Looks like Dinesh D’Sousa’s not the only once-hot far-right “political activist” feeling pushed out of the limelight by more marketable grifters. Apart from the scrimier far-right websites, the Washington Post is the only media outlet that seems to have given a mercy-writeup to “Conservative video-maker James O’Keefe: Homeland Security targeted me, asked intrusive questions“:
… It all started in August 2014, when O’Keefe donned green fatigues and an Osama bin Laden costume and sneaked across the U.S. border to Mexico and then back into Texas, a stunt cited by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in congressional hearings. O’Keefe said in an interview Wednesday, that his point was to “show that our elected officials were lying to the American people” by saying the border is secure.
But he may have messed with the wrong bureaucrats, because the powerful DHS — the third-largest Cabinet department — controls border security. Ever since the bin Laden stunt, O’Keefe said, he has been stopped and questioned at length by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers each of the five times he has tried to reenter the United States. The questions, he said, have been overly intrusive, covering his business operations, what his next investigative project will be and his political views.
“It is our contention that this is retaliation for our journalism along the Mexican border,” O’Keefe said. “It’s troubling that they are doing this to a citizen reporter. . . These questions have nothing to do with national security or border issues or smuggling narcotics into the country. They are questions that they would never ask a Washington Post reporter, that they would never ask NBC News.”
To buttress his claims, O’Keefe did what he does best: He released a surreptitiously recorded video. The 9-minute-16-second production provides hints that DHS was not pleased by O’Keefe’s bin Laden venture but reveals no clear evidence that the agency is targeting him…
In a statement late Wednesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection rejected O’Keefe’s allegations of retaliation but said it could not comment on the specifics of his case, citing privacy concerns…
In [the ACORN] case and others, O’Keefe was accused of selectively editing his videos. And his new release is not really a video at all: It consists mostly of audio recordings of the federal officers, with the Customs and Border Protection logo on the upper left part of the screen.
The reason, O’Keefe said in the interview, is that he could only record audio because the agents searched his phone. Even to do that, he said he had to “manufacture a special type of device that was recording, where they would have no idea.” He declined to describe the device or where it was hidden…
“My entire purpose is to shock the conscience of the American people by exposing reality,” he said, adding: “I think immigration is a very timely topic right now. I could have continued recording more interactions, but sometimes your gut instinct is to package a story when you feel you have enough facts.”
It would, of course, be very wrong for the DHS to target Mr. O’Keefe. On the other hand, the possibility that a couple of random Border Security agents might have found something potentially suspicious about a skinny young dude (in costume?) glaring at them and fumbling under his clothes for… nothing at all, Officer! why would you even ask? are you *challenging* me? I warn you, I know my rights!… Well, let’s just say that O’Keefe’s prior record would give a neutral observer every reason to doubt the complete, heartfelt, unedited veracity of his shock and dismay.
SiubhanDuinne
I love this sentence. I hope you had as much fun writing it as I did reading it.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
sounds like Hillary had a good night in Iowa, at something someone insists on calling a “wingding”
Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA
Reader: Wait, what? Well, Washington Post, did he or didn’t he?
Washington Post: We’ll have to leave it there.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I wonder if/how much the writer intended these words to mean what I see in them
Redshift
Why would it be improper targeting for the Border Patrol to give special scrutiny to a person who has publicly admitted crossing the border illegally?
I mean, my wife got pulled out for special screening on every flight for a couple of years just because (as far as we could tell) she once took a one-way flight.
mtiffany
I wonder if Mr. O’Keefe would object as much to this form of treatment if it were any random brown person being subjected to it.
@Redshift:
There you go again, being logical and consistent…
Mike E
@Redshift: I read that as, “Broder Control”. Heh.
Amir Khalid
This James O’Keefe kid just doesn’t seem very important anymore. The sense I got was that those border security agents see him as no more than a mild annoyance.
redshirt
When Trump is elected we’ll have a Broad Control department.
