But such an approach is risky, as Mr. O’Keefe himself has acknowledged, and for now at least, it seems the latest stunt has backfired.
Several commentators on the right have already begun to distance themselves from the misconduct charged by federal authorities.
Glenn Beck, on his radio show, said that if it turned out that the group was trying to wiretap the office — which federal authorities have not alleged — it was “insanely stupid.”
But others are going further, and cautioning fellow conservatives — who often champion non-traditional approaches to journalism in contrast to a mainstream perceived as biased — about Mr. O’Keefe’s techniques in principle.
Michelle Malkin, a prominent blogger who has been a strong critic of Acorn and a supporter of Mr. O’Keefe’s undercover taping of Acorn employees, emphasized that it was too early to make a judgment. “But for now,” she wrote, “let it be a lesson to aspiring young conservatives interested in investigative journalism: Know your limits. Know the law. Don’t get carried away.”
