Breaking: New ACORN video from Philadelphia
posted at 12:45 pm on October 21, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Surprise! ACORN and its defenders, including the media, have tried to argue that the organization was not totally corrupt because James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles got tossed out of its Philadelphia office. Media Matters even went so far as to air an interview with ACORN office director Katherine Conway-Russell that asserted that she refused to help them, called the cops, and threw them out. Big Government has now released some of the video of that visit — and it appears that a lot of media outlets will have some retractions to write this afternoon:
Big Government will air the full, unedited video and audio streams later today or tomorrow, in order to demonstrate the poor performance of the media in this story. Bertha Lewis and ACORN will be shown to have lied, and outlets like the Washington Post and Philadelphia Inquirer will have to scrape the egg off of their faces for accepting their word at face value.
At Western CPAC, Andrew Breitbart described himself as a “merry prankster” in the media. He’s certainly got reason for merriment today.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: 1 2 3 4 Next »
But if it’s only reported on Fox, then it’s now news. Baghdad Bob Gibbs says so.
JammieWearingFool on October 21, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Retractions? No chance. They’ll do what they always do. Totally ignore anything that doesn’t help the Democrats.
MarkTheGreat on October 21, 2009 at 12:48 PM
PWNT.
Eric Boehlert, call your office. Paging David Brock!
A retraction is required from you leftwing propaganda outfit.
Good Lt on October 21, 2009 at 12:48 PM
What, ACORN is corrupt? I thought they were just conducting nonpartisan voter registration drives? Oh dear, how could this be? This is not the ACORN I thought I knew.
t.ferg on October 21, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Amazing the two 20-somethings have brought this behemoth to its knees. It makes me smile that two young Americans, one not even old enough to drink legally, can seek the truth and broadside the MSM and expose them for the lapdogs that they are.
Yakko77 on October 21, 2009 at 12:48 PM
What you wanna bet they just ignore it?
I mean, there’s always that option for Gibbs approved “news” organizations.
NoDonkey on October 21, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Missed it by that much.
MarkTheGreat on October 21, 2009 at 12:49 PM
It wasn’t a “lie-lie”
And good luck getting MM or the Wash Post to EVER admit they were wrong about something.
LincolntheHun on October 21, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Keep it up Andrew…
And bang the drum slowly.
TXUS on October 21, 2009 at 12:50 PM
In this case MM is Media Matters
LincolntheHun on October 21, 2009 at 12:50 PM
The Philadelphia Inquirer can go down in flames for all I care. Same with WaPo.
For that matter, all of the dinosaur media can gp tp he##.
UltimateBob on October 21, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Story within this story this morning has been the hide and seek we’ve had to play to actually SEE the video. It was up, it was blocked. It was up somewhere else, it was blocked. Someone has gone to a LOT of trouble this morning trying to keep everyone from seeing this or for it to go viral. Like they had a prayer of that happening, especially with a couple of the shots of Hannah in this one. I’m not a guy, but the way *some* of the males in our company have reacted, they would most certainly find the last scrap of this video available somewhere… anywhere… just to get a glimpse!
hahaha! Go, Breitbart! You’re brilliant!
UnderstandingisPower on October 21, 2009 at 12:50 PM
I can’t see the video … anyone want to summarize what’s happening? Is this the same modus operandi of the other Acorn stings? Anything new in this one?
HondaV65 on October 21, 2009 at 12:50 PM
They’re not going to make retractions.
p0s3r on October 21, 2009 at 12:52 PM
Another story that, according to Charlie Gibson, ABC News is too important to cover.
Cicero43 on October 21, 2009 at 12:52 PM
judging by the amount of attention it gets, acorn is clearly by far the most important issue of our times for conservatives. please focus all your energies on taking down acorn so you won’t get in the way of others trying to fix actual problems.
sesquipedalian on October 21, 2009 at 12:52 PM
How’s the marginalizing of Fox News going?
Theworldisnotenough on October 21, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Rubbing my hands together with glee.
