Right Of Center Media Leave James O’Keefe Stranded Over Latest Stunt

by Tommy Christopher | 4:34 pm, September 29th, 2010

» 41 comments

As more details emerge over conservative activist James O’Keefe‘s ugly attempt to lure CNN correspondent Abbie Boudreau onto a boat “filled with sexually explicit props and then record the session,” many are waiting to see what the reaction from the online right will be. Early indications are that O’Keefe may find himself adrift, as the founder of conservative watchdog Media Research Center has scathingly denounced O’Keefe, and even O’Keefe mentor Andrew Breitbart shows signs of distancing himself from his onetime star.

MRC’s Brent Bozell makes efficient use of space in vaporizing O’Keefe on Newsbusters:

The MRC unequivocally denounces James O’Keefe for his attempted assault on CNN. It isn’t just childish and immature; it’s ugly, dishonest and filthy. There is no place in the conservative movement for this type of behavior and that’s exactly what I warned about in a commentary piece I submitted to CNN.com just two days ago.

“Could the Citizen Journalist abuse the public trust?” I wrote in this piece that should run in the next few days. “Hypothetically, of course. Conservatives must all guard against this. Let there be scrutiny, by all means.” And I repeat: there must be scrutiny.

Bottom line: We want nothing to do with O’Keefe or his dirty antics.

Additionally, O’Keefe mentor Andrew Breitbart has popped up on Twitter, not to defend O’Keefe, but to respond to this tweet by Media Matters’ Oliver Willis:

wow, @andrewbreitbart’s crew strikes again. o’keefe planned to seduce cnn reporter on boat with sex toys

Breitbart responded by saying:

@owillis ‘@andrewbreitbart’s crew’? do you want to get sued for libel?

To be fair, Breitbart wouldn’t confirm that he was “distancing himself,” but the fact that he waded into the O’Keefe issue without offering his support is telling.

While Boudreau’s account of the incident is compelling in its own right, it is the excerpts of the 13-page “CNN Caper” document that really tell the tale. The sexually hostile trappings of the setup, corroborated by O’Keefe’s would-be accomplice, make this incident nearly impossible to defend, but here’s what will really force conservatives to denounce, rather than just ignore, O’Keefe’s misadventure: as part of the proposed script, they anticipated Boudreau’s objection that she’s a married woman:

AB: You can’t be serious. I’m married.

JO: Abbie, there’s never going to be a right time for you and I. There’s only right now.

The document also urges O’Keefe to have a “more sleazy persona than normal,” and that he should be “touchy-feely.”

It’s touches like these that will make it impossible to shrug this off as a mere “prank,” rather than an “assault,” as Bozell characterizes it. Look for more conservative denunciations to follow. Not only is this incident radioactive, but as I reported earlier this year, O’Keefe isn’t nearly as beloved by conservatives as you might think.

Abbie Boudrau, ACORN, Andrew Breitbart, Brent Bozell, CNN, James O'Keefe, MRC, Newsbusters

jk76

‘sued for libel’ is saying ‘we weren’t involved’

I’m getting the feeling that this is supposed to be a suprise that he did something like this? He tried to bug a government office. This is like I said before a psuedo-prank. I get it, he’s supposed to be right-wing so he’s stupid and BOOM, flood the airwaves. Some people deserve Oscars for the outrage that’s being shown and for the yet to come anger.

I guess if it’s talked about enough online, perhaps it’ll make TV that isn’t CNN or MSNBC.
SpineCrusher

jk76 said:
’sued for libel’ is saying ‘we weren’t involved’ I’m getting the feeling that this is supposed to be a suprise that he did something like this? He tried to bug a government office. This is like I said before a psuedo-prank. I get it, he’s supposed to be right-wing so he’s stupid and BOOM, flood the airwaves. Some people deserve Oscars for the outrage that’s being shown and for the yet to come anger. I guess if it’s talked about enough online, perhaps it’ll make TV that isn’t CNN or MSNBC.

new to politics are you? It shows TeaBagger.

