Patterico's Pontifications

11/19/2009

L.A. Times Columnist Uncritically Quoted Star of Latest ACORN Video

Filed under: Dog Trainer,General — Patterico @ 6:49 pm



Rainey EggFace
Above: James Carville shows James Rainey his future.

In September, L.A. Times columnist James Rainey wrote a column in which he uncritically quoted ACORN worker Lavelle Stewart suggesting that she had turned Hannah Giles and James O’Keefe out of her office:

[V]isits to other ACORN offices have gone almost entirely unmentioned. Lavelle Stewart, a fair-housing coordinator in the group’s Los Angeles office, told me this week that she tried to get the “prostitute,” who claimed she had been beaten by her pimp, to go to a women’s center.

“The fact she was not taking the help I offered her made me think something was not right,” Stewart said. “It raised a red flag.”

Media Matters gloated: LA Times report further undermines ACORN videographers’ credibility.

I wasn’t so sure — and I publicly declared that Rainey had likely been suckered and would end up with egg on his face. I wrote Rainey and asked him:

1) Did you contact Breitbart, Giles, or O’Keefe before writing your column, to ask them about what Stewart said?

2) If, by chance, you turn out to have been wrong about ACORN in L.A. — if it turns out that ACORN in L.A. tried to help Giles and O’Keefe with their purported underage prostitution ring — will you write another column acknowledging that?

When Rainey failed to respond, I contacted Breitbart (he’s very easy to reach) and asked him. Breitbart confirmed that Rainey hadn’t bothered to contact Breitbart — or Giles or O’Keefe — to ask their side of the story. I asked Breitbart what he would have told Rainey about Lavelle Stewart’s denials, and Breitbart said he would have told Rainey:

As an empathetic being, I urge you to think twice before accepting the word of an ACORN employee for anything. Because every journalist who has done so has ended up with egg on his or her face.

It’s too bad Rainey never received that warning. Because guess who is the star of Giles and O’Keefe’s latest ACORN video?

Quotable:

I mean, I think you have to hook up with someone who is on that international sex business level. . . . 14 and 15 year-olds been traveling overseas for years. that’s not something that’s brand new. You know what I mean? . . . I could do research for you I could find out what we can do — how to get you in that door. . . There are ways, people do it all the time.

Crow for Dinner

(Breitbart tells me that Rainey is now claiming he did try to contact Breitbart. Breitbart told me he can find no evidence of the attempted contact. Breitbart told me that tonight. It was very easy to contact Breitbart, as it always is.)

The best part: Rainey recently criticized Fox News for uncritically accepting only one side of the story. I mean, there are so many levels to the irony, you need an elevator to visit them all.

I now publicly ask the question Rainey would not answer privately: having written a misleading column that falsely suggested that ACORN in L.A. was clean — and that Giles and O’Keefe were dishonest — is James Rainey now going to write a new column and correct the record?

P.S. Time to confess. Good guesses are good. Certainty is better. It’s easy to be Karnak when you already know the future. See what I mean?

Thanks to Instapundit and Big Government for the links. And thanks to commenter Dodd for the links to the posters used in this post.

“RAINEY = GALE GORDON” UPDATE: Tim Cavanaugh has personally dealt with Rainey. So when Cavanaugh describes Rainey as a humorless prototype of Gale Gordon . . . he knows whereof he speaks.

UPDATE: Breitbart is upping the stakes. Details here.

162 Responses to “L.A. Times Columnist Uncritically Quoted Star of Latest ACORN Video”

  1. Not correcting the record would be the act of a dishonest, classless hack.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  2. I wouldn’t hold your breath Patterico, integrity & the LA Times only go hand-in-hand when it to the benefit of the Democratic Party or it hurts Republicans!

    PMain (47cd52)

  3. You can lead a horse to water…

    Gazzer (f4dafa)

  4. How many times must a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn’t see?

    ropelight (14fb9b)

  5. Mr. Karma I have a female canine I’d to introduce you to.

    Robert N. (54210b)

  6. Mr. Karma I have a female canine I’d like to introduce you to.

    OK, it’s past my bedtime when I can’t edit my own stuff better than that.

    Night.

    Robert N. (54210b)

  7. Instant.

    Karl (404c05)

  8. …is James Rainey now going to write a new column and correct the record?

    Perhaps when pigs fly, but probably not even then.

    Old Coot (166f79)

  9. Lavelle’s a kick to where it’s hard not to like her and also she’s a pretty girl.

    happyfeet (b919e7)

  10. I keep hearing about how ACORN “helps all these underprivileged” and etc……..

    All I see is that they’re designed to help enable criminal enterprises. How much tax fraud have they enabled? How many prostitute rings? How many money laundering operations?

    Full Audit NOW!

    Techie (482700)

  11. is James Rainey now going to write a new column and correct the record?

    Dishonest idealogues don’t issue corrections-just counter charges.

    Dr Carlo Lombardi (f4d387)

  12. ACORN, Larry Flynt and Sweet, Sweet Lavelle…

    I know….another…

    That's Right (f4fcc3)

  13. […] L.A. Times Columnist Uncritically Quoted Star of Latest ACORN Video. “In September, L.A. Times columnist James Rainey wrote a column in which he uncritically […]

    Instapundit » Blog Archive » PATTERICO: L.A. Times Columnist Uncritically Quoted Star of Latest ACORN Video. “In September, L.A… (fe8e62)

  14. I won’t be holding my breath for a correction from Rainey.

    mcnorman (0c0425)

  15. HOLY JEEEZ! Rainey looks like a complete jerk! Now he’s claiming to have attempted to contact Breitbart? That doesn’t even make sense. He had the winning hand.

