Video: Part 2 of ACORN’s San Bernardino tape; Update: Media Matters spin: How dare Fox show Kaelke accusing herself!
posted at 3:35 pm on September 16, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
The San Bernardino Sun reports that Tresa Kaelke “feared for her safety” when she spoke with James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles, which is why she continued to work with the undercover journalists. That meme comes to an embarrassing end in Part 2 of their video from this encounter. Does this look like a woman in fear of the supposed prostitute, or someone who wanted to help the prospective child-prostitution ringleader evade the long arm of the law? You decide:
Update: I’m really not sure why Media Matters feels the need to interject itself into this story, but they sent out a press release about an hour ago that blames Fox News for accusing Kaelke of murder:
Today, Media Matters for America highlighted the fact that Fox News repeatedly broadcast and promoted a shocking but entirely fictitious claim made by San Bernardino ACORN employee Tresa Kaelke that she murdered her former husband.
Um, Fox News broadcast an “entirely fictitious claim” made by Kaelke about herself. What’s the journalistic lesson here — how dare you smear someone by broadcasting a charge she made against herself? Did Media Matters criticize KCAL-9 for airing California Assemblyman Michael Duvall’s admission on a live microphone about having sex with two lobbyists who had business before his committee? Duvall later claimed that wasn’t true, either.
Perhaps if the charge that Kaelke murdered her former husband is false, then Kaelke should refrain from making it.
So why did she? Media Matters is helping ACORN push their spin on it:
Furthermore, Kaelke has said that when she made the claim, she was seeking to deliberately mislead the undercover videographers, Hannah Giles and James O’Keefe, of whom she was suspicious.
“They were not believable,” Kaelke is quoted as saying in an ACORN press release. “Somewhat entertaining, but they weren’t even good actors. I didn’t know what to make of them. They were clearly playing with me. I decided to shock them as much as they were shocking me.”
Kaelke’s remarks have thus far been largely ignored by Fox News.
Gee, could they be ignoring it because ACORN told the San Bernardino Sun an entirely different story? ACORN tried claiming to the Sun that she feared for her safety, while Media Matters flogs the notion that she was having fun with them. Which is it?
Blowback
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drip…
uknowmorethanme on September 16, 2009 at 3:37 PM
I don’t know about Theresa Kaelke’s fear, but I was scared to death just watching her.
bloggless on September 16, 2009 at 3:38 PM
I’m not sure that ACORN could have stepped into O’Keefe’s traps any worse if he’d planned it.
If they’d said NOTHING it would have been better than what they said.
teke184 on September 16, 2009 at 3:38 PM
What’s really funny is that Hannah has the face of an angel. No one would be fearful of that face.
bloggless on September 16, 2009 at 3:39 PM
The credibility of yesterday’s tape was really destroyed when this lady’s husband(s) turned out to be alive. It’s hard to believe she’s anything but a crackpot.
lorien1973 on September 16, 2009 at 3:39 PM
Girls in hot pants are deadly.
Blake on September 16, 2009 at 3:39 PM
I’m from ‘Berdoo… This amazes even me!
Khun Joe on September 16, 2009 at 3:40 PM
yep….that 20 year old is preeeety scary…
PatriotRider on September 16, 2009 at 3:40 PM
Or a crackhead. Probably a meth-head.
rbj on September 16, 2009 at 3:41 PM
“…for some of the girls, turning 18 is six years down the road…”
And the ACORN worker doesn’t even blink!
sultanp on September 16, 2009 at 3:41 PM
I watched the ACORN tapes end to end last night. One thread that connects all of them is the “organizers’” eagerness to beat and cheat the system, and to reject whatever standards our society has developed over its lifetime.
GaltBlvnAtty on September 16, 2009 at 3:41 PM
LOL, LOL, LOL. this is like the awesomest thing ever. They release a tape, ACORN responds, they release another tape and prove them wrong, ACORN responds. Lather, rinse, repeat.