If you don’t know who this punk is and who’s been handling him, you’re out of the loop and your comments aren’t worth shit.

Even attempting to defend him shows how pathetic and small minded you are.
http://www.nukethefridge.com MartiniShark

The fact is it was the left of center media that attached O’Keefe to the right. Sure, his work with the ACORN videos was picked up by Brietbart, but he was not sent by the media owner himself. While he was not bugging Landrieu’s office (no charges of such exist) he also was not sent out by conservative media.
SpineCrusher

MartiniShark said:
The fact is it was the left of center media that attached O’Keefe to the right. Sure, his work with the ACORN videos was picked up by Brietbart, but he was not sent by the media owner himself. While he was not bugging Landrieu’s office (no charges of such exist) he also was not sent out by conservative media.

Oh such a clever misinformationalist you are.

You are correct, they were not charged for “bugging” the Senator’s office.

They were charged with entering federal property under false pretenses for the purpose of committing a felony — specifically, “maliciously interfering with a telephone system operated and controlled by the United States of America.”

But I guess that’s just a MINOR point, right? He wasn’t doing anything illegal, right?
Jackie_Treehorn

MartiniShark said:
The fact is it was the left of center media that attached O’Keefe to the right. Sure, his work with the ACORN videos was picked up by Brietbart, but he was not sent by the media owner himself. While he was not bugging Landrieu’s office (no charges of such exist) he also was not sent out by conservative media.

He was given a spot on Breitbarts sites. His attacks are against all things seen as left wing. How is he not a rightie again? The media didn’t have to attach him. Anyone with half a brain came to that conclusion long ago….
http://www.facebook.com/people/Phil-Bourekas/1538058627 Phil Bourekas

I am generally a conservative. I relate to and agree with many of the tenets of the tea party–smaller government, fiscal responsibility, tax burden minimization.

However, this is reprehensible. His actions do NOT represent me or my beliefs in what is proper.
Jackie_Treehorn

Shit Breitbart couldn’t have been any faster. O’Keefe had an article up yesterday and as of today no mention of him anywhere on any of the sites.
SpineCrusher

I hope they release the name of the individual who wrote the script for him…a high-level conservative operative.

The Manhatten CC is out O’Keefe is in!! Just what the Dems needed to fire up the base 5 weeks before the elections!!

Looks like Breitbart has been Breitbarted by his own Rent Boy! HAHAHAHA!!
SpineCrusher

Phil Bourekas said:
I am generally a conservative. I relate to and agree with many of the tenets of the tea party–smaller government, fiscal responsibility, tax burden minimization. However, this is reprehensible. His actions do NOT represent me or my beliefs in what is proper.

They represent the conservative movement in America and the lows they have and will continue to will stoop to.

It’s unfortunate, but if you support FOX news or BigGovernment.org then you ARE responsible for this. This is how they get the false stories out into the public.

The ACORN videos were proven to be highly and selectively edited to show a complete fabrication of what really happened, but soooo many conservatives were quick to jump on it and beat down an organization that did a lot of good.

tsk, tsk, tsk
Big_F-ing_Deal

Haha…Breitbart is worried about his “reputation”.

Classic.
http://www.nukethefridge.com MartiniShark

SpineCrusher said:
Oh such a clever misinformationalist you are. You are correct, they were not charged for “bugging” the Senator’s office. They were charged with entering federal property under false pretenses for the purpose of committing a felony — specifically, “maliciously interfering with a telephone system operated and controlled by the United States of America.” But I guess that’s just a MINOR point, right? He wasn’t doing anything illegal, right?

When did I give misinformation then? He did that on his own, and he was charged. Where was I wrong? In fact the “misinformationalists” were the leftist reporters who raced to accuse him of bugging the Senate office, and then walked-back their interpretation as the facts came out on what he actually did there.
http://www.nukethefridge.com MartiniShark

Jackie_Treehorn said:
He was given a spot on Breitbarts sites. His attacks are against all things seen as left wing. How is he not a rightie again? The media didn’t have to attach him. Anyone with half a brain came to that conclusion long ago….