JCJ
Eh, I have been stopped for extra questioning several times. It really does not mean you are special. I have a very common name and I was told that they were looking for someone with the same name.
sharl
That oxygen-thievin’ shitweasel O’Keefe, former captain of the S.S. Dildo, deserves all the shit that comes his way, seeing as he invites it.
The much beloved Wonkette generally repackages reporting by others, and does so to hilarious effect, but on very rare occasion they get a scoop. In the case of the aforementioned shitweasel, a couple of enterprising freelancers had been keeping tabs on this creep, and when they found that the U.S. District Court of Southern California had ordered him to pay $100,000 to a former ACORN worker for getting him fired – thanks to a highly edited/deceptive/lyin’ video – the freelancers shopped that story and the pdf of the verdict to Wonkette, who gladly posted it: Wonket Sexclusive: Totally Blameless Crime-Stopper James O’Keefe To Pay $100,000 To ACORN Criminal.
That story kinda brightened my day when it came out. But it certainly did nothing to improve that asshole’s character, which at this point I doubt is possible.
NotMax
If I was a believer in reincarnation, would posit that O’Keefe was Helena Blavatsky in a previous life.
Little Boots
good night all, sorry to interject. love you all.
Steeplejack (phone)
@Little Boots:
Night-night.
Omnes Omnibus
@NotMax: That seems a bit harsh on HB.
srv
I remember back when investigative reporters were heroes of the Left.
Under Trump, we’ll hopefully see the light of truth shining where people don’t want.
Omnes Omnibus
@srv: Yawn.
NotMax
So, we got an extremely fierce and loud pounding of rain from the remnants of Hurricane Hilda a bit earlier today – for about 15 minutes. Two thunderclaps and it was over.
Now the humidity is back to somewhere around a thousand per cent and nary even a shallow breath of wind.
Haven’t checked any reports, but the windward side of the island must have gotten some nasty, nasty weather.
And – no sooner typed the above than another wave of rain began.
Tree With Water
Meanwhile out in California:
“A Modesto attorney, his wife and three California Highway Patrol officers were arrested Friday along with five alleged accomplices in connection with the 2012 killing of a 26-year-old man who was targeted for stealing scrap metal from the attorney and then dumped in the Stanislaus National Forest, officials said”.
Can’t recall ever hearing of 3 California cops being arrested for murder on the same day before…
sharl
@efgoldman:
I don’t have the answer to this, but it may have come from the unknown(?) financial backers behind the late Andrew Breitbart’s wingnut media venture. At the time he did those ACORN videos, shitweasel was working at Breitbart’s behest – if not in fact an employee (I’m not sure that was ever clear, and perhaps the business relationship was muddled intentionally) – so maybe those financial backers paid out the everyone-shut-up-and-go-away money.
By the way, I got curious about how Shirley Sherrod’s case was going – an early July Politico post said she was close to settling with the Breitbart estate and his (former) business partner. Yeah, I know, Politico…but their post included a link to the relevant court document (.pdf, 2pp). IANAL, but if I’m reading it correctly, that settlement could happen at any time.
I hope she does well in that settlement; she deserves it. Scrolling through my Google search results, it was a pleasant reminder that she came back at her tormentors with a quiet, steady and righteous vengeance – more properly called justice of course, but lemme be melodramatic, dammit! – and the tears of frightened and indignant Breitbart fans and fellow wingnut media dweebs were rather tasty.
NotMax
@sharl
Can readily recall nearly a handful of times he’s gone web begging for 50 grand. Likely more which am unaware of or have mercifully forgotten.
Apparently the rubes continue to cough it up.
Ruckus
@Redshift:
And I believe that until they clear you to enter the country, you have very few rights. You have the right to answer questions (or not, which is not all that useful to you), to be searched without a warrant, including Texas street cop type searches and I believe to be held until they are satisfied that you are legally entering the country. And there is almost nothing you can do about it. Especially at the time. Have had vehicle searched for over an hour and been questioned for about the same amount of time after 3 days in Canada. In 1990. Today? After 14 yrs of abject bed wetting about terrorism/illegal immigration? I’d expect far more. That the little shit didn’t get a complete personal search including that Texas police street touch, seems like someone is falling down on the job.
