Right Wing Darling James O’Keefe: The Man Who Exposed ACORN and Lucky Charms
James O’Keefe seems to be everywhere these days – or at least everywhere a right-winger would be paying attention to. He’s on Fox News all the time (sometimes even in a pimp costume), on Drudge Report, and today, on the cover of the New York Post.
Where did this 25-year-old intrepid conservative undercover reporter come from? We have the inside scoop – and it’s pretty spectacular.
Before we get into what we’ve found, it’s important to note just how much O’Keefe has accomplished in the last week. Since his undercover videos exposing ACORN were posted on BigGovernment.com, he got the U.S. Census to stop working with ACORN, and last night he got the Senate to cut ACORN’s federal funding. These are real, impressive results.
We talked to several of O’Keefe’s former classmates. Let’s get to know the GOP’s new young hero:
• He started an alternative, conservative magazine while a student at Rutgers University, called The Centurion. The most recent issue available is from March 2009, and features a cover story: “Paul Robeson: New Jersey’s Favorite Stalinist.” Here’s a bit of their mission statement:
We believe in fiscal and moral responsibility, a strong national defense, free-market economics, American exceptionalism, and God. We stand unyielding in defense of our motto, “Veritas vos liberabit,” or “The truth shall set you free.”
• He waged a campaign against dining halls serving Lucky Charms. You see, besides being magically delicious, O’Keefe thought the cereal was offensive to Irish Americans.
• He ran an affirmative action bake sale. Let’s repeat – an affirmative action bake sale, where they sold baked goods for different prices based on your race. This was all to prove a point, of course, that affirmative action is bad.
• He was in the Glee Club. That’s about it.
The best part about this – just like his hidden camera investigations of ACORN, O’Keefe documented these on YouTube as well. Find some of the videos below.
His Facebook profile is also popping with interesting info. Here are his favorite books:
Rules for Radicals, Dedication and Leadership, The Global Activist’s Handbook, The True Believer, Witness: Letter to my Children, Courage: The Joy of Living Dangerously, The Dream of the Ridiculous Man, Eclipse of the Sun, The Sea Within: Waves and the Meaning of All Things, Airborne: A sentimental Journey, The War Against Boys, The Death of the West, The Black Book of Communism, The Unaborted Socrates, The ISI Student Guide to Liberal Learning, The Closing of the American Mind, Anything by C.S. Lewis, Orthodoxy, Comedia Divina,
Also – there are some great pictures. We made a Flickr slideshow because they’re worth it – check it out.
He’s got some very detailed essays on his Facebook page as well – like this one extolling the virtues of living on a boat.
We’ve reached out to this up-and-coming O’Reilly ambusher-like 20-something. James – we’d love to talk to you, by phone, email or undercover video.
Here’s O’Keefe exposing the injustice that is Lucky Charms:
Here’s that Affirmative Action Bake Sale:
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14 comments
Great to see the efforts of Glen Beck, James and Hannah pay off!!
Would we knew even a tenth as much about network correspondents or anchors.
But Steve, you should email, tweet, or do something to get hold of ABC News anchor/managing editor Charles Gibson. When talking to morning hosts on WLS radio (Chicago) this morning, he professed to have not even heard about the O’Keefe-ACORN dustups.
James and Hannah are kicking some serious ass.
How many of you think Obama will be questioned about ACORN during his “rounds” on Sunday? Who do you think will have the balls to do it?
I’ll take your bet Libra – I say he gets asked about ACORN on two out of five.
O.K. Steve, that’s a deal!
BTW, are you watching Beck? He is running a bigger and better ACORN video. I would love to hear someone ask BO about this one!
Whoa . . . am I the only one getting a Lee Harvey Oswald vibe from those photos!?!?
@libra blue:
CNN and Univision (as a dark horse to ask) most likely to have the huevos to ask about ACORN.
@greenhaven, CNN will never venture there. You can’t even get comments about the ACORN tapes posted to the AC360 blog. You might be right about Univision tho unless they have to submit the questions ahead of time.
Since these interviews will probably be taped I guess it won’t matter. I am not interested in seeing rehearsed answers to those questions. That would be a waste of my time.
I hope you are right, Steve.
But they all know if they ask that kind of tough question the chances of a repeat booking will be very, very slim.
@KCCentral
Yes… you are.
Just to be very honest here – my bet is picking CNN and ABC as the two networks to ask about ACORN. That means NBC, CBS and Univision will not. I’m willing to make a serious bet about it – anyone want to take me up on it?
You all act like Obama started ACORN and has a desk there. He can’t be respinsible for every bad hire at every partially taxpayer funded organization in the country.
I personally don’t care if they shut all ACORN offices down. The only thing I care about is if the media does a fair job of asking about health care reform this Sunday.
If anyone questions Obama about ACORN, and I have my doubts, they should ask him if he agrees with the Senate’s 83-7 vote to stop funding ACORN.
I just hope this isn’t a set up by O’Keefe and his partner to burn FNC. I am a little suspicious of him. I guess anything is possible.
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