    The LA Times did Breitbart a tremendous disservice. They did those young reporters, Giles and O’Keefe a tremendous disservice. The LA Times should have done their job in following through on sources and telling the full story about how many ACORN offices were busted and how their story has been prove a lie many times. Now, the LA Times and Rainey owe an apology, first to their readers for failing to ever cover Acorn this well, second, for failing to tell the truth, and third, an apology to all the people they smeared, from O’Keefe to Fox News to all the likely victims of sexual abuse that had a harder time reporting it because the LA Times helps cover up for ACORN.

    Dustin (bb61e3)

  16. So…have the feds started investigating this yet, or charged any ACORN employee with conspiring to commit various felonies? How about some action under RICO?

    No?

    Well, maybe tomorrow.

    Dave Surls (ac98c1)

  17. WordPress ate another comment of mine but WTF. Nothing new.

    The LA Times are providing the theme for Breitbart; the clueless legacy media that is in the tank for Obama and which misses even outrageous stories.

    I think he does better with them as foil.

    Mike K (2cf494)

  18. Being a media Leftie means never have to say “I’m Sorry”.

    Techie (482700)

  19. Whether you are a liberal or not – If I were the owners of the LAT times regardless of ideology – I would start firing, would stop firing until people got the msg.

    Being a “news”paper – making up the “news” imparts a “new” level of mistrust and disbelief in what the Editor “knew” and when he knew it

    This is unconciousable

    EricPWJohnson (b5c140)

  20. ACORN: About That Journalistic Integrity Thing…

    Sad, but too bad, LA Times. Now, if it had been a conservative source, how many additional confirmations do you think they would have wanted? My guess is at least one solid one. Oh, but progressive Commie types? We know……

    Riehl World View (0436bf)

  21. Did you here Brent on Fox tell the AG he HAS ALOT MORE TAPES AND NOT JUST ACORN?

    Hooly cow!

    Makes me wish we would go back to the old fashioned bribing for contracts crap of merry fitzmass

    EricPWJohnson (b5c140)

  22. ACORN remains an integral part of Barack Obama’s America.

    happyfeet (b919e7)

  23. I hope Andrew gets first choice of bunks in the camp he ends up in……..

    /sarc?

    Techie (482700)

  24. ACORN and SEIU have mortgages on every square cm of Obama’s scrotum. The Feds aren’t going to do jack.

    Mark (df8a8b)

  25. BS on that, Rainey. Any freshman journo student knows enough to fact check something edgy like this. And if you attempt to fact check but your call is not returned by deadline–and if you are somewhat suicidal and decide to go to print with it anyway–you ALWAYS print a caveat such as “Joe Blow was contacted for confirmation by this reporter but did not return my call by press time.”

    Rainey decided to wing it and now he must issue a correction in all formats in which his Acorn article appeared.

    elissa (0b8a60)

  26. Too bad those 11 fact checkers are so tied up with a far more critical investigation of honesty and accuracy.

    Dana (e9ba20)

  27. If James Rainey had a shred of ethics he’d resign. IF the LA Times was at all ethical, they’d have fired Rainey before he got a chance to type out his resignation.

    LA Times — RIPieces.

    Can we get a special prosecutor from the UN to Prosecute the Obama administration?

    PCD (74f8a9)

  28. Yes, but this is just an isolated instance, it doesn’t mean that ACORN as a whole is …

    Ah, screw it. I give up.

    Hapless Lefty (372044)

  29. “Lavelle’s a kick to where it’s hard not to like her and also she’s a pretty girl.”

    Anyone that likes her enough to start dating her had best bring their wallet. I have a sneaking suspicion that her knowledge of the prostitution business isn’t entirely theoretical.

    Dave Surls (ac98c1)

  30. I imagine if you like it you don’t necessarily really need to bother so much with putting a ring on it.

    happyfeet (b919e7)

  31. 52% of republicans think ACORN stole the election for Obama.
    I can’t imagine you believe that yourself but you’re happy to pile on that fantasy. Your cynicism is a form of corruption.

    bored again (d80b5a)

  32. So the real question is this: did the LA TIMES lay off any reporters who haven’t done a story like this?

    Eric Blair (bc43a4)

  33. It’s not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.

    happyfeet (b919e7)

  34. #31, come again?

    HeavenSent (01a566)

  35. Crow is dish best served cold.

    drjohn (488550)

  36. ropelight-“How many times must a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn’t see?” Ouch, and here I had just about gotten over my memories of my draft physical.

    Pat Patterson (bc3e4b)

  37. #31, come again?
    Comment by HeavenSent — 11/19/2009 @ 8:19 pm

    I think bored-brain might want to offer a decoder ring for his posts.

    Dr Carlo Lombardi (f4d387)

  38. The only way this could get any better is if Breitbart has undercover vid of an all male Giles and O’Keefe type sting team PWNing Andi Sullivan.

    elissa (0b8a60)

  39. No, CL and HS: “bored again” is clearly a bored undergraduate slacker, avoiding studying. He likes to be contrarian, because that is “speaking truth to power,” while he lives off his parents’ money. Tough guy!

    He is angry that ACORN is—yet again—revealed as the criminal organization that it is, and yet is closely connected to the background of the current POTUS. This drives him nuts. So he has to change the subject and move away from the topic: ACORN as a fundamentally criminal organization. And one run by idiots—because they openly lie about what they do, after being repeatedly caught.

    I sure trust their voter registration efforts, don’t you?

    The smart move from ACORN is to fire everyone involved, and dismiss that moron in charge who lied on national television. Have a new boss appointed who will pledge transparency and openness, a “housecleaning” to “preserve the good works of ACORN.”

    Of course, it would be difficult to do what ACORN normally does while this is going on. So my guess is that they will continue to lie and support criminal activities…and Breitbart will continue to show it, over and over again.