It’s pretty Machiavellian, really.
mjk on September 16, 2009 at 3:41 PM
They’ve promised more tapes.
the_nile on September 16, 2009 at 3:41 PM
EXCEPT, ACORN hired this “crackpot” to do this job. What does it say about their hiring policies if this crazy woman works for them?
mjk on September 16, 2009 at 3:42 PM
How nice she says that blacks make better, cleaner hookers than the whites. No racism there. Hmmmmm…….clean…..I wonder if they are more articulate, too.
bloggless on September 16, 2009 at 3:43 PM
You kjnow what, you are right. We shouldn’t be funding these crackpots. I agree with you that we should shut them down permanently. And probably the SEIU too. I useually don’t agree with you but in this case I do.
barnone on September 16, 2009 at 3:43 PM
Well, that’s relly the flipside isn’t it?
Either ACORN’s human resources dept is inept or they can’t find anyone whose honest to work for them.
I’m not sure which is better.
lorien1973 on September 16, 2009 at 3:44 PM
OOPS. Spelling.
barnone on September 16, 2009 at 3:44 PM
Well, meth’ll do that to ya.
mankai on September 16, 2009 at 3:44 PM
SEIU
ACORN
RICO — Big Time
Elizabetty on September 16, 2009 at 3:44 PM
Yeah..almost as fun, and nearly the same idea, as grabbing your little brothers hand, hitting him with repeatedly and saying “stop hitting yourself….stop hitting yourself….”
BobMbx on September 16, 2009 at 3:45 PM
So was so scared, she could not walk out the door or yell out but instead told tall tales to keep the scary people there so they could scare her some more. LOL
She did not complain to her supervisor or file a complaint with the police even though she “feared for her safety.” Hilarious.
Blake on September 16, 2009 at 3:45 PM
FIFY
Holger on September 16, 2009 at 3:45 PM
The point of it all is that these people are paid with OUR money. This is the same kind of people that will be hired to manage “The Public Option”.
kingsjester on September 16, 2009 at 3:45 PM
Lots of buzz over there about SEIU…………….
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Joe Caps on September 16, 2009 at 3:45 PM
Does she have any teeth?
becki51758 on September 16, 2009 at 3:46 PM
Not at all. She RUNS that office. She is in charge. She has been vetted by her overseers and found to be perfect for the job.
Guardian on September 16, 2009 at 3:46 PM
Why in hell can’t this woman get the Joe-the-Plumber treatment?
max1 on September 16, 2009 at 3:47 PM
According to the comments, the male voice you hear belongs to a male acorn employee who was present, yet she “feared for her life.”
Blake on September 16, 2009 at 3:47 PM
She smacks of that ol’ meth skank persona.
TheSitRep on September 16, 2009 at 3:47 PM
.
Are we sure that ALL of the turned out to be alive? She looks like she was really hawt (in 1969), so there may be a cold case or two.
.
.
Quite so.
.
I have to ask, what are the odds that Kaelke still has any teeth?
Arbalest on September 16, 2009 at 3:47 PM
I’d hit it…
max1 on September 16, 2009 at 3:48 PM
In her line of work, it’s better not to have any.
Daggett on September 16, 2009 at 3:48 PM
OMG I feel like I need to go take a shower. There is a special place in hell waiting for this piece of trash.
MADgirl91 on September 16, 2009 at 3:49 PM
Not when you add the three other tapes, this is a pattern.
Crime is a routine for them.
And there’s more.
the_nile on September 16, 2009 at 3:49 PM
So…how long have you been doing this HR thing for ACORN?
trapeze on September 16, 2009 at 3:49 PM
Why haven’t they fired her? She’s obviously lying and continuing to make ACORN look like a bunch of corrupt dopes.
Blake on September 16, 2009 at 3:49 PM
Kaelke, “I hate to admit it…”
maverick muse on September 16, 2009 at 3:49 PM
I see I’m not the only one she strikes as a serious meth user.
flipflop on September 16, 2009 at 3:49 PM
Maybe she’s related to barney frank? :P
lorien1973 on September 16, 2009 at 3:50 PM
LOL You do have a point.
becki51758 on September 16, 2009 at 3:50 PM
Acorns in a bind.
the_nile on September 16, 2009 at 3:50 PM
IS ANYBODY LISTENING TO HER SAY THE BLACK PROSTITUTES ARE CLEAN? I BET THEY ARE ARTICULATE TOO.
bloggless on September 16, 2009 at 3:50 PM
I had heard that the official ACORN excuse of the day was she knew it was all an act and she was just playing along. Did the newspaper not get the press release?