I. Canot. Wait. for the full vid drop.
God Bless Hannah and James!
BlueStateBilly on October 21, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Soooo…
If a Tree Falls in the Forest…
And ONLY Fox News covers it…
Is it still part of a Vast Right Wing Conspiracy?
Romeo13 on October 21, 2009 at 12:53 PM
canot=cannot
BlueStateBilly on October 21, 2009 at 12:53 PM
It should be , it’s the crime syndicate Obama grow up in.
the_nile on October 21, 2009 at 12:54 PM
With the “war” on Fox being currently conducted by the WH, I don’t think the MSM can afford to ignore it this time around. If they do, they’ll look exactly like the lapdogs we know them to be.
It’s Obama’s own unforced error for throwing a spotlight on Fox. That was an abysmally stupid strategy to begin with, but Breitbart has just loaded the bases.
And the clock is ticking – unless something changes, ACORN gets re-funded at midnight on Halloween.
This is brilliant timing by Breitbart, no doubt about it.
Missy on October 21, 2009 at 12:54 PM
I can’t wait for one of the WH-approved news organizations to cover this – only then will I know that this is real news!
LASue on October 21, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Andrew Breitbart is GENIUS.
He went Alinsky on ACORN and the media.
cubachi on October 21, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Did ACORN think they skipped Philly? How may other East and West coast cities have they been too? They went to San Bernadino but not Los Angeles or San Francisco?
Did they skip New Orleans?
Theworldisnotenough on October 21, 2009 at 12:54 PM
I enjoy the shout out to Media Matters at the end.
So many lawls.
Enoxo on October 21, 2009 at 12:55 PM
Just remember, ACORN defunding stops at the end of this month. Keep the pressure on and keep our tax dollars out of a Polanski-approved organization.
rbj on October 21, 2009 at 12:55 PM
Breitbart… YOU MAGNIFICENT BASTARD!
Daddy-O on October 21, 2009 at 12:55 PM
Legal question.
Let’s say the WaPo fishwrap fail to retract, deciding instead to ignore that they ever said anything.
As I understand it, only someone with grounds to sue can compel them to retract.
If so, who has grounds? O’Keefe and Giles, yes. Breitbart?
Interesting to see if this does manage to go viral. That’s the best hope for it.
Mew
acat on October 21, 2009 at 12:56 PM
I’ll bet Fox carries it unless Obama can find a way to kick the plug out of the wall first.
booter on October 21, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Heh. They can’t actually defend ACORN, so the new meme is that it’s inconsequential and just a stupid distraction for conservatives.
sesqui is definitely one of the more transparently idiotic HA trolls. Thanks for the preview of the lefty defense, moron. Good luck.
Missy on October 21, 2009 at 12:56 PM
ACORN has offices in buildings all over the country, with SEIU.
SEIU has common Board Memebers with the Apollo Alliance…
SEIU and Apollo helped write the stimulus, and has had input on the Health Care bills…
Yes, it is an important story.
Romeo13 on October 21, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Just FYI here, the very end of the video says TO BE CONTINUED…
More to come. How’s the truth’s a** taste, ACORN/Media Matters?
Good Lt on October 21, 2009 at 12:56 PM
So far… nothing at the Inquirer site… or at the Philadelphia Daily News site… guess the spin meetings are still underway.
mankai on October 21, 2009 at 12:57 PM
Tripling the national debt is “fixing a problem”?
Chuck Schick on October 21, 2009 at 12:57 PM
BWAHAHAHAHA!!! ::wiping tears from eyes::
Ed, that is quite possibly the funniest thing I’ve seen this month. Good one.
Physics Geek on October 21, 2009 at 12:57 PM
spot on…ain’t gonna happen
cmsinaz on October 21, 2009 at 12:57 PM
Remember old and bitter codger that when you eat a whale you start one bite at a time, first Acorn, then NEA NHA NPR then tort reform, then Medicare and Medicaide and the universities. And on and on until all the swamp is drained and the bitter losers among us and rock on thier front proch yelling at the neighboorhood kids and grumble about how things were “better” in the good old days.
