As many of you know, the FBI is after James O'Keefe for attempting to bug Senator Mary Landrieu's phone lines. But did you know my opponent, Joe Pitts, and 30 other Republicans co-sponsored a resolution praising O'Keefe and his "prostitute" Hannah Giles for their "diligent investigative journalism"?
My name is Lois Herr. I'm the pro-choice feminist progressive Democrat (NOT Blue Dog) running against Joe Pitts in PA-16.
As a concerned constituent that makes great pains to distance herself from alleged felons, I decided to write Representative Joe Pitts a little letter voicing my concerns:
Dear Representative Pitts:
Like almost all Americans, I was disturbed and appalled by the news yesterday that James O’Keefe and three others had been arrested by the FBI for attempting to wiretap Senator Mary Landrieu’s office in New Orleans. Sen. Landrieu is a member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
As you certainly know, O’Keefe was the mastermind behind salacious "hidden-camera" tapes made at affiliates of a community organization last year. In the tapes, he posed as a pimp, accompanied by a woman posing as a prostitute, in attempts to entrap employees of ACORN. It has since been revealed that Mr. O’Keefe’s released tapes of these encounters were heavily doctored, and that his activities have been underwritten by a shadowy group of ultra-conservative funders.
According to the FBI, O’Keefe and his confederates "told a member of Senator Landrieu’s staff that they were telephone repairmen, and they requested access to the main telephone at the reception desk." After being directed to the General Services Administration’s office in the same building, they attempted to gain access to the building’s phone closet. The felony charges against O’Keefe carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
I am certain you are aware of Mr. O’Keefe, because two months ago, you co-sponsored a House resolution honoring Mr. O’Keefe for displaying "exemplary actions" and stating that he was "owed a debt of gratitude by the people of the United States."
At this point, it is important to the people of Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District that you clarify your position on Mr. O’Keefe and his activities by answering the following questions:
Do you agree with the sponsor of House Resolution 809, Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX), who yesterday said yesterday that O’Keefe is still worthy of praise, despite the serious charges against him?
Do you believe H.Res 809 should be withdrawn? Do you regret or repudiate your co-sponsorship of it?
Will you condemn those such as Andrew Breitbart, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck, who raised money to further O’Keefe’s activities?
Do you agree that if these charges are borne out against Mr. O’Keefe and his confederates, they constitute no less a potential breach of national security than if the perpetrators were agents of a foreign power or terrorist group?
Do you agree that if these charges are borne out against Mr. O’Keefe and his confederates, they constitute no less an assault on democratic institutions than the Watergate activities of Richard Nixon’s Administration in the 1970s?
Rep. Pitts, I believe you are an honorable man and a patriot who loves his country. Please join me in condemning in the strongest possible terms any attempt to subvert any part of our government.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Lois Herr, PA-16
For your reference, here are the other co-sponsors:
Todd Akin [R-MO2]
Roscoe Bartlett [R-MD6]
Joe Barton [R-TX6]
Rob Bishop [R-UT1]
Jo Bonner [R-AL1]
John Boozman [R-AR3]
Paul Broun [R-GA10]
Henry Brown [R-SC1]
John Campbell [R-CA48]
John Carter [R-TX31]
Howard Coble [R-NC6]
Tom Cole [R-OK4]
Michael Conaway [R-TX11]
John Culberson [R-TX7]
Mary Fallin [R-OK5]
Trent Franks [R-AZ2]
Louis Gohmert [R-TX1]
Kay Granger [R-TX12]
Ralph Hall [R-TX4]
Jim Jordan [R-OH4]
Steve King [R-IA5]
John Kline [R-MN2]
Doug Lamborn [R-CO5]
Blaine Luetkemeyer [R-MO9]
Daniel Lungren [R-CA3]
Kenny Marchant [R-TX24]
Rep. Pete Olson [R-TX22]
Joseph Pitts [R-PA16]
Bill Posey [R-FL15]
Phil Roe [R-TN1]
Jean Schmidt [R-OH2]
John Shadegg [R-AZ3]
This is just another example of Joe Pitts's poor judgment and radical nature. It's up to the liberals to hold these radical accountable.