Greg Marx, the assistant editor of Columbia Journalism Review, is planning to write on the O’Keefe affair. Marx emailed me today about my reporting. Citing the Washington Independent’s Dave Weigel’s characterization of his discussion with Isis, Marx wrote me:
I was unable to get ahold of Isis, but Dave Weigel did, and here’s what he writes: “Isis told me: ‘I don’t believe O’Keefe planned the event.’”
Based on this information, I continue not to see support for your published statement that “Together, O’Keefe and Epstein planned an event in August 2006 that would wed their extreme views on race with their ambitions.”
Marx told me he “was unable to get ahold of Isis,” but Isis told me that he made not attempt to call her. He could have easily have obtained her contact information from me or Daryle Jenkins, the founder of One People’s Project. But Marx did not do so. I urged Marx in a subsequent email not to rely on a vague characterization of Isis’ remarks and instead to quote from my interview. After all, Weigel was never a source for my story.
UPDATE: Marx claimed he had attempted to contact Isis through Daryle Jenkins. Jenkins told me, “That’s a lie!” Jenkins went on: “I told him to email me his contact information so I could pass it on to Isis. He never did. He never emailed me.” Marx confirmed to me that he never emailed his contact info to Jenkins. He claimed he spelled out his email to Jenkins on the phone. ”We had a miscommunication,” Marx told me.
UPDATE #2: The Columbia Journalism Review has provided me with an audio file of Marx’s conversation with Jenkins in which Marx asked to be put in contact with Isis. Jenkins told Marx that Isis first wanted confirmation that he was from a “legitimate” news source, since Jenkins seemed unclear about which outlet Marx was from — he asked if he was from “Columbia Law Review.” Jenkins said, “Do you have an email from Columbia Journalism Review because she [Isis] does tend to be a little apprehensive about speaking to folks.” Marx did not have a CJR email but verbally provided Jenkins with his columbia.edu email, stating that he was formerly student at Columbia Journalism School. Jenkins confirmed receipt of the email. I’ll be speaking to Jenkins to get his account of what happened next.
For the record, though Marx has spoken to me and said he was reporting on sources in my story, he did not ask me for Isis’ contact info until today, when I initially reported her statement that he never called or emailed her. The original post continues below:
After Marx’s email, I followed up with Isis. She told me in no uncertain terms that she had witnessed O’Keefe engaged in the “execution” of the white nationalist event of the Robert Taft Club.
“What I told Weigel and what I told him to quote me as saying, is that O’Keefe was involved the same way you would be involved if you went to a party and you put out the cups and stocked the cooler,” Isis told me. “He was helping Marcus Epstein in the execution of the event so I don’t see what the issue is. It was obvious that he was there supporting the event and was involved in its execution.”
Isis added more about her discussion with Weigel. “I told him the same thing I told you,” she remarked to me. “O’Keefe and Luke Pelican and the Leadership guys helped Epstein because they were friends with Marcus [Epstein], and they are friends with him because they agree with his views on the race stuff. And I told him when O’Keefe got there he was helping Marcus set the event up. Nitpicking over where he sat is bullshit. I mean, enough is enough. They were there; they were helping out with the event and they can’t deny that.”
Isis also told me that Weigel told her that Andrew Breitbart, the right-wing blogger who has had O’Keefe on his payroll, ” was acting like a fucking nutcase.”
“Isis…told me that Weigel told her that Andrew…” This is journalism? Sounds like a high school girl back peddling. Nice try.
So basically, your story is falling apart….I suppose that’s what you can expect when you listen to pedophiles that can’t keep a janitorial job and nasally know-it-all-mostly’s that they hang around with. Way to go Max….that should sell those books…
Thanks for keeping on top of this. This needs to be documented for the record. We can’t keep letting political operatives like O’Keefe pretend they are “journalists”.
Pop@2: We have continued confirmation that O’Keefe assisted organization at a major gathering of racists, and you claim Blumenthal’s reporting is “falling apart”? (Interesting replacement of reporting with story, by the way.) Your bizarre reference to a pedophile makes no sense, unless it’s to former Republican congressman Mark Foley.
Pop, *O’Keefe himself* has admitted he was at the conference. I understand that the combined psychic shock of seeing the right’s new activist hero arrested for a felony that may carry a ten-year prison sentence, and then learning he attended an openly racist gathering (combined with the Oregon referendum loss and the stunning revelation that no, Obama does not need a teleprompter from the Baltimore gathering) may be a bit much, but O’Keefe himself confirmed he went to a racist gathering.
And Max, nicely done. Let’s see if O’Keefe can explain himself or apologize. My guess: it’s all the evil libruls’ fault.
LMAO! You’re still going to claim him a racist even after Martin (a black man who was there) vindicates him? http://bigjournalism.com/ncppr/2010/02/04/black-debater-from-race-and-conservatism-event-says-okeefe-voiced-personal-support-for-me-and-my-positions/
The pedo reference was for dlj. He knows what that’s about. You can try to keep up but you haven’t been doing too good so far.
No one ever denied he was at the conference. But when morons (like Max and I guess yourself for that matter) write BS that others pick up on and end up having to slam their dick in the door to retract, it tends to take stupidity to the next level.
Obama doesn’t need a teleprompter?! Shock!!! bout effin’ time.
“Thanks for keeping on top of this. This needs to be documented for the record. We can’t keep letting political operatives pretend they are “journalists”.”
Busted again Max…
This is a farce beyond belief. It reminds me of anonymous coward posts on The Huff Po and Kos, but at least you have the wherewithal to put your name on these made up fairy tales. LOL.
Actually Pop, I am having trouble keeping up too. Maybe you can explain what this pedo thing is all about.
I know that when person A says that person B had said something, its heresay.
What is it when Columbia Journalism (A) says that they have an audio tape (B) of Marx talking to Jenkins (C) in which Marx asked to be put in contact with Isis. (D)
-And at what point does E, James O Keefe, actually enter this?
O’Keefe is in massive amounts of trouble for doing something very very stupid. Instead of just focusing in on that, the left is trying to actually create some kind of ‘white supremacy’ meeting. Which, big surprise, turns out just to be a talk at a college that also had a speaker who spoke counter to the alleged white supremest.
Whew!
You guys must be doing Pilates every day in order to reach that far.
Is that so?
Interesting how until last week, the only ones writing about this forum in any size, shape or form was VDARE – run by a guy who believes the Republican is the white party and should reach out to that base more than Hispanics (I believe he was talking to Max when he said that) – One People’s Project, and I believe Southern Poverty Law Center. You can’t downplay what this forum was about. It was apparent to those that knew about it at the time, which was why it was a controversial affair to begin with. Oh, and it doesn’t help matters much given the history of the organizer Marcus Epstein. And don’t try that he-can’t-be-racist-because-he-Korean-and-Jewish routine. That didn’t stop him from attacking a black woman calling her the N-word a few years ago. And that’s not the only issue he has.
By the way, where are the others that went to this forum? Maybe the 40 some-odd others could come forward and say what this event was about. I’m waiting…
See the truth about the scum bag Max Blumenthal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5TOJt6YmQg
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