Filmmaker Who Targeted ACORN Arrested in Alleged Senate Phone Scheme

Fox News ^ | 01/25/10

[BuckeyeTexan]

Developing ... James O'Keefe, of ACORN sting video fame, and three other suspects have been arrested by the FBI for interfering with LA Senator Landrieu's phone system on federal property.

[muawiyah]

There's "extortion" and then there's "unlawful extortion". Maryland will still lose ~ there was no expectation of privacy ~ these were not private matters but questions of getting government backed loans to run underage hos.

Not even a state question, but a federal issue, and the federal standard on recording is different than Marylands.

[muawiyah]

They're not even holding these guys are they? I read all the stories carefully and they usually say something about "where".

No one was armed either.

[Oceander]

Yes, they have destroyed the value of the tapes, because they've now provided a loud, noisy sideshow that will get trotted out any time the tapes are mentioned, and which will necessarily overshadow the tapes themselves.

Look, you sound like a really smart, reasonable person, but what you do seem to lack is a sufficient appreciation for the power of Alinsky's techniques, and the skills of the Democrats in applying those techniques - this is Alinsky 101: to destroy the message of the opposition, you isolate, polarize, ridicule, or, to put it verbatim, here's Rule 12:

RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions.(This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.)

"Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." Ok, we have the target - the tapes - now we freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it: Any time someone mentions "those ACORN tapes" the Democrats immediately say "oh yeah, weren't those filmed by so-and-so? Why yes, now that you mention it, they were, and you know what, six months later that guy got busted trying to tap Mary Landrieu's offices by pretending to be a telephone repairman. Now that's just beyond the pale, how can you trust someone who goes around trying to break into the offices of a Congresswoman and tap her phones?...."

Do you see where I'm going with this? The actual content of those tapes never gets discussed again, and each time the Democrats do this little song-and-dance, the more outlandish the purported behaviour will get, until it's been built into some sort of latter-day Watergate break-in, with Breitbart in the role of Nixon, or worse yet, of Haldeman or Ehrlichman (maybe then Palin becomes Nixon in drag??).

Sorry, but with all due respect, the value of those tapes has been destroyed by this little antic.

[Thunder90]

From Wikipedia:
“Under the law, racketeering activity means:

* Any violation of state statutes against gambling, murder, kidnapping, extortion, arson, robbery, bribery, dealing in obscene matter, or dealing in a controlled substance or listed chemical (as defined in the Controlled Substances Act);
* Any act of bribery, counterfeiting, theft, embezzlement, fraud, dealing in obscene matter, obstruction of justice, slavery, racketeering, gambling, money laundering, commission of murder-for-hire, and several other offenses covered under the Federal criminal code (Title 18);
* Embezzlement of union funds;
* Bankruptcy fraud or securities fraud;
* Drug trafficking; long-term and elaborate drug networks can also be prosecuted using the Continuing Criminal Enterprise Statute;
* Money laundering and related offenses;
* Bringing in, aiding or assisting aliens in illegally entering the country (if the action was for financial gain);
* Acts of terrorism.

Pattern of racketeering activity requires at least two acts of racketeering activity, one of which occurred after the effective date of this chapter and the last of which occurred within ten years (excluding any period of imprisonment) after the commission of a prior act of racketeering activity. The U.S. Supreme Court has instructed federal courts to follow the continuity-plus-relationship test in order to determine whether the facts of a specific case give rise to an established pattern. Predicate acts are related if they “have the same or similar purposes, results, participants, victims, or methods of commission, or otherwise are interrelated by distinguishing characteristics and are not isolated events.” (H.J. Inc. v. Northwestern Bell Telephone Co.) Continuity is both a closed and open ended concept, referring to either a closed period of conduct, or to past conduct that by its nature projects into the future with a threat of repetition.”

Extortion, wiretapping, and defamation of a target in such a way as to deprive them massively is considered an offense under RICO. Also, Okeefe can be charged with extortion and blackmail, as well as illegal videographing. Even though Okeefe did not recieve any money from ACORN, ACORN can go to court and prove that Okeefe caused criminal and civil damage to them (With Holder in their corner, this is probable). The fact that O’Keefe continued this activity, and advertised it, and attained money and fame from it, would constitute a racket under federal law (as ludicrous as it seems)

[fujimoh]

What are the chances this was a setup?

[Thunder90]

Also, you can get RICO if there is no financial gain. Again, “RICO laws were successfully cited in NOW v. Scheidler, 510 U.S. 249, 114 S. Ct. 798, 127 L.Ed. 2d 99 (1994), a suit in which certain parties, including the National Organization for Women, sought damages and an injunction against pro-life activists who physically block access to abortion clinics. The Court held that a RICO enterprise does not need an economic motive, and that the Pro-Life Action Network could therefore qualify as a RICO enterprise. The Court remanded for consideration of whether PLAN committed the requisite acts in a pattern of racketeering activity.”

