Its Hard Out There for a Pimp Sings James O'Keefe

Pimping: Gateway to Hard Crimes

ACORN Cleared, Right Wing 'Pimp' Arrested

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Its Hard Out There for a Pimp Sings James O'Keefe

STORY: ACORN Foe and Pimp James O'Keefe along with three others is arrested for attempting to put undercover cameras in the New Orleans office of Senator Mary Landrieu.

Let me jump ahead our story of the fall from grace of this neo-con icon and get to a statement from the Right Wing media that made him their idol and Teabagger hero:

“If he’s done what it’s said he’s done,” said Seton Motley, director of communications at the conservative Media Research Center, “the left-wing media is going to be all over him in a way they weren’t when he did the ACORN investigation. They’re going to love pounding him on this.”

Damn Skippy and hell YES!

And why shouldn't they?

I know that Motley and the rest of his conservative media cronies thought that the left-wing should 'pile-on' the destruction of an organization like ACORN that has done a phenomenal job of helping the poor, homeless, feed the hungry.

But unlike his conservative support, Progressives, Democrats, and everyone that values the role of Community Based Organizations (something Senior Bush once affectionately refered to as: "A thousand points of light") are not yet ready to forgive O'Keefe's efforts to deny services for the poor, homeless, ill, and disenfranchised citizens.

His personal toll in the destruction of aid to these people can not be measured in just the hundreds of thousands of dollars in loss revenue but must bear the yardstick of broken families and unspeakable suffering.

ACORN Deputy Director Kevin Whelan said it is “further evidence of O'Keefe's disregard for the law in pursuit of his extremist agenda.” According to Whelan, it was more evidence that O’Keefe’s original videos “had been shot illegally and edited deceptively in order to undermine the work of an organization that has empowered working families for four decades.”














The son of acting U.S. Attorney for the Western
District of Louisiana William J. Flanagan
was arrested and charged with trying to interfere
with phones at Sen. Mary Landrieu’s office.


On Monday morning, Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan, both age 24, dressed up as telephone company workers and walked into the New Orleans office of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.). Inside the office, waiting for them, was James O’Keefe, the 25-year-old conservative activist who posed as a pimp in 2009 for a series of undercover videos that badly damaged the national community organization ACORN. As Basel and Flanagan clumsily worked on the phones, O’Keefe was recording them for a reason that remains unknown. When the “repairmen” and accomplices were asked for ID, they gave themselves up and were arrested.

From an affidavit detailing the bungled amateur sting operation - FBI Agent Steven Rayes argued that “there is probable cause to believe that Flanagan and Basel by false and fraudulent pretense attempted to enter, and did in fact enter, real property belonging to the United States” in order to bug phones, and that they were “aided and abetted” by O’Keefe and a 24-year-old activist named Stan Dai. One day later, the botched operation has become national news, an embarrassment that could tarnish the conservative media that turned O'Keefe's ACORN stings into a national sensation.

While O’Keefe, Basel, Flanagan, and Dai were released on $10,000 bonds, they face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of “entering federal property under false pretenses for the purpose of committing a felony.” The scandal marks a swift and staggering downfall for an activist who had been praised for months for doing the work the “mainstream media” wouldn’t do in exposing sloppy and illegal work by ACORN.

O'Keefe Pimped Himself for Personal Fame and Money
"A Mission to Fell ACORN"






Pimp
and
Hooker








In 2009, Hannah Giles, an undergraduate studying journalism at Florida International University until she dropped out to pursue public appearances and job offer; collaborated with James O'keffe to disguise themselves as the prostitute and her pimp, and spent only $1,300 on what a Washington Post reporter called a "Mission to Fell ACORN". Giles said she conceived of this idea during a summer jog.

After the videos were made public, ACORN's partnership in the Census was terminated.The U.S Senate voted to end HUD funding to ACORN. The House voted to end all funding to ACORN. The Right-Wing went into overtime in an effort to smear Obama with the 'scandal' simply because he once acted as an attorney for ACORN. The IRS removed ACORN from its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program due to the scandal. Even Bank of America piled-on and suspended business dealings with ACORN's housing affiliate in response to the video controversy.

In September 2006, ACORN filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court. After a lengthy involved court process the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeal on Oct. 28, 2008, ruled in ACORN's favor.




O'Keefe's First Targeted Poor
with Attack on Planned Parenthood.

In 2006, O'Keefe began working with UCLA student and anti-abortion activist Lila Rose. He came up with the idea to have her pose as an under-aged pregnant teenager, walk into Planned Parenthood clinics, and tape the conversations that followed.

