Introducing Andrew Breitbart's Big Government, Edited by Mike Flynn
Andrew Breitbart, late of The Drudge Report, and proprietor of Big Hollywood and Breitbart.tv, has launched a fun, exciting, and depressing site called Big Government. Edited for former Reason Foundation government affairs guru Mike Flynn, the site will take a long look at the machinations of the beast that will not die. From Flynn's opening post:
The mainstream media and politicos from both parties were caught flat-footed by the push-back from average citizens [after TARP, the stimulus, and other big-ticket items over the past year]. Each news-cycle brought a new theory for the protests: "astroturf," angry "mobs," distortions and misinformation, kooks and conspiracy nuts, and, inevitably (and perhaps most offensively) racism (MSNBC amazingly even cut the head off a black man holding a gun to make the point that white racist extremism was behind the entirety the protests). The elites have convinced themselves that, once Congress is safely cocooned on Capitol Hill, and engaged in some Kennedy-esque legislating-a tweak here, a nip-and-tuck there-ObamaCare will be back on track and the Administration can continue its march to reshape America.
The elites are whistling past the graveyard. The ground has shifted. It could just be that deficits above 10% of GDP are the new $4 a gallon gas, i.e. the tipping point that awakens the silent majority and recalibrates political dynamics. Americans are setting aside parochial self-interest and reaching to reclaim the legacy of the Founders.
The site, which will feature contributions from various staffers at Reason Foundation, the nonprofit that publishes this website, already has scored its first coup: A video sting in which members of the Baltimore office of ACORN give advice to a faux-prostitute and pimp on how to work the system to get a housing loan for a brothel. Seriously.
Editor's Note: As of February 29, 2024, commenting privileges on reason.com posts are limited to Reason Plus subscribers. Past commenters are grandfathered in for a temporary period. Subscribe here to preserve your ability to comment. Your Reason Plus subscription also gives you an ad-free version of reason.com, along with full access to the digital edition and archives of Reason magazine. We request that comments be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment and ban commenters for any reason at any time. Comments may only be edited within 5 minutes of posting. Report abuses.
Please
to post comments
Edited for former Reason Foundation government affairs guru Mike Flynn
"For" him? Heh. Nice work if you can get it.
But. . .but. . .the era of big government is over!
I love the purity of ACORN's Machiavellianism.
Americans are setting aside parochial self-interest and reaching to reclaim the legacy of the Founders.
God, i hope so, but i'm not sure i see it.
Why does that matter? I was more or less digging it until I got to that sentence, which left me cold.
They're high.
And, they and the shadowy folks who are pushing the RandroidReVOLUtion have no interest in the things that most people care deeply about. Taxes might be important to those who fund Beltway hacks, but it's the social issues that really get people energized. And, those inside the Beltway who are pushing the RandroidReVOLUtion have absolutely no concern for those who care about such issues.
And, of course, there's all the rest. See my summary of the Tea Parties for that.
Americans are setting aside parochial self-interest and reaching to reclaim the legacy of the Founders.
Nope. Not seeing it.
All I see is the free pony line getting longer and longer.
Where is my free pony, anyway? Damn that Obama!
Nobody gives a fuck about your summary of anything, Chris.
Nobody gives a fuck about your summary of anything, Chris.
Admit it: you only hate him because you love him.
But, but ProL...You don't have to worry about paying your mortgage and you don't have to worry about putting gas in your car now.
Oh wait, I forgot. You have a job, that's why. Never mind.
Why hasn't Obama freed me from the rigors of the work day? I thought he was going to liberate the corporate wage slaves! Wasn't I supposed to get August off?
Sounds to me like they're willfully conflating libertinism (atheism, voluntary prostitution) with socialism. Why should I be upset that they are willing to help prostitutes game the system like everyone else? Is their "need" no better than Archer Daniels Midland?
I can't watch the video, so someone please educate me why, as a cosmotarian, I should see this as a gotcha moment.
"A video sting in which members of the Baltimore office of ACORN give advice to a faux-prostitute and pimp on how to work the system to get a housing loan for a brothel. Seriously."
Limbaugh was playing audio clips from that on his show today - so it's getting a lot better distribution than he could ever get for it on his own.
"I can't watch the video, so someone please educate me why, as a cosmotarian, I should see this as a gotcha moment."
Because the prostitutes were supposed to be 13. I am all for legalized prostitution. But importing 13 year olds from El Salvador seems to cross the line.
Yes, they were playing audio from this on Glenn Beck this morning too. It's making the rounds, since, of course, all the talk show folks hate ACORN.
Admit it: you only hate him because you love him.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
"since, of course, all the talk show folks hate ACORN."
As well they should.
There's nothing to like about them.
Teabaggers are neither silent nor a majority.
joe | January 6, 2009, 2:41pm | #
voter registration fraud is not on the level of destroying the democracy, but it's nothing to sneeze at, either.
Yes, it's a shame that people commit fraud against ACORN by submitting forged applications.
It's too bad the states won't do as ACORN has long requested, and allow them to discard such forgeries, but the laws requiring them to submit those forms remain in effect, so all they can do is continue to flag such applications so the elections registrars can reject them.
joe | January 20, 2009, 2:42pm | #
This thread is like when the rock station plays oldies at lunch.
Can I get a little ACORN?
joe | October 13, 2008, 5:55pm | #
No ACORN employee has ever been charged with vote fraud.
No fraudulent vote has ever been shown to have been cast via phony voter registration. That's just not how you get fake votes into the system.
Some people can't admit that their party is less popular than herpes, so make up shit about poor people and minorities.
Someone needs to get their hyphens and dashes straight.
"Teabaggers are neither silent nor a majority."
