Brietbart ~ Only Fox "News" was offered full footage of the controversial ACORN videos?

[mzmolly]

Andrew Brietbart is patting himself on the back today for mentoring the questionable James O'Keefe III. See http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/20/planting-the-seeds-the-politicized-art-behind-the-acorn-plan/">HERE

In the article linked above, I noted the following, curious statement ~

I told him (O'Keefe) that in addition to launching his compelling and stylized Web videos, we needed to offer the full transcripts and audio to the public in the name of transparency, and to offer Fox News the full footage of each video before each was released. We had to devise a plan that would force the media to see the evidence before they had enough time to destroy these two idealistic 20-something truth seekers. Mr. O’Keefe agreed to post the full audio and full transcript of his video experiences at BigGovernment.com."

His stated reason for hiding videos from various media ~

I felt I had a moral obligation to protect these young muckrakers from the left and from the media, and to devise a strategy that would force the media’s hand.

Now that the media has been "forced" to cover the story, I feel that "transparency" would involve releasing all of the full, unedited and un-"stylized" videos to the public, or at the very least, impartial media sources. Does anyone know if this has been done?

:shrug:

On edit: thanks for the clarification on regarding my original questions. I should know not to start a thread on three hours sleep!

[Fuzz]

1. He has said that he was 'trapping' all other news outlets by claiming

they would ignore the story until it became too 'big' for them to ignore, thereby making them look foolish and complicit in an Acorn coverup proving them to be liberal.

Or something along those lines.

[Jennicut]

2. Right....so release it to Faux news but no one else has access.

So "transparent"

[mzmolly]

3. Absurd. Makes no sense at all. Why would posting audio vs. video

make a difference in a so called media "trapping?" :crazy:

[el_bryanto]

6. His argument was that by getting them into friendly media hands

i.e. Right wing radio jerks, they would be protected from character assassination - because the right wing wouldn't bother with it, and the left wing would ignore them because it was just more right wing radio blather - in that way, a stealth attack, the tapes get out there without being looked at too closely until enough were out there that ACORN would be seriously damaged.

I do remember people bringing them up on this website were attacked initially. And the mainstream media ignored them, as well as our own media sites. So I guess the strategy worked.

Bryant

[mzmolly]

8. Again, absurd. They'll be scrutinzied regardless.

I don't buy that story for a moment. It makes NO sense at all. And, even if that absurd, circular logic had any kind of validity, the story is out, so they can release the full, unedited video tapes now. ;)

[el_bryanto]

10. It makes NO sense? It worked.

Most Americans now believe that ACORN is a corrupt pimp-loving organization. I don't think the organization will be around too much longer. By the time we debunk the rumors, if we even end up being able to, the damage will have been done.

Bryant

[mzmolly]

12. I'm not saying they didn't effectively smear ACORN. I'm saying that

hiding video tapes from the media does not make sense in the context presented.

[el_bryanto]

20. I think it did - again you have to remember they believe that the mainstream media is out to get

them. And they have these alternate ways to get info out. Again if the pimp and the ho had taken it to CNN first, what would CNN have done? Well probably put it on the air, but what they think would have happened is that they would have sprung into action to protect ACORN and Obama and destroyed the tape and humiliated the Pimp and the Ho.

Bryant

[mzmolly]

21. I'm not disputing the rationale behind the order in which media was informed.

I'm asking why Fox, as of today is apparently the only media source with full, unedited videos?

[el_bryanto]

22. Ah well I have a theory there too - the PImp and the Ho are lieing about

some of the specifics - and there is evidence in the full unedited videos that would put ACORN in a slightly better light.

Bryant

[mzmolly]

23. Which is essentially what I was getting at.

;) Sorry I was so confusing in my presentation above. I thought I'd ask if the full unedited videos had been released in recent days, in case my suspicions were incorrect. So far no luck finding them.

[el_bryanto]

4. Yes - that's what I heard on the Hannity show

I agree that we need the full and unedited tapes to make an accurate judgement; we also need to know exactly what offices he tried the sting in.

They aren't going to provide them willingly though.

Bryant

[mzmolly]

5. If Fox has them, then the filmmakers should have nothing to fear in

releasing them to the public today. The rationale for this, is bizarre is it not?

[mzmolly]

9. I believe their actual strategy was to release so much info at once, no one would have adequate time

to properly scrutinize the story?

[KharmaTrain]

7. Cause It Serves Their Purposes?

Damn right they won't release the dry video or any scripts. Their game is not to be factural but to provide red meat to destroy an enenmy of the rushpublican party...voter supression in its rawest form. Nothing more or less. They not only want to intimidate or shut down ACORN but soil the name so badly no one will want to work with them.