Anti-abortion activist and O'Keefe accomplice Lila Rose

During the summer of 2007, O'Keefe posed as a donor to Planned Parenthood. He specified his gift should go to fund abortions for minorities because "the less black kids out there the better." On two occasions, Planned Parenthood staffers agreed to his request. After audio recordings of the conversations were made public in 2008, Planned Parenthood issued an apology for the behavior of the staff members on the phone, calling it inappropriate.

As a result of O'Keefe's trickery, Tennessee lawmakers sought to end a $721,000 contract with Planned Parenthood, and the Orange County Board of Supervisors in California voted to suspend a grant worth nearly $300,000 to Planned Parenthood.

Congrats O'Keefe! You just cheated countless poor from getting women's health services while increasing the number of unwanted babies into the world for which you and your ilk will do absolutely nothing to help. But then when you and your hypocrite 'compassionate conservative' friends refuse to offer any of that 'socialist' assistance that guy named Jesus made a name for himself doing, don't worry; there are Community Based Organizations, CBOs, who will fill in the gap. Organizations like ACORN. Oh wait a minute that was your next target. God forbid that the poor, sick, homeless, disenfranchised get any help! That would be Un-American to say the least.

Some truncated, edited and commentary added information from the following sources:
washingtonindependent.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/
http://www.nj.com/

Some @larrydhalstead tweets on this subject:

I Love story lines like this: "On Tuesday, conservatives scrambled to contain the damage from O’Keefe’s Louisiana debacle."

A little more of this O’Keefe’s Louisiana debacle & I'm thinking #masen Senator Centerfold is looking good

Reps with #masen been riding high for a week: But O’Keefe just gave us comic remedy

Been feelin sad, depressed, angry since #masen? Let me refer you to Dr. O'keef the pimp doctor

Oh hell yes>RT @Marnus3: Sen. Mary Landrieu should introduce legislation to refund ACORN.

Oct, Rep. Pete Olson (R-Tex.) had a resolution honoring “fact-finding reporting done by Hannah Giles and James O’Keefe

Psst>Tell a friend: Rep. Pete Olson R-Tex. honoring “fact-finding reporting done by Hannah Giles and James O’Keefe

Rep. Pete Olson :“exemplary actions as gov watchdogs, journalists uncovering wasteful gov spending by Giles & O’Keefe”

NICE>RT @EzKool: O Keefe, you're A CORNey little crook

Rep. Pete Olson :Asked House to officially honor Giles & O’Keefe & 31 Republicans signed resolution

Wait, What's this? Rep Olson now issues statement criticizing O’Keefe’s actions adds: "NEVER MIND"

In a classic flip flop stratesy Rep Olson says I was for O’Keefe’ before I was against him

ACORN Dep Director Kevin Whelan: “further evidence of O'Keefe's disregard for law in pursuit of his extremist agenda.”

ACORN Dep Dir. Whelan: O’Keefe’s original videos “had been shot illegally, edited deceptively to undermine ACORN

ACORN Dep Dir. Whelan: Okeef HURT an organization that has empowered working families for four decades

“The truth,” said O’Keefe, “shall set me free.” REALLY? Oh, so you had permission?

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Videos of Teabagger Rallies Behaving Badly

This is a collection of videos of Teabagger Rallies. I wanted to put these video exhibitions of ignorant, predominantly white, Glen Beck loving, bigots demonstrating their ignorance and bigotry in a central spot for all to see. I will add more of these videos to this post as I come across them. If you know of a good one then let me know and I will add it to the collection. Now grab some popcorn (although you might need a vomit bag), sit down, relax and be prepared to be entertained by the ignrants!

This first video comes from LeftMedia reporting on a Teabagger rally on September 9, 1009. Notice how the young interviewer from LeftMedia keeps asking simple yet intelligent questions to which he gets the most ridiculous and moronic replies.

LeftMedia reports: "We went to Washington DC to document the Tea Party protests against, well, a lot of things, including health insurance reform, the IRS, abortion, global warming, and our "socialist/communist/fascist/Nazi/Muslim " president, Barack Obama. Some of them called for a return to McCarthyism, while others called for Glenn Beck to run for office--indeed, it seemed the only thing that everyone agreed on was Fox News."



The next video comes from a rally held on January 16, 2010 and was organized by several California anti-immigrant groups including the Santa Clarita Valley Independent Minutemen, the Santa Clarita Tea Party, and designated hate group Save Our State.

Santa Clarita councilman Bob Kellar informing a group of cheering protesters rallying against immigration that he is a “proud racist” who considers being called a radical a “compliment”:

We have got to wake up America. I know you guys are engaged and you understand. But I’m telling you this is serious. And if I sound like a radical, thank you. I consider that a compliment…The only thing I heard back from a couple people was “Bob you sound like a racist.” I said, “That’s good. If that’s what you think I am because I happen to believe in America. I’m a proud racist. You’re darn right I am.”