LincolntheHun on October 21, 2009 at 12:57 PM
You know, there may well be a lot of people going to check out FOX News to see what all the hubbub is about. Then they go and see this video that “you can’t see anywhere else” because Gibbs said no one can get news from Fox…
So what does the MSM do? Cover the story and get clonked for doing so by the WH? Not cover the story and get exposed for the lapdogs they are? And what happens when the full vid comes out and it’s more incriminating than this blanked one? When it creates a firestorm like last time? When even Charlie Gibson can’t ignore it. What then?
UnderstandingisPower on October 21, 2009 at 12:57 PM
You know the other media outlets aren’t going to cover this not if they know what’s good for them. They all need a pat on the head from Zero. They need to be wanted by someone. I don’t think there are going to be any retractions. They will blame this office manager and Lewis for misleading them.
Brat4life on October 21, 2009 at 12:57 PM
A corrupt voter drive organization with high influence among politicians is an important issue. And while I’m tired of hearing about the whole “Fox News” thing, I would say that Fox News is not important issue either. Pass that note along to Obama please.
NathanG on October 21, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Ooh- this is the same approach Obama used when Stephanopolous asked him about Acorn’s fraud! By this reasoning, I guess we can discern that the WH thinks Fox News is “the most important issue” of our times.
LASue on October 21, 2009 at 12:59 PM
NOLA is the “Emerald City” for ACORN. I can’t imagine them skipping that one unless they ran out of money or something.
By the way … John Osterlund, WRNO radio talk show host did a show called “Watching ACORN” about a month ago in a restaurant across the street from the ACORN HQ in New Orleans. It was like a three hour show and a lot of Tea Party folks showed up.
Surprise! Now the business that John broadcasted his show from is being boycotted and threatened.
HondaV65 on October 21, 2009 at 12:59 PM
Theworldisnotenough on October 21, 2009 at 12:54 PM
—–
ACORN either knew they did not skip Philly, or the top level was lied to by the Philly head.
In the former case, Bertha lied to the media; in the latter case she should have known she was being lied to. Therefore, the head of ACORN is incompetent, corrupt, or both.
Mew
acat on October 21, 2009 at 12:59 PM
The slow drip drip of pain to ACORN and its affiliates continues….
the pain screw turneth… and turneth….
ted c on October 21, 2009 at 12:59 PM
So.. the barring of federal funds to ACORN runs out the end of October, huh?
Star20 on October 21, 2009 at 12:59 PM
I can’ believe Bertha and the “news” outlets got caught in this trap. I remember distinctly when James said on Fox that there were more tapes… I’ve been waiting for this shoe to drop… you’d think that these idiots would have done a little CYA before running madly with the PHILA ACORN IS INNOCENT! headlines.
Amateur hour.
mankai on October 21, 2009 at 12:59 PM
Katherine Conway-Russell will resign in 3..2..1..
Dire Straits on October 21, 2009 at 1:00 PM
We multitask thank you!
I mean – we do REAL multitasking. Not that fake shi’ite that Obama says he does.
HondaV65 on October 21, 2009 at 1:00 PM
rest of the Media has been instructed to ignore COnservative based news stories!
jp on October 21, 2009 at 1:00 PM
(Repeated from the headlines thread, sorry)
That’s about as devastating as anything I’ve ever seen.
Did Katherine Conway-Russell really believe that they had a video and wouldn’t find some way to publicize it? Did she really think those PA privacy laws would save her?
A hard lesson for a lib to learn, I know. You can’t put your full trust in government — or in the advice of a “community activist”-grade lawyer.
notropis on October 21, 2009 at 12:59 PM
notropis on October 21, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Actually several papers as pointed out in the vid HAVE done retractions on this very story. James even calls them out on it asking if they will do a retraction on this again.
UnderstandingisPower on October 21, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Best part? The police report NAMES James O’Keefe.