Mnemosyne
@Redshift:
Because O’Keefe is white and middle-class, so it’s obviously improper to expect him to obey the law. Duh.
Tree With Water
@Ruckus: Is there anyone else in the country who doesn’t understand that if a person jackasses around cops while wearing a Bin Laden costume, that person will be marked by cops thereafter, forever and ever? I hope not, although I know better. I sort of hate to think anyone else in this country could be that stupid.
Nathan Tyree
When The Trump becomes Overlord People attempting to cross the border in disguise will be executed on sight. And Mexico will pay for it.
Mike G
Shorter O’Keefe:
I’m a big fan of authoritarian, bullying cops and border enforcement and iron-fist government, but only when it’s directed at those OTHER people.
Anne Laurie
@Tree With Water: Have you watched any part of O’Keefe’s videos? The agents don’t have to know his backstory; from the evidence of O’Keefe’s previous attempts to appear “collected”, he would’ve flailing & sweating & overacting in a way that would draw suspicion from Jimmy Carter teaching a Bible Studies class. He walked past the nice old lady taking tickets at the quilt show, she’d suspect he was either shoplifting from the thrift-table bucket or planting a hidden camera in the ladies’ restroom. Of course some security professionals were gonna give him the hairy eyeball… especially if he put on his “act” enough times at enough different checkpoints.
NotMax
Holy crap.
Just watched this week’s Mr. Robot.
Whole story took several sharp 90 degree turns, like a cycle from Tron.
mtiffany
@NotMax: “You hack people, I hack time.” BD Wong FTW.
Riggsveda
“Citizen reporter”? These are some damn fluid monikers we have floating around in the universal mind. Did I mention I’m a citizen astrophysicist, and I craft foreign policy for micro-nations in my spare time?
piratedan
love the fact that WaPo says that he was accused of editing his video… and guess what WaPo, he did. Our media circus is still on the job, probably still breathlessly waiting on the next piece of Malaysian Airlines flotsam to wash ashore.
I knew at one time, our media was actually concerned with informing people, now they’re mostly places where propaganda is generated, depending on who owns them for any given cycle.
raven
the saturday morning lull
BillinGlendaleCA
@raven: I got my slingbox and got it all hooked up. I’m not entirely thrilled with using browser extensions for viewing recorded content on the PC, but it’s better than using the PIP on the UHD monitor.
OzarkHillbilly
@raven: Yeah, Whats up with that. I mean, I still get up at 3:30. Doesn’t everyone else?
Kathleen
@sharl: I am shocked, shocked that I didn’t hear any of this on the Mainslime Media outlets.
Thanks so much for that link.
BillinGlendaleCA
@OzarkHillbilly: That’s more about the time I’m thinking of going to bed.
Kathleen
@sharl: I’m sure the Mainslime Media will put story about the settlement front and center just like they pushed the “Shirley Sherrod was a racist video proves it” lies.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Kathleen: They’re too busy talking about Hillary’s emails.
Kathleen
@Riggsveda: I myself am a “Citizen Brain Surgeon” and I don’t take insurance but will still give 40% discount.
Kathleen
@BillinGlendaleCA: Yes. MSM can’t be bothered to report the number of Benghazi investigations that found no wrong doing. Also, too, would be nice to hear how much money all of those investigations cost tax payers.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Kathleen: How about a chicken?
OzarkHillbilly
@BillinGlendaleCA: Uck. When my step-daughter got married I didn’t even make it to 11 pm.
BillinGlendaleCA
@OzarkHillbilly: On some websites I go by the name 10am or 10amla, since I’m not fully functional until 10am(or later these days).
bystander
@sharl: Grifting these rubes must be highly lucrative or the shitweasels wouldn’t be tearing at each other’s flesh to get their take.
BillinGlendaleCA
@bystander: Charles over at LGF had the best description for them, “ferrets on bath salts”.
