Media Matters
Previous ACORN pieces
Showing posts with label ACORN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ACORN. Show all posts
3.07.2010
The ACORN hoax and the lies that try to cover it up
Shortly after the 2008 Presidential election, grass-roots organization ACORN came under fire when a video aired that supposedly showed a 'pimp' (in reality, James O'Keefe, an independent 'filmmaker' who wore an outlandish Halloween costume) walking into an ACORN office and receiving advice on how to shelter his illegal earnings from the government.
In the week after it erupted, Congress defunded ACORN and O'Keefe and Breitbart became heroes at Fox News has been using it to hammer Obama with thinly-veiled racist attacks and theories that the election was stolen. O'Keefe appeared on Fox and Friends in his pimp get-up, Sean Hannity has been practically masturbating on-air has gleefully laughed at how stupid ACORN must've been to fall for what looks like a frat party Pimps n' Hoes costume.
In a story closely followed by Media Matters' Eric Boehlert, it has now come to light that Andrew Breitbart, the right-winger whose website 'exposed' these videos (and who used this controversy to launch himself into the wingnut stratosphere) was either duped by 'filmmaker' James O'Keefe, or (more likely, IMO) went along with a great shining lie: The videos were heavily edited to show the message that the right-wing wanted shown. O'Keefe was shot in the pimp outfit outside the ACORN offices, but when he went in, he was not wearing the outfit. The "B-roll" footage was later spliced in, a charge that Breitbart admits, but dismisses as not important.
In other words, it didn't happen and there's no 'there' there.
By the way, O'Keefe was arrested in January for attempting to bug the phones of Sen. Mary Landireu, presumably for another 'gotcha' expose.
Sadly, as ACORN runs an accountability campaign, The New York Times, while admitting it got its facts wrong when it ran with the story, hook, line and sinker, has refused to print a retraction or an apology.
Not surprisingly, Sean Hannity, who has flogged the story to death, has been silent about the revelations. Colbert addresses this:
In the week after it erupted, Congress defunded ACORN and O'Keefe and Breitbart became heroes at Fox News has been using it to hammer Obama with thinly-veiled racist attacks and theories that the election was stolen. O'Keefe appeared on Fox and Friends in his pimp get-up, Sean Hannity has been practically masturbating on-air has gleefully laughed at how stupid ACORN must've been to fall for what looks like a frat party Pimps n' Hoes costume.
In a story closely followed by Media Matters' Eric Boehlert, it has now come to light that Andrew Breitbart, the right-winger whose website 'exposed' these videos (and who used this controversy to launch himself into the wingnut stratosphere) was either duped by 'filmmaker' James O'Keefe, or (more likely, IMO) went along with a great shining lie: The videos were heavily edited to show the message that the right-wing wanted shown. O'Keefe was shot in the pimp outfit outside the ACORN offices, but when he went in, he was not wearing the outfit. The "B-roll" footage was later spliced in, a charge that Breitbart admits, but dismisses as not important.
In other words, it didn't happen and there's no 'there' there.
By the way, O'Keefe was arrested in January for attempting to bug the phones of Sen. Mary Landireu, presumably for another 'gotcha' expose.
Sadly, as ACORN runs an accountability campaign, The New York Times, while admitting it got its facts wrong when it ran with the story, hook, line and sinker, has refused to print a retraction or an apology.
Not surprisingly, Sean Hannity, who has flogged the story to death, has been silent about the revelations. Colbert addresses this:
9.25.2009
ACORN is the new code for the n-word
An incredible piece by Cesca examines the history of Lee Atwater's Southern Strategy and the evolution of ACORN as codetalk for the n-word.
(Bob Cesca)
In my Wednesday Huffington Post column, I mentioned the famous Lee Atwater quote about race-baiting and the Southern Strategy and noted that Atwater would probably have loved the use of ACORN as a dog-whistle for "nigger." Here's the Atwater quote again:
Now watch this video courtesy of Dave Neiwert:
As Neiwert writes, there's no reason for this group of white wingnuts to believe that an African American young lady selling the flags was from ACORN. But that doesn't matter because ACORN is just a substitute word for what the guy clearly wants to be shouting.
Adding... Some Colbert genius:
(Bob Cesca)
In my Wednesday Huffington Post column, I mentioned the famous Lee Atwater quote about race-baiting and the Southern Strategy and noted that Atwater would probably have loved the use of ACORN as a dog-whistle for "nigger." Here's the Atwater quote again:
You start out in 1954 by saying, "Nigger, nigger, nigger." By 1968 you can't say "nigger" -- that hurts you. Backfires. So you say stuff like forced busing, states' rights and all that stuff.
Now watch this video courtesy of Dave Neiwert:
As Neiwert writes, there's no reason for this group of white wingnuts to believe that an African American young lady selling the flags was from ACORN. But that doesn't matter because ACORN is just a substitute word for what the guy clearly wants to be shouting.
Adding... Some Colbert genius:
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