'Liberal Activist' Admits to Bugging Mitch McConnell's Office

Weekly Standard ^ | 05/31/13 | Daniel Halper

[MissesBush]

Writing for Salon, Curtis Morrison, a self-titled "liberal activist," admits to bugging Mitch McConnell's office. He claims to have been inspired by Julian Assange and claims, "If given another chance to record him, I’d do it again."

"Earlier this year, I secretly made an audio recording of Sen. Mitch McConnell, the most powerful Republican on the planet, at his campaign headquarters in Kentucky. The released portion of the recording clocks in at less than 12 minutes, but those few minutes changed my life," writes Morrison.

I leaked the recording to Mother Jones, which published it with a transcript and analysis in April, and over the days that followed, blogs and cable news shows lit up with the revelations from that one meeting. At the time, McConnell was prepping for a race against the actress Ashley Judd — it was “the Whac-a-Mole stage of the campaign,” McConnell said smugly — and the recording captures his team in some Grade-A jackassery, including plans to use Judd’s history of depression against her.

But also up for debate was the the ethics of the audio recording itself. Here’s the latest: An assistant U.S. attorney, Brian Calhoun, telephoned my attorney yesterday, asking to meet with him next Friday as charges against me are being presented to a grand jury.

In a technology age marked by vigilante heroes like Julian Assange and Anonymous, the line between journalism and espionage has grown thin. McConnell was quick to frame himself as the victim of a crime, which was to be expected. It was the guilty repositioning of a politician who has been caught being craven.

Here's how describes himself: "I’m a liberal activist in Kentucky. I’m also a citizen journalist — at least I used to be — because I don’t subscribe to the lie that activism and journalism can be separated. Howard Zinn wrote,“You can’t be neutral on a moving train.” That’s how I see it: Journalism is a moving train, and we all choose which perspectives to bring along on the ride. Needless to say, journalists tend not to like me."

And here's where he claims Julian Assange as inspiration: "It was a frustrating moment, but in truth, I’ve never doubted that making the recording was ethical. I believe in the philosophy of Julian Assange: When we open up governments, we bring in freedom. Helping the voting population better understand a political leader’s true priorities is a good thing. And hell yes, it’s ethical."

[MissesBush]

I have to give this scumbag credit for honesty and for putting on display the liberal ethos: Anything that furthers our cause and our interests and our power is by definition moral and ethical, the law be damned." This is the very same mindset that drove the Obama White House and political operation to weapondize the IRS against conservatives, that drove the Obama Justice Department to target journalists and to obtain their phone records, that drove the Obama political operation and the State Department to lie about and cover up a terrorist attack and to change CIA talking points about the attack, to lie and cover up about Fast & Furious and to assert a dubious executive privilege claim while claiming the president wasn't involved, and all the other acts of amorality we see out of the American left. This is a dangerous group of people who consider their cause so just and holy that the rule of law has no meaning in their depraved world. Thank you Mr. Morrison for aptly illustrating the amorality of the American left. By the way, what do you bet this little weed lost his sick, dimunitive mind over the Bush admin's FISA wiretaps against terrorist suspects, while he sits there and hypocritically tries to justify an illegal bugging of a Senator's office and making illicit recordings of private conversations among Sen. McConnnell and his staff?

As for what will be done to this low life, he can expect an Eric Holder special: Complete dismissal of charges while opening an investigation on Mitch McConnell for daring to attack Ashley Judd.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Breaking the law is only a crime when other people do it.

[Irenic]

Grade-A jackassery, including plans to use Judd’s history of depression against her.
*******************
Judd uses her history of depression against herself. She wallows in it all over the teevee and in a book. She had no problems dragging her family through her depression hell.

[wku man]

"I have to give this scumbag credit for honesty and for putting on display the liberal ethos"

The only reason he did so is because he knows nothing is going to happen to him. The federal justice system will treat him with kid gloves, and he'll probably get an autographed photo with Eric Holder and the Obammunist with a caption of "job well done!" He knows the Pubbies won't do anything but huff and puff, and eventually let it go, so why not thumb his nose at us and the law?

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[Windflier]

The left is at war with us, folks. They have every intention of eradicating us from the face of the earth. It’s time we woke up and realized it.

[Menehune56]

Good thing this self-righteous prick wasn’t a Tea Party activist bugging Dirty Harry Reid - he would be in jail already.

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[justlurking]

He is expecting the grand jury to no-bill him, or get off with a slap on the wrist -- and then wear it as a badge as honor.

Hopefully, the judge will see through this charade and sentence him to time in a federal prison. After that, we'll see if this "journalist" still thinks it was worth upholding his "ideals".

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Eric Holder please pickup the courtesy phone. If bugging a government officials office isn’t a crime then I got some good ideas of where to place some bugs.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Well we all know he will now be arrested and put in jail right? Right?

[cincinnati65]

"McConnell was quick to frame himself as the victim of a crime, which was to be expected."

True. I would expect nothing less from the VICTIM OF A CRIME!

[PATRIOT1876]

* Ashley Judd — it was “the Whac-a-Mole stage of the campaign,” McConnell said *

What’s the problem?

Judd is the biggest embarrassment to ever come out of Kentucky. Her aganda would’ve harmed far more people than Manson ever did. Whac-a-Mole is being very very polite!

[Arm_Bears]

I was wondering where this story had gone.

[Timocrat]

So the “ plumbers” at the Watergate were doing God’s work and the whole Watergate fiasco was a non story. Who knew!

[Starstruck]

"the line between journalism and espionage has grown thin."

You go up and ask people questions. That's journalism. You bug an office or steal information. That's espionage. That line is not thin. It requires ladders and ropes to cross.

[moovova]

“Well we all know he will now be arrested and put in jail right? Right?”

Where he’ll learn the difference between bugging and buggery.

[Mr. K]

",“You can’t be neutral on a moving train.” That’s how I see it: Journalism is a moving train, and we all choose which perspectives to bring along on the ride. Needless to say, journalists tend not to like me.""

This is what passes for intelligence in the Democrat party.

[Bratch]

Breaking the law is only a crime when other people Republicans do it.

Fixed.

[Artcore]

Curtis Morrison had better watch out! I’ll bet Mitch McConnell is drafting a strongly worded letter right now! I’ll bet Mr. Morrison is quacking in his boots.

[BlueLancer]

"I’ll bet Mr. Morrison is quacking in his boots."