Jackson Jambalaya

It was bound to happen and it finally did. The JFP and the Tea Party locked up into a scrum that covered several websites. This particular food fight started four months ago when JFP reporter R.L Knave interviewed several representatives of the Central Mississippi Tea Party. CMTP President made a comment that will not be easily forgotten by more than a few people:

"Lane: I'm really going to set you back here. Probably the biggest turn we ever made was when the women got the right to vote.

What do you mean?

Lane: Our country might have been better off if it was still just men voting. There is nothing worse than a bunch of mean, hateful women. They are diabolical in how than can skewer a person. I do not see that in men. The whole time I worked, I'd much rather have a male boss than a female boss. Double-minded, you never can trust them.

Because women have the right to vote, I am active, because I want to make sure there is some sanity for women in the political world. It is up to the Christian rednecks and patriots to stand up for our country. Everyone has the right to vote now that's 18 or over (who is) a legal citizen, and every person that's 18 and over and a legal citizen should be active in local politics so they can make a change locally, make a change on the state level and make a change in Washington, D.C.

#God bless America." Interview, Video of quote (Note to JFP: Do yourself a favor and include the question as it will make it appear as though you are not "selectively editing")

The ever-shrinking Times-Picayune picked up the interview and the story gained legs recently. Alex McDaniel tried to figure out why it "re-ignited" in a blog post yesterday on the Clarion-Ledger website. Her Laddness could not resist commenting on the CL website and kindly instructing her as to why it stayed alive as I'm sure more than a few people appreciated the irony of her comments.

Enough was enough and Ms. Lane issued a press release posted on Keith Plunkett's Mississippi Pep blog that didn't mince any words. The words "hid" and "crafty editing" were used. Here it is in its entirety:

"Central Mississippi TEA Party President Janis Lane responds to Jackson Free Press smear campaign.

October 17, 2012--Janis Lane, President of the Central Mississippi TEA Party (CMTP) released today the following response to a recent smear campaign by the liberal publication the Jackson Free Press (JFP).

Earlier this year, Lane and two other CMTP officials agreed to participate in an interview with the left leaning publication. However, the reporter and the JFP photographer hid from the interviewees that they were video taping the interview. JFP editors have now conspired to discredit the TEA Party by crafty editing of the secretly recorded video to take out all context. It is also suspect that the editor’s of the publication would begin promoting the video 4 months later just prior to November elections.

Lane had this to say:

“While I attempt not to respond to ridiculous charges, I feel that I must address these despicable acts of the liberal publication Jackson Free Press to smear the Central Mississippi TEA Party and our efforts. The editors of this publication have stepped beyond simple political leanings into the realm of “attack dog” journalism. This is proof the liberal media in Mississippi will stoop to new levels of low to ‘create’ news, and to try anything to fight the conservative landslide that is taking place in Mississippi.

We were not told the interview was being recorded by video, and the angle of the shot clearly shows that it was being hidden from us.

The video version of the interview is an heavily edited portion that shows me making a statement in jest to badgering by the reporter about gender and whether women should be in politics. My response was ‘tongue in cheek’ and I gave a ridiculous answer, both in words and tone, to what I found to be a ridiculous premise.

I attempted to challenge his ridiculous line of questioning about men controlling women with an equally ridiculous statement about a women’s right to vote. It was my mistake to respond to his attempts to bait me, and to try to use sarcasm to prove my point of how outrageous his questions really were.

This only further proves that JFP has no commitment to journalistic standards, and they only serve to play “gotcha” politics for cheap publicity. After all, it is obvious that I believe women have a place in politics, or I wouldn’t be doing what I do every day to participate in the political process.

It is unfortunate that an opportunity for better understanding is manipulated by the writers and editors of JFP in order to further advance their liberal agenda in Mississippi. It is because of cheap stunts like this that everyday hard working Mississippians stay away from the political process. We at CMTP are a group of hard working and involved citizens trying to make a difference for our state and country. It is shameful that there are people like those at JFP that work against people who want to be involved in solving the problems that we all face.

I am committed to the TEA Party’s cause of Limited Government, Fiscal Responsibility, and Free Markets. I remain committed to lead our Tea Party to be active in local issues, statewide issues and national issues. I hope people will not allow this to damper their willingness to participate in the political process. I hope they will join us to help fight against this type of blatant manipulation and misinformation.”

###

The Central Mississippi TEA Party was originally formed as the Mississippi TEA Party in February of 2009. CMTP believes that we are Taxed Enough Already and that the federal government is too big and intrusive. CMTP stands for Limited Government, Fiscal Responsibility and Free Market Principles."

