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Media Matters Is On the Case of the ‘Stolen’ ACORN Rolodex

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  September 22nd, 2009 at 06:25 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

If you were doubting the legitimacy of RedState’s access to Bertha Lewis’s contacts list, look no further than Media Matters’ overheated rhetorical condemnation of our writing about it.

Double standard much? If this were a right-wing organization, Media Matters would be plowing through it. As Media Matters does not organizationally poop without prior coordination among left-wing interests, we can presume they are scared by the information we have.

And they should be.

Besides the private contact information for various Senators and Congressmen, we have intel now on top Democratic staffers in Congress, third party groups allegedly unaffiliated with ACORN, and more.

This is going to be fun.

Oh, and several Missouri and Ohio campaigns, in particular, are going to have a few headaches based on some recent staff hires.

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COMMENTS

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  • texasjihad

    I found this little summary from rightgrrl.com

    Think back to 1996, when Newt Gingrich was Speaker of the House. On December 21st of that year, a Florida couple, John and Alice Martin, were going Christmas shopping, and “just happened” to have a scanner and tape recorder in the car with them. They claimed to have “accidentally” monitored the cell-phone conversation of Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, as he spoke from his car in a conference call with several other key Republicans, including Gingrich. They just “happened” to record it “for history.”

    I’m sure it’s common for people to accidentally intercept and tape private cell phone conversations while going Christmas shopping. Happens to me all the time.

    The Martins then turned the tape over to Washington Democrat Jim McDermott, a member of the House Ethics Committee, which was about to rule on Gingrich’s ethics violations. McDermott, in turn gave the tape to the New York Times and other newspapers. The New York Times then printed a transcript of the call’s participants discussing how Gingrich should respond to the Ethics Committee.

    Of course, it’s just a “coincidence” that the Martins are active in Florida Democratic politics, just as it was a “coincidence” that they gave the tape to a Democrat on the Ethics Committee instead of the Independent Counsel or the Republican committee chair. Perhaps it was also an “accident” that McDermott gave the information to the press, rather than discussing the tape with his fellow committee members.

    Since it is illegal to eavesdrop on cellular phone calls and disseminate the contents, the Martins eventually pleaded guilty and were fined a “whopping” $500 each. However, the court ruled that McDermott’s leaking of the call’s contents to the press is protected by freedom of speech. Because the recordings were a matter of “important public interest,” (how this conversation was a matter of “important public interest” is a bit questionable) the First Amendment trumped the privacy rights of the call’s participants.

  • Achance

    Some of us remember all the way back to “The Pentagon Paper,” and of course there is the beautiful and viciously violated Madame Plame. And a whole lot more that should have resulted in somebody rotting in a dungeon or dying of a nine mm brain hemorhage.

  • porterjervis

    Sounds coming from Erick’s office as he pours over the Rolodex.

  • Achance

    Maybe with all the hacking and such, an old-fashioned Rolodex really is the best way to go. They’re bulky. The have to be transcribed to be of much use electronically. I think I have one out in my shed!

  • http://www.rollovermartin.com Lee Hempfling

    It is what the Progressives are made of. It is no surprise in their quest to ‘debunk’ and ridicule and ‘bogus-ize’ every attack, Mediamatters is acting out its part of propaganda ministry quite well. The fact that they bothered attacking, both you and the two Patriots who shot video of Acorn, is simply their application of deceptive diversion. Change the topic. It is what that ‘Change’ thing meant in the ‘Hope &’ slogan of the one society.

    The topic is never addressed, and the moment they can manage to cause you, or any other Patriot to respond to their attacks is the moment they have caused the topic to change. The conversation then takes on the sprit of the strawman argument, leaving the attacked person in the dust, and their message hidden beneath the droppings.

    I suspect there are names on that list you don’t know who they might be. I suspect that those names are people that would be considered to be ‘unknowns’ and therefore, Redstate should publish those ‘unknowns’ and see if anyone else knows who they are.

    I’d absolutely crave the opportunity to read all of those names. A pattern could erupt from those connections far more important that the topic of who is in the list.

  • http://hillbillypolitics.com Steph C

    Oh, and several Missouri and Ohio campaigns, in particular, are going to have a few headaches based on some recent staff hires.

    Ohio and Missouri campaigns in the forms of those who had a hand in “investigating” Joe and “threatening” anti-Obamites with legal problems?

