Slate: Two Cheers for Andrew Breitbart
by PubliusSometimes it takes an outsider to show the press corps the way.
By Jack Shafer
Among the many glorious things about American journalism is that no credentialing organization or regulatory body stands between an individual who wants to break a story and his public reporting of it.
In the old days, one significant barrier did deter aspiring reporters: If they couldn’t find a publisher for their piece or afford to self-publish, they were SOL. But now, thanks to the free-for-all environment created by the Web, those publication and distribution worries have evaporated. Anybody can be a journalist in the new regime, we’re told, and on some days, it seems as if everybody is.
Last week, thanks to the sponsorship of Andrew Breitbart’s new site BigGovernment.com, self-described activist filmmaker James O’Keefe, 25, and his colleague Hannah Giles, 20, brought national scrutiny to the progressive Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, with a series of guerilla videos that are one part 60 Minutes, two parts Punk’d, three parts Ali G, and four parts Michael Moore, all bubbling under a whipped topping of yellow journalism.
If you’re late to the story, Andrew Breitbart is a conservative author, columnist, Web entrepreneur, and Matt Drudge protégé. Lately, he has distributed a series of videos made by O’Keefe and Giles in which the duo visits various ACORN offices with a hidden camera, pretending to be a pimp and prostitute seeking advice on setting up a brothel. ACORN workers in Baltimore; Washington, D.C.; San Diego; San Bernardino, Calif; and Brooklyn, N.Y., took the bait, and now ACORN is on the run, firing underlings, making excuses, and responding to charges of mismanagement and fraud. On Capitol Hill, Congress is getting ready to defund the organization, which has taken in at least $53 million in federal money since 1994.
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103 Comments
first beothches
Hopefully, for Ms. Giles and Mr. O'keefe, the likes of Breitbart will come to their aid during this total waste of taxpayer money lawsuit. God bless BB, Ms. Giles and Mr. O'keefe. Keep up the good work.
Thank God for true American heros!
no credentialing organization or regulatory body stands between an individual who wants to break a story and his public reporting of it.
Obama will fix that little oversight. Not to worry!
Feh.
Now that ACORN will be out of business soon, be on the lookout for their new front:
CORNNUTS
Center of Redistribution Needed Now to Undermine Tea-Baggers and Statutes
Just like they are trying to fix public radio. They feel so left out since the MSM is not present on the public radio airwaves that they need to regulate that as well.
I support you Mr. Breitbart, Hannah and James!!
You are great Americans!! Thank you!
Yes cheers !!!
"Net neutrality" = net-zero.
It would be my honor to donate into the defense fund once it is setup; there would be millions collected overnight once you say the word.
Thank you O'Keefe, Giles, Breitbart & Beck!
when will we hear the fall of the mainstream media empires?? with all the people and expenses the "news" does not seem to tell the whole story anymore, and that is if they feel it is a story. the prints are almost out of business, and the old guard seems to be looking for a cemetary soon. when will they realize we are not lemmings like the people on the left. hannah and james are knocking out acorn for less money than katie spends on he hair dresser.
Hat tip! Where is the defense fund?
Breitbart, O'Keefe, Giles, Beck, thank you all from America. You gave US something to rally around.
Biggovernment, while you are at it, send Hannah and James in with a hidden camera to interview Barney Frank. Good article here everyone ought to read about Frank's role in this mess. He is complicit, he has been in it up to his slimey neck for too many years…………..
Doesn't Slate lean left? Or does the author lean right? I can't believe what I just read! Congratulations to Mr. Breitbart!!!!
THREE cheers for Andrew Breitbart, Hannah Giles, and James O'Keefe! If they need a defense fund, I'm sure there will be plenty of us ready and willing to donate! Keep up the great work, guys! You're what journalism in America used to be!
Keep it up and many thanks, Andrew. You are doing the job that the MSM refuses to do. They lost their moral authority a long time ago.
Anyone else notice that "state sponsored media" is a term cropping up everywhere lately?
For a long time, I wasn't sure if the internet's effect on journalism was a positive one. Since Obama's election, it has shown itself to be critical. With nearly every main stream medium totally in the tank for the left, it has been the oasis for truth. Way to go Andrew! Keep it up!
If I were president, i would have Breitbart, Hannity, Limbaugh, Beck, Giles, and O’Keefe in my cabinet
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by don cantrell and SavageNews. SavageNews said: Slate: Two Cheers for Andrew Breitbart: Sometimes it takes an outsider to show the press corps the way. By.. http://bit.ly/GtwpJ #tcot [...]
Mr. Breitbart, you sir are a bad ass. THANK YOU.
Big Media is falling. Huff puff borrows 20 million a few times of the year and just blogs. This is troo investigation.