That an admission about your own brain? O’Keefe has not had anything else reported by him or through him. His last stunt at the Senate office was rebuked by all, as is this latest screw-up.
Magic Dog

“O’Keefe isn’t nearly as beloved by conservatives as you might think.”

Yeah, right. You whackjobs have been falling all over yourselves to heap praise on the degenerate freak.
Magic Dog

MartiniShark said:
The fact is it was the left of center media that attached O’Keefe to the right. Sure, his work with the ACORN videos was picked up by Brietbart, but he was not sent by the media owner himself. While he was not bugging Landrieu’s office (no charges of such exist) he also was not sent out by conservative media.

Oh please. O’Keefe has been a wingnut star. Fox News is in love with the degenerate, just like they were in love with Matt Sanchez, the gay Marine prostitute, and so many other sex freaks.
Magic Dog

“O’Keefe mentor Andrew Breitbart shows signs of distancing himself from his onetime star.”

That’s another wingnut lie. Breitbart has shown absolutely no “signs of distancing himself” from O’Keefe, nor has Fox News. Wingnuts love perverts.
http://www.nukethefridge.com MartiniShark

Magic Dog said:
Oh please. O’Keefe has been a wingnut star. Fox News is in love with the degenerate, just like they were in love with Matt Sanchez, the gay Marine prostitute, and so many other sex freaks.

I agree, like that second story he reported, where he showed . . . um, when they proved that . . . and there was that other time where he . . . well, I’m sure there was at least one other story he did that was on Fox.
Magic Dog

What Fox and its wingnut friends have said about the Wingnut Perv Wonder Boy:

Breitbart: O’Keefe “is already well on his way to being one of the great journalists” and deserves a Pulitzer. On the September 10, 2009, edition of Fox News’ Hannity, BigGovernment.com founder Andrew Breitbart said of the ACORN videos, “It was two intrepid — a 25-year-old by the name of James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles. She wants to be a journalist and I think James is already well on his way to being one of the great journalists.” Breitbart added that “I’m just here to tell you that James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles are heroes for doing this because we all knew that this is what happens at ACORN, to a degree.” Breitbart further stated of O’Keefe and Giles on the September 14 edition of Hannity, “[L]et me tell you. I’ve never been more proud of two people in my entire life.” In a September 21 Washington Times column, Breitbart further wrote, “At the very least, filmmaker James O’Keefe and actress Hannah Giles deserve a Pulitzer Prize for their expose of deep corruption and unspeakable immorality at the ACORN housing division. But more important, I won’t rest until they receive a grant to continue their partisan artistry from the National Endowment for the Arts.”

Beck: Giles’ “partner in crime” O’Keefe is “courageous.” Glenn Beck hosted Hannah Giles, who helped produce the videos, during the September 10, 2009, edition of his Fox News program and stated, “I talked to you on the radio program earlier today. I encouraged you not to expose yourself anymore. I think that you are a very courageous person. I think your partner in crime here, or exposing crime is also courageous.” (All television transcripts were accessed via the Nexis database.)

Hannity: O’Keefe is a “pioneer in journalism.” Sean Hannity stated during the September 14, 2009, edition of his Fox News program, while hosting Breitbart and Giles, “Hannah, you are — you have taught the media a lesson. You should be very proud. Andrew, you’ve always been a brave, you know, pioneer in journalism and same with James O’Keefe.”

O’Reilly: “Frank and Conyers should be giving Ms. Giles and Mr. O’Keefe congressional medals.” Bill O’Reilly stated on the September 23, 2009, edition of his Fox News program, “Congressman Frank of Massachusetts and Congressman Conyers of Michigan want Congressional investigators to see if the undercover duo broke any federal laws. In addition, they want to find out exactly what ACORN is guilty of and they want to examine the group’s housing opportunities agenda.” O’Reilly added, “In my opinion, Frank and Conyers should be giving Ms. Giles and Mr. O’Keefe congressional medals for exposing corruption that apparently the Feds were not able to expose.”