AndrewsDad on September 16, 2009 at 3:50 PM
Poor woman has a bad case of methanoia.
pugwriter on September 16, 2009 at 3:50 PM
Obviously these two had spent a long time on this project. If I had been in Theresa’s position and truly thought they were going to set up a child whorehouse, I would have either
1) called them out right then and there
or
2) Asked them to come back another day to fill out all the paperwork and then gone to the police to set up a sting operation.
Theresa did neither and didn’t seem to blink an eye over this scheme. That tells me this isn’t the first time she’s heard of this type of plan.
This is beyond corruption. This is evil.
rbj on September 16, 2009 at 3:51 PM
This woman needs drug tested, she is tweaked big time.
farright on September 16, 2009 at 3:51 PM
What will the excuse be for the next tape?
Our employ did not understand English, she only speaks it.
bloggless on September 16, 2009 at 3:52 PM
LOL Max, you need to get out more.
pugwriter on September 16, 2009 at 3:52 PM
meth mouth
txsurveyor on September 16, 2009 at 3:53 PM
the Crackpot personally met with a CA State legislator in July of this year, courtesy of ACORNs access to our lawmakers
ginaswo on September 16, 2009 at 3:54 PM
I’d hit it…
max1 on September 16, 2009 at 3:48 PM
LOL Max, you need to get out more.
pugwriter on September 16, 2009 at 3:52 PM
No, I mean literally HIT! :)
max1 on September 16, 2009 at 3:54 PM
Funny how ACORN plays the race card while their workers are encouraging child sex slavery of young hispanic girls.
Where’s the outrage from NCLR?
The Ugly American on September 16, 2009 at 3:54 PM
Here’s the deal. I don’t like ACORN at all. I think they are a criminal enterprise, but this is small potatoes compared to all the known voter fraud they are engaged in.
Just because she’s in charge, doesn’t imply that the company supports or agrees with everything she’s saying. She may have seniority or however their promotion system works. I’ve had managers in my life who’d say the most unbelievably retarded things you’d ever hear anyone say. But they got their job done and the upper management kept them on.
If money changed hands during any of these exchanges (a check from ACORN to the pimp), I’d be far more irate about this. But in the big picture; their voter fraud schemes are far more damaging than that what amounts to a bull-crap session.
Puts the spotlight on them. Fine. But voter fraud is where their magic is. And that is swept under the carpet.
But I guess if it removes all their federal funding, something good happens. But I don’t even think that’ll happen.
lorien1973 on September 16, 2009 at 3:54 PM
As despicable as the employees are the employer(ACORN) is worse for not policing their own company.
fourdeucer on September 16, 2009 at 3:55 PM
I noticed that also. I think it’s part of the pervasive “victim” mentality of The Left. They’ve been teaching these people (and by that, I mean the poor and uneducated, of all ethnic backgrounds) for years that it’s “the Man’s” fault that they aren’t rich and/or successful. Their own behavior — dropping out of school, using/dealing drugs, unplanned pregnancies, criminal activity, etc., have nothing to do with their station in life. “The Man” or “the system” is set up against them. Therefore it’s perfectly acceptable — even desireable — for them to cheat the system in every possible way.
AZCoyote on September 16, 2009 at 3:55 PM
Hey now….she’s a Slab City babe!
The Ugly American on September 16, 2009 at 3:55 PM
They hire and train the people who best fit into their culture, which is one of corruption. Many people have left Acorn because they couldn’t stomach the corruption. The ones that stay are like Tresa, and have a “moral” compass compatible with management. Which means no moral compass at all.
mbs on September 16, 2009 at 3:55 PM
And just think, YOU are paying her salary. Feel better now?