Well of course Madame DeLadd couldn't let that go unnoticed and had a few things to say in a comment:

"Funny. Clearly because this story has gone viral internationally, Janis Lane now -- months later -- is claiming that was secretly recorded in the interview she did with Ryan with our photographer and her camera right there in her face. She claims that we are trying to "smear" her because we quoted her in a Q&A interview and that we're "liberal," coincidentally falling back on using a label that segregationists back in the day loved to fling--along with "communist" and "socialist"--on journalists or anyone in our state supporting the African American right to vote. "

Figures. She just has to use the segregationist tag. When she is buried one day her soul will probably call the undertaker a segregationist if the coffin is not black but I digress as we have a good food fight going on here. Then the scrum, having invaded wordpress, the Clarion-Ledger, Jackson Free Press, and Facebook, now moved over to Twitter. Here we go:

Keith Plunkett ‏@Keithplunkett RT @MississippiPEP: Central Mississippi TEA Party President Janis Lane responds to Jackson Free Press smear campaign. 17 Oct

Donna Ladd Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett @mississippipep hahaha Secretly recorded with a recorder in her face?! Saying crazy stuff in an interview? Hilarious. Hahaha

Keith Plunkett ‏@Keithplunkett @DonnerKay I've spoken with all 3 of them and they all say they had no idea it was being recorded and the video taping was never mentioned.

Donna Ladd Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett I bet. ;-)

@Keithplunkett It was scheduled interview w/ cameras & recorders in full view. Remarkable they think that accusation changes what she said!

17 Oct Donna Ladd Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett Other funny thing: They didn't complain when story/video came out in June. Just now when getting international attention. smh

Keith Plunkett ‏@Keithplunkett @DonnerKay only can say what I was told. It did appear to be a strange angle.

Keith Plunkett Keith Plunkett ‏@Keithplunkett @DonnerKay at any rate, she understands she should have never tried to respond with biting sarcasm. That was most definitely a mistake. Details

Keith Plunkett Keith Plunkett ‏@Keithplunkett @DonnerKay maybe back then they considered the source wasn't worth a response.

Donna Ladd Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett "strange angle"? lol. No hidden cameras. Here come the black helicopters. Why doesn't she just apologize for her "sarcasm"?

Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett She'd sound a whole lot more credible than in trying to stir up a conspiracy theory about an interview she consented to. smh.

Donna Ladd Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett Right. As much as Kim Wade has whined about the JFP over the years. More like: Didn't want people to see it.

Donna Ladd Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett Is the PEP site yours? Looks like you're stating as fact that we "hid" something from her. You know that for a fact?

Keith Plunkett Keith Plunkett ‏@Keithplunkett @DonnerKay As I read the statement she did.

Keith Plunkett Keith Plunkett ‏@Keithplunkett @DonnerKay via the statement: "It was my mistake to respond to his attempts to bait me, and to try to use sarcasm to prove my point"

Donna Ladd Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett Who wrote this? "the reporter and the JFP photographer hid from the interviewees that they were video taping the interview."

Donna Ladd Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett And this: " JFP editors have now conspired to discredit the TEA Party" Who publishes PEP?

Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett Not talking about the statement. I'm talking about the stuff stated as fact above it. Did you write it, Keith?

Keith Plunkett Keith Plunkett ‏@Keithplunkett @DonnerKay I publish @MississippiPEP. This was a verbatim statement issued through PR. Not an op-ed.

Donna Ladd Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett So you didn't write the first two paragraphs before her statement: "smear campaign," saying we "hid" stuff & we "conspired"?

Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett As the "publisher" of your site, you have to be careful about stuff like that.

Donna Ladd Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett If they wrote top part, you need to learn to post other people's garbage & make it clear you didn't make factual statements

Donna Ladd Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett And I don't see your name anywhere on the page.

Donna Ladd Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett No. Send me release, & I'll compare to part on your site: "released today the following response to a recent smear campaign"

Donna Ladd Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett The first two paragraphs at the link before her statement. Did you write them or not? Easy answer, Keith. Yes. No.

Donna Ladd @Keithplunkett It reads like you're accusing us of those things, if you don't get that by now.

Keith Plunkett ‏@Keithplunkett @DonnerKay my original content has my name, face and contact info on it.

Donna Ladd Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett Not on the blog post I saw and PDF'd.

Donna Ladd Donna Ladd ‏@DonnerKay @Keithplunkett If it has your face on it, all the more "evidence" that you wrote intro paragraphs. Just a hint. Be careful abt how repost.

Keith Plunkett Keith Plunkett ‏@Keithplunkett @DonnerKay point taken. several other contributors as well. Not just me.

Wow. After reading all that, I think I need to get an early start and make a batch of my egg nog six weeks early. That or go find a grog bowl.