Michael Flynn agrees O’Keefe is a hero, says O’Keefe is owed “an apology and also a thank you for rooting out these employees.” BigGovernment.com editor in chief Michael Flynn stated during the September 10, 2009, edition of Hannity, “You know, it really — and I really think, I mean, to bill [sic] on what Andrew said about them being heroes, I mean, I really think ACORN owes a big apology to the Mr. O’Keefe. This morning they put out a statement, you know, charging him with gotcha journalism and said he was committing defamation.” Flynn added, “And then a few hours later, apparently, doing their own investigation, realizing there was truth to what Mr. O’Keefe reported they fired these employees. So they definitely owe Mr. O’Keefe an apology and also a thank you for rooting out these employees.”

Coulter: O’Keefe and Giles are “so magnificent.” Appearing on the September 11, 2009, edition of Fox News’ Hannity, Ann Coulter said of O’Keefe and Giles, “Those were the two most unbelievable pimps and prostitutes I’ve ever seen. She has perfect skin, gorgeous hair. Oh, and I really liked the fur coat. I love that.” She added, “These young right-winners [sic], they are so magnificent. Why can’t they — they be the Republicans in Washington?”

Lowry: O’Keefe deserves “award for impactful guerilla journalism.” In a September 15, 2009, post titled “ACORN” on the blog The Corner, National Review editor Rich Lowry wrote: “If there’s an award for impactful guerilla journalism, O’Keefe, Giles, and Breitbart should win it.”

Examiner.com’s Dupray: “Looks like a Pulitzer might be in order.” In a September 15, 2009, Examiner.com post, “DC Republican Examiner” Bill Dupray stated, “The big takeaway here is not even that ACORN is a bunch of criminals, it is that it took two conservative investigative journalists to do the job of the entire main stream media. Looks like a Pulitzer might be in order.”

Wallace featured “fascinating character” O’Keefe as “Power Player of the Week.” During the September 27, 2009, edition of Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace named O’Keefe the “Power Player of the Week,” and stated, “Rarely does a piece of investigative reporting get such a big and quick response, and rarely is the undercover reporter such a fascinating character.”

Steven Clark: O’Keefe should be “immunize[d]” for his “heroic efforts” in producing ACORN videos. Attorney and frequent TV legal analyst Steven Clark stated on the October 2, 2009, edition of The O’Reilly Factor, “What I hope the attorney general will do is immunize these two filmmakers for their heroic efforts and put them on the witness stand so at least they can testify as to what’s going on out there. I doubt you will see them prosecuted. I hope they look carefully at what they were doing before they did it. They put themselves in harm’s way here because of the bigger problem that they saw with ACORN.”

Bolling on ACORN videos: “I’m all for this, you know, dressing up and catching them.” Fox Business Network Happy Hour co-host Eric Bolling said to O’Keefe on November 20, 2009, “I’m all for this, you know dressing up and catching them doing things that are frankly illegal, immoral and unethical.” Bolling went on to characterize O’Keefe as an “investigative journalist, just like, remember, ‘To Catch a Predator.’ ”

Fox Business’ Willard: “[E]verybody applauds” O’Keefe. Also on the November 20, 2009, edition of Happy Hour, co-host Cody Willard said to O’Keefe, “[O]ne of the things — I think everybody applauds you in going after people that are, I don’t know, helping prostitutes and pimps and child trafficking happen on the planet instead of, I don’t know reporting that type of stuff. But I got to ask you, you know the money that goes into ACORN, we’re talking about $100 million here and there, what not, why did you choose ACORN as the target when there are, I don’t know, much bigger targets, for example, say Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street bailouts, all kinds of other corruption out there?” Willard later added, “James, I tell you what, man, little brother is watching big brother. Orwell had it wrong. That’s the man right there” and told O’Keefe to “[r]ock on, man.”
http://www.nukethefridge.com MartiniShark

And . . . ?

All those comments you found surround the work on the ACORN videos. And like I said twice above: What other reporting has he done since then?
right-is-wrong

Big_F-ing_Deal said:
Haha…Breitbart is worried about his “reputation”.

