Idiot Proves Voter Fraud is Possible, Doesn't Prove it's Common

When Andrew Breitbart died, I thought maybe we'd be spared from ever hearing of his minion, the twerpy James O'Keefe, ever again. He's the one who stages sometimes elaborate, often dishonest "exposés" from an extreme right-wing perspective. But he's such a douche, that even if he had all his ducks in a row, he'd still just come off as a jerk. Here, he's proving that you can vote as somebody else if you know their address. Yeah. I've always known I could do that. . .provided I knew that person hadn't already voted, and provided that I wanted to commit a federal crime. I've never felt that inclination. And neither have very many other people.  [Story continues below]



The right has a very convincing argument for strict voter rules, with picture IDs, etc. "Who doesn't have an ID? You need an ID to get a movie at Blockbuster!" Yeah, nobody goes to Blockbuster anymore, but that isn't the point. The point is, there are large groups of people who do not often have photo IDs, whether you think that's stupid or not. And those people disproportionately vote Democrat. The fact of the matter is, Republicans didn't dream up voter ID laws because of some rampant voter fraud. More people win the big prize in MegaMillions and PowerBall in a given year than are busted for voter fraud. If it is a problem at all, it is amazingly small one. No, the laws are to disenfranchise particular voters.

I've been a voter for 28 years, first in Ohio, then in Nevada. I've never needed anything more than my name and my address to vote. When I registered, I filled out a card. I don't think I even needed ID then, just a bill with my address on it. I do have a photo ID, and can't conceive of not having one for myself. But since when do conservatives mandate official government papers for anything? And if you have to pay for them, isn't that an individual mandate? Not to mention a poll tax? And if they're given away for free, isn't that a giveaway?

[Excerpt]

James O’Keefe Proves That Pointless Form of Voter Fraud Is Possible


In a new video, a member of James O'Keefe's "Project Veritas" manages to enter a D.C. polling station and receive a ballot for none other than Attorney General Eric Holder, simply by providing Holder's address. . .

Read more at: New York Magazine

"Gotcha Journalist" (and Sean Hannity, Others) Get Themselves

If you're going to play "gotcha" with an ambush interview, you should probably be certain you have the right target. Didn't this doofus know what Bono looks like? And what the hell would it prove if they "got" Bono anyway? Hint: Bono isn't from Hollywood. Doofus.

[Excerpt]


Sean Hannity, Big Journalism run 'ambush interview' on Bono—but it wasn't him. Doh! 




Just when you thought the purveyors of ACORN conspiracy theories and heavily edited tapes of people
saying things that weren't what they actually said had reached a new peak in their efforts at pretend-time jourmanalism, they up the ante. Yes, the latest scoop from the Breitbart Brigades is an ambush journalism effort aimed at Bono. . .

Read more at: DailyKos

Has AOL Punk'd Anti-Gay Web Site?

You just know that half the people (at least) who are regular
readers of Americans for Truth would rather go to the above
sites! Click to embiggen.

Okay, so I went to this homophobic site, AmericansforTruth.com, which is less telling than their official name, Americans for Truth about Homosexuality. Of course, "truth" is not what this group is about. It is an obsessive-compulsive "we hate gay, gay is evil, why is gay everywhere, we can't get away from the gay, gay, gay!" site. It's fairly disgusting, but also stupid and darkly humorous.

Anyway, I was curious if these strangely obsessed folks had anything to say about the very, very gay episode of Glee that aired on FOX (!) tv this week. But for some reason (what a shame) the site was down. But look at what my AOL suggested as similar sites puts up as targeted ads! The funny part is, there is nothing in this group's web address that indicates the gay. I have to wonder if this is intentional.

House Democrats Punk the GOP Majority with "Present" Votes

Nancy Pelosi, plotting to hit John Boner Boehner with
his own hammer. From TMM

Now, this is amusing. For quite some time, detractors of President Obama have criticized his use of a "present" vote when he was a state senator. But as the excerpted article below shows, a vote of "present" can be a strategic maneuver, and can also be very entertaining to watch if you are a political junkie. Here, the Democrats in the House of Representatives used the tactic to force Republicans to squirm. A lot. It isn't often that the Dems try something so strategic, or so successful. Kudos, Mrs. Pelosi!

[Excerpt]


Pandemonium! Dems Jam Republicans With Even More Conservative Budget

What was supposed to be a routine vote in the House -- to knock down an amendment authored by conservative Republicans -- turned into pandemonium on the House floor Friday, as Democrats tried to jam the plan through, and hang it around the GOP's necks. . .
 
