Posts Tagged ‘just deserts’

The Acorn falls from the tree

Posted: September 16, 2009 by datechguy in internet/free speech, opinion/news
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With yet another tape now on smuggling illegals across the border the paradigm has shifted.

Acorn was undoubtedly hoping that suspending business and starting an internal investigation would buy time and give cover to House Democrats to justify either delaying or voting against defunding them under the “all the facts aren’t in yet” theory.

But with governors and states and pols happy to take a swing at them some like AHNULD (with apologies to Frank J) get free brownie points that they desperately need and John Stewart hitting them and the media the MSM can no longer ignore the story (hell even Charles reported on it, well linked to Acorn’s CEO’s press release and put “sting” in quotes) . Even Gibbs is backing away.

Yesterday Hoyer said this:

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters Tuesday that the behavior shown on the videotapes was “despicable,” but that it isn’t clear whether problems at Acorn are isolated. If such behavior is widespread, Hoyer said, “I think we need to look very carefully at the assistance that we give.”

Now that we have three states and DC and 5 tapes with likely more to come that position is not tenable. Once the actual smuggling of illegals was part of the story the game was over. If the democrats in Congress are in any way smart they will ram through a 400-35 or some lopsided bill to de-fund acorn NOW and be seen doing it. If they do not then the blue dogs will end up joining republicans to attempt to force a vote and Nancy Pelosi doesn’t need that added to her plate.

One last thing: Conservatives in General and the GOP in particular need to remember that the midterms are still 14 months away and a lot can happen in that time. If the GOP members of congress overreach in the same way as the Democrats have then all the advantages they currently enjoy can go poof.

From little Acorns a mighty GOP grows

Posted: September 16, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
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Looks like the GOP is going on the offensive:

Seizing on an issue that has been trumpeted by conservative media, Republican congressional leaders have launched an all-out campaign to choke off any federal dollars from going to ACORN, the scandal-plagued anti-poverty group.

After the Senate voted on Monday to bar any new federal money for ACORN — the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now — from the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other top Republicans began pressing President Barack Obama to use his executive authority to extend the ban to all federal agencies.

“Scandal Plagued poverty group” that is the Politico talking, not Fox.

The Baltimore Sun gives us some history:

Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain tried, without apparent success, to link Obama last fall to allegations of voter fraud involving ACORN. At the time, ACORN officials described the allegations as highly exaggerated.

But on Friday, the Census Bureau, in cutting ties with the group, said ACORN’s involvement in promoting the 2010 count had become “a distraction” that could hurt next year’s effort, the Associated Press reported.

I remember when all that was discounted as nonsense, but it looks like there is some meat there.

It’s as if it was some kind of Culture of Corruption or something

I’d give them a Nelson award but it’s our tax money that they are spending so the laugh is on us.

The real test is will the House go along with the Acorn de-funding. I think that will all depend on how long the pressure is kept up and how many more tapes are waiting to be released. I’m betting 2-3 more.

Update: Michelle notes the NYT story and sees sins of omission:

But it was a then-liberal whistleblower Anita MonCrief, formerly of ACORN affiliate Project Vote, who worked extensively with New York Times reporter Stephanie Strom last year on several investigative pieces exposing the financial shenanigans in the ACORN web of money-shuffling, non-profit, tax-exempt affiliates. Strom called MonCrief a “gold mine” in July 2008.

And she reminds us that due to pressure from the Obama campaign last year this was all suppressed by the times itself.

Times public editor Clark Hoyt tried to spin it as a “tip that didn’t pan out.” He airily dismissed the charges by ACORN whistleblower Anita MonCrief as “nonsense” and quoted a Times editor who shrugged, “You have to cut bait after a while.” It was an all-too-convenient judgment that just happened to be made as Election Day loomed. (Contrast this with the editorial doggedness of the Times’s editors in pursuing and publishing the Star Magazine-quality insinuations that GOP presidential candidate John McCain had carried on an affair with Washington lobbyist Vicki Iseman.)

