Activist Admits To Bugging US Senate Minority Leader 247
cold fjord writes "Curtis Morrison, co-founder of the Progress Kentucky PAC, which had previous issued an apology over a racially charged tweet about Senator McConnell's wife (former Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao), has admitted to bugging Senator McConnell. Morrison admitted he was behind the recording and said a grand jury is investigating the situation. "[Assistant] U.S. attorney, Bryan Calhoun, telephoned my attorney yesterday, asking to meet with him next Friday as charges against me are being presented to a grand jury," Morrison wrote on Salon. Morrison writes that after releasing the recording, his personal life took a negative turn. 'I've never doubted that making the recording was ethical.' He also says that he doesn't believe his actions were illegal, but admits he could be prosecuted for them."' Morrison has said that one of his inspirations was Julian Assange. Given the current direction of government activity, he may simply have been trying to build a suitable resume for future federal employment."
What a lie of a story and headline (Score:4, Informative)
Bugging ?
The voices were coming from the other side of a nearby door, which had a window. I pulled out my Flip camera and started to record.
I don’t need to tell you what a weapon the pocket video camera has become."
As a European, I'm confused... (Score:3, Informative)
Recently, the group turned its attention to McConnell’s wife, former Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, with a focus on her race. ... In a Feb. 14 Twitter message, Progress says: "This woman has the ear of (Sen. McConnell)—she's his wife. May explain why your job moved to China!"
So "China" is a race now? Are there many 19th century reporters in Louisville?
Re:Unfortunately, this is illegal. (Score:5, Informative)
Your post is a red herring [wikipedia.org]. He wasn't engaged in official duties as a US Senator at the time. He was in his campaign headquarters discussing his reelection campaign with his campaign staff.
Re:What a moron... (Score:2, Informative)
Maybe you should read the details of what he did before accusing him of things. Hint, he didn't actually bug anything. He heard a conversation through a closed door.
It's no different than walking by your neighbors, hearing them having an argument and recording it.
Or turning on your laptop, seeing your neighbor's wifi signal and using it.
Re:This is shocking (Score:5, Informative)
1. Fox went to court in Florida to defend the "right" to lie as news. They are the only news network to do so in the history of reporting. This is significant.
Wrong! First, it was NOT FoxNews. It was a Fox affiliate. You know, the TV station that shows "Family Guy" and "The Simpsons"? Next, they never went to court to fight for the "right to lie as news". That was something that a blogger wrote on his blog in his "analysis" of the verdict.
This case was about a story on BGH (Bovine Growth Hormone) in milk. Jane Akre and Steve Wilson were "journalists" who wrote a story about the dangers of BGH. The Fox Broadcasting Company station, WTVT in Tampa, Florida, was willing to air the story, but was also going to give Monsanto a chance to respond. This pissed Akre and Wilson off. They thought they would be allowed to report their story without any chance at giving the company that they were skewering a chance to respond. Akre and Wilson pulled their story and sued, arguing that Monsanto would just lie, and therefor should not be allowed to respond.
Nowhere, did FoxNews, or even the Fox affiliate WTVT EVER claim that they had a right to lie.
2. Shepard Smith (the only redeeming quality of Fox) is not enough to balance the derp.
Next, on number 2, Shepherd Smith is not the only liberal on FoxNews. Bob Beckel, Mariah Liason, Juan Williams, Sally Kohn, Alan Colmes, Kristen Powers, Susan Estrich, Pat Caddell, Greta Van Sustren and many others are on FoxNews to represent the liberal perspective.
Deal with it.
I recommend that you take your own advice.
Re:As a European, I'm confused... (Score:4, Informative)
Senator McConnell's wife is Chinese American. She was born in the Republic of China, commonly referred to as Taiwan, and came to the United States when she was eight years old. I guess you didn't read far enough into the story to pick up that Progressive Kentucky were drawing attention to the fact that she is Asian, specifically Chinese, and the implication that as US Secretary of Labor she had sent American jobs to China because she is Chinese by birth. Some might regard that as racist. I'm a little surprised you didn't catch on to that. Aren't Europeans generally held to be more sophisticated in such matters?
Re:It is truly sad... (Score:3, Informative)
I don't know about those other ones, but certainly Mao.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/23/white-house-christmas-decor-featuring-mao-zedong-comes/ [foxnews.com]
And also, there is at least some anecdotal evidence that progressives do indeed support IRS bullying of political speech so long as it isn't their speech.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wzuEOr2D8wo [youtube.com]
(Slightly unrelated - I think the word "progressive" in the political sense is horribly used. It gives a self righteous implication that your own view is whats best for progress, without consideration that it might be wrong. For example, groups that have labeled themselves progressive include the prohibition movement as well as the Nazi party.)
Re:Whoops! (Score:5, Informative)
Your initial post was correct. The post you responded to relies on clever misdirection to, in effect, lie. The man facing an indictment by a grand jury didn't simply overhear a conversation through a door as he innocently passed by, he specifically went there based on an insider tip to secretly record their conversation without their consent, and violate their privacy. I don't think there is any real question about there being an expectation of privacy when engaged in private conversation behind closed doors in a private office in a private building. If the standard for privacy is, "can't be heard by hook or by crook," there will be nothing considered private.
Once again, you were completely correct in your initial post.
Re:It is truly sad... (Score:5, Informative)
Or maybe it's because it's not "one of Obama's close advisers", but one of his debate coaches that served as White House communications director for 7 months. Oh, and also because she was ironically quoting GOP strategist Lee Atwater, but you missed that while you were watching the Glenn Beck show - probably because his out-of-context attack didn't mention that key tidbit.
Unlike you, I'm willing to enlighten a dim-witted mind. Here, you should try reading this:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/16/beck.dunn/index.html [cnn.com]
Are there any birth certificates we should be looking for, as long as you're dispensing political advice based on nonsense?
Re:It is truly sad... (Score:4, Informative)
So when she said this:
"The third lesson and tip actually comes from two of my favorite political philosophers: Mao Tse-tung and Mother Theresa -- not often coupled with each other, but the two people I turn to most to basically deliver a simple point which is 'you're going to make choices; you're going to challenge; you're going to say why not; you're going to figure out how to do things that have never been done before."
she wasn't saying that Mao was one of her favorite political philosophers?
She claims she got the quote from a conservative, Lee Atwater, who quoted Mao to make a point but never implied he was a "favorite political philosopher".
According to http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Did_Lee_Atwater_quote_Mao [answers.com]
Atwater jokingly quoted Mao but never called him 'one of my favorite philosophers'. Lee just used a quote from Mao to provide an ironic point, much in the same way others use quotes from historic figures, both egregious & beneficent.
For further analysis of the situation, here is another site
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/p-j-gladnick/2009/10/17/anita-dunn-blames-lee-atwater-quoting-mao [newsbusters.org]
And what about Dunn's description of Mao as one of her "favorite political philosophers?" Not to worry, Dunn comes up with yet another comedy line to explain it away via CNN:
As for Beck's criticism: "The use of the phrase 'favorite political philosophers' was intended as irony, but clearly the effort fell flat -- at least with a certain Fox commentator whose sense of irony may be missing.
So you see. You peons just don't have the mental ability to see that Anita Dunn was merely being ironic despite the fact that was absolutely nothing in her facial expression, vocal tone, nor in what she said that displayed the slightest sense of irony. In fact, she was dead serious as you can plainly see in the video of her speech.
So, taken in context she is saying exactly what it appears she is saying. Letting her later say is was "irony" is just lefties covering up for her.
Sorry, your attempt at saving your political side's image failed.