[muawiyah]

Alinsky was an amateur. I spent a long time writing federal regulations ~ mine were and are used by 300 million people ~ not that piddling stuff referenced in passing by $1200 an hour legal talent and which have meaning to maybe a dozen people.

Alinsky’s cr*p may be good for smaller communities, but when you get up to the scale of an entire nation, they don’t mean a thing.

That’s probably why the Chicago crowd is still pretty much restricted to Chicago ~ and even with Obama as President, they are unable to provide any first-class minds to run the federal departments ~ that’s where you get all that third-rate nonsense from ~ third-rate people, and Obama doesn’t know better.

This country is so huge it’s eating those pukes up and it’ll be spitting them out soon ~ Alinsky or not.

[Sister_T]

Well this is what happens when citizens have to do the job that law enforcement won’t do.

We have a corrupt government right on up to the top. The original patriots had to break a few rules too. If we had an FBI that was doing it’s job and a congress not in bed with ACORN there would be no need for any of this to happen.

Our leaders are criminals breaking laws left and right and getting away with it. But when the people try to do something about it they become the criminals and are thrown in jail. Welcome to bizarro world.

AMEN! Bobalu is right. Your comment is the best so far on this topic and bears repeating.

I'll say this much though: this incident, whatever happens to O'Keefe, shows the difference between conservatives and liberals. Conservatives are like, "If this guy did this, if he broke the law, then he was stupid and he deserves whatever punishment he gets". Liberals, when one of their own is caught, breaking the law, are like, "No way! He shouldn't be punished! Look at all the good he wishes to do!".

[muawiyah]

" defamation " ~ ACORN defamed itself in its behavior.

Once you realize that you understand the rest of your argument is not applicable.

Basic axiom is that the criminal is not allowed to profit from his crime. Another axiom is that it is not sound public policy to discourage folks from ratting out criminal behavior.

[Oceander]

I would have preferred a civil conversation, but you apparently don't. That being the case, I'll close my end of the exchange with the following:

You don't seem to get that Obama won the election courtesy of Alinksy's methods, my friend - the whole enchilada - so who cares about your regulations (speaking of which, I've been on the other side of those who wrote the regulations, and we regularly danced circles around youze guys, so I wouldn't count that as being an altogether unalloyed point in your favor).

.

[muawiyah]

It all comes together in the Hobbs Act. So far I haven’t seen anything in any of this that suggests a pattern of behavior sufficient to justify invoking RICO. Besides, no one has been convicted of anything, and ACORN has no elemental right to a federal appropriation.

[PghBaldy]

Me too. I doubt the govt on this one.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Sounds like he was trying to set up a phone tap of some sort.

[muawiyah]

Yes, there are people who tried to dance, but a well written and designed regulation that conforms with the law is a joy to all.

I am still not impressed with Alinsky's nonsense, and Obama didn't win because he and the crowd around him are pure devotees of Alinsky.

Many of them engage in vote fraud, and they all lie a lot ~ a whole lot ~

[balch3]

Almost 100%, in my opinion. There are also a lot of posters in this thread who have already convicted these guys. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they were deep cover DU trolls. But that would NEVER happen /sarc

[Enchante]

hey, this may be wishful thinking on my part, but let’s consider this scenario:

first let’s postulate that O’Keefe may well be a very sensible and clever guy who would know better than to get himself caught up in what he appears to be caught up in

then let’s imagine why he and the others might be doing what they reportedly did

could it be that they did strictly stay on the right side or the law, or at least nothing beyond a misdemeanor, but that this is all a kind of “trojan horse” publicity stunt to get the Demagogues and MSM to focus upon these guys non-stop??

i.e., what if there is no “listening device” and/or it’s a fake device that could not actually work for any nefarious purpose?

what if they meant to be “caught” knowing (possibly) that there was no real case against them, but that the Demagogues and MSM would quickly over-play the hand, making these guys famous, and then it could boomerang against all who ignored or downplayed the ACORN stings?

not saying I can account for all details since (1) there is a lot we don’t know, and (2) I don’t claim to know what’s going to happen next in legal, political, and media terms..... but if this guy is as clever as he was for the ACORN stings, maybe this is all a set-up AGAINST the Demagogues and MSM..... ssssshhhh, if this is so let’s not tell anyone outside of FR..... we need the media and Demagogues to greatly over-react..... let Holder and even Obambi make statements etc. ooooh, this could be fun

[conservativegranny]

The more I read some of the comments here the more I’ve come to understand that the American people have accepted one form of justice for the left and another for the right.

If O’Keefe had been a democrat senator, or a democrat in the Obama administration he could have walked into a federal building, stolen documents, hid them in his pants and went home and burned them without penalty.

