One of the slimiest things about the Right Online convention is that they make a point of planning their event in the same city as Netroots Nation. It's not enough to bring together conservative bloggers and politicians together, creating some
June 19, 2011

One of the slimiest things about the Right Online convention is that they make a point of planning their event in the same city as Netroots Nation. It's not enough to bring together conservative bloggers and politicians together, creating some nexus of unspeakable evil, but they have to do it withing taunting distance of progressive bloggers. That's why Andrew Breitbart can troll around the convention entrance and my friend and radio host Nicole Sandler can find none other than James O'Keefe hanging out in the hotel lobby.

O'Keefe, accompanied by some fawning male friends, agreed to sit down with Nicole Sandler to "have a conversation." I'm not sure any conversing happened, and by the smug smile on O'Keefe's face, that was probably by design. Admittedly, trying to make herself heard over the din of the lobby traffic, Nicole did sound increasingly agitated, which is of course, exactly what O'Keefe sought. Notice how carefully he parses his answers (or rather, non-answers) on his conviction for entering Sen. Mary Landrieu's office, dressed as a telephone repairman. As part of his plea deal, the government stated that O'Keefe and his colleagues were going to pretend to "test the phone system" rather than tampering with her phones, as had been originally reported. That's not to say that's the full truth of what happened, merely what O'Keefe and the feds mutually agreed to charge him and he plea guilty to.

But O'Keefe will stick to his lessened and lightened version of the story, because it suits. Just like the "posing as a pimp" story suits, even though it ignores the manipulation that edited tape had.

Because in the end, it's not about the truth for O'Keefe. It's about a partisan agenda, and he will do anything and violate any ethical (and criminal) code to achieve it.

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