There's no facts here, just what these scumbags want you to see...amplified by faux noise and hate radio. By having this shitstain...a supposed "independent" producer do the hatchet job, they can distance themselves if and when the scams about both these videos and its "producer" are revealed.

I do give credit to many critics over the weekend..."mainstream" corporate types like Whorie Kurtz who have their questions about both the integrity and intentions of this scam.

Right now the rushpublicans have to work fast...time is against them as they need to discredit and destroy before their scheme is exposed.

[iceman66]

11. An important consideration here

is that it was the Fox news SPIN on the Acorn tapes that caused Congress to cut Acorn's funding, in what can only be described as a knee-jerk reaction.

As has been discussed extensively on these threads, the actual 'evidence' that has been offered to date is not nearly as damning as Fox had implied.

[mzmolly]

13. Yes indeed.

:(

[drm604]

14. Here's my take.

They may have originally planned to realease the full tapes eventually, but only after they'd convinced everyone of ACORN's "crimes". It may be that the full tapes are ambiguous at best. People may have played along to get info or because they thought it was some kind of joke. People may have simply nodded and agreed because of a language barrier.

It may be that the full tapes, if released first, would not have convinced enough people that crimes were committed. However, by releasing heavily edited tapes first that put things in the worst light, they were able to get the employees and ACORN convicted in the public eye. Once people are convinced of the lie, then the less convincing but ambiguous full tapes would be less likely to change their minds. Also, TV stations are less likely to play full length tapes of possibly poor quality, so even if there were released they may not get much play.

The only problem with this plan is that there are groups of fervent people who are not buying it and are demanding lawsuits. Not only that, it appears that some criminal laws have been violated by O'Keefe and friends, something they obviously didn't anticipate. If there are lawsuits or criminal charges, a comparison of the full tapes and the edited versions could be used to show malice. So now they're only releasing transcripts (which are by their nature completely unreliable) and supposed full audio. I say supposed because it's much easier to edit audio convincingly as their are no visual cues to indicate cuts and splices.

What valid reason can there be for only posting transcripts and audio? Why only release easily manipulated forms of the information rather than the real unedited tapes?

[mzmolly]

15. "What valid reason can there be for only posting transcripts and audio?"

Exactly! Very well said.

I've heard at least one D.A. is asking for unedited tapes:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/09/17/2009-09-17_das_going_to_the_video_for_probe_of_acorn.html

This could get very interesting. ;)

[drm604]

16. Those D.A.s are investigating ACORN, not O'Keefe et al.

However, it may still get interesting.

[mzmolly]

18. Yep, knew that. But I agree it is interesting.

:hi:

[merh]

17. Don't forget about the Maryland State's Attorney Office

STATEMENT OF STATE’S ATTORNEYS OFFICE FOR BALTIMORE CITY RELATIVE TO THE ALLEGED BALTIMORE ACORN INCIDENT

Baltimore, MD – September 11, 2009 – We have received inquiries from citizens and the media asking whether the Baltimore City State’s Attorneys Office would initiate a criminal investigation for acts allegedly committed at ACORN offices located in Baltimore. The only information received in reference to this alleged criminal behavior was a YouTube video. Upon review by this office, the video appears to be incomplete. In addition, the audio portion could possibly have been obtained in violation of Maryland Law, Annotated Code of Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article §10-402, which requires two party consent.

If it is determined that the audio portion now being heard on YouTube was illegally obtained, it is also illegal under Maryland Law to willfully use or willfully disclose the content of said audio. The penalty for the unlawful interception, disclosure or use of it is a felony punishable up to 5 years.

Baltimore City State’s Attorney Patricia Jessamy can be reached by email: [e-mail]
or by phone [phone].

See this article
http://wbal.com/apps/news/templates/story.aspx?articleid=35357&zoneid=2

[mzmolly]

19. I hope they investigate further.

:hi:

[WeDidIt]

24. So basically, Breitbart colluded with Fox in order to create "news"

Sounds about right to me.

[mzmolly]

25. Seems that way. It seems obvious there is more to the 'story'

than we're collectively being told?

[spanone]

26. this entire acorn 'sting' stinks to high heaven

[mzmolly]

27. Indeed it does. While (from what I can tell) some employees were definitely in the wrong,

I would like to know the full story before castigating the entire organization.

