Clever editing cannot put words in people's mouths. They said it - they got fired.
I think clever editing can put words in people's mouths when using the latest technology. I'm not suggesting it did in the ACORN or Shirley Sherrod incidences but I believe it can be done good enough to fool most people. Think of the talking baby in the current TV ads.
I know clever editing can take words out of people's mouths. In the Sherrod case, she first said she didn't do all she could do to help a white farmer. That's the part Breitbart put out and was picked up by FOX and others. But she went on to say she realized it was wrong and she did help out this farmer. That's the part that Brietbart didn't show nor did FOX. Maybe much later after she was fired.
What I find troubling is that the NAACP and Tom Vilsack would act so quickly on something from Breitbach. I thought everybody by now knew he was a phony who put out misleading and false information with the intent of causing damage to people's reputation or embarrassment.
It's also troubling that so many people still believe only the misleading part of the story. But if you rely on FOX for your news, that's understandable. Although O'Reilly did make some sort of apology.