Classic.

They’re falling all over themselves tonight aren’t they?
Magic Dog

MartiniShark said:
And . . . ?

All those comments you found surround the work on the ACORN videos. And like I said twice above: What other reporting has he done since then?

His Acorn videos were a lie, and his perv tendencies were on display back then, with the pimp get up. You wingnuts are real sex freaks, aren’t ya?
Magic Dog

SpineCrusher said:
Oh such a clever misinformationalist you are.

You are correct, they were not charged for “bugging” the Senator’s office.

They were charged with entering federal property under false pretenses for the purpose of committing a felony — specifically, “maliciously interfering with a telephone system operated and controlled by the United States of America.”

But I guess that’s just a MINOR point, right? He wasn’t doing anything illegal, right?

Yeah, we can file that one under the right-wing’s reverence for the Rule of Law!
right-is-wrong

MartiniShark said:
I agree, like that second story he reported, where he showed . . . um, when they proved that . . . and there was that other time where he . . . well, I’m sure there was at least one other story he did that was on Fox.

That because they distanced themselves when he got busted screwin
with the phones
soccermom

The left is pathetic. I think you’ve already beat this non-story to death. Is Christine O’Donnell out of town or something? You aren’t going to “get” Fox or Breitbart. They aren’t going anywhere no matter how hard you try. In your defense, you have to use these tactics because American’s aren’t buying what you are selling so you constantly have to try to play gotcha with the right. Pathetic and sad.
Magic Dog

soccermom said:
The left is pathetic. I think you’ve already beat this non-story to death. Is Christine O’Donnell out of town or something? You aren’t going to “get” Fox or Breitbart. They aren’t going anywhere no matter how hard you try. In your defense, you have to use these tactics because American’s aren’t buying what you are selling so you constantly have to try to play gotcha with the right. Pathetic and sad.

You freaks just love your Wingnut Pervert Poster Children, don’t you? Got a daughter, soccer mom? You want Jimmy near here with the roofies, do ya? Wait, don’t answer that.
http://www.nukethefridge.com MartiniShark

Magic Dog said:
You freaks just love your Wingnut Pervert Poster Children, don’t you? Got a daughter, soccer mom? You want Jimmy near here with the roofies, do ya? Wait, don’t answer that.

For whatever reason you think everyone has been absorbing everything O’Keefe has done. He has not been heard from since the ACORN videos, and when he was busted in the Senate offices everyone condemned him then. You want to hang an entire party on this lone guy, but it is a desperate ploy. The guy was acting alone, is not a Fox reporter, and has already been criticised for his previous actions.

You know Dog, if this is going to be your standard to defame an entire party do not go to HuffPo, or like-minded sources, where there is vitriol on a daily basis near the same levels.
http://www.nukethefridge.com MartiniShark

right-is-wrong said:
That because they distanced themselves when he got busted screwinwith the phones

So how could the right be smeared now by what he did?
Magic Dog

MartiniShark said:
For whatever reason you think everyone has been absorbing everything O’Keefe has done. He has not been heard from since the ACORN videos, and when he was busted in the Senate offices everyone condemned him then. You want to hang an entire party on this lone guy, but it is a desperate ploy. The guy was acting alone, is not a Fox reporter, and has already been criticised for his previous actions.

You know Dog, if this is going to be your standard to defame an entire party do not go to HuffPo, or like-minded sources, where there is vitriol on a daily basis near the same levels.

Your Pervert Wonder Boy was a rising star on Fox News. Oh, and the ACORN videos were faked. Not that the truth has ever once mattered to you, to Mediaite, or to any of the Republican whores.
http://www.nukethefridge.com MartiniShark

“Ever once”? Really? Wow, you know me so well, it’s like you can peer into my mind — or hallucinate your own version of reality. It’s kinda hard to tell.