    And “bored again” will find something else to snark about.

    Eric Blair (bc43a4)

  40. When can we expect “The Women of Acorn”?

    Mr. Bill (447b90)

  41. James Rainey writes for the LA Times. Doesn’t this answer all of your questions?

    spursbox (aa9c87)

  42. Everyone who is outraged about this needs to contact the LA Times. Don’t bother with the laughable Mr. Rainey himself or with his editors, who will merely cover his ass. Call the publisher’s office. That man’s name is Eddy Hartenstein. You can reach him by dialing (213) 237-5000. You will hear a recorded welcome. Immediately push ‘O’; when the live operator comes on, ask for Hartestein’s office. Leave a message–that Rainey is making a disgracefully biased and amateurish newspaper look even worse. If you’re a subscriber, say so. Ask that Mr. Hartenstein have the courtesy to write you back, responding to your concerns.

    Kevin Stafford (5d18a5)

  43. Brilliant, Patrick!

    Amy Alkon (6146c8)

  44. Jesus on a Pogo Stick, I love this. Rainey’s journalistic integrity is zero, Lavelle is toast. Patterico, you, Andrew, Ace, and Allahpundit need to join forces. I love how you are all cross-posting and Tweeting. Time to put site clicks aside, and unite us. We are fed up, and need a united front to follow. Sorry to sound melodramatic, but, ironically, today I attended the funeral of a 30 yr old who succombed to breast cancer, and now we aren’t worthy of screening until age 50? Lead the way. Please.

    sybilll (c444e1)

  45. #31 – only 52%…??!! I’d say it’s more like 75% of people with a functioning frontal lobe are reasonably certain that ACORN is a Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization, committed to undermining the foundation of the country, through any means necessary. Their obvious (and illegal) partisan and Civil-Rights violating vote manufacturing machine support for Obama is just the latest bit of evidence in a string of actions aimed at ruining this country.

    LCP (05b22d)

  46. Well played, Mr. Frey. And I’m delighted to have been able to contribute.

    Ahhhh, schadenfruede!

    Dodd (d8078d)

  47. […] called this one weeks ago: when Breitbart published another vid several days back that featured someone in the L.A. […]

    James Rainey and the Giant Peach. | Little Miss Attila (62389c)

  48. Trolls got nothing.

    Techie (482700)

  49. I would bet my life that ACORN added votes for Obama that shouldn’t have been there. Enough to throw the election? I don’t think so. But ACORN has been proven to be involved in election scams, and those charged with investigating this stuff rarely prosecute, even when there’s tons of evidence. There’s a lot of doubt in our elections, and that’s thanks to democrats like bored again, who laugh at this stuff, knowing that ACORN is doing something, but thinking it’s just not that serious.

    It’s serious enough. The ballot box is what keeps people away from the ammo box. We need some way to fight back against policies we don’t like, and elections are the best way to accommodate this, but if it’s not viable, the world gets a lot worse for everyone.

    There’s just no doubt about it… the democrats try to steal votes. We all saw Gore’s lawyers take military ballots away. Since then, we’ve all seen things get ridiculous, from black Panthers, to Hoffman getting zero votes in several districts thanks to a computer virus.

    Obama seemed to have been very popularly elected, but that’s just not good enough.

    Dustin (bb61e3)

  50. For you Patterico: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WoJV4NLxqg

    oneisnotprime (e25cc0)

  51. There’s a lot of doubt in our elections, and that’s thanks to democrats like bored again, who laugh at this stuff, knowing that ACORN is doing something, but thinking it’s just not that serious.
    Comment by Dustin — 11/19/2009 @ 8:57 pm

    He laughs and distracts because he knows it is serious, but it benefits his side. That makes it okay to him.

    Stashiu3 (44da70)

  52. I’d say this is for Patterico and Co:

    Ace Venture: Sliding Door.

    Techie (482700)

  53. Way too late: “Ace Ventura: The Sliding Door”

    Techie (482700)

  54. The big question is, will congress investigate ACORN and have their heads on the chopping block before the excuse (criminal) we have for a USAG indicts them for organized crime activities, (RICO)? I want to see their answers while under oath. They may even lie better than dirty Harry Reid. His, exceeded only by Peeloshi, record will be hard for anyone to beat.

    More video’s to come if congress or the AG don’t act. This is a real hoot, dumb street criminals/pimps/hookers (not the lady and gentleman exposing them) making jackasses of every democrat politician in the country.

    Scrapiron (4e0dda)

  55. I wonder if James Rainey had a 15 year old daughter what he might write, if she was lost on the streets of L.A.

    I remember reading that some men have ears but cannot hear, some men have eyes but cannot see. And some men have an accusatory agenda and are just plain evil.

    Sanmon (319c0c)

  56. This can’t be true….. The LA Times is still in business?!?

    LASue (5f0073)

  57. bored again – Correction – You are embarrassing.

    daleyrocks (718861)

  58. Shorter bored again: “Look! Shiny!”

    Stashiu3 (44da70)

  59. The survey must have undersampled Democrats. Only 9% of them thought ACORN stole the election and only 32% disapprove of ACORN.

    daleyrocks (718861)

  60. Actually, Stashiu3, there is an empty bong responsible for his posts. Once his allowance check arrives, he’ll be gone for a few days.

    And indeed something is embarrassing—partisan trollbots who, well, don’t dip deeply into the well of knowledge, while thinking they are all hip and ironic.

    Eric Blair (bc43a4)

  61. The funniest thing about bored again is that he’s 32 years behind the curve and not as talented as The Clash.

    Ag80 (3d1543)

  62. And you know what is more embarrassing than Undergrad Boy working out his daddy issues?

    A President with strong connections to ACORN, past and present, who refuses to condemn an organization which speaks approvingly of international child prostitution rings. Over and over again.