Read more at: Talking Points Memo

FOX "News" Sunday Promotes O'Keefe as "Power Player"

FOX "News" Sunday with Chris Wallace is easily the least in every category for the Sunday morning political shows. It is also the easiest one to breeze through on the DVR, since it has the most commercials. The always vaguely creepy host is the most likely of the bunch to lob softballs at guests, and to set up perfect hits to his ludicrously named "Power Panel" of pundits (nearly always one-half of the show's running time). I always stop the DVR and erase right after the last of those segments, skipping the last segment.

At the end of each show, Wallace has a segment titled Power Player of the Week. I don't know who that title is supposed to impress, and I can't imagine ever anticipating with excitement just who it's going to be this week.  So I skip it. But not this week. This week, FOX inexplicably picked James O'Keefe, video hoaxster. O'Keefe is the one who "punks" organizations and individuals who are on the far right's hit list. O'Keefe's videos are nearly always creatively edited to make them far more incendiary than they otherwise would be.

The weird part of this is, even though these "exposés" are 95% hokum, they have an effect anyway. ACORN--which did nothing wrong--is now gone. NPR, another target, is shedding personnel and is in danger of losing funding, even though the "punk'd" executive merely told the truth. This punk's dodgy antics are effective, often even when he really doesn't expose anything. Wallace and FOX are apparently awarding this creep with their alleged weekly honor, and for what? Being a partisan asshole? 

FOX "News" is extremely good at injecting false or distorted narratives into political discourse. Do "death panels" ring a bell? ACORN itself would probably still be around were it not for the grossly inflated and embellished claims about them getting air on FOX. So I guess it makes sense after all that O'Keefe be given their big "honor." He's doing exactly what the network as a whole does. Fair and balanced, my ass. 

[Excerpt]



Chris Wallace Ignores James O’Keefe’s Dodgy Past While Promoting Him As The ‘Power Player Of The Week’



Right-wing activist James O’Keefe recently released a video showing how he deceived NPR fundraisers into thinking they were having a discussion with members of a Muslim non-profit organization. One of the fundraisers was caught criticizing Republicans and the Tea Party and NPR CEO Vivian Schiller subsequently resigned. . .
 
Read more at: ThinkProgress

Pro-Union Group Runs Anti-Gov. Walker Ad (Fake Koch Brother Phone Call)

Good for them. If this were a "Democrat punk'd by a prank call" situation, with a public outcry, and a liberal billionaire like George Soros, this story would not be flying under the radar. Instead, you've got a situation where a conservative billionaire helped get a conservative governor elected in Wisconsin, and then got the billionaire's pet issue--crushing unions--to be the governor's first major issue. I ain't sayin' that Democrats have never manipulated politicians or mislead the public. But a Republican is doing it here, and people should know it.

Have a (Fake) Koch & a Smile: The Walker Tapes

By now you've heard all about how Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker--Union Buster®--was punked by a blogger from the Buffalo Beast. But have you actually heard the video? If not, here you go.

Wisconsin Gov. Walker Punk'd by Blogger, Reveals Real Plans

Governor Wanker Walker, from DailyKos

Looks like the links between Wisconsin's Gov. Walker and the billionaire Koch brothers was more than just a case of internet rumor-mongering, and Glenn Beck-style conspiracy spinning. A blogger--a particularly ballsy blogger--prank phone-called Walker, pretending to be David Koch. Walker took the call, and chatted for 20 minutes, bragging about his union-busting efforts thus far, his plan with other Republican governors to do this all over the country, and other things. While the jury is out on whether Walker said anything potentially incriminating, it is for sure embarrassing. And it paints some of his "this is just for the budget" rhetoric as bat guano.

[Excerpt]

Walker admits to 'Koch' that union-busting is ultimate goal

Republican Governor Scott Walker has dismissed the candid conversation he had with a blogger posing as billionaire David Koch, saying it proved nothing except he "says the same thing in private as he does in public."



Well, sure. Except for a public admission that Walker's efforts to strip collective bargaining rights has nothing to do cutting costs and everything to do with destroying unions. . .

Read more at: DailyKos

Maddow Hoaxed, NewsBusters Reports, But Doesn't Understand It

My previous post notes that The Rachel Maddow Show bought into a satirical faux Christian website, ChristWire, and its report on Sarah Palin and Egypt. She admitted the error in a tweet, and also included a piece explaining the error on her show. NewsBusters.org, a site that has a SERIOUS thing for Maddow (they'll use any excuse to mention her) covered it too. This is not unexpected. In fact, I'd have been extremely surprised if they hadn't.



