Tuesday, January 26, 2010

ACORN for Brains

UPDATE: Looks like I didn't have to wait that long. Ah well, she can be intellectually honest..... or can she?

James O'Keefe, the guy who did the ACORN sting, doesn't seem to understand the difference between a completely legal recording of an interview between you and someone else, and a completely illegal and reprehensible wiretapping of someone's phones.
Too lazy to look it up, but I think I heard someone mention that it could be considered illegal to video tape someone surreptitiously in the manner O'Keefe did. No need to check the facts, though, as Megan goes even further:
Like many 24-year olds, he may not have fully appreciated why what he was doing was wrong, but if the allegations are true, I hope that the judge explains it to him while handing down a stiff penalty.
Or 25 year olds, whatever, But yeah, I'm sure he didn't know you couldn't tap someone's phone. Also, he might have just been coincidentally in the lobby recording with his cell phone when three other libertarians came in and posed as phone company repairmen, asking to see the phone closet. Could be.
END UPDATE

UPDATE II: Oh, oops, turns out an FBI agent has sign an affidavit claiming O'Keefe confessed to him he was there illegally. WHOOPS-A-DAISY!

Hey, remember that guy who dressed like a caricature of a pimp and managed to a few ACORN employees to say some things they shouldn't have? Then lied about it to make it seem like they were even worse than they were?

Anyway, yeah, he got caught red-handed committing a felony. He was trying to tap a New Orleans Democrat's phone lines with 3 other people. I eagerly await Megan McArdle's missive about how awful this is and how it shows just how bad Mr. O'Keefe is and how corrupt libertarianism is. Just like she did with ACORN.

Fuck the links. My back hurts and that's what the search function is for.

Read the article, though. It's hilarious. Someone's been watching too much Burn Notice.

7 comments:

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

I like that haha dumbass tag.

Of course, it could also be an alternate blog title for "Fire Megan McArdle".
~

M. Bouffant said...

If Mack Daddy didn't think it was illegal, why didn't he just go in & ask for the key to the 'phone closet? She really may have surpassed herself on this one.

And calling for a harsh sentence while the judge lectures them is the height of ignorance, as this case will never be heard in a courtroom until the plea bargaining agreements are filed.

Morbo said...

Keep in mind, this is Megan McArdle we're talking about here. Age, as with everything else and especially morals, is relative. And the relativism as with so many other things has her as its point of reference, naturally. So when she says he's only 24, keep in mind that in her brain she's still in her early 20's. That means that yes, being 12 (is it 12?) years younger than her really means he's only, oh, 11 years old.

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

Like many 24-year olds, he may not have fully appreciated why what he was doing was wrong

G. Gordon Kiddie

(cross-posted at teh sadly)

NutellaonToast said...

I remember 3 years ago, when I was 24, I was tapping the shit out of phone lines like I didn't even care... CUZ I DIDN'T!

Dillon said...

I agree with Megan.

Men in their 20's sometimes won't fully appreciate the consequences of their decisions until later in life.

See: Suderman, Peter.

NutellaonToast said...

FTW