  • jjrakman

    Why do I suspect that Media Matters failed to express similar outrage with Sarah Palin’s e-mail account was hacked into.

    Because hypocrisy is the foundation of all leftist thought.

  • Scope

    even though it came back to “The Dark Knight” Robert Novak, Resting in Peace, Scooter Libby was the one forced to take the fall. Ain’t politics wonderful, with both parties. Let’s start talking about being thrown under more than the “proverbial bus”, there isn’t any room left there. How about being thrown on the railroad tracks, there’s alot more miles there. Wasn’t it proven, at some point, that Joe Wilson was lying about his real findings about yellow cake?

  • BlueLandRed

    Eric, that you’ll shortly be the subject of an FBI visit. Not that you’ve done anything illegal, but in all likelihood, the person that acquired Lewis’ contact list did. If they did do something illegal electronically, the FBI could very easily get involved if Lewis files a formal complaint… and you know that’s likely. If you’re not willing to give the FBI the name of the person you suspect, be prepared to have your computers taken and searched. I’m sure you know this, never lie to a federal agent, just take the 5th.

    And be careful about deleting stuff you don’t want them to have. Unless you’ve planned ahead, getting rid of electronic data can be really hard, and it can be very embarrassing (in a goto jail sort of way) if you get caught doing stuff like that. Also have good backups and spare computers ready to reinstall on.

    Good luck.

  • Scope

    I guess when you have so many names, and so many numbers, it is helpful to have that number in front of your face. God forbid her computer went down, even momentarily.

  • Scope

    Do you realize that Erick is a “lawyer.” For the life of me, I cannot understand why you are still nor blammed. Oh, I just got it, you are being investigated by RS through your contact info. You underestimate the RS members. They will find out how you are, they will expose you for all to see who you really are. Can’t wait. You can’t hide.

  • Scope

    n/t

  • Scope

    n/t

  • Richard Mullins

    I think your a plant for a leftist to spy on us. Really, do you believe what your saying?

  • Scope

    and what Bertha names will fall next. This is better than a murder mystery, and, it has to have all the cockroaches running for cover.

  • Michael Dugas

    nt

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    NT

  • http://www.werushdaily.com Rightshift

    …If you want peace, prepare for war…

    Erick…do tell… DOOOO TELLL!!! =D

  • Leopard1996

    When they were printing on the front page classified information about terrorist surveillance, and other things that were “classified”, and that was by our govenment.

    If the Powers that be decide to even attempt to go after Erick or Redstate, first off the can of worms gets opened about freedom of the press, (I know that 1st amendment thing is a bitch). Secondly, if folks here got prosecuted for breaking news, then I would love to let loose the dogs of war on KOS, DU, and others who break such lovely news items like the questioning of who is the birth mother for Trig Palin.

  • Leopard1996

    I just scanned there for two minutes, and the bullshit was stifling.

  • JadedByPolitics

    the fact that WE are now playing on their level and not that snotty level of Republican elites. I want you to load it all and if someone comes to check with you load it onto the internet in a split second. This is the way the left is and it is the way WE must become to win! This is about liberty and tyranny and I know that RedState stands on the side of liberty!

  • blooch

    You work for Zach Space, Right?

  • Aaron Gardner

    I kid I kid. ;^)

  • layedbackguy2

    …but I wonder what might come of this little problem with the anti-acorn bill.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/22/whoops-anti-acorn-bill-ro_n_294949.html

    Probably no real problem, but a loophole like this could be prone to exploitation. I’m sure with all the attention focused on this bill, no one will try to take advantage; still, something to keep an eye on!

    Sorry about the ‘HoPo’ link, but this is where I found out.

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    Don’t abuse our hospitality, thanks.

  • pauly1620

    Reminds me of the good ol’ days of Lee Atwater!

  • layedbackguy2

    I don’t want to troll here; that is rude and pointless. Just thought people here might be interested in the latest Dem attacks on the acorn bill. I hang out here because I think my party needs to be slapped down at times, and RS is one of the better places to find out what the Repubs are thinking and working on.

  • Achance

    I know I’m a fine one to talk, but there are limits to what we should be willing to do. Says he who the bad guys think is a bad guy.

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    [NT]

  • GordonTaylor

    for a long time about ACORN. And all that matters is that Media Matters doesn’t really matter. (I think I just hurt myself)

  • GordonTaylor

    n/t

  • Flagstaff

    Too bad it’s a joke the rest of the media doesn’t always get.