The funny thing is, NB didn't understand Rachel's point when explaining herself. The point is, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck (and the whole GOP/Tea Bagger clown car) is freaking bonkers. Trying to sort out satire from what seems to be satire is a tricky business. I'm sorry that TRMS didn't suss out the ruse before they did a report on it. But I don't really fault them for being taken in. Christian fundamentalists are nutty. Beck, Palin, Bachmann, Huckabee, and so many others are right out of Mad magazine.  Here's the line that inspired this post:

". . .that was Maddow’s explanation for getting duped by a satirical website: in her view, conservatives – especially Glenn Beck – are saying all kinds of crazy things. As a result, it’s become difficult for her to know what’s real and what’s a spoof. . ."

Yes. Exactly. You've got it, and you don't even know it!

Read more (if you must) at: NewsBusters

Rachel Maddow Punk'd by ChristWire

Ohhhhhh, Rache. I knew it the second you quoted it. But only because I happened upon a different person who got taken in by ChristWire, a satirical faux fundamentalist web site. Now, right-wing world is having a field day on Rachel's (self admitted) error, but they really shouldn't be so gleeful. First, ChristWire is only a micron past any fundy web site in their outrageousness. Second, it is extremely easy to imagine the Sarah Palin stuff culled from the ChristWire piece. No, it wasn't true, and yes, Rachel Maddow got suckered. But it only worked because it was so believable. And don't forget, those other sources Rachel quoted? Those were REAL.

[Excerpt]


Rachel Maddow Falls For Christwire




Those hilariously evil queens at Christwire write us this morning to gloat that last night Rachel Maddow fell for their so-Christian-it-feels-real satire. . .

Read more at: Joe.My.God.

FOX Nation Publishes Onion Satire Piece as Fact

If you've never been to FOX Nation, it is a far-right outpost on the interwebs, kind of like FreeRepublic.com only with the FOX "News" brand name. When it started out, FOX Nation was touted as a place for all political viewpoints, but much like its "fair and balanced" parent, it is frequented by conservatives of the extreme end of the spectrum. FOX Nation has a lot in common with Tea Party Nation.


Also like its parent, FOX Nation seems content to jump right into a story if it supports their preferred narrative, fact checking be damned.

[Excerpt]

Fox Nation readers confuse Onion article with real news

Fox News' opinion website Fox Nation and their readers don't seem to know satire when they see it.  Fox News' opinion website Fox Nation and their readers don't seem to know satire when they see it. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Fake ACORN "Pimp" Dude Tries to Punk CNN. FAIL.

What a dork this guy is.

Can't Be Real: An All White Basketball League?

UPDATE: Thanks to friend and contributor Stupid Monkey Planet for doing the legwork and confirming that it is indeed a hoax. Had to be! Thanks, Monkey.

Rant - All-White Basketball League: Hoax!

ORIGINAL POST:

Really? It's not April Fool's Day, Ashton Kutcher stopped making Punk'd years ago, and this doesn't seem to be from The Onion. But I'm still suspicious. Could there really be a group of people so out-of-touch in 2010? Really? I'm just having a hard time believing it's true.

[Excerpt]

New basketball league open to whites only, to get away from the ‘street-ball’ played by ‘people of color.’

new professional basketball league called the All-American Basketball Alliance (AABA) sent out a press release on Sunday saying that it intends to start its inaugural season in June, with teams in 12 U.S. cities. However, the AABA is different from other sports leagues because only players who are “natural born United States citizens with both parents of Caucasian race are eligible to play in the league.” AABA commissioner Don “Moose” Lewis insists that he’s not racist, but he just wants to get away from the “street-ball” played by “people of color” and back to “fundamental basketball.” Lewis cited the recent incidents of bad behavior by NBA players, implying that such actions would never happen with white players. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Canadian Version of Daily Show Punks Sarah Palin

I found this at AmericaBlog, where Sarah Palin has been dubbed "stupid" for falling for this prank. Far be it for me to argue with my blogfather, John Aravosis, but this doesn't make her stupid. This makes her ignorant. But she's stupid too, so, po-tay-to/po-tah-to.

Limbaugh Gets Punk'd

Image from TPM Muckraker

This story is already a few days old, and I'd been thinking of doing a post about it. But not until I read this take on it did I decide I had to. As you all probably know, Rush Limbaugh was taken to task for past racist utterances, and was effectively barred from buying interest in an NFL team. Several of those quotes were unattributable, though not necessarily bogus. And the righties had a field day, accusing the media of slandering Limbaugh. As though such a thing is possible.

Well, El Rushbo ran with a totally false story about President Obama recently, with origins from a political parody. And after the ruse was exposed, nobody on the right said "boo" about Rush slandering the President. Small wonder. Anyway, this is a great piece on the story.

[Excerpt]

When wingnuts get punk'd

Hey, remember all that brewhaha last week about some quotes right-wingers claim Rush Limbaugh didn't say?