What would be great is 100s of people out there filming and recording at political events nationally. When "stuff happens" we can send it viral to the patriots online. These videos are awesome, and have seriously stung the Socialists where they thought they were safe. we need to keep it up for another 14 months. (one a week, 56 weeks…)
way to go, keep hitting them where it hurts!
http://www.deanmoore.us
Breitbart, Giles, O'Keefe and all the journalists digging for the truth, even to their own peril, are heroes. I believe our Founding Fathers would be very proud of this work to overthrow tyranny.
I don't know about Hannity, bro. More and more, he seems to be a republican spokesman. I have lost my trust in his independant thought. Everyone else sounds great!
Ms Giles and Mr O'keefe have done what very few on this planet manage in a lifetime, to be globally relevant. People in Canada, the UK and as far away as New Zealand know who they are, what they uncovered and laud them for their efforts. For a couple of youngsters barely out of their teens, that's astounding.
Mr Breitbart I expected nothing less from after his appearance on the Hoover Institutes "uncommon knowledge". He spoke of accidentally releasing the dragon lady with HuffPo and as every reluctant hero does, found the conviction to make things right personally. The man's a stud.
"Yellow Journalism"? How they cower in fear about their encroaching obsolescence.
Andrew Bretbart is an American hero.
Envy- it's a terrible thing.
Typo: Breitbart
That is clever! Maybe you could consult with them and be an insider to their next move.
Thanks ACORN for bringing this story to the surface again! This will be around a long time now…in the courts…ACORN wants to die a long painful death!
Maybe Sarah Palin too?
Mmmm I love cornnuts and beer so tasty…
Hannah has a lot of class. My new favorite tune is the Nutcracker Sweet/suite
Al franken and king Hussein owe their jobs to ACORN and now they were craked.
http://www.politico.com/pdf/PPM116_1_complaint_...
This is the complaint. It is settled and "Acorn can just hire their talllent back and everything will be settled.
The truth is what matters.
I will stand with anyone who puts truth on the table to be shared by all those willing to accept it as it is.
The tip of the iceberg……. Their lawyers including the ones holding political office, are scrambling to limit the damage to the surface ice, masking the underlying masses hidden under the surface!!!!! The problem with ice bergs is…. when the tip is removed ….more of what is hidden will rise becoming more visible, before long the scope and size is undeniable!!!!
Give them ample rope and they are guaranteed to hang themselves.
Andrew I have followed you for over a year , here from your neighbor to the North. What I see happening south of the border is astonishing. The cancer of these radicals metastasizing, the battle between the left and right or wrong and right. You are a hero to many.
The photo here of you is very becoming, I'd say you look very founding fatherish, the long flowing hair and the glorious red white and blue behind you. Your own network is next. The conservative blogs like Pajamas Media,&
Breitbart must join together to make a force that will become as powerful as Fox with entertainment provided by the likes of The Peoples Cube Iowahawk to name a few. Thank You
I want to know when will the Hannah & Okeefe legal defense fund be set up. Will this website PLEASE set this fund up immediately. I want somebody to get this fund set up so I can donate. PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEE HURRY!!!
Andrew:
Great job. You've obviously found a great niche and your hard work is paying off. You and the superhero duo of Giles and O'Keefe are a blockbuster movie in the making. You guys are fighting for liberty and freedom and America sincerely appreciates it. I salute you and the three of you as well as the rest of your team should hoist a glass in celebration, then get right back at it.
Liberty and Freedom require eternal vigilance.
You're bringing that lesson back to the forefront.
Strong work.
In the spirit of, "turnabout is fair play," I'd suggest borrowing a little ditty from the opposition: Everybody sing with me now…
"If I had a hammer…"
Man, Breitbart is ONE ugly dude! Dude, cut your hair! You could @ least LOOK more conservative! And stay out of the sun, because if you don't in 10 years you'll look older than Helen Thomas!
We need more Brietbarts, more Gileses, more O'Keefes. There is A LOT of shit going down and not all of it is getting covered. Most of it is not.
Read the whole thing. Nice story. Except:
"Viewing the world through an ideological lens can sometimes help a journalist to discover a story." Perhaps true at times. But I think more often than not the opposite is true. More often it will lead a journalist to miss a story. That is exactly the point of a free press. As much as I love these sights, they shouldn't be necessary. I hope MSM's abdication of its responsibility makes you a VERY successful man Andrew.
Way to crack a few ACORNS, Andrew!
Each individual American can make a difference…
…and has the obligation to do so!
Let's keep taking this fight to the enemy!
Thanks for everything you've done to advance the cause of liberty and journalism, Mr. Breitbart.
Each individual American can make a difference…
…and has the obligation to do so!
Let's keep taking this fight to the enemy!