    But then, that guy has daddy issues, too, come to think of it.

    Eric Blair (bc43a4)

  63. .pdf? With no explanation of what it is? Ain’t nobody gonna click it. Hilarious. During a thread about ACORN, Obama’s most significant employer, I have to agree that there is embarrassment. ACORN has lied so many times about this scandal, and it’s clear now that the organization is universally in favor of democrat politicians raping children to raise money. And in favor of stealing elections.

    Bored Again’s best retort is to say that people are guessing they are actually stealing elections. The GOP wants you to show ID when you vote. The Democrats want Mickey Mouse to be able to register on the day of the election… or you’re racist. Yeah, Bored, those republicans are the ones undermining our elections.

    SEIU and ACORN probably commit much more serious crimes than these. It was just too universally corrupt with child rape. I wonder how many people they have murdered. How many Barney Frank style brothels they have set up. How many kids are addicted to crack because of them. Is Obama’s cocaine habit how he found these people?

    Dustin (bb61e3)

  64. Sometimes I can sorta understand that misguided trolls think they’re standing up for something they believe in. But why would ANYONE troll in here to defend the LA Times???

    elissa (0b8a60)

  65. A Playboy spread of ACORN workers? Lavelle Stewart looks pretty hot!

    Pedro Zero (2c0b51)

  66. I would rather see a spread of mugshots.

    Stashiu3 (44da70)

  67. James Rainey is a good example of why when the left is running things or very influential, corruption on any number of levels is far, far likelier to be coddled and then flourish.

    Mark (411533)

  68. Here’s some actual substance for you.
    washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/19/AR2009111903470.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

    Off topic but actually worth paying attention to.
    Jim Comey and Jack Godlsmith on Holder’s decision.

    And no I’m not defending ACORN I’m question the point of paying it much attention. DRJ’s comic book paranoia to the contrary the fraud charges are bogus have been shown over and over to be bogus. https://patterico.com/2009/11/13/it-was-sort-of-like-under-the-grapevine-that-we-were-going-to-put-in-obama/#comment-582393
    All you’re covering here is pathetic maybe even endemic low level corruption.

    Meanwhile there’s a country to worry about, and defending Sarah Palin is just making your party weaker and weaker. It’s like a parody of old-left sectarianism. Palin is “a joke.” That’s David Brooks talking. He thought that a year ago but wouldn’t say it in print. Best he could do was tell the truth at cocktail parties.
    Sad.

    bored again (d80b5a)

  69. Somebody call the LA Times. James Rainey has been stealing their paychecks.

    Jim Treacher (796deb)

  70. Fantastic!!

    Hope cable picks it up tomorrow.

    Next target of investigation should be the Victims of Torture Program. Besides a funnel for government money, what is it? How many false front organizations does Acorn have?

    Patricia (b05e7f)

  71. Meanwhile there’s a country to worry about, and defending Sarah Palin is just making your party weaker and weaker.

    Of course it is, honey. Try to stay strong.

    Jim Treacher (796deb)

  72. It never ceases to amaze me how facts as abundant and as clear as these ACORN videos can be nonchalantly swept under the rug in pursuit of the message. I have my mother, bless her heart, to blame for this. She is ever willing to see the good in people. I am ever willing to find honesty and integrity in people. And when I find willfully dishonest, willfully blind, willfully deaf people, I am always amazed. Frustrated and angered, but amazed, nonetheless. And any backer of ACORN who remains so after all this under-age prostitution ring business and the vote fraud business and the unpaid federal taxes business is either a “Helen Keller” partisan or is complicit in the criminal activity, if only by attempting to obstruct real justice after the fact.

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  73. Wow, Bored Again is citing all kind of stories not related to this thread, which is about Obama’s major client, ACORN, trying to rape children, again and again, and of course, the bigger story, that the MSM covered it up to some extent (they didn’t point out that ACORN’s other explanations were untrue, and were not honest about the extent of the proof they had before today’s amazing news).

    Oh yeah, Bored knows that Palin’s a big deal, so he thinks that bringing her up with distract everyone from ACORN and the LA Times. Well, Palin’s polling at 47 percent. Obama is polling at 46. Palin is only going to go up, and Obama will not be if this story is any indication.

    In his words, “off topic”. Yes, that’s the point, though, right? Get us off topic, because the truth hurts?

    Dustin (bb61e3)

  74. bored again – Hey look over THERE!!! Bunnies!!!!

    Stop whining you little puke. Get your own blog if you don’t like the stories here.

    daleyrocks (718861)

  75. ” But why would ANYONE troll in here to defend the LA Times???

    Comment by elissa ”

    Hate. Pure, black seething hate. That’s what ACORN is, and that’s why the LA Times defended them instead of following up on the story, and that’s why Bored Again is mocking ACORN’s crimes as less important that his dozens of links to Nascar results and casserole recipes.

    Dustin (bb61e3)

  76. Spark ’em up, BA. Friday night is almost here.

    How did that Econ exam go?

    Eric Blair (bc43a4)

  77. “Oh no, I’m not going to defend ACORN. I’m just going to go completely off-topic and slam Sarah Palin.”

    Good job, boring again!

    Icy Texan (8900a4)

  78. and defending Sarah Palin

    Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton is ducking sniper fire and Joe Biden is in some kind of altered reality, one in which FDR is giving speeches on TV. And Obama is bowing like a servant in front of foreign officials.

    The essence of pathetic, even more so when liberals are deluded enough to fancy themselves as humane and compassionate human beings.

    Mark (411533)

  79. I love Breitbart’s rope a dope – he’s now punked Soros’s brain trust media matters too.

    I guessing the hint at the other organization is some configuration of SEUI thugs.

