to mean he probably has no real defense.

[JBoy]

19. I was just trying to return these drugs to their rightful owner, officer.

[Robb]

28. LOL! Thanks.

You nailed it. :D

[Arkansas Granny]

As the old folks always said, "A poor excuse is better than none".

[malaise]

20. It doesn't matter WTF they were trying to prove

They broke the fugging law - off to prison they go.

[City Lights]

22. Liars.

What a lame argument. :eyes:

[LostInAnomie]

23. Bullshit.

I can think of about 20 more effective ways to show this on film without having to wire-tap a senator's office.

[spanone]

24. not if you show up posing as the phone man with no credentials....throw the book at them

[theothersnippywshrub]

25. O'Keefe could have videotaped the receptionist's phone while another teabugger called from just

outside the office as yet a third teabugger videotaped him. But that would have resulted in a videotape of the receptionist answering the phone. Way too risky. Much safer to commit a felony.

[glinda]

26. Heresay. BS. I object!

[Fuzz]

29. LMFAO

[ljm2002]

30. Ha ha ha, what a lame pile-o-crap excuse that is!

Well it doesn't really matter, they were tampering with the phone lines of a sitting U.S. Senator, posing as someone other than who they really were in order to gain access -- they broke federal laws, period. And why on earth should anyone believe their lame-o story anyway? We know who they are.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

32. Bullshit!

God has horns.

[Ian David]

33. So, their excuse is that they were going to sabotage the Senator's official govt phone lines...

... and then videotape them not answering the phone...

... and then use that footage to blame the senator for not taking phone calls?

That's the story they're gonna stick with?

[blondeatlast]

34. Of course--and this is what a DC pimp looks like...

[Odin2005]

35. Liar, liar, pants on fire!

[gratuitous]

36. Is that this hour's excuse?

Because last I heard, they were trying to "catch" Sen. Landrieu talking smack about her constituents. I guess someone explained that that still involved a federal crime, so this is the new excuse. Next up, "We thought we were in our own office! Just got misdirected by our GPS!"

[ck4829]

38. Then why not do a survey, call her and see what happens, etc.?

Seriously, who is dumb enough to buy this?

[WeDidIt]

39. Then why would the assholes need access to the telephone closet?

Looks like a count of perjury is going to be added.

[uppityperson]

40. hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[WolverineDG]

41. So basically, they've said they intended to eavesdrop phone conversations to a US Senator's office

in a federal building.

So, when do they plead guilty to wiretapping?

dg

[Cass]

42. It doesn't matter what they intended, they broke the law big-time.

And now they are in a heap of trouble.

[BarbaRosa]

43. (Cue Jon Lovitz voice) Yeah, that's the ticket,

just a simple demonstration.