  • fayers

    Let them scream. Acorn can’t deny all the voter fraud that their people have been arrested for. Nothing is wrong unless a conservative does it.
    fayers,
    Nashville, N.C.

  • janis

    indignant about someone breaking the law? And so very sanctimonious about us evil conservatives and the lengths to which we will go to smear the “progressives”. Poor, poor leftys. Righteousness does not become them. Bunch of whiners who can’t stand being on the defensive, can they?

  • Richard Mullins

    Seriously, if there was wrong doing and you knew about, you should spill the beans on it. Congratulations, tempered with slow reaction.

  • blooch
  • blooch

    reply to Richard Mullins

    lol

  • Richard Mullins
  • blooch

    It trips me up sometimes when I’m replying to the bottom comment. Now I’m going to stop bogarting this thread.

    lol

  • http://uslibertyjournal.blogspot.com/ daezy

    I can’t wait.

  • JadedByPolitics

    I know when those young people first said “maybe we have more maybe we don’t” and said it was Alinsky’s rules I looked at my husband and said I hope they did not become so tainted by the stench and evil of Alinsky that it changed them into something they wouldn’t recognize. I don’t believe it can because I believe in our souls we are good people and we recognize right from wrong and if we must dip on the side of evil to bring out the good I believe we will survive. I am of the personal opinion that progressives are evil and I don’t say that lightly I say that with utmost attention to what they are attempting to do to our country and I feel we must put it back it the HOLE it belongs in.

  • 4deuce

    I visited Media Maters site to follow the smoke coming out of their ears over the “stolen” Rolodex….. I admired the few conservatives who dared to post there – usually short, to-the-point remarks that just grilled their chili after their postings appeared. Frankly, when I saw a Media Maters regular poster there proudly displaying a site ‘handle’ (avatar?) consisting of a red star with yellow hammer and sickle inside of it, I wondered just what sort of vermin belong to or endorse the whole Media Maters cabal. I guess to them the name ‘Media Maters’ actually means “media matters – only IF we control it”.
    Just being there made me feel like one of my immigrant ancestors who had arrived here from Ireland to escape the Potato Famine and be told “Irish Need Not Apply”.

    After visiting the Media Matters site and reading the numerous screeds of Mr Hammer and Sickle, I had to take a shower to wash off the ugly slime that I felt from my visit there.

  • Flagstaff

    for a long time without meeting return fire. Their natural response to valid criticism is to label it a smear, because that’s what they do. Let’s compare:

    President Obama was called a liar by a single member of Congress. (Facts seem to indicate that the worst thing about it was a breach of protocol. Obama was actually lying at the time.) In return, the Congressmen was widely denounced as being a racist, although nothing about “You lie” has to do with race.

    President Bush was called a liar and a loser by Senator Reid and a multitude of other individuals whom the press decided were “just exercising their rights of free speech.” Bob Beckle called tea party attendees gun nuts, and Nancy Pelosi called them Nazis and unAmerican, and phony as well. American soldiers have been called baby-killers by the left, and Dick Durbin went overboard by”comparing the American prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to the Soviet gulags, Nazi concentration camps, and Pol Pot’s killing fields.” (from WND) Of course, “BushHitler” was a staple of the left for the last several years. Dick Cheney was likened to a movie villain who destroyed entire worlds. Seems to me there were references to Bush as something to do with “Chimpy,” too, but I don’t remember exactly. (And didn’t the left go ballistic about an editorial cartoon that had a chimpanzee in it, even though there was no rational way to connect that chimp to Obama? The Lefties logic seemed to be “it’s a political cartoon, so that ape must be Obama, so it must be racist no matter what you say. Everybody knows that Whites think Blacks are all monkeys.”) And even Obama himself has all but said that President Bush condoned torture during his Presidency.

    Where does this leave the Democrats? Without much practice at dealing with criticism of any kind. Those Democrats include the press. As a result, they sound foolish to anybody who listens to their words and thinks about their implications and history. As soon as every negative thing said about Obama is considered racist, then nothing can be racist. Innocent bystanders start weighing evidence and recognizing the double standard that is always applied. It all picked up steam when Dan Rather insisted his Bush TANG papers were “fake, but accurate.” That was just too loony to stand up to any scrutiny at all.