    Topsecretk9 (ab69ad)

  80. And Obama is bowing like a servant in front of foreign officials.

    You mean the leader of the 57 states?

    Topsecretk9 (ab69ad)

  81. bored again, exactly what is your point? You are all over the map tonight and it’s difficult to follow your thinking. Is it that you simply think Republicans are goofballs? Or that Palin embarrasses you? I’m seriously doubting you’re terribly worried about the country right about now.

    Dana (e9ba20)

  82. Palin Palin Palin.

    I have no problem with her, but I just don’t see how she’s relevant. Who cares who the GOP supports 3 years before the election? Palin would beat Obama in an election today, polls strongly suggest, but she’s not running for anything.

    ACORN = Obama. Obama’s DOJ is protecting ACORN. They have had a hell of a long time to do something about this, and instead we get show trials. I’m amazed Acorn is that central to the democrats that they wouldn’t use this to score easy points. Child rape? Good grief. The LA Times is willing to look this bad?

    Why? What does ACORN provide the democrats that is worth all these efforts to protect them?

    If this has anything to do with Palin, it’s that she really had no chance against Obama except for all of Obama’s scandals.

    Dustin (bb61e3)

  83. To paraphrase some prior defenders of similar suspect actions:

    How could the ACORN employees have known this was wrong? I mean, sure, now we all know that importing 14-year-old Costa Ricans for sex is fun profitable wrong, but how could they have known all those months ago?

    We are mere mortal men, and we cannot know these things sooner than the rest of the society. ACORN was simply trying to help the most downtrodden. And these people who came looking for help were not just poor, they said, but were even subject to being caged by a loveless society.

    Perhaps the solution is to reassign the ACORN workers to other neighborhoods….

    –JRM, but the first step is for Breitbart to stop being so mean.

    JRM (355c21)

  84. TSK9!

    You missed Mona calling Greenwald a great lawyer.

    daleyrocks (718861)

  85. Anyone who despises Greenwald’s work probably has multiple cognitive dysfunctions.
    Ellers August 7, 2008 11:37 PM

    Anyone who despises Greenwald’s work probably has multiple cognitive dysfunctions.

    I have to second this. For those of you who don’t know, Greenwald is a graduate of a top 5 law school and worked at the most prestigious law firm in the country. In 9 months, he managed to become one of the most cited and heavily-trafficked bloggers on the internet.

    Dustin (bb61e3)

  86. Perhaps James Rainey doesn’t think children from El Salvador are to be considered human.

    Jim Treacher (796deb)

  87. ” And Obama is bowing like a servant in front of foreign officials.

    You mean the leader of the 57 states?”

    No, George Soros.

    daleyrocks (718861)

  88. bored again,

    Clearly this site is not worth your valuable time since it covers such trivial corruption and is wrong on every issue, large and small. The comments section of the NYT or WaPo would benefit greatly from your insights and I hope you will consider going there in the future. I’m certain that you would enjoy your time at either site joining everyone laughing at the right-wing knuckledraggers who respect Sarah Palin. Also, remember that we can’t miss you until you leave and I, for one, would like to start missing you immediately. Your dishonesty and threadjacking are sure to be valued somewhere and I encourage you to develop yourself to your full potential. Should you choose to continue commenting here, you will only be subjecting yourself to the further ignorant mutterings of wingnuts unable to appreciate the nuance and compassion of your brilliant rhetoric. That would be a shameful waste of your talents and perhaps even sinful (in that secular-progressive way of course).

    Stashiu3 (44da70)

  89. Topsecretk9, that business about the 57 states is factually incorrect and I have, on multiple occasions, tried to correct that business. Follow the linkage for the facts about the errant 57-states story.

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  90. John’s absolutely right. There simply are no more than 50 US States.

    Dustin (bb61e3)

  91. Moaning Mona? UGH!!!!

    Topsecretk9 (ab69ad)

  92. Another sign to me that something is greatly amiss with Obama was when he told Barbara Walters that a major document signed in a room of the White House associated with Abraham Lincoln was the Gettysburg Address instead of the Emancipation Proclamation. That in spite of Obama supposedly being a big fan of Lincoln and, ironically enough, the Emancipation Proclamation probably being much closer to pulling at the heartstrings of a Jeremiah-Wright-embracing leftist who believes America still enslaves black people.

    The more layers that are peeled away from Obama, the more mediocre and philosophically corrupt — and corrupt in general (meaning the qualities that particular word conjures up immediately in the minds of most people) — he becomes.

    Mark (411533)

  93. Of course it is, honey. Try to stay strong.

    LOL, Treacher, thank you!

    Patricia (b05e7f)

  94. boring again seems to think (along with many other trolls and leftists of various stripes) that promoting commercial child rape and torture for the purpose of financing the political campaigns of Democrat politicians is fine.

    But of course he is more concerned about Sarah Palin.

    Have Blue (854a6e)

  95. The amazing part of this whole ACORN scandal is that the only people being investigated are the Hanna James and Andrew Breitbart. What a justice system Obama put together with Eric Holder. Lets go after the people who stopped corruption, and by the way we’ll give the murderers of 3 thousands Americans citizens right and a civilian trial…

    http://cooperscopy.blogspot.com/

    [note: fished from spam filter. –Stashiu]

    cooperscopy (f766f3)

  96. ACORN’s lies aren’t surprising. The legacy media’s coverup of the lies isn’t surprising. Liberal’s defense of the lies and coverups aren’t surprising either.

    After all these are the people who think that the rights and freedoms of the Constitution aren’t for the little people. Why would child prostitution bother them? You can’t judge. Why is voter fraud and intimidation wrong? After all the “right” guy got elected.