PurpleGirl
@Kathleen: Remember that during the WJC administration, Congress spent some $40 million investigating him and/or Hillary and found nothing.
BillinGlendaleCA
@PurpleGirl: As Paul Bugala pointed out at the time, they found out that WJC liked women. He said that he could have told em that for free.
Gimlet
Conservatives have found a way to constantly attack Democrats with expensive lawyer cronies in the courts using taxpayer money at the state and federal level.
If they had to pay out of pocket, I wonder how much of this activity would go away?
OzarkHillbilly
716 and counting.
Elizabelle
Good morning all. Had to put on a light sweater this morning, out on the deck.
I care not a whit about James O’Keefe of convict Dinesh or any of their ilk. Oh, to not even know about them.
Zinsky
I know that politics is just politics, but this O’Keefe guy needs to get the living shit beat out of him. And I mean knock teeth out, break his nose, etc. What he is practicing is character assassination writ large, and purposefully trying to destroy and vandalize institutions like ACORN and Planned Parenthood, both of which do incredible amounts of good in the world. He is a vile merchant of lies, vandalism and hatred. He should be given a beating he would never forget.
OzarkHillbilly
@Zinsky: As satisfying as the thought is, that would just turn him into a martyr.
PurpleGirl
I want to thank everyone who made a suggestion about a TV last evening/night. I have other errands to run and some cleaning to do before I can research what my “local” stores have. (I might not get out TV shopping until tomorrow, though.) cckids — buying from Amazon is not really an option for me right now because I have still have to dispose of the current TV and a local store will take it for me, otherwise I have to keep it until there is a recycling collection that I can get it to.
Elizabelle
Mingobat.
Mingobat.
Mingobat.
Clue: previous thread.
MomSense
@OzarkHillbilly:
Nightmare. This is insanity.
scav
@Elizabelle: That at least is a more pleasant thing to drag me into the day than anything else seen so far. The Rising Mingobat.
Eric S.
@Riggsveda: re “Citizen reporter”
It really is another clear signal if how they view the world. It is militaristic and they are constantly under siege. The media is just another division of enemy soldiers.
OzarkHillbilly
@MomSense: No, it’s America.
bystander
@OzarkHillbilly: True, but we can dream, can’t we? If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true, said a wise man once.
“Ferrets on bath salts” is a frightening, if apt, simile.
shell
Oh my, talk about delusional.
Bill Murray
@Nathan Tyree:
Does a toupee count as a disguise?
Snarki, child of Loki
@Zinsky:
Just be on guard, in case a shifty little shitweasel shows up and starts asking weird stuff. A quick call to Security for a thorough Tasing would be a good reponse.
The Moar You Know
The company you keep. Let’s admit it; they have more money but the Post’s coverage of Dems this cycle is more unhinged than such spots of right-wing idiocy such as Red State.
Their Clinton coverage should win them some kind of award for “transparent desperation”.
john fremont
@Redshift: Exactly. Also too, in the US Border Patrol’s jurisdiction, there is much more leeway given for probable cause. IANAL, but according to relatives that work for Justice Dept, Border Patrol agents can commence searches and investigations from a much looser standard of probable cause than other federal, state and municipal law enforcement officers can. A guy openly stating intent of breaking immigration laws is gonna attract a lot of scrutiny.
Incitatus for Senate
@Zinsky: You probably just committed a felony, you freakin dumbass.
Anne Laurie
@The Moar You Know:
I’ve actually found the Post‘s Clinton coverage these season far more honest than the NYTimes‘. They report all the GOP nonsense, but they don’t pretend it’s anything beyond partisan politics. Some of their “op-ed” contributors are insane, but what Jen Rubin or torture apologist Marc Thiessen write doesn’t come labelled as “reporting”.
wmd
@SiubhanDuinne: Aren’t convicted felons subject to additional scrutiny?
sukabi
@OzarkHillbilly: It’s 723 now… is there some kind of goal they’re trying to meet, already at 49 for this month.