The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Lowlife Who Pirated My Video Apologizes for Smearing Michele Bachmann

Posted on | August 30, 2011 | 126 Comments

Nothing like an attorney’s letter to produce contrition:

I want to apologize for misusing Stacey Robert McCain’s original video . . . I was angry so I decided to take Mrs. Bachmann’s line out of context to make her seem more overtly racist in light of her recent signing of that Iowa marriage pledge that said black children were better off under slavery than in Obama’s America. Whether or not I dislike Michele Bachmann, it wasn’t right to deliver a dishonest blow like that. I wanted to apologize to Mr. McCain and all of you directly. . . .
I have removed the video from my Youtube channel.

My attorney is considering what further action will be necessary, and I have contacted the Bachmann campaign. There are two injured parties, you see. This “On Knees” blogger’s claim that his misleading distortion of Bachmann’s speech was retaliation for her having signed the Iowa marriage pledge is rather interesting in terms of demonstrating malice. But Bachmann’s potential claim for libelous defamation is irrelevant to my potential claim of copyright infringement in having my video pirated for such a purpose.

UPDATE: Welcome, Instapundit readers!


Comments

126 Responses to “Lowlife Who Pirated My Video Apologizes for Smearing Michele Bachmann”

  1. Goonodeath
    August 31st, 2011 @ 1:01 am

    Like to see you try to sue someone for that and get the case thrown out you ignorant fuck.
    But then again…who would expect someone raised to believe imaginary shit to know anything about anything.FUCKING MORON

  2. Goonodeath
    August 31st, 2011 @ 1:02 am

    Or.  Maybe we can use that money to send all you retards to mars and fix the planet.
    Yeah.  That sounds like a better idea.

  3. DaveO
    August 31st, 2011 @ 1:04 am

    Or you’ll what?

    Cuss at me again?

  4. Deryn
    August 31st, 2011 @ 1:08 am

    Way to respond with the intelligent, thorough dismantling of the case there, Gus.  Want a Valium?

  5. DaveO
    August 31st, 2011 @ 1:10 am

    The problem with distortion being the leftists’ MO: they believe everything is distorted. TEA Party? Astroturf! Rush Limbaugh? Secret Head of the GOP! Instapundit/Fox News/RSM? Vast Reich-wing Conspiracy!

    The On-Knees blogger is a nobody who’s only purpose will be to serve as a beacon for other nobodies. Like the old Gary Larson once cartooned: ‘Great, kid, ya beat me. Now now every ping-pong player who wants a name in the ole west is coming after you.’

  6. J.M. Heinrichs
    August 31st, 2011 @ 1:43 am

    Your lawyer sends a polite note to the offensive one: “Once your cheque for $150K clears the bank, and is deposited in Mr McCain’s account, we will read your apology.”

    Cheers

  7. guest
    August 31st, 2011 @ 2:06 am

    umm…. i think its really funny that people here think that the lawsuit will actually be successful. what would be the basis for the suit? its not like borrowing the video caused any harm to stacy mccain. it probably ended up benefiting him by drawing attention to his website. also, its not like its libel or slander or anything cuz the on knees for jesus person didn’t change any of her words, he just took them out of context. if that were a crime, fox news would surely be out of business by now. you might not like what hes doing, but you don’t have any case against him…

  8. ThePaganTemple
    August 31st, 2011 @ 2:21 am

    Uh, yeah he did change her words. She said “wet people” and he wrote in the screen over her as she was saying it “white people”, in effect changing what she said. To their credit, most of the commenters on his YouTube site, at least the ones I took the time to look at, caught the fraud and called him on it.

  9. No Honor Among Thieves, No Curiosity Among Journalists: Perez Hilton Re-Pirates Video, CBS News Repeats Smear : The Other McCain
    August 30th, 2011 @ 10:35 pm

    […] and the smearing of Michele Bachmann continue, despite my having done two posts — here and here — explaining the true story. Here is a screen-cap from Perez Hilton’s site, showing […]

  10. Paul Zummo
    August 31st, 2011 @ 3:05 am

    I really don’t know what’s sadder: your failed grammar, your failed logic, your complete misrepresentation of the facts, or that there was someone even dumber than you who actually liked your comment.

  11. thefosterdad
    August 31st, 2011 @ 3:20 am

    Stacy, PLEASE don’t let this non-apology satisfy you.  I just visited Wonkette to see the source of this tempest, and that is the most vile, contemptible group of people I’ve ever seen.  Even online.  If all they did was spout stupid crap and be intentionally offensive, that’s one thing.  THAT is protected under the first amendment and we can just ignore it.  But they stepped WAY over the line on this.  That viper nest should be shut down permanently.  That’s maybe too much to ask, but you can try, right?