Thanks for everything you've done to advance the cause of liberty and journalism, Mr. Breitbart.
http://firebreathingchristian.com
Please support Chelene Nightingale for Governor of CA http://www.nightingaleforgovernor.com
Thank you Andrew, James & Hannah! You are strong Americans. Keep up the good work. We support you & hope that you don't let this discourage you. Know that the majority of Americans are behind you & are praying for you. Like I said, keep up the good work!
We need more Andrews, Hannahs, and Jamess in the world.
Dont let corruption overtake the country….stand up and fight…expose it for what it is!
Thank you to you wonderful brave patriots! You're leading the charge to take our country back—–thru muckracking and elections—–and it's so dog gone much fun to watch! Delicious!
A THOUSAND CHEERS for Andrew Breitbart. You are my hero. James and Hannah, too.
The MSM used to own public radio and tv before satellite and cable. They gave it up for "better things". This is their fault. Trying to meet the masses with a stronger and 'greater avenue" they gave up the real thing.
As scripture says, "you run from a lion you will meet a bear". The MSM media ran to cable and meet a bear. Radio is where the real news is and the real knowledge.
oh beck was in rare form Wed night….It was wonderful.. I truly can't imagine what Wade and Bertha are thinking right now….. he will be taking Congress approval level to an all time low…. bank on it
http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=...
Actually, ACORN is working on having a new name, it's COI and was in the works PRIOR to this scandal coming out .
Saw Andrew Breitbart for the first time on Red Eye about a month ago and didn't know who he was.
Man, you've become very familiar in a very short time. Thanks for all the hard work and hats off once again to O'Keefe & Giles.
Somebody needs to get Michael Moore's spin on these two. He could only wish he was that effective. heh heh.
I would like to donate to a legal fund if one is forthcoming…and to summarize,
I can't wait for the 2010 election!
Keep up the good work BigGovernment !
LOVE the pic. Now AB has shorter hair. I like the long you journalistic rebel you!
me too. Let me know when the defense fund is set up.
contact me at http://twitter.com/primesites
Thank you Hannah, James and Andrew! Special kudos to Hannah for her genius and especially ACTING on her idea. Just when I thought the youth of this country were rotting, it took this child to set the ball rolling. James picked up the ball and went with it – thanks for your support and courage. Finally thanks to Andrew for providing a safe place for the ball to land. You have all made a nation proud. I'm looking forward to the trial, put in a good word for Savage. I will be following this story very closely and of course I will be putting my money into the arena.
Lets get the TRUE FACTS…
WaterBoard the Corrupt Dems.
[...] else can you explain the ACORN story breaking on of all things, a blog. The MSM has refused to do the job that they are supposed to do, they have completely yielded to [...]
Thank you Andy for your hard work………I rally beside you!
As you have been named in a lawsuit, along with Hannah & James, as other have said for a while, please set up a 'donate' button towards your legal defense.
p.s. When can discovery start? Those should be good videos.
pss. You should also hit up N.O.W. and the ACLU for donations, as the issues in this story are right up their alley.
This is a very passionate man. Note the thin lips-Married a guy like that…nuff said. Godspeed Brietbart!
2 cheers? How about a Parade ? when we are finally out from under this tent of corruption? Breitbart Parade ! I wish Andrew nothing but the best – I hope someday he is the MSM with his own real journalists. I look forward to the brighter future.
The deepest respect for Breitbart. It took courage to do what he did with the kids and Beck. He is a patriot.
Andrew, have I told you lately how much I love you?
“But now, thanks to the free-for-all environment created by the Web, those publication and distribution worries have evaporated. Anybody can be a journalist in the new regime, we’re told, and on some days, it seems as if everybody is.”
Not if Mark Lloyd gets his way!
Nice article and a surprise that it came from Salon. The kids who pulled this off are my hope for our country's future. So are Andy and Glenn Beck. Thank you, all. You are our hero's. BTW, if you set up a defense fund I am sure you would have lots of money from a grateful nation. I would be happy to contribute.
The Obama media. Roiling in a sea of rough water with a broken rudder. No direction and they have lost their way forever. Thank you, Mr. Breitbart !
Me too!
;>) Mornin' Right!
I wonder if BHO is going to represent them in this court case?
what happened to you?? there for a fleeting moment…then gone
According to Greta Van Susteren, this lawsuit is a Christmas present to Andrew B. He will have the right to civil discovery, meaning he can subpoena documents and take sworn depositions of ACORN employees and officers. There are probably hundreds of conservative lawyers (thousands?) who would defend Andrew, James and Hannah just for sport and the opportunity to further expose ACORN corruption. They will probably drop the lawsuit as soon as the first subpoena is issued. The last thing they want is more scrutiny. I'd love to be a fly on the wall for those depositions, though.
Thank you AB, Hannah and James. Your greatest achievment is the full exposure of the so called media. THANK YOU!