Now, I’m going to attempt to steer you back towards my original point way back when, and ask once again, when was the last time O’Keefe did anythiing journalistic since the ACORN vids? See, so many on these boards are painting him as the darling of Fox News and the ilk, but I cannot think of any time he has done any other work for them, or others. You can claim anything towards me all you like, but I have never once defended the guy or claimed him to be a journalist. But keep focusing on a fringe player like this, I’m sure it makes you feel better.
right-is-wrong

MartiniShark said:
You want to hang an entire party on this lone guy, but it is a desperate ploy.

There is the whole breitbart thing

MartiniShark said:
The guy was acting alone

well breitbart got him started
http://www.nukethefridge.com MartiniShark

So what? What else has he done, and when else has been cited as a source for anything? You yourself said Fox distanced themselves from him during the “wiretap” episode, so how can they get hung by this? I guess this means any time Media Matters or Daily Kos screrws up a story we get to condemn the entire media establishment, because they rely on those sources with a vast amount more frequency.
right-is-wrong

MartiniShark said:
So what? What else has he done, and when else has been cited as a source for anything? You yourself said Fox distanced themselves from him during the “wiretap” episode, so how can they get hung by this? I guess this means any time Media Matters or Daily Kos screrws up a story we get to condemn the entire media establishment, because they rely on those sources with a vast amount more frequency.

Gotcha

I thought we were talking about this

Right Of Center Media Leave James O’Keefe Stranded Over Latest Stunt

Fair enough on the Fox thing, but you have to admit that Hannity should be eating his words (views)
DonnaK

You might know that Soccermom.michelleF, would take the side of a scumbag conservative like O’Keefe instead of a woman reporter that O”Keefe was trying to take down. How sad it is that your political voice is far more important to you than decency!! You are always calling people hypocrites on this board, and your the biggest one of all!! pathetic
shootfromthehip

Right on, DonnaK.

Truth.
http://www.nukethefridge.com MartiniShark

DonnaK said:
You might know that Soccermom.michelleF, would take the side of a scumbag conservative like O’Keefe instead of a woman reporter that O”Keefe was trying to take down. How sad it is that your political voice is far more important to you than decency!! You are always calling people hypocrites on this board, and your the biggest one of all!! pathetic

What did she say in support of O’Keefe? All she said was the story has been over-reported.
DonnaK

Oh, and why would she think it was over-reported unless she felt as conservatives always do, shut up the media, unless it is something they think will bring down the people they hate. The conservatives couldn’t get enough of the acorn story, it was on Fox for weeks, even after it was proven wrong!!
http://www.nukethefridge.com MartiniShark

I see, so that means she was taking the side of a scumbag? Interesting train of thought. Over reported could mean no less than 4 stories on this site in one day dedicated to the same incident.
Kitsune

And remember, if you’re not a progressive, you’re not ALLOWED to condemn O’Keefe, according to most of the posters in this section!

WTF is that about?
right-is-wrong

Kitsune said:
And remember, if you’re not a progressive, you’re not ALLOWED to condemn O’Keefe, according to most of the posters in this section!

WTF is that about?

WTF is that about?
mibwilso

“Right-of-center media”?? Now THAT’S a strained euphemism if I’ve ever heard one.
Magic Dog

MartiniShark said:
“Ever once”? Really? Wow, you know me so well, it’s like you can peer into my mind — or hallucinate your own version of reality. It’s kinda hard to tell.

Now, I’m going to attempt to steer you back towards my original point way back when, and ask once again, when was the last time O’Keefe did anythiing journalistic since the ACORN vids? See, so many on these boards are painting him as the darling of Fox News and the ilk, but I cannot think of any time he has done any other work for them, or others. You can claim anything towards me all you like, but I have never once defended the guy or claimed him to be a journalist. But keep focusing on a fringe player like this, I’m sure it makes you feel better.

He hasn’t been a “fringe player.” Your wingnut heroes at Fox News have been pimping your Wingnut Pervert Boy ever since he faked the ACORN videos. You wingnuts just looooooooooooove your perverts and your lies and your liars.
timcajun

O’Keefe, got caught up in the Fox wave! He was always a half truth , maybe law breaker and he got exposed. The conservatives have done the right thing.