# ACORN workers caught on tape apparently advising on child prostitution **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 11, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681 "2009-09-11T13:19:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 19
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/361 "2009-09-16T00:50:29Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Nothing involving adult prostitution is newsworthy. I don’t even know what that woman killing her abusive husband (good for her) even has to do with ACORN. The right wing’s blissed out, drooling glee over this scammer’s unimportant little Borat stunts is lost on me. What exactly do they think they’re proving? Well, near as I can tell, they have bought into the apparent lie that ACORN is in line to receive billions in stimulus money, and they believe that the exposure of these videos has stopped that from happening. Er, stopped them from getting the mythical money they weren’t going to get in the first place. Other than that, I got nothin’. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/362 "2009-09-16T00:54:44Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Miiiiiiiiiles O’Keefe! Man, that’s an obscure reference. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/363 "2009-09-16T02:07:37Z")
Looks like the California tape is [phonied up](http://www.sbsun.com/breakingnews/ci_13342555). The credibility of the rest of them is highly dubious as well. I think this whole scam might start to unravel soon. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/364 "2009-09-16T02:27:20Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Looks like the California tape is [phonied up](http://www.sbsun.com/breakingnews/ci_13342555). The credibility of the rest of them is highly dubious as well. I think this whole scam might start to unravel soon. There are contradictory claims in that article. The more troubling one is that the “reporter” edited out the part where they asked if it was a joke and if he were a reporter. But for them to laugh about it AND be frightened of him? I don’t see it. Overall, I think what this speaks to is that ACORN needs to do some training on what kinds of requests are legal and what kinds are illegal. But overall, there’s not really much to worry about here. It seems to me that if there were actual abuse of ACORN in this manner–if criminals actually were getting advice on how to set up tax shelters or whatever from ACORN–we’d have actual reports of it coming out via arrests of the criminals, and there’d be a paper trail leading back to ACORN. The lack of any such real instances makes me think it doesn’t actually happen. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/365 "2009-09-16T02:35:59Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > There are contradictory claims in that article. The more troubling one is that the “reporter” edited out the part where they asked if it was a joke and if he were a reporter. But for them to laugh about it AND be frightened of him? I don’t see it. It’s possible if they thought he was crazy. Obviously, no one could seriously believe he was a pimp. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/366 "2009-09-16T02:54:32Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > There are contradictory claims in that article. The more troubling one is that the “reporter” edited out the part where they asked if it was a joke and if he were a reporter. But for them to laugh about it AND be frightened of him? I don’t see it. I didn’t see the part about being frightened. Where is that? ETA: nm, i found it… horrible HTML coding on that site obscured it. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/367 "2009-09-16T02:59:11Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Looks like the California tape is [phonied up](http://www.sbsun.com/breakingnews/ci_13342555). The credibility of the rest of them is highly dubious as well. I think this whole scam might start to unravel soon. Agreed. Very little has added up ever since this thing broke. In particular, I don’t believe for one minute that no news organization other than FOX has attempted to get their hands on the tapes. O’Keefe himself has stated that he has refused contacts from CNN. Why would he do that? Wouldn’t the fact that even the Liberal Media™ accepted the story as legit tend to bolster his credibility? Most likely, other news organizations, as would be normal, are insisting on having unedited copies of the tapes to review prior to basing a story on them. I have to think that O’Keefe may have some very good reasons for not allowing access to the unedited versions. ---
**Author:** ![wolf11469](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf11469/32/12464_2.png) [@wolf11469](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf11469)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/368 "2009-09-16T03:01:13Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Looks like the California tape is [phonied up](http://www.sbsun.com/breakingnews/ci_13342555). The credibility of the rest of them is highly dubious as well. I think this whole scam might start to unravel soon. At the start of the California tape O’Keefe states that there was only one employee in the building at the time, I assume that would be the women in the video Tresa Kaelke. Was there another person to back up her version of the events? ---
**Author:** ![wolf11469](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf11469/32/12464_2.png) [@wolf11469](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf11469)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/369 "2009-09-16T03:08:37Z")
I would certainly like to see the unedited version tho. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/370 "2009-09-16T03:15:36Z")
But he had a pimp cane! A pimp cane! I showed the picture to eight people at the homeless shelter at work today. Asked 'em, “Do you think this guy is a pimp?” Most said no. Two laughed and pointed. Nobody said yes. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/371 "2009-09-16T03:18:36Z")
> [@wolf11469](#): > > At the start of the California tape O’Keefe states that there was only one employee in the building at the time, I assume that would be the women in the video Tresa Kaelke. Was there another person to back up her version of the events? She apparently believes the unedited video backs up her version. It’s hard to believe she would say that if it wasn’t true. This little O’Keefe tool has far more credibility issues than she does. Somebody needs to put him on a bus with some black kids. ---
**Author:** ![wolf11469](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf11469/32/12464_2.png) [@wolf11469](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf11469)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/372 "2009-09-16T03:34:40Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > She apparently believes the unedited video backs up her version. It’s hard to believe she would say that if it wasn’t true. This little O’Keefe tool has far more credibility issues than she does. . If any of the things she said about herself are true she might have some credibility issues herself “Somebody needs to put him on a bus with some black kids” LOL ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/373 "2009-09-16T04:19:41Z")
> [@wolf11469](#): > > If any of the things she said about herself are true she might have some credibility issues herself What did she say about herself? Are you mixing her up with the Baltimore woman who said she killed her abusive husband? ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/374 "2009-09-16T05:17:21Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > What did she say about herself? Are you mixing her up with the Baltimore woman who said she killed her abusive husband? No, that was the California woman who said she killed her husband ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/375 "2009-09-16T05:49:19Z")
Well good for her, whoever she is. ETA, given that she was just joking around with these people, that probably means the “I killed my husband” thing was a joke too then. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/376 "2009-09-16T12:22:58Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Looks like the California tape is [phonied up](http://www.sbsun.com/breakingnews/ci_13342555). The credibility of the rest of them is highly dubious as well. I think this whole scam might start to unravel soon. It seems to me that the evidence that the tape is phony comes from a uncorroborated statement from the implicated person. That said, it’s a relatively easy statement to verify, and I absolutely agree that the unedited tape should be made available. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/377 "2009-09-16T13:43:25Z")
Only one person is preventing that tape from being made available, and it isn’t anyone from ACORN. It should also be easy to determine whether that ACORN worker ever killed her husband, or had a husband who died at all. If not, then that would lend great credibility to her insistence that she was just goofing around with them. The other tapes are heavily edited as well. Until this O’Keefe person is willing to make the unedited tapes available, I don’t think any of them can be taken at face value. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/378 "2009-09-16T14:09:22Z")
I see some message boards/blogs claiming that Fox News has posted the hour-long unedited tape on their website, but I’m unable to find the video or a link to it. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/379 "2009-09-16T14:28:40Z")
There’s a video linked on the front page of the Fox News website, but it’s only about a 15 minute edit. It’s not the whole tape. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681/380 "2009-09-16T15:01:41Z")
After the Bill Clinton interview shenanigans and Hannity’s selective cropping of quotes on his show, I automatically start from a standpoint of any tape on Fox being carefully edited to give a particular impression. Fox aside, I’d like to see the full unedited tapes to see whose side of the story they really support. I ain’t believing nobody until then. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681.md?page=18) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acorn-workers-caught-on-tape-apparently-advising-on-child-prostitution/509681.md?page=20)