Breitbart…..you are a god among mere mortals. James and Hannah have incredible moxie. We -the people- are very grateful to you all. Many Thanks
I must say, that I'm SO proud of Andrew, James, and Hannah! What a THRILL it has been to watch ACORN burn. There was just no other way to expose this radical group. It took guts.
Great job. All of us Big Government readers will support you. If you need anything, just ask.
"Slate" cheering (sort of) a right-of-center effort? I'm stunned. God help us! What's next? Darkening sun and a moon made of blood? I think I recall something about "Slate" doing this in "Revelations." I'm heading for the hills.
Seriously, if ACORN had any doubts that their remaining allies might include any center-leaning lefties, or anyone else not to the left of Che Guevarra, "Slate's" tiny, grudging nod towards Hannah, James, and Andrew should convince them that they are toast.
The only thing Breitbart has to do is run a legal defense fund "money bomb" on this site and the two will be able to hire the best legal team in the country. Can you image the amount of money people would donate?
Some time ago, during or shortly after the election, someone on this blog stated that we needed someone to take the lead. This individual wished that Mr. Breitbart would take the lead. His or her wish has come true! Thank You, Andrew and to everyone here. We're winning this battle. We have got to win this war.
That being said…….uh, Big Guy………about that winning Lotto ticket? Any day now would be great….yeah (Lumberg voice). I'm not greedy 60-70 Mil and you'll never hear from me again. Thanks!
This could be another case of Obama throwing someone under the bus for his own purposes. If we are too distracted by this lawsuit, we may not pay attention to his "big picture." Gotta stay focused on health care debate and cap and tax. The lawsuit is a great sideshow. I'm waiting to donate to the Patriot Journalist Defense Fund.
The "Fat Lady" hasn't sung quite yet, but it's striking that Obama has cast himself in the role of "Peter" denying ACORN any official cover. ACORN, on the other hand, must be feeling like they got used (by Obama) and cast aside.
Ther are inherent dangers when everyone has a platform to voice thier views. First, many bloggers don't have any understanding of legislation and government. But many bloggers are educated enough to come off as knowing what they are talking about when they don't. This is poblematic in a society that is too lazy to research and look at the facts for themselves. These people turn to blogs or forwarded emails to provide them a persepctive they can adopt instead of reviewing the truth of the matters and coming to their own conclusion.
As good Christian people, we are even too lazy to read our own Bible and decide what is means to us individually. we rely on a minister, pastor, preacher, or priest to interpret the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and others. Is there not an original thought left in the most free people on this planet worth hearing? Have we become a group that requires assimilation to one method of thought? You know, the most recent groups to have accepted one form of interpretation are the Taliban, Al-Quieda, and extremist. Are we becoming more or less like our enemy and are we seeking the enemy without or the enemy within? Our policitcs have pitted American against American due to ideology. We must remember that every American wants the same for our country, a more perfect Union. This will require work, respect, and cooperation. Today, we don't see those things in these blogs, the email forwards, or in our Congress. America needs to relize this and make a change. We are a struggling civilization right now. America use to come together in times of struggle. Perhaps we haven't struggled quite enough.
Andrew, James, Hannah are awesomely awesome in an awesome sort of way.
We all need to stay as involved as they do and play whatever part we can to save our country.
Acorn, et al are not dead yet.
Whatever help Andrew wants, all he has to do is ask. To the ramparts !
Kudos to Breitbart, O'Keefe and Giles for exposing the rotting slime that is the underbelly of the Political class. No longer can the voices of the voters be ignored when the videos are rolling. Stay tuned. While the mainstream media stays mum(Maybe holding out for a Fed bailout as hinted by Obama?), alternative media becomes the new mainstream. Pay cuts coming at ABC News?
Count my pocketbook in!
Andrew Breitbart is a freakin stud…..he and James and Hannah and Glenn Beck did what a wussified and corrupt congress refused to do……
The Discovery will be a hoot….
Which is exactly why Obama is trying to take control of the Internet!
Is it me, or does Breitbart look kinda like a chubby George Washington in that pic up there?
Can I be the first to ask for the movie rights?
Three cheers for three heroes Hannah, James, and Andrew!
Heck, the pro bono stampede this will cause will be quite sufficient….
Thank God for individuals like you to investigate and point out the corruption. I wish we could get Obama out of office because what he is doing to our country is frightening.
God Bless You and everyone for getting these stories out and hopefully we as Americans will wake up and do get the corrupt ones out of office.
Davidinarkansas
You forgot Michael Savage. In fact, I would take Breitbart, Savage, Giles and O’Keefe. You can keep the rest of them for all I care.
As for Andrew Breitbart, I LOOVE BH and BG. They are the two best sites on the web IMHO.
Hope that THE ONE gets subpoenaed and has to testify against his beloved Acorn! Hah, that would be true poetic justice, eh??! WE’D PROBABLY “DISCOVER” ALL KINDS OF THINGS!
lol
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Nice site i like it
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