How in the hell did they know his name? Obviously, the police report is a fake.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, we have…wait for it…CONSPIRACY!!!!!!!!!!
uknowmorethanme on October 21, 2009 at 1:01 PM
I think Andrew has move the target to the Media itself now. The ACORN name has been tarnished and is near toxic. This release was timed to embarress the MSM.
WashJeff on October 21, 2009 at 1:01 PM
Wow! Two delightful stories in one morning! Obama’s tanking, and ACORN is humiliated again!
John the Libertarian on October 21, 2009 at 1:01 PM
I agree… we need more Balloon Boy stories!
mankai on October 21, 2009 at 1:01 PM
this goes to show why you can’t trust anything the Media/Left say, they will go to any lengths to protect themselves.
jp on October 21, 2009 at 1:01 PM
They held a news conference this morning also, only caught snippets, hopefully they will post videos of that also.
fixer44 on October 21, 2009 at 1:02 PM
Merry or not, Breitbart was brilliant in the way this story was doled out in little pieces instead of one massive dump which would have quickly been ignored by the state supported media. Bertha Lewis went from claiming the video was faked to admitting that ACORN had bad seeds. The real story now is how the media has covered up for the favorite special interest group of the thug in power.
highhopes on October 21, 2009 at 1:02 PM
forgot about that, and if its a Fake is that not a Felony itself?
jp on October 21, 2009 at 1:02 PM
Andrew Breitbart..Welcome to the White House Enemies List. Congrats! Job well done.
Dire Straits on October 21, 2009 at 1:02 PM
The media will try to use the cone of silence.
ICBM on October 21, 2009 at 1:02 PM
Or kittens in box kites.
the_nile on October 21, 2009 at 1:03 PM
And when Obama screws up Afghanistan, you’ll say “gosh, conservatives pretend it’s like an important country or something.”
John the Libertarian on October 21, 2009 at 1:03 PM
Someone needs to send this to that one Senator or Congressman (I forget what he is) Isswhatever how is trying to get ACORN defunded permanently.
Enoxo on October 21, 2009 at 1:03 PM
Not even an “our bad” on Twitter like Rick Sanchez?
Seriously though, I agree, they will do their best to act like this doesn’t exist.
forest on October 21, 2009 at 1:03 PM
I can’t believe they still have videos to release…
Black Yoshi on October 21, 2009 at 1:03 PM
Oh shizz. This is getting good. Pass the popcorn.
txag92 on October 21, 2009 at 1:03 PM
I’ll give you the papers, but not the networks/cable…it won’t get the gibbs seal of approval
cmsinaz on October 21, 2009 at 1:03 PM
Just yet another “lone bad apple.”
Good Lt on October 21, 2009 at 1:03 PM
Yes, but why catch the user when you want the dealer?
uknowmorethanme on October 21, 2009 at 1:04 PM
Drip,…Drip,….Drip,….
The Chinese Water torture methods Breitbart is using is great to watch.
portlandon on October 21, 2009 at 1:04 PM
Why are you defending this obviously corrupt racketeering organization?
Good Lt on October 21, 2009 at 1:05 PM
HEADLINE: PHILADELPHIA ACORN PURE AS THE DRIVEN SNOW!!!!
retraction… page 9… section J… perhaps not.
mankai on October 21, 2009 at 1:05 PM
Is the audio messed up for anyone else?
apollyonbob on October 21, 2009 at 1:06 PM
I [heart] Andrew Breitbart.
gryphon202 on October 21, 2009 at 1:06 PM
What was the point in watching ACORN’s HQ? You can go anywhere in the city and see just how “involved” ACORN is in the community. It would have been far more fun to sit at Cafe Du Monde and watch the freak show pass by.
highhopes on October 21, 2009 at 1:06 PM
So who falsified it? I hadn’t heard this particular tidbit… that it names him. If the vid doesn’t show him telling her his name (from what they showed, it doesn’t), I would look seriously into WHEN this complaint was filed. After the other tapes started coming out?