In this video Councilman Bigot goes on to say that he blames 100% of our State's deficit on illegal imigration. I got one question for you Bob, you call yourself a good racist and then you forget to show up at a Teabagger rally without your white sheets and pointy hat?


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Rep. Alan Grayson Thinks Corporation are NOT People

Alan Grayson Thinks Corporation are NOT People!

If you agree then there is three things you should do:

1. Make Grayson your new Hero
2. Tell him that!
3. Tell everyone you know why he is your new hero

Here is what you need to know:

How to contact Congressman Grayson
http://grayson.house.gov/contact/index.shtml

Here is what I told him (for example)

Dear Congressman Grayson,
I want to take this moment to notify you that YOU are my new hero!

I am a Progressive, a Political Scientist,an award winning Activist, Business Leader (economic development, green energy), and a Leader in our party (Chair, CA 34th AD Dem Committee).
I am also hooked on twitter at twitter.com/larrydhalstead and just put out two tweets I wanted to share with you:

1.President Alan Grayson. Has a nice ring to it eh? #p2 #scotus

2. Dear Alan Grayson: Keep that up and I will stalk you all the way to the White House! #scotus #p2

Someone else did the following ReTweet:

RT @gluesniffer: With Grayson / Kucinch 2012 RT @larrydhalstead: President Alan Grayson. Has a nice ring to it eh? #p2 #scotus

You need to know that the #p2 (Progressive Community) has elevated you to our Number 1 hero which serves as a reflection of Progressives everywhere.

I commit to mobilizing the Left solidly behind you in every way I can. As soon as I send this email I am going to put out a tweet telling the #p2 community to also send you an email with their support.

I am deeply disappointed with every Democratic member of Congress who is not demonstrating the level of leadership in the wake of the SCOTUS ruling that YOU are.

Please feel free to contact me anytime at: larrydhalstead@gmail.com or by phone at: (760) 443-7849. Do you have a twitter account? I plan to research it and follow you if you do. Please follow me back to help get more feedback from the Progressive community.

I am a writer and public speaker as well and will use any of my talents and efforts to support you in any manner that I am able.

Please, Please, Please: Stay Strong! Don't back down! Frankly, too many of us Progressives feel like President Obama has let us down and is way too centrist and a too for Wall Street. The mantle has been passed for you to lead the way! We are counting on you!

A million thanks,
Larry D. Halstead

Here is the link to Grayson's website that outlines his program called:

Save Our Democracy

http://grayson.house.gov/2010/01/save-our-democracy-gains-momentum.shtml

Here is what he has posted there:

"SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY"

GAINS MOMENTUM

January 22, 2010 3:00 PM

(WASHINGTON) – Congressman Alan Grayson (FL-8) announced today that House Judiciary Chairman John J. Conyers (D-Mich.) became the first co-sponsor of the Ending Corporate Collusion Act (H.R. 4433). The bill applies antitrust laws to industry political action committees (PACs). The bill has been referred to Chairman Conyers’ Judiciary Committee for action.

Congressman Grayson said, “I am thrilled that Chairman Conyers agrees with me that something must be done to save our democracy. He exercises Congressional oversight of the Judicial Branch. We are all appalled by the Supreme Court’s reckless decision.”

In a 5-to-4 ruling yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that corporations have the "right" to spend an unlimited amount of money to influence and manipulate federal elections.

“I am looking into any and all avenues to alleviate the harm to the American people that the Supreme Court has done with yesterday's decision. I appreciate Mr. Grayson's efforts to respond to the Court's decision and am pleased to be working with him in finding the best means of protecting our political process from undue corporate influence,” said Chairman Conyers.

The Ending Corporate Collusion Act is one of six bills in Rep. Grayson’s “Save Our Democracy” Reform Package. Here is a list of the bills, and what they aim to accomplish:

1) The Business Should Mind Its Own Business Act (H.R. 4431): Implements a 500% excise tax on corporate contributions to political committees, and on corporate expenditures on political advocacy campaigns.
2) The Public Company Responsibility Act (H.R. 4435): Prevents companies making political contributions and expenditures from trading their stock on national exchanges.
3) The End Political Kickbacks Act (H.R. 4434): Prevents for-profit corporations that receive money from the government from making political contributions, and limits the amount that employees of those companies can contribute.
4) The Corporate Propaganda Sunshine Act (H.R. 4432): Requires publicly-traded companies to disclose in SEC filings money used for the purpose of influencing public opinion, rather than to promoting their products and services.
5) The Ending Corporate Collusion Act (H.R. 4433): Applies antitrust law to industry political action committees.
6) End the Hijacking of Shareholder Funds Act (H.R. 4487): This bill requires the approval of a majority of a public company’s shareholders for any expenditure by that company to influence public opinion on matters not related to the company’s products or services.