You can't count past ten without taking off your shoes and socks, so you aren't exactly a reliable source on who is a majority.
Feel free to criticize and correct my punctuation and any other aspect of the linguistic arts so displayed when you start to pay me for them.
God Joe was a piece of shit sometimes.
Andrew Breitbart is one of those right-wing-nut asshats that give libertarianism a bad name. He wraps up all his attack on the left in small-g rhetoric but champions ever power grab from the right. He's a the worst sort of douche-bag and it sickens me that Reason has decided to crawl in bed with his ilk.
"Americans are setting aside parochial self-interest and reaching to reclaim the legacy of the Founders."
Huh? Huh? Sorry. I fell asleep. Excuse me, but how is it possible to read that sentence and not fall asleep?
Why does hating big government necessarily have to come with a strong dose of wingnuttery like this ACORN bullshit?
"Why does hating big government necessarily have to come with a strong dose of wingnuttery like this ACORN bullshit?"
Because one shit-covered palm greases the other shit-covered palm.
Apparently the elites aren't the only ones whistling past the graveyard. The senior citizens griping about their Medicare being cut aren't exactly "reclaiming the legacy of the Founders".
I am all for legalized prostitution. But importing 13 year olds from El Salvador seems to cross the line.
Jobs American 13 year olds won't do?
Thanks, John. Enabling the forced prostitution of 13 year-olds is definitely worth of scorn.
Trouble is, I still don't really see how their willingness to abet criminals bears on their politics. There is nothing here to suggest that ACORN's socialist politics led to this. This seems far more like any number of gotchas of conservatives who've been caught endorsing criminal acts that were falsely attributed to conservatism in general.
"I still don't really see how their willingness to abet criminals bears on their politics."
what if their willingness to abet criminals is their politics?
Poor ACORN. There's a lot to dislike about them from a libertarian point of view (in a word [or two?]: affordable housing), but giving advice to prostitutes on how not to get beaten by their pimps is hardly one of them.
Stephen, seriously did you watch the video? I don't think that "teach them to keep their mouth shut" is commendable advice.
if the bitch is taking out of pocket, she deserves a few slaps.
So, what Reason is implying is, to take down criminals, we should asktoughquestions and post them on youtube?
Trouble is, I still don't really see how their willingness to abet criminals bears on their politics.
Good Lord. Do you really want to take this line? You would have no problem with a Congressman, for example, aiding and abetting tax evasion and child prostitution? With a political party doing so?
Not to mention that this organization is heavily involved in advancing the Democratic Party, receives billions of dollars a year in funding from both the Democratic party, its affiliates and, wait for it, the federal government, all to advance their politics. And has been repeatedly and credibly accused, charged, and even, I believe, convicted, of voter registration fraud?
Still feel blase about what is on display here?
Is this site pro-Big Government or anti-Big Government?
Judging from their debut, a hit piece on a private agency helping a small business owner lower his tax bill, I'll guess pro-Big Government.
You would have no problem with...
R C, you are putting words in my mouth. The behavior is despicable. My argument is that characterizing it as pro forma for a socialist activist organization does not follow.
When a libertarian activist is "caught" advocating the use of illegal drugs, illegal-but-voluntary prostitution, or "extra-legal" vigilantism against corrupt government, shall we also see this as a sign of the thuggery or bankruptcy of libertarianism? "Do you really want to take this line?"
From a libertarian perspective, ACORN did little wrong. Here are some pointers I'll be offering in the next edition of my column Ask Dr. Ruwart.
Pros:
1) Since 5 year olds can consent to sex, 13 year olds certainly can.
2) It's not sex slavery if the children really want to be here.
3) Since supposed sex-slaves are usually flown over first class, there can be no claims of force or fraud.
4) They were trying to get out of paying taxes, which is a very libertarian thing to do. You aren't a libertarian until you break the law.
5) The free market system ensures that nobody will pay to have sex with kids unless there is a demand for it. Since there is a demand, the kids must want the money.
Cons:
1) The ACORN people never quoted Murray Rothbard, Lew Rockwell or used the word "Libertarian" in any of their responses.
2) They tried to get government money. ACORN should have advised them how to be squatters or something.
Has anyone seen the official response from a
ACORN? These people are totally fucking insane! They accept no responsibility, blaming everything on FOX News and racism!
"Statement from Margaret Williams, Board Member, Maryland ACORN
September 10, 2009
Fox's attempt to smear ACORN Thursday September 10, 2009 is despicable, part of a coordinated, long-term campaign by Fox to damage ACORN, the premiere community organization of low- and moderate-income people in the United States. Every day ACORN members are working for health care reform, living wage jobs, to end the foreclosure crisis, and to strengthen our public schools. For its part, Fox is running a campaign to demonize ACORN. They will get attention, but they will not succeed.
In July 2009, Fox agents attempted to enter ACORN offices in New York, in Philadelphia, in San Diego, in Los Angeles, and possibly other locales. In each case they were turned away, and in Philadelphia ACORN staff were concerned enough that a police report was filed. In Baltimore, the Fox squad deceived ACORN staff by consistently misrepresenting their intentions. No tax returns were filed and no assistance was provided. But the ACORN personnel in question have been terminated because their handling of the Fox agents provocateurs did not meet ACORN's standards of professionalism.
The larger pattern of Fox's irresponsible actions here is the real news. From Glenn Beck calling President Obama a racist, to Fox inciting racism and threats of violence with the Teaparties, to Fox unleashing a hit job on ACORN the day after an inspiring Presidential healthcare speech before Congress, Fox has long since abandoned any journalistic pretense. It is clear and not coincidence that FOX continues to attack and divide our nation along racial lines. We believe our country is beyond this type of attack and call on all Americans to demand that FOX stop its racist coverage."