    I want to know how much NAMBLA donated to Obama’s campaign…

    Vivian Louise (643333)

  97. I bet the Nazis wished they had a few of these types of Jurors … “I don’t want to be judgemental or nuttin'”

    Exhausting the vast hypocrisy and fundamental immorality or “evilness” of the Poverticians, their Beauracracy and their enablers.

    HeavenSent (01a566)

  98. Where’s Eric Holder the Attorney General in this?

    Where’s the FBI?

    Where are the hearings on the hill?

    We need the evidence to link SEIU with these people

    Joe the poster (339516)

  99. […] Meanwhile, there’s more out from L.A. And it’s already snared L.A. Times columnist James Rainey. […]

    Instapundit » Blog Archive » BETTER DO WHAT HE SAYS, ERIC: Breitbart to AG Holder: Investigate ACORN or We’ll Release More Tap… (fe8e62)

  100. #102: As best I can tell, Bored Again’s “point” is that we shouldn’t point out Acorn’s corruption, because that might make Republican voters think the election was stolen and that is a bigger scandal than Acorn’s corruption. And two other points: #1) Bored Again’s claim that 52% of Republicans think that Acorn stole the eletion is not what the poll actually says; #2) I bet the percentage of voters who told a pollster that Acorn stole the election is lower than the percentage that say that Bush had advance knowledge of 9/11, but that isn’t a scandal because — well it just ISN’T damnit!

    Sean P (50f5d9)

  101. I don’t know about that Dog Trainer tag… perhaps it should be Weasel Catcher at this point.

    Clearly no dog would be this untrainable.

    ajacksonian (87eccd)

  102. HILARIOUS! An idiot that reports favorably about idiots is well, AN IDIOT!

    Concerned Veteran (f79fba)

  103. […] the video to see Breitbart’s palpable anger — and his mention of James Rainey’s incompetent enabling of ACORN’s dishonest story. I also like O’Keefe’s statement that the L.A. Times sent him an e-mail regarding […]

    Patterico's Pontifications » Breitbart: Investigate ACORN or We’ll Save the Other Tapes for the Election (e4ab32)

  104. […] Patterico’s Pontifications » L.A. Times Columnist Uncritically Quoted Star of Latest ACORN Vi… In September, L.A. Times columnist James Rainey wrote a column in which he uncritically quoted ACORN worker Lavelle Stewart suggesting that she had turned Hannah Giles and James O’Keefe out of her office: [V]isits to other ACORN offices have gone almost entirely unmentioned. Lavelle Stewart, a fair-housing coordinator in the group’s Los Angeles office, told me this week that she tried to get the “prostitute,” who claimed she had been beaten by her pimp, to go to a women’s center. […]

    Daily Pundit » Man, This Is Rich (f40874)

  105. Any proof ACORN actually changed the outcome of an election? 3 words: Sen. Al Franken.

    PCD (1d8b6d)

  106. Someone has just seriously upped the stakes.

    And one that has to hit home for Obama and his cronies. They know by know Breitbart has found damaging material. And they have to wonder what other instances of sleaze or lawbreaking he has ready to go.

    I hope Breitbart has copies of his evidence very securely hidden, including out of the country. No telling what Obama or his supporters might do.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  107. Gawd, is Breitbart good. He’s got a pair.

    Timstigator (91d5ea)

  108. No word from Rainey yet?

    JD (431886)

  109. Dodd,

    I just included a thanks to you in the post for the links to the posters. Those were hilarious.

    Patterico (64318f)

  110. I think that Breitbart ought to offer the Dog Trainer a one-to-one trade, one as yet ynreleased Acorn tape for the undisclosed tape of Obama at that dinner affair honoring the jihadist sympathizer in NYC awhile back.

    MD in Philly (227f9c)

  111. This is just another example of a so-called journalist not doing his homework. He needs to write a correction for that ridiculous story but we all know that won’t happen in my lifetime. These left winged journalists have their own agenda and it’s not to say ” I was wrong” they are FAR ABOVE that thought!

    Patty (4385c9)

  112. The funniest thing about bored again is that he’s 32 years behind the curve and not as talented as The Clash.

    For BA, it’s Armagedion time.

    Dmac (a964d5)

  113. […] L.A. Times Columnist Uncritically Quoted Star of Latest ACORN Video […]

    Patterico « Sister Toldjah (c83140)

  114. […] has been bluffing on the ACORN scandal, he’s turned out not to be. The latest one has Patterico almost gibbering in glee as he rakes the LA Times and James Rainey over the coals for their […]

    Moe Lane » Breitbart to Eric Holder: Investigate ACORN, or else. (da2344)

  115. […] has been bluffing on the ACORN scandal, he’s turned out not to be.  The latest one has Patterico almost gibbering in glee as he rakes the LA Times and James Rainey over the coals for their […]

    Breitbart to Eric Holder: Investigate ACORN, or else. - Moe_Lane’s blog - RedState (2dbb8b)

  116. LA Times checking in… Prints long apologia from ACORN.

    the employee, Lavelle Stewart, isn’t shown objecting to their comments and offers to connect the pair with other organizations that specialize in housing.

    Your basic Times reader would get the idea from this article that O’Keefe and Giles were the real criminals here.

    MikeHu (e9e89c)

  117. Oh yeah, and there was this “Editorial” by them yesterday: Jerry Brown’s ‘secrets’ cases

    “Two cases — one involving ACORN tapes, another of recordings by a former aide — put the attorney general in a tight spot.”

    MikeHu (e9e89c)

  118. Well, they are, aren’t they? I mean, a pimp and his ho. Them’s be the real criminals here. The honorable ACORN employee telling them that IT’S WRONG to sexually enslave illegal alien minors.

    Oh, must have missed THAT part.