[Wizard777]

31. Let me ask you this. Should it be a crime to talk someone into commit a lesser crime?

You have a guy with a gun saying, I'm gonna shoot him in the head. That will result in a murder. Should it be a crime to tell the guy with the gun, why don't you just shoot him in the foot instead? That take it down from Murder to a malicious wounding or assault with a deadly weapon. They has already made up his mind to shoot the guy and that is not debatable to him. But where he shoots the guy may be debatable. Once you have talked the guy down to shooting the other guy in the foot. Maybe you can renew debates and go for him not shooting the guy at all.

This is basically what the Acorn employees did. They talked the couple down from the greater crime of evading taxes to a lesser crime of tax fraud. The couple would be paying taxes instead of evading them and there is still mean of prosecution. Maybe once they talked them down to the lesser crime. Maybe they could have talked them out committing any crime at all? We don't know whats on the rest of the video.

[mzmolly]

34. We also don't know who may have called police after various encounters?

Good question BTW.

[Wizard777]

29. I have problems with it also.

Law Enforcement Stings address problems that are preexisting. It doesn't create problems that don't exist or wouldn't exist without the sting. If it does they call that entrapment.

Investigative reporting also addresses problems that are preexisting. Be it a disgruntled customer or employee. Someone goes to them with a complaint that they investigate. They don't go out an try to lure people into committing crimes for the purpose reporting the crimes they lured them into. That's making or manufacturing the News. Not reporting it. O'Keefe and Giles had no preexisting knowledge of any wrong doing by these Acorn Offices or employees.

Even with the To Catch A Predator series everyone ultimately mentions. That is partnered with and sanctioned by Law Enforcement Agencies. Even that hasn't stopped Prosecutors from dropping charges against the people caught because of the Specious nature of the investigative phase. I now find myself wondering what would become of To Catch A Predator if they did that without Law Enforcement Sanctioning and participation like O'Keefe and Giles. But still there is another major difference. Perverted Justice plays the victim role in their stings. O'Keefe and Giles played the Predator in their scam. Not the victim. As far as I'm concerned O'Keefe and Giles are no better than the perv that shows up claiming to be doing his own sting to expose the minors online solicitations to their parents or give the minor a lecture on the dangers of doing this. That crap really shouldn't float from either.

[mzmolly]

30. "Law Enforcement Stings address problems that are preexisting. It doesn't create problems ..."

Well said!

[Wizard777]

32. That was one of the main objections to the Sheriff of Broward County manufacturing crack.

He claimed that he had to manufacture crack to be used in stings because they didn't seized enough as evidence to be used. He wasn't addressing a preexisting problem. He was manufacturing a problem to be addressed. Therefore his stings were more of a matter of testing public integrity. Seeing if they could get people to try crack and busting them for it. But the Sheriff won the suit against him anyway.

[mzmolly]

35. I've often said that if Giles and O'keefe had gone into enough for profit tax

offices, they'd have gotten similar advice, eventually.

[rucky]

28. Nobody showed the full RAW video.

[BlooInBloo]

33. Shocking; just shocking.

[mzmolly]

36. Isn't it though.

:crazy:

[Critters2]

37. The Chicago Trib had an editorial yesterday, calling for a Special Prosecutor

to look into ACORN. I agree! Let a federal prosecutor subpoena all of the unedited footage. Then, let the FOIAs fly!

[mzmolly]

38. I'm all for it.

:hi:

[Stephanie]

39. biggovernment.com posts the "transcript" but not the audio or full video

There's a line pointing to the audio but no link posted.

http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/19/full-transcript-acorn-prostitution-scandal-san-diego-part-i/

[mzmolly]

40. There is no full, unedited video available

but the full audio is supposedly accessed by hitting the little arrow on top of the transcript page.

:hi:

[mzmolly]

41. Check this out

http://www.examiner.com/x-3629-Philadelphia-Progressive-Examiner~y2009m9d21-Did-OKeefe-target-ACORN-because-they-register-minorities-to-vote-

"Farkas told the New York Times this week that she and O'Keefe, who met at Rutgers University, clashed over publishing incomplete transcripts from another sting involving an abortion provider."

[mzmolly]

42. A kick and an important footnote. Incomplete transcripts are part of O'Keefes M.O.

"Farkas told the New York Times this week that she and O'Keefe, who met at Rutgers University, clashed over publishing incomplete transcripts from another sting involving an abortion provider."

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2009/09/acorn_videomake.php?page=1

[Turborama]

43. Thanks for kicking this

I missed it until now.

Could you do me a fave? Please PM me the links to any other threads I might have missed and any you post in the future on this? It's really easy to miss something on GD as it's the busiest forum and things get buried quite quickly.

[mzmolly]

44. I'll try to remember Turboama.

:hi:

[Turborama]

45. Thanks in advance!

:hi:

[mzmolly]

46. You're welcome.

:D