    To any Wonkette readers that see this:  you don’t impress anybody but yourselves.  I’ve been online since 1995, and I’ve never seen a more disgusting group of people.  And I’ve researched white-power web sites (stormfront, et al).  Disgusting as they are, they are so much more civil and fair than your group that it blows my mind.  This is the first time I’ve ever seriously considered that perhaps it would make sense to censor the internet.  I doubt I’ll ever decide that it’s worth it, but these people are the scum of the bottom-most part of the earth.  Truly.  I never felt so violated as when reading that comment section.

    For sure I’m going to point my lefty friends to that link when they ask me why I hate leftist views so much.  It’s a standing advertisement for why nobody should ever vote for a left-of-center candidate for any office (including dogcatcher) ever again.

  12. Garrett York
    August 31st, 2011 @ 3:42 am

    It’s called libel. And in the “apology” that blogger literally admits malice aforethought. Practically an open and shut case as far as libel suits go.

  13. Stupid lefty (but I repeat myself) apologizes for pirating & editing video used in ongoing SMEAR job — mooseandsquirrel.ca
    August 31st, 2011 @ 1:41 am

    […] the idiot’s “apology” discussed here: Lowlife Who Pirated My Video Apologizes for Smearing Michele Bachmann: My attorney is considering what further action will be necessary, and I have contacted the […]

  14. Everyone Calls it Hump Day Breakfast Links | Points and Figures
    August 31st, 2011 @ 4:45 am

    […] are playing the race card pretty early. I say it doesn’t work anymore. We are sick of it. America elected a President who […]

  15. Anonymous
    August 31st, 2011 @ 12:46 pm
  16. Mike
    August 31st, 2011 @ 2:33 pm

    Good to see the kids at the Daily KOS actually leave their sanitarium and checking  out other sites. But won’t they be at risk of losing their Gold Star Socialist Posting Privileges at the Politburo for posting here?

  17. Will I Finally Contribute To R.S. McCain’s Tip Jar?? | FavStocks
    August 31st, 2011 @ 10:48 am

    […] it even clearer what she was saying.) After McCain’s lawyer sent the guy a letter, the guy conceded not only that he had gotten it wrong, but deliberately so: I want to apologize for misusing Stacey Robert McCain’s original video . . . I was angry […]

  18. Anonymous
    August 31st, 2011 @ 5:21 pm

    I posted this over at Human Events where I learned of the misuse of your video regarding the law in these matters:

    You cannot combine the satire exception to libel WITH the NYT v. Sullivan “actual malice” standard. Here the creator of the satirical video admits to actual malice, while those that reported the satire as actual news will claim no “actual malice” (i.e. good faith). The combination is not what our law should be. It might be necessary to sue during the political campaign with expedited appeals requested given the ongoing campaign.

    It’s the combination of satire with reporting the satire as unsatirical fact that is the problem. The combination is not fair, good, right, or what was intended in NYT v. Sullivan.

  19. Donovan_
    September 1st, 2011 @ 7:52 am

    A lot of litigious assholes in here.  This is a joke site right?

  20. Bentgrim
    September 1st, 2011 @ 12:25 pm

    no one ever heard of you before this kid came along.seems your jealous he has now became famous and you still are an unknown.sure to be forgotten your a joke.

  21. Nomad
    September 1st, 2011 @ 1:00 pm

    Well the best thing to do in this case is take legal action on some kid that edited your video, because I think everyone will understand how important you and your site truly are.

    You sir are a great American!

  22. Mustangho302
    September 2nd, 2011 @ 1:23 am

  23. Benfromcanada
    September 2nd, 2011 @ 5:15 am

    Are you serious? No wonder people hate you tea party morons. Despicable.

  24. Benfromcanada
    September 2nd, 2011 @ 5:53 am

    Garrett: It’s slander (libel is written) against Bachmann. Has nothing to do with this McCain guy. I had no clue this dude had anything to do with…anything, really. I never knew he existed until now AND I saw the Bachmann video. Bachmann MIGHT be able to sue, except she can’t win because it’s just mishearing a word. That’s it.

  25. Will I Finally Contribute To R.S. McCain’s Tip Jar?? » GOP Primaries 2012
    September 2nd, 2011 @ 2:43 pm

    […] it even clearer what she was saying.) After McCain’s lawyer sent the guy a letter, the guy conceded not only that he had gotten it wrong, but deliberately so: I want to apologize for misusing Stacey Robert McCain’s original video . . . I was angry so I […]

  26. Laika's Last Woof
    September 4th, 2011 @ 4:15 am

    If this liberal agent provocateur becomes as famous as Spencer Ackerman or Jason Levin I’m sure Mr. McCain would be overjoyed.