UnderstandingisPower on October 21, 2009 at 1:06 PM
And if it names James, does it name Hannah as well?
UnderstandingisPower on October 21, 2009 at 1:06 PM
iran agrees to deal on exporting nuclear fuel: 9 comments
terrorist plot uncovered in MA: 37 comments
new acorn vid: 250+ and counting.
priorities.
sesquipedalian on October 21, 2009 at 1:06 PM
It’s either a legal maneuver, or a trap.
uknowmorethanme on October 21, 2009 at 1:06 PM
Just wondering if Breitbart, James & Hannah might be brought up on charges of waterboarding ACORN.
UnderstandingisPower on October 21, 2009 at 1:07 PM
Awwww. Nice redirection attempt.
uknowmorethanme on October 21, 2009 at 1:07 PM
priorities.
sesquipedalian on October 21, 2009 at 1:06 PM
Skirting the issue…. PRICELESS!
txag92 on October 21, 2009 at 1:08 PM
I figured initially the Police Report was really issued, after the fact, by a Corrupt Philly Police Dept. working on behalf of Obama/Dems.
jp on October 21, 2009 at 1:08 PM
So over the weekend the MSM was told not to follow Fox news. Now we see why. The MSM will not even report this.
mcmm on October 21, 2009 at 1:09 PM
I’m telling you, this goes so much deeper than videos. The videos are only scraping away the veneer.
uknowmorethanme on October 21, 2009 at 1:09 PM
To take down one of the most fraudulent, corrupt organizations in America that has ties to the President of the United States and preys on the poorest among us… whose founders have embezzled $5 million dollars from federal funds, and who have not yet been cut off from said federal funding permanently?
Priorities? You got that right!
UnderstandingisPower on October 21, 2009 at 1:09 PM
Breitbart used the old “hold onto the video until they set themselves up to be exposed as liars” trick. That’s the 5th time ACORN has fallen for it this year.
Daggett on October 21, 2009 at 1:09 PM
This video has a “point of view”.
LibTired on October 21, 2009 at 1:09 PM
Acorns roasting on an open fire
Flames nipping Obama on the
asstoesSituation for his gangsters looks more and more dire
And Obama folks all looking like big crime syndicate schmoes
Everybody knows ACORN’s criminals to prison should go
Lets all help to make the light on them shine bright
Real reporters like Breitbart, O’Keefe and Giles with their eyes aglow
Will make it hard for Obama to sleep at night
And so I’m offering this simple phrase
To Axelrod and Rahm too
Although it’s been said many times, many ways
You ACORN crooks get out of Washington town and take your Capo of Crime Obama with you
MB4 on October 21, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Hard to keep making funny jabs at Iranian nuke fuel exporting… ACORN? The hits keep coming!
That’s the difference and will always be the difference.
We know Iran needs to be “reduced” and the story helps confirm that. What is there to comment on? Great and important story… but not a comment generator.
mankai on October 21, 2009 at 1:10 PM
And when it goes viral and everyone knows about it, don’t you think that takes a small swipe at their credibility?
UnderstandingisPower on October 21, 2009 at 1:10 PM
iran agrees to deal on exporting nuclear fuel: 9 comments (0 from sesquipedalian!)
terrorist plot uncovered in MA: 37 comments (0 from sesquipedalian!)
new acorn vid: 250+ and counting – sesquipedalian actively trolling!
priorities. (Indeed!)
sesquipedalian on October 21, 2009 at 1:06 PM
notropis on October 21, 2009 at 1:11 PM
One would think that ACORN would get smart.
ICBM on October 21, 2009 at 1:11 PM
Some of the press conference.
txag92 on October 21, 2009 at 1:11 PM
Funny. The “old banana in the tailpipe trick”.
I would LOVE to be a fly on the wall at Media Mattes HQ right now.
Matticus Finch on October 21, 2009 at 1:11 PM
ooooh…snap!
cmsinaz on October 21, 2009 at 1:12 PM
Comment pages: 1 2 3 4 Next »