Well, nobody really came forward with any proof that he did or didn't say a couple racist quotes attributed to him. Evidently, in in 1998, in the days before internet media watchdogs, someone didn't think of recording Boss Hogg's radio show for future prosperity. And because of just a few 'alleged' quotes, the tighty righties got all wound up, cranking the mockrage machine to 11. Never mind that they conveniently 'ignored' the really nasty quotes Limbaugh's critics did have recorded evidence for. Why let the truth get in the way of good spin? . . .

Read more at: Liberal Talk Radio

Battle of the Sarah Palin Memoirs!

Image from source, Wonkette

Oh, this is brilliant! A book deriding Sarah Palin designed to closely resemble Going Rogue, her own personal memoir! "Going Rouge" is kind of an odd title, sure. But the similarity might entice one of her less literate (hahahahahaha) fans into buying it, hopefully by mistake. Hilarity ensues.

[Excerpt]

Liberals Actually Did This Savvy PR Thing!

Here we have Going Rogue’s doppelganger, Ominous Storm Cloud Dust-Jacket Going “Rouge.” It is a bunch of totally bold essays about how terrible Sarah Palin is, written by Dahlia Lithwick, Katha Pollitt, Hanna Rosin, Matt Taibbi, Michael Tomasky, Rebecca Traister, etc. etc. i.e. all “the good ones” at Slate and the Nation and whatever other publications that are identical to Slate and the Nation that we’re forgetting. . .

Read more at: Wonkette

Media Punk'd: Martin Eisenstadt, Fake McCain Advisor

A while back, when making fun of Sarah Palin was still cool (I mean cooler, it's not like we're going to stop doing it!), a little drama broke out within the news media. Carl Cameron of FOX "News" reported that a John McCain-Sarah Palin campaign advisor had leaked to him tons of information about how stupid Sarah Palin is. Stuff like not knowing that Africa is a continent, or what countries are in North America.

It was a vindication for people who'd been saying that she was basically "Miss Teen South Carolina" in hockey-mom clothes. Anyway, there were denials, and non-denials about the story. Palin herself gave a (what else?) rambling non-answer excuse that didn't convince me.

Then, a twist. MSNBC's David Shuster reported that they'd uncovered the source of the unnamed advisor, somebody named Martin Eisenstadt. Shortly after this, he retracted the story. End of issue, right? Not exactly. Shuster was lambasted by bloggers, his image everywhere, painting him as a fool and a sucker. Here on my blog, I scratched my head aloud, and wondered why Cameron wasn't taking any heat. Well, it was because I didn't read thoroughly enough to see what the blogs were laughing about.

The story goes that Martin Eisenstadt is a phony; a fraud. And Cameron's original story was not sourced by Eisenstadt, but somebody else. So apparently, Sarah Palin is ignorant for reals y'all, and Shuster (and others) were "punk'd" by hoaxsters. I still don't get why this attracted so much attention though. It would have been a better "gotcha" if the whole story had been a fake.

No less than conservative "FOX Fan" blogger Johnny Dollar came to my site, to rub my nose in it the fact that I'd gotten the story wrong. And hey, I am the first to admit I am capable of making a mistake. I'm a one-man show, running this blog between a real job and a real life. My only fact-checkers are my limited base of readers. So, anyway, here is the real story behind the story, to make up for the fact that I didn't get it at first.

I've got to wonder though, is the "conventional wisdom" on the Africa and North America ignorance by Palin now considered to be entirely a hoax? Is this falsely attributed leak now like the "Memogate" Bush AWOL-ness from 2004? Part of the story turns out to be false, so the CW throws the baby out with the bathwater? I'm betting, yes.

[Excerpt]

Filmmakers Behind Fake McCain Adviser Discuss Tricking The Media (VIDEO)

Dan Mirvish and Eitan Gorlin appeared on CNN's Reliable Sources to discuss how they tricked the media by creating a fake McCain adviser named Martin Eisenstadt. The duo were able to fool such reputable news organizations as The New York Times, The New Republic, and, most famously, MSNBC, whose anchor David Schuster reported live on air that Martin Eisenstadt had been identified. . .

Watch the video at: Huffington Post

Karl Rove Punked with "Free Siegelman" Poster

There is no one more deserving of a public "Punk"ing than Karl Rove. And if he thinks Karma is through with him, I'd say she's only getting warmed up.

For more background on the Don Siegelman story (the subject of the poster), go here, here and here.

Nation Punk'd!

I want to wake up to this reality: Ashton Kutcher pulls of his greatest prank. Al Gore actually won the 2000 election! It's all a great big joke! Gore's real term commences immediately.