Abby Adams on September 16, 2009 at 3:56 PM
I know this is off topic but Obama snubbed Canadian Prime Minister Harper on his visit to the White House today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeZh6VqEi-o
KG in Sask on September 16, 2009 at 3:57 PM
No, I mean literally HIT! :)
max1 on September 16, 2009 at 3:54 PM
Don’t do it max1…sh!t splatters.
milwife88 on September 16, 2009 at 3:57 PM
Ding! Ding! Ding! Give this person a prize! I’ve been wondering the same thing.
behiker on September 16, 2009 at 3:57 PM
What crackhead lunatic. I’m getting a contact buzz just listening to her. Need fresh air!
EarthToZoey on September 16, 2009 at 3:57 PM
This woman fears nothing but a pimp hand, or a bad fix.
Her statement is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard since Obama said he didn’t know Reverend Wright was a Racist America hating anti-semite.
portlandon on September 16, 2009 at 3:57 PM
Did you see O’Keefe and Giles? She’s a little thing and he looks like the president of a high school chess club. Absent them holding running chain saws, they aren’t exactly the types to put you in fear for your life.
The hits keep coming on these ACORN scumbags and they keep digging their holes deeper.
Bishop on September 16, 2009 at 3:57 PM
I haven’t watched today’s video, but is it the one where she says she doesn’t believe in spanking kids? But hey, child prostitution? Line ‘em up…
pugwriter on September 16, 2009 at 3:58 PM
She’s definitely not afraid. On the other hand, I think it’s TERRIBLE that thuggish politicians take advantage of people like Theresa Kaelke, using them for their own political advantage at places like ACORN. Nice liberal compassion. They really care.
balkanmom2 on September 16, 2009 at 3:58 PM
Or the truth: which is that this woman and the other ACORN staffers in the other cities are EXACTLY representative of the culture within ACORN itself, and the level of “honesty” and “decency” we see on these videos truly IS up to ACORN’s day-to-day ethical standards.
If you ran into a Gambini family hitman talking shop about how they dismember then incinerate the corpses of their enemies, you would see precisely the same level of bland insensitivity to how grotesque their world is to outsiders.
Khorum on September 16, 2009 at 3:58 PM
Only cause the bruises don’t show.
The Ugly American on September 16, 2009 at 3:59 PM
Ummmm… yeah.
I.M. Shatner on September 16, 2009 at 3:59 PM
The last time I drove through San Berdoo, she was hitch-hiking on the freeway on-ramp.
The only thing she’s afraid of is a Total Breakdown in the meth-making bidness
So, I’ve composed a list of excuses the DoucheBag media WON’T make to cover up their dishonesty and incompetence. Here it is:
-
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Janos Hunyadi on September 16, 2009 at 3:59 PM
It looks like both of her sons are dead. Maybe she “lost it” after they died. Maybe one or both are “unsolved murders”? Who knows. Just strange that both of her sons are dead (if they are her sons).
As Glenn says “No one is asking any questions.”
stenwin77 on September 16, 2009 at 4:00 PM
i smell a teachable moment…
WHITE HOUSE METH PIPE SUMMIT MEETING!
max1 on September 16, 2009 at 4:01 PM
Anti-white racist!!!!
Daggett on September 16, 2009 at 4:01 PM
Tresa Kaelke is not the typical white grandmother I thought I knew. /Ogabe
Fallen Sparrow on September 16, 2009 at 4:01 PM
Ties nicely into the Cloward-Piven Strategy. The only way to make that strategy actually work is if people qualify and are not to proud to beg. And the only way to get people to qualify is to destroy them through various means such as drug abuse.
You gotta destroy Capitalism before you can bring them to Marxism.
Holger on September 16, 2009 at 4:02 PM
Arm scabs FTW!
mattshu on September 16, 2009 at 4:02 PM
I’d love to see more Hannah Giles. REEOWW!!
indy8 on September 16, 2009 at 4:02 PM
Maybe she meant to say “sons” instead of “husband.”