Hoyt attempted to paint MonCrief as an unreliable source. But Times reporter Stephanie Strom had relied on her for months to break a series of ACORN corruption stories. Moreover, MonCrief’s allegations fit the shady money-shuffling pattern among ACORN and its affiliates to a T. Strom had reported on ACORN’s own internal review of shady money transfers among its web of affiliates conducted by lawyer Elizabeth Kingsley.

I think I know who I would be interviewing on this story.

Update 2: Via Glenn Townhall sees another sin of omission. But he has the best single line:

Me, I’m just happy that there is coverage. Talk about low expectations . . . .

As he would say HEH indeed!

Remember he used to be called NYT of bloggers but dropped it years ago as the comparison was unflattering to him. Yup Glenn was ahead of the curve.

Some early reporting today

Posted: September 16, 2009 by datechguy in internet/free speech, opinion/news
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Well the New York Times has a story on the subject, how about that:

The undercover videos showed a scantily dressed young woman, Hannah Giles, posing as a prostitute, while a young man, James O’Keefe, played her pimp. They visited Acorn offices in Baltimore, Washington, Brooklyn and San Bernardino, Calif., candidly describing their illicit business and asking the advice of Acorn workers. Among other questions, they asked how to buy a house to use as a brothel employing under-age girls from El Salvador.

Mr. O’Keefe, 25, a filmmaker and conservative activist, was dressed so outlandishly that he might have been playing in a risqué high school play. But in the footage made public — initially by a new Web site, BigGovernment.com — Acorn employees raised no objections to the criminal plans. Instead, they eagerly counseled the couple on how to hide their activities from the authorities, avoid taxes and make the brothel scheme work.

The Article has a bit of a slant, I wouldn’t expect otherwise but at least reports the basic facts. It was accessible on their web site as the 3rd article on the politics page. I don’t know if it is in the paper proper.

The AP has a video story up:

An a “print” story that we take from the Kansas City Star:

A Republican lawmaker wants the Justice Department to investigate ACORN, the embattled community organizing group.

Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska wrote Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday requesting the investigation. He cites reports that the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now may “have been engaged in illegal activity.”

There are several stories in the NY papers concerning scrambling in the State Legislature:

In the State Senate, Minority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) called for a halt of any state funding to ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), the affiliated New York Agency for Community Affairs, and other groups doing business with them. “The possibility that our tax dollars are being misused for potential criminal activities must be investigated and the flow of tax money must be stopped,” Skelos wrote in a letter asking Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to freeze all funding to the group.

ACORN and its affiliates were slated to receive about $500,000 in the 2009-10 budget, largely through grants from the legislature’s Democratic majorities to aid homeowners facing foreclosure. No funds have yet been allocated, the comptroller said.

A source familiar with ACORN’s state funding said Cuomo would not approve new contracts until the conclusion of a separate criminal probe by the Brooklyn district attorney.

Considering California’s budget issues I can’t see how their local funding survives.

Yesterday I thought the Senate vote would be meaningless because the house will back them up. Now I’m not so sure. If the house votes to go after Wilson and ignore Acorn they it is going to be a disaster.

Update: Glenn agrees that the times story is “surprisingly complete and fair“.

Who are you going to believe; Us or your own eyes?

Posted: September 16, 2009 by datechguy in internet/free speech
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So asks the Acorn Co-Founder concerning their latest killer tape:

Wade Rathke, ACORN’s co-founder and former chief organizer, blasted FOX News on Tuesday for its “unfair” coverage of a group he said has served as a champion for social justice since 1970. Rathke, in an interview, said FOX News should “be careful and fair about how it looks at the organization’s work.”

“It’s a wonderful organization. I do nothing but wish for its success,” he said. “You have to look at the motivation of some groups.”

Now there really isn’t much else they can say, not only do they have to defend the meal ticket of the organization but if people decide to talk to avoid charges then a fellow who left just a year ago might have some legal problems.

How long can the MSM can continue to keep quiet on this? You can only play the Joe Wilson card for so long. Even NPR felt compelled to give it some coverage before today’s stuff.

The media has to decide if it is going to be relevant or not. It is going to be interesting to see what happens over the next three days.

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