Florida congressman Alan Grayson laughs in Ben Bernanke's face - priceless!

During his questioning of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Shalom Bernanke before the House Financial Services Committee, U.S. congressman Alan Grayson (D), representing Florida's 8th congressional district (Orlando, Ocala, Eustis), burst out laughing at Bernanke's hubris.
(21 July 2009)

Who First used the term 'TEABAGGER'?

The modern day Teabaggers has its start with Wall Street reporter Rick Santelli going on a rant on the floor of the exchange about the 'Sub Prime' mortgage holders buying houses they couldn't afford with only $500. down and then "expecting tax payers to pay for the cost of adding on a bathroom". I remember watching it live at the time and thinking what a lunatic he was blaming the victims of Predatory Lending practices and the current foreclosure crisis.

To whoops and applause from traders on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Santelli argued that President Obama's bill aimed at reducing foreclosures would force fiscally responsible Americans to bail out people who bought more house than they could afford. "We're thinking of having a Chicago tea party in July," Santelli added.



But he did strike a nerve and the Conservative fringe on the Right responded with their own brand of activism mimicking the Boston Tea Party which was a directed by colonists in Boston, a town in the British colony of Massachusetts against the British government.

On December 16, 1773, after officials in Boston refused to return three shiploads of taxed tea to Britain, a group of colonists boarded the ships and destroyed the tea by throwing it into Boston Harbor. The incident remains an iconic event of American history, and reference is often made to it in other political protests.

The current Tea Party movement initially came up with the 'clever' idea of sending Tea bags to members of Congress. It was in their initial rallys that they started referring to this act of sending their representatives boxes of tea bags as 'TEABAGGING":

Now this may be a generational thing but somebody should have told these people that the term was already in wide use as a term for performing oral sex on a man. Now you got people like Tucker Carlson crying: "Stop saying Teabagger". I got news for all of you Teabaggers that are opposed to the use of the word Teabagging when they are out doing their Teabagging protest; You really shot yourself in the foot (or other appendage) when you started this mess. But then what do you expect from the extremist that our on a highly successful mission to divide and destroy the once Grand Old Party, GOP. Oh yeah, and they really didn't mean to destroy the country their supposed to be saving either. Collateral Damage its called!


Max Blumenthal covered the 9.12.09 anti-Obama rally on the National Mall, where tens of thousands of teabaggers demonstrated their opposition to healthcare reform by calling Obama the biggest Nazi in the world, claiming he wants to put "real" Americans in concentration camps, and was born in Kenya. But how many of them have health insurance, and do they know they're pawns in the game of healthcare industry front man Dick Armey? Of course not.





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Dale Robertson, the man who claims to be the "President and Founder of the Tea Party" (is he the one who didn't check Google before describing them as "teabaggers?") is shown in this picture from Gawker wearing a "Man of Faith" hat while carrying a hand-lettered sign that includes the N-word (misspelled, no less).
end.

Keith Olbermann re: Supreme Court on Corporate Campaign Spending

In short, there are now no checks on the ability of corporations or unions or other giant aggregations of power... to decide our elections.

None.

They can spend all the money they want.

And if they can spend all the money they want -- sooner, rather than later -- they will implant the legislators of their choice in every office from President to head of the Visiting Nurse Service.

And if Senators and Congressmen and Governors and Mayors and Councilmen and everyone in between are entirely beholden to the corporations for election and re-election to office, soon they will erase whatever checks there might still exist to just slow down the ability of corporations to decide... the laws.

It is almost literally true that any political science fiction nightmare you can now dream up -- no matter whether you are conservative or liberal -- it is now legal. Because the people who can make it legal, can now be entirely bought and sold -- no actual citizens required in the process.

And the entirely bought and sold politicians, can change any laws. And any legal defense you can structure now, can be undone by the politicians who will be bought and sold into office this November, or two years from now. And any legal defense which honest politicians can somehow wedge up against them this November, or two years from now, can be undone by the next even larger set of politicians who will be bought and sold into office in 2014, or 2016, or 2018.

Mentioning Lincoln's supposed ruminations about arresting Roger B. Taney... he didn't say the original of this, but what the hell:
Right now, you can prostitute all of the politicians some of the time, and prostitute some of the politicians all the time, but you cannot prostitute all the politicians all the time.

Thanks to Chief Justice Roberts this will change.