Daggett on September 16, 2009 at 4:03 PM
So, does this mean ACORN is only going to fire their black employees?
txhsmom on September 16, 2009 at 4:04 PM
She’s acting like a tweaker.
Enoxo on September 16, 2009 at 4:04 PM
…..and the guy sitting there in the video is ‘FLABBERGASTED’ that anyone would have any doubts about the people like TK and the other gals.
Who says ‘flabbergasted’ any more? Meth withdrawl?
Janos Hunyadi on September 16, 2009 at 4:04 PM
OK she looks like she has had a really hard life. Road hard and put away wet…several thousand times.
Looking at that woman, the 1st thing that comes to mind is METH. Meth users don’t hang around upstanding Americans.
Kids, what happens if Drug Trafficing is involved in this somehow?
PappaMac on September 16, 2009 at 4:06 PM
How does that destroy the credibility of the tape?
Jim Treacher on September 16, 2009 at 4:07 PM
I think if this leads to an indepth audit it would be great.
Cindy Munford on September 16, 2009 at 4:07 PM
When Obooba’s around these people, he’s apparently in his element.
Akzed on September 16, 2009 at 4:08 PM
Sounds like her MO. Feared for her life.
That’s why there are restraining orders flying around.
eeesh
bridgetown on September 16, 2009 at 4:08 PM
People are finally putting the second ‘r’ in San Bernardino.
Whew, the psychic pressure from my spelling OCD is assuaged.
silverfox on September 16, 2009 at 4:08 PM
Nice to know that ACORN sees fit to hire ex-hookers with Aileen Wuornos fantasies.
Doooon’t stop, belieeeeevin’! …hold onto that feeeeeeehhhlin’!
The Ugly American on September 16, 2009 at 4:09 PM
On our tax $$$
SouthernGent on September 16, 2009 at 4:09 PM
But I guess if it removes all their federal funding, something good happens. But I don’t even think that’ll happen.
lorien1973 on September 16, 2009 at 3:54 PM
But that’s just the thing, Lorien. When utterly filthy corrupt dirtbags go down, it’s usually the little stuff that gets them. Al Capone was busted for taxes — obviously not his “real” crimes, but it was enough to put him out of business. I hope for the same outcome here.
jwolf on September 16, 2009 at 4:10 PM
That’s where the “glamor” is, voter fraud.
This shows how loose they are, and if it spurs an audit, voter fraud will be a small piece of the puzzle.
Giving names and addresses to candidates, exchanging lists, money laundering to politicians, and you know it goes deep, very deep into this administration.
I have a feeling if ACORN was fully investigated, it would make us all forget Watergate.
But it won’t be…there are 60 senators an AG, and a President who would stop such an audit.
right2bright on September 16, 2009 at 4:10 PM
this profit-minded, visitor-baiting gradual rollout is getting incredibly tiresome, breitbart.
sesquipedalian on September 16, 2009 at 4:13 PM
You know, I’ve known people like this. Compulsive liars. For whatever reason they just make up stories that they think will ingratiate them to their audience. I just don’t believe anything she’s saying. None of the explosive statements that the “pimp” and “prostitute” were making even registered, except insofar as she wove some of it into her own story.
JS on September 16, 2009 at 4:13 PM
I think she got the job with ACORN when her vagina salesmen left her.
fourdeucer on September 16, 2009 at 4:14 PM
What should happen is a massive government investigation of ACORN, similar to how the FBI went after Organized Crime in the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. You’ll have Wade Rathke a la Frank “I Paid My Taxes” Costello.
Holger on September 16, 2009 at 4:14 PM
Go to sleep. We’ll stay up and watch.
bridgetown on September 16, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Meth is hard!!!
BacaDog on September 16, 2009 at 4:16 PM
Alert: Economy improves, shredder sales have spiked all across the nation
faraway on September 16, 2009 at 4:16 PM
“So was so scared, she could not walk out the door or yell out but instead told tall tales to keep the scary people there so they could scare her some more. LOL”
Kinda like a meth addict Scheherazade.
get outta Moms basement on September 16, 2009 at 4:16 PM
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