Apology extended to Stan Dai and Robert Flanagan as well space in the title not permitting. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I hate being wrong more than anything in this world. It makes me sick, it makes me angry, and at times it can make me turn into a bitter and miserable waste of human life. That being said, when I am wrong, I am man enough to own up to it. While I can take my medicine like a good little boy, that doesn’t mean I like it, and last night I found myself right-smack-dab in the middle of one of these rare and excruciating moments. As I told you earlier, I stumbled into what can only accurately be described as the conservative underground last night and was meeting so many people I have read about, listened to, and followed thier work that I was more than a bit overwhelmed to say the least. Just when I thought I had reached the outer limits of my brain’s ability to attach names and faces with screen names and media personalities, I was dealt a hand I couldn’t have seen coming if you had warned me and tattooed it on my forehead.
I was sitting at a table being introduced to a whole host of conservative “somebodies” when the “hey.. how are you… nice to meet you T Christopher’s??” rolled around to the guy seated directly to my left. He said “hey… Joe Basel” – which should have set alarm bells to ringing, but I was admittedly overwhelmed at this point – my brain bursting from overload and Johnny Walker was hardly connecting dots. Luckily someone was gracious enough to connect them for me by shouting – “He’s one of the Louisiana Four.” Now I don’t know if what I felt at that moment was relief that I’d not be forced to act like I knew who he was or absolute terror that I knew who he was all too well, and would have to break bread with a man knowing that I lambasted him just days ago for his recent transgressions. Erring on the side of caution (if you can call it that), I proceeded to just come right out with it, and told him I was one of those damn conservative bloggers that left him hanging out for dead with his buddy James O’Keefe.
In hindsight I really don’t know what the hell I was thinking. I would have punched me in the nose if roles were reversed. Thankfully, he is not me and is a far bigger man than I. In fact, he took it like a champ. There was of course an onslaught of guilt trips and never ending ridicule that lasted the rest of the evening, but it was nothing that a few beers couldn’t wash away.
So back to my “apology” here. I’m not going to divulge what was said during a night of drinking but I can tell you that I heard enough to definitively say that my assumptions about his legal matter were mistaken and undeniably premature. Having heard the story explained from the horse’s mouth, I certainly have a different outlook on the incident as a whole and regret not giving their crew the benefit of the doubt. So here it is… I WAS WRONG AND I AM SORRY JOE BASEL, JAMES O’KEEFE, STAN DAI, AND ROBERT FLANAGAN. May God have mercy on my soul for rolling over on a fellow conservative.
While I won’t divulge details of his pending legal case, I will fill you in on something you might have been wondering about. Dude’s out on bond right… so, how the hell is he at the Tea Party Convention in Nashville? The answer? He got a judge to sign off on it allowing him to travel to the event. My mouth almost hit the floor when he told me… and then did in fact hit the floor when he showed me the paperwork – which I took a picture of so you folks could see it. Talk about commitment to the cause. Even if I wasn’t “wrong” about this guy and his friends I would have written a “damn I’m an ass column” for ever taking shots at this guy. I don’t know O’Keefe but if he is half the dude Joe Basel is, I’d damn well like to meet him.
“I WAS WRONG AND I AM SORRY”
I already liked your stuff, T. I like it even more now. A statement like that takes genuine integrity. A lot of others may have just backpedaled, but you showed real class.
Thanks Scratcher. I was wrong. It sucks when it happens but I couldnt live with myself if I couldn’t admit such things. Basel is a great kid. I did him wrong and it was time to own up to it.
Where’s my apology?
Great work pal. Seriously. I’m intensely jealous.
Ha. I didn’t call you a criminal. I just said you were wrong. All praise That’s Right Russ. He was right for once and T was wrong.
That’s more like it.
A lot of class T. How about giving us a little clue as to what you talked about. I do not see you coming around so easy?
It takes a big man to admit when hes wrong. And if you say Joe Basel is a good guy I will take your word on him and ACORN James.
Wow, I wish I’d found this earlier. I am friends with Joe, and have been following the situation, but have found very little that is really worth reading. Things have been coming to light, but definitely not via blogposts. It gives me chills to see how vitriolic and insulting people can be toward those they have never met.
My favorite was the number of liberal bloggers and respondents who “accused” the guys of being gay. Wait a minute, I don’t get it– there is nothing wrong with being homosexual, is there? I’m assuming these individuals know how queer their statements sound…
I am also very impressed not only by your admission here, T. Christopher, but by your exchange with “That’s Right Russ.” It makes my fingers itch to dive headfirst into the blogosphere myself. : ) Maybe someday. For now I will content myself with updating the world on my little life once a month, and rant to myself as I read other bloggers’ material.
Anyway, thank you for a read that made me smile. Basel is an OK kid. Have a nice day!
I certainly understand Tina. The blogworld can be cruel and harsh sometimes. I think I proved that with my rush to judgment. Unfortunately, most in this universe are unwilling to admit when they are wrong. In fact, they will go to great lengths to defend their positions to the cusp of absurdity just to avoid admitting the misstep. They think it chips away at their credibility or their standing in the conservative blogging community. I have never seen my site as a vehicle for that kind of nameless persona. I am the man behind my site and I take ownership of everything I write. It pains me to admit when I am wrong, but on this one I surely was.
I was asked this in an email from a fellow blogger so I will share it with you. He wondered if I would have turned around and apologized if I hadnt met Joe in Nashville. After some consideration, I told him two things. It would have taken some time because news has been slow to leak out regarding the real facts of this case. I think thats mostly due to everyone already having chosen sides and those accused not really being able to speak to it bc of pending legal matters. So, would I have offered a full blown apology based on what is out there now? Probably not, but I would like to believe that when the day arrived that facts as I now know them were revealed, I certainly would have.
The second thing I told him was Joe was simply my kind of dude. I can’t figure out my true feelings on O’Keefe as I doubt I’d enjoy having a beer with the guy but Joe was a cool kid – and a genuine one. He is very comfortable in his own skin and I respect that. Its like I said in my post… even if I still thought he should go to jail, I’d still think he was a damn fine dude.
The other reason I felt the need to offer an apology to Joe and his crew was the simple fact that while I was not willing to share what was said between us over beers, people need to know that the truth will eventually come out and paint them in a much truer light. If my humble little site here can help spread that word, then I owe him / them that much.
As to the assaults from the Left, they are ridiculous and I have heard many. I spend more time reading the trash from their side than I do reading Right Winger content. They fear people like Joe and O’Keefe. I had not heard the gay remarks but only Liberals could think that is an insult to someone on the other side – or anyone for that matter.
As to the back and forth between Russ and I, that’s pretty much a typical day around here. We take vastly different approaches to the same conclusion on many an issue. He brings balance to the force around here if you will. I will certainly pass on the word that someone liked what he had to say but I have to tell you it might make him jealous. He hates that no one comments at his site.
Anyways, thanks for the comment and for stumbling upon this site. Joe has seen the post but if you speak to him often certainly tell him T Christopher said hello and remind him to keep his ass out of jail. We need him on the streets not behind bars.
[...] When I first heard news of the alleged “wire-tapping” scheme, I was quick to rush to judgment. I was ready to join many in the MSM and convict O’Keefe even before I heard his version of the truth. I was later compelled to offer an apology to O’Keefe and his colleagues after spending some time with one of the accused, Joe Basel, at the Tea Party Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Upon hearing the “real story” behind the group’s actions at Landrieu’s office, I could see that I was in the wrong for rushing to judgment and felt that I owed each of them a sincere apology. [...]