    Dr. K (eca563)

  119. […] Patterico: L.A. Times Columnist Uncritically Quoted Star of Latest ACORN Video […]

    ACORN Still In The News..Not Going Down Easy « Nice Deb (962ecf)

  120. “Any proof ACORN actually changed the outcome of an election? 3 words: Sen. Al Franken”

    And, Governor Christine Gregoire (D-WA).

    David Axelrod (83330d)

  121. Um . . . who cares? What’s the big deal about ACORN?

    I know, some hysterics have conflated them into some all powerful entity, but that’s obviously a joke. Despite ACORN’s misteps, the group is a blip on the national political scene – why all the hysteria over it? An odd misplacement of efforts.

    Sam Sinister (dc2d41)

  122. Um . . . who cares? What’s the big deal about ACORN?
    Comment by Sam Sinister — 11/20/2009 @ 10:25 am

    You know, it occurs to me that all the minimizing of how important any attention paid to ACORN is pretty revealing in itself. If it was truly unimportant, they would be encouraging conservatives to waste their time pursuing the truth. Thanks for the emphasis that Breitbart is on the right track Sam. Enjoy your day.

    Stashiu3 (44da70)

  123. Sam, you clearly have no idea what you’re talking about. ACORN is a) the perfect illustration of what the democrat party is all about, and b) huge, corrupt, and affiliated will the very worst.

    There’s no hysteria about ACORN. It’s 100% justified. They, and their sister SEIU, indeed have done horrible things.

    Of course, the worst thing the democrats could do is say this is all a big joke, and the people complaining are simply being hysterical. This is why your party is crashing and burning right now.

    Dustin (bb61e3)

  124. The LASlimes columnist must have had a lot of ‘AWShit’ moments. I always heard slapping the forehead and sayin asshit every time you screwed up was the cause of baldness.

    Scrapiron (996c34)

  125. You know, it occurs to me that all the minimizing of how important any attention paid to ACORN is pretty revealing in itself. If it was truly unimportant, they would be encouraging conservatives to waste their time pursuing the truth. Thanks for the emphasis that Breitbart is on the right track Sam. Enjoy your day.

    Comment by Stashiu3 — 11/20/2009 @ 10:33 am

    LOL

    no one you know (196ed7)

  126. This scum works for the LA Slimes. The LA Slimes hasnt had a decent reporter since former sportswriter Jim Murray worked there 25 Yrs or so ago. The rest of them are all commie buttkissers, the newspaper equivalent of MSNBC.

    stewart small (9f4904)

  127. […] Patterico roasts the ACORN enablers at the LA Times. Posted in: ACORN Watch Printer Friendly comments (0)   trackbacks […]

    Michelle Malkin » ACORN Watch: More criminal enterprise antics (e2f069)

  128. Comment by stewart small — 11/20/2009 @ 11:05 am

    Even Murray, as great a sports-writer that he was, had a blind-spot when it came to motor-sports; but, at the time, he had (as did the LAT) competition over at the Herald-Express/Examiner (like the great Bud Furillo) to keep him/them honest.

    There lies the significant problem with a major Metro area having but a lone journalistic voice.

    AD - RtR/OS! (83330d)

  129. #112 – Thanks, but that wasn’t necessary. I’m just happy to see my babies getting put to such excellent use.

    Dodd (fbfada)

  130. Re the LAT apologia on Brown…I’m no lawyer, but since when is a converstion in an office deemed a “confidential” communication? Where is the expectation of privacy?

    Patricia (b05e7f)

  131. I don’t know why you guys keep obsessing about this children prostitution & ACORN story – it is so irrelevant!
    We have more important things to respond to – didn’t you hear that Shannon Doherty just bought some pink sneakers at Neiman?
    That’s REAL NEWS – and LA Times DOES THIS TYPE OF COVERAGE!

    misanthropicus (a35a18)

  132. “…Shannon Doherty…”

    That, is so….1990!

    AD - RtR/OS! (83330d)

  133. Sam Sinister at 124
    Um . . . who cares? What’s the big deal about ACORN?
    I know, some hysterics have conflated them into some all powerful entity, but that’s obviously a joke. Despite ACORN’s misteps, the group is a blip on the national political scene – why all the hysteria over it?

    I, for one, get all “hysterical” over it because ACORN has their snout so far in the Public Trough (read: my pocket) that it isn’t even funny. Large amounts of tax dollars are going to support a partisan, amoral (if not immoral), and just plain… dirty… organization.

    Enough noise and we can get the idiots like you who agree with their “philosophy” to fund it out of their own funds. Knowing how prolific the left is with other people’s money and how frugal they are with their own (see: *any* Kennedy), it’ll die.

    bud (8d8936)

  134. “Carnys” that what ACORN is a Carny enterprise, it operates just like Carnival. Think about it, they are opening, and closing their tents all over after they score. ACORN is a Shell Game who invented that?

    keyboard jockey (28ac57)

  135. “Carnys” that’s what ACORN is a Carny enterprise, it operates just like Carnival. Think about it, they are opening, and closing their tents all over after they score. ACORN is a Shell Game who invented that?

    keyboard jockey (28ac57)

  136. Why do people pretend ACORN is anything more than Carnys? ACORN Walnut how cute.

    Shell Game (shell-and-pea game, three-shell game) — One of the ‘big three’ dishonest street games sometimes played on the long-ago carnival lot (the others are ‘fast and loose’ and ‘three-card monte’). Played, like the other two, on a small portable tabletop. Three hollow half-walnut-shells are mixed around rapidly on the tabletop, and the bettor (victim) attempts to keep track of and guess which one hides a little dried pea. But with simple sleight of hand, the grifter can easily control (both while the shells are being mixed and after the guess is made) whether the pea appears under any pea he likes. This enables a skilled operator to put on a performance that attracts swiftly-escalating bets and walk away with big money every time.

