James O’Keefe Needs To Own Up

This is what James O’Keefe says about being busted in Senator Mary Landrieu’s office on BigGovernment.com:

The government has now confirmed what has always been clear:  No one tried to wiretap or bug Senator Landrieu’s office.  Nor did we try to cut or shut down her phone lines.  Reports to this effect over the past 48 hours are inaccurate and false.

As an investigative journalist, my goal is to expose corruption and lack of concern for citizens by government and other institutions, as I did last year when our investigations revealed the massive corruption and fraud perpetrated by ACORN.  For decades, investigative journalists have used a variety of tactics to try to dig out and reveal the truth.

I learned from a number of sources that many of Senator Landrieu’s constituents were having trouble getting through to her office to tell her that they didn’t want her taking millions of federal dollars in exchange for her vote on the healthcare bill.  When asked about this, Senator Landrieu’s explanation was that, “Our lines have been jammed for weeks.”  I decided to investigate why a representative of the people would be out of touch with her constituents for “weeks” because her phones were broken.  In investigating this matter, we decided to visit Senator Landrieu’s district office – the people’s office – to ask the staff if their phones were working.

On reflection, I could have used a different approach to this investigation, particularly given the sensitivities that people understandably have about security in a federal building.  The sole intent of our investigation was to determine whether or not Senator Landrieu was purposely trying to avoid constituents who were calling to register their views to her as their Senator.  We video taped the entire visit, the government has those tapes, and I’m eager for them to be released because they refute the false claims being repeated by much of the mainstream media.

It has been amazing to witness the journalistic malpractice committed by many of the organizations covering this story.  MSNBC falsely claimed that I violated a non-existent “gag order.”  The Associated Press incorrectly reported that I “broke in” to an office which is open to the public.  The Washington Post has now had to print corrections in two stories on me.  And these are just a few examples of inaccurate and false reporting.  The public will judge whether reporters who can’t get their facts straight have the credibility to question my integrity as a journalist.

O’Keefe is correct that the mainstream media violated all sorts of ethical and other standards, as Andrew Breitbart, founder of Big Government, said here, but O’Keefe is clearly making excuses for himself. Why would members of his group (also arrested) pretend to be telephone repairmen? Why didn’t he just go in as a reporter and ask legitimate questions? Yes, I understand why he targeted Senator Landrieu, but many offices are incredibly busy with their phones right now, and since Landrieu was bribed to vote for the Senate health care bill in December, I imagine her more than most. (As a point of comparison, I called Senator Tom Coburn’s office last December, but the mailbox was full.) Furthermore, phone lines “being jammed” does not mean they are down. It means they are jammed by callers. Louisiana is a good-sized state; didn’t this occur to O’Keefe?

Lastly, and I look forward to being corrected on this, when did the government “confirm what has always been clear?” I have seen or heard nothing of the sort, and even some digging around on Google, Huffington Post, Hot Air, Daily Kos, Media Matters, Drudge Report and other sources brings up nothing. Sorry, Mr. O’Keefe, but you’ll have to provide some proof here. The FBI affidavit is pretty damning (pardon the language). It should not have taken “reflection” to stamp on the line between investigative journalism and illegal activity. This is not “sensitivity” in the negative sense you have described above. This is you almost certainly ignoring the law. Period.

Again, I look forward to being corrected on what I have said above. I understand my language has been harsh, and if evidence comes out that that the media, the affidavit and blogs have misrepresented the situation to the extent O’Keefe indicates, than I will offer a full-fledged apology. Until then, I look forward to the case going to court, and seeing if O’Keefe is found guilty. I hope he has done nothing illegal, but I’m not holding my breath.