If O’Keefe was a democrat bundler he could have walked into the White House, bypassed the secret service and lied about having an invite. He could have even had access too and had his photograph taken with the president with a big ‘ol smile on his face and got away with it. In fact, do we know that the only reason O’Keefe was there was to get a photo of himself with the good Ms. Landrieu?

If O’Keefe had been working for the Obama administration he could have stood outside of a government owned building during an election and, holding a club, threatened and intimiated voters and got away with it.

If O’Keefe was a drunken philandering democrat senator he could drive his car off of a bridge and leave a woman to drown inside with no attempt to save her and never see a day in jail. Need I go on?

If O’Keefe had been working for the Obama administration he could have cheated on his taxes to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars and got away with it.

The mere fact that O’Keefe is being thrown under the bus without so much as hearing his version of what happened tells me that some aren’t even bothered by the fact that there are two set of laws in this country. One for the left and one for the right. One for democrat politicians and party operatives and another for the little people.

The people that really need to be in prison for 10 years are sitting in congress on a daily basis and working in the White House and stealing trillions of dollars from the American taxpayer with impunity.

We don’t know yet whether O’Keefe did something risky and foolish or he is a patriot trying to anything to motivate our law enforcement to do it’s job. He went into one of the most corrupt cities in the country. A city that has had leftist politicians stealing money from the taxpayer and committing fraud upon us for a very long time. Excuse me if I don’t lose any sleep about the fact that he may have broken a law or two.

What we should be bemoaning is the fact that nothing has been done about the ACORN problem. What has happened here is rather small potatoes compared to a muslim terrorist living amongst our military for years and walking right into an area with a weapon and murdering a bunch of them. It’s small potatoes compared to a muslim terrorist being able to get onto an international flight when he is on the no-fly list and almost succeed in detonating a bomb over Detroit.

Instead of throwing O’Keefe under the bus we should be screaming to high heaven that it’s time the media and the authorities paid more attention to the real crimes going on here that are being covered up and ignored.

In the meantime, good for O’Keefe. The only thing I’m sorry about is that he didn’t get away with whatever he was planning on doing. Whatever it was I’m sure it wasn’t as bad as intimidating voters in front of a polling place or blowing up an airplane over Detroit.

Our laws mean nothing when they are not fairly enforced. Justice hasn’t been blind in this country for a very long time now.

[trumandogz]

Typically, when one is arrested by the FBI, they are put on trial unless they accept a plea.

And with four suspects, each looking at hard time, I am sure one of them will sing like a bird.

[Enchante]

on the one hand, I doubt you’d seen my last post just before yours, b/c I am not assuming (now) that it will turn out to be any felony or even a crime at all...... I simply don’t know enough about what statutes might or might not apply, what the real facts are, what the defense will be, etc.

also, upon a bit of reflection I am willing to *hope* that O’Keefe & co. had/have some sounder plan than many of us see at the moment..... I just speculated that maybe this is even some kind of set-up against the Democrats to draw attention and then backfire on the liberals.... but I really have no idea, and it would seem to be a severely high-risk strategy in “personal” terms unless they have reasons to be sure they stopped short of violating laws or at least stopped short of felonies..... I simply don’t know.

But what I don’t accept is that the obvious and appalling double-standards in media, law, and politics mean that conservatives don’t have to be better, more honest, living according to OUR best beliefs and laws...... the sleaziness of so many Democrats and Mediascum does not justify breaking the law against them (if that did happen here), although the stench of hypocrisy will be very foul as liberals jump to condemn these guys when they do nothing about ACORN, New Black Panther Party, and on and on and on.... not to mention Eric Holder’s involvement in pardons of terrorists in the Clintonista era etc. etc. etc.

No one needs to convince me that the Democrats and MSM are a cesspool of low standards, chronic dishonesty, blatant biases, immorality, and treason

but while all that justifies many kinds of political “hardball” tactics to oppose and expose them, I believe that *we* must remain within the law

[conservativegranny]

Oh I agree with you that we haven’t much information just yet. It indeed may have been a stupid stunt. Or it could have been something else. What I am trying to point out is that there is a point when tyranny and injustice is so tipped in the favor of the bad guys that people start to take the law into their own hands. This is what happens when you do not have an ethical and functioning justice system.

We have an administration that doesn’t seem to have much respect for truth and ethical behavior either. It sometimes seems like the outlaws are in charge. Eventually there is a saturation point. I do not advocate always taking the high road when it only leads to hell. At some point you must fight back and you can’t worry about breaking a few tea cups if you know what I mean.

This is why it is so important that laws are enforced and enforced equally. I’d rather not see us end up having to make these types of choices. I’d rather see our system working like it was intended. Otherwise our laws do not mean anything anymore and the only ones following them are fools that won’t survive.

What I am hoping that instead of Sean Hannity and every conservative talk show host throwing these guys under the bus they point out that there are many crimes that have been excused and overlooked. When one part of society sees there are no consequences it isn’t long until the rest of the society starts to believe the same applies to them.