    It’s never been a legitimate organization that is the pretense the cover…just a bunch of Carnys, who figured out how to shake down the Government for the people’s money.

    keyboard jockey (28ac57)

  137. I wish Cathy Seipp would come on back down here and write a column about Mr. Rainey.

    MikeHu (e9e89c)

  138. I think that Breitbart ought to offer the Dog Trainer a one-to-one trade, one as yet ynreleased Acorn tape for the undisclosed tape of Obama at that dinner affair honoring the jihadist sympathizer in NYC awhile back.

    Comment by MD in Philly — 11/20/2009 @ 7:28 am

    Brilliant!

    Matador (e01f85)

  139. That is NOT sarcasm.

    Matador (e01f85)

  140. Does anyone else see the irony in James Rainey not doing one simple fact check, and the AP fact checking Sarah Palin’s book 11 ways to Sunday?

    Catherine (0e754a)

  141. Rainey will never correct the record. Correcting the record is something a journalist would do. Rainey is not a journalist; he is a whore, a butt boy for Obama and his whole vast corrupt criminal machine.

    sharpshiny (3dab68)

  142. I wish Cathy Seipp would come on back down here and write a column about Mr. Rainey.

    Oh, isn’t that true? I do miss her.

    Patricia (b05e7f)

  143. So who is this Felix Harris person?

    Jose (23eab1)

  144. […] L.A. Times With Egg on Their Face L.A. Times Columnist Uncritically Quoted Star of Latest ACORN Video […]

    L.A. Times With Egg on Their Face « What Bias? (5c299c)

  145. These LIBERAL ELITE SPINELESS SOCIALISTS should have more than “egg on their face” because when they sit down to eat they are like BOBBLE HEADS (i.e. their heads bobb all around with no rhyme/reason) because they have NO SPINE.
    Nonetheless these PERMANENT PARTISAN PATHETIC PUPPET PROPAGANDISTS will always find a way to lie out of it and/or to blame Bush/Christians/Jewish People/White Males/Southerners/Repubicans/Conservatives/etc.

    Jeff Schrembs (444ad0)

  146. I think the people at the LA Times have bought into to the idea of “social justice as journalism” model, to such an extent that they no longer even have a clue as to why some one might buy a newspaper.

    I left a message at the LA Times publisher’s office. I said, “You are supposed to be a NEWSPAPER, not a FICTIONPAPER, not a PROPAGANDAPAPER. Valid information has a real value, for which people are willing to pay; valid information has a positive value. Invalid information isn’t just worth nothing, it actually has a negative value; if you believe invalid information, and act upon it, things get worse and most likely, cost you and others a lot of money.

    James Rainey and the rest of the LAT indicate they are operating under the assumption that content is fungible and that the truth and validity and relevance of that content makes no difference to their readers. They are probably talking about creating a new marketing campaign right now, that will improve their image with the public. I know that they are not talking about truth and falsehoods. I know they are not talking about the difference between information and opinion. I know they are not talking about creating a product that informs, educates and acts as a check upon government.

    How can these people possibly be this stupid?

    jack (e383ed)

  147. “You know, it occurs to me that all the minimizing of how important any attention paid to ACORN is pretty revealing in itself. If it was truly unimportant, they would be encouraging conservatives to waste their time pursuing the truth.”

    My only problem with your obsessions is that it’s lead to this:

    “Pray for Obama: Psalm 109:8.”
    “Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
    :9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.”
    http://rawstory.com/2009/11/evangelist-religious-trawling-assassins/

    Its a call for christian terrorism.

    bored again (d80b5a)

  148. boring again dispenses more dubious non-sequiturs.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  149. Only God is just. Only God makes the decision.

    lurker9876 (cf34fc)

  150. […] Patterico revels in the idiocy of Los Angeles Times columnist James Rainey and Media Matters for America, who went out on a limb […]

    Breitbart: Investigate Acorn or else (updated) « Thoughts Of A Conservative Christian (565823)

  151. How can these people possibly be this stupid?

    Their foundation rests on two false, yet absolutely critical assumptions: they are far smarter than their readers; and that readers will never be as smart as they. It’s a two-point belief system that’s easy for them to maintain. And it also keeps them so insulated (think academia’s ivory tower) from reality, that they truly believe they and they alone are the standard bearers for us all.

    Another cool thing about this mentality is, when one of their own mess up in a Big Way like Rainey, and it’s been publicly exposed, the self-insulation of the two false assumptions prevents the guilt or shame from ever being absorbed by what would normally be a journalist’s conscience. They are rarely wrong in their own eyes, and if pinned down, they lie (see: Rainey now claiming he *did* attempt to contact Breitbart)….

    Dana (e9ba20)

  152. See the phony “Patrick Frey” comments just before this one.

    CLEAN UP REQUESTED ON THIS THREAD!!! (0ea407)

  153. I cannot wait to hear where that IP address resolves to.

    JD (f1aec1)

  154. 216.73.215.213

    Comes back to Boulder, Colorado.

    Patterico (7fe188)

  155. Well, my limited search capabilities did not tie a moniker to that ip.

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  156. […] Patterico roasts the ACORN enablers at the LA Times. Posted in ACORN, B Hussein Obama, Barack Hussein Obama, Barack Obama, Hussein Obama, Islam, […]

    ACORN Watch: More criminal enterprise antics « Thoughts Of A Conservative Christian (55a4b8)

  157. […] James Rainey? He’s the hapless L.A. Times columnist who told his readers that an L.A. ACORN worker had refused to help Hannah Giles and James O’Keefe with an underage […]

    Patterico's Pontifications » L.A. Times Columnist Fabricates Quote, Slandering Anti-ACORN Activist (e4ab32)


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