ACORN: A double-edged lightning rod

Glenn Beck said that Acorn and Van Johnson conspired to make the levees fail In New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit.

No really. He did.

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200909110014

http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/09/11/on-911-beck-tries-out-new-conspiracy-theory-acorn-van-jones-to-blame-for-katrina/

The group, which advocates for poor people, conducted a massive voter registration effort last year and became a target of conservatives when some employees were accused of submitting false registration forms with names such as "Mickey Mouse."

Mark, why do you have to go and smear the President like this?

Then Senator Obama clearly said that it was a smear that ACORN is in any way connected to Project Vote. PV conducted the voter registration project that netted 450,000 new registrations and roughly 400,000 address changes, fraudulent registrations, duplicate registrations, and incomplete registrations sosays the10/23/2008 NY Times.

Wow Mark, Day 5 of the story and you finally have to post it. Nice you could apply your "journalistic wares" . . .

This story is just getting started. This sweater's gonna unravel all the way to the White House.

Vote-tampering ACORN helps out prospective brothel-owners.... Even Obama's census bureau has cut ties with ACORN!

The story embarrasses the Democrats who've funded ACORN, to the tune of millions this year. And ACORN's former "trainer", Barack H. Obama.

The story's been around for a while. No surprise The Swamp held off on reporting it.

For more on ACORN, see the "prostitution" video at http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-new-york-ny/
ACORN Voter fraud in Cleveland: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/08/cuyahoga_board_probes_voter_re.html
ACORN Voter fraud in Miami: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/10-13-2004/0002275937&EDATE
ACORN Voter fraud in Washington state: http://michellemalkin.com/2007/07/26/acorn-falls-again-the-worst-case-of-voter-registration-fraud-in-washington-state-history/

I could go on with more examples....

Oh My God - ACORN!

Duck and cover everyone and don't forget to put ducktape over your eyes.

The King Glenn Beck told me that the ACORNS are everywhere, in fact I think there's an ACORN looking in my window right now!

They're coming to get me!

Help Me Glenn Beck!
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http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/7/2009/06/504x_custom_1245178536537_beckcomp.jpg

ACORN? Please....., the only ones who are afraid of that small little community organizing group are the paranoid crazies who watch Faux News and listen to Druggy Rush.

Hey Bruce, which organization has had more people convicted of crimes while working for it, ACORN or the Republican Party?

http://www.republicanoffenders.com/index.html

Pedophiles, bribe takers, johns, that's the Republican Party. They make ACORN look like a group of nuns.

The notorious "7" senators that voted
against the Senate bill that would stop funding for Acorn should tender their resignations immediately!. They do not
deserve to be in the positions they now hold. They were elected to serve for the good of the people, not their best interests. I'm especially referring to the two Senators from Illinois, they are an out and out disgrace to their office. And lets not forget NObama cut his political teeth at Acorn. This outrageous organization has received over 54 million taxpayer dollars, its just sinful.

Time for a little horse trading. You give me what I want on health care reform. I'll give you what you want on dumping ACORN.

It was another embarrassing moment for the State of Illinois yesterday when are two United States Senators, the political hacks Burris and Durbin, were part of the seven NO votes to cut off Federal Funding to ACORN.

Seems Bruce has wee wee'd himself over this. The Bobbie mobbie, whom I suspect is one and the same with Bruce is "sure" this will lead to the Whitehouse. Why, because they are under "investigation" not convicted mind you in a few states and 4 employee's have been caught and fired. Hence proof positive of Beck's "secret negro army" at hand. By the way...as pointed out...beck now blames the failure of the levee's in NO on them too. Now of course with me having said that, I am sure to get the brunt of the fairly inbalanced. Even though I don't condone the wrong doing.

The motivations of the people doing the undercover reporting don't matter, all that matters is what was said. And there are several problems:

1. it was not only a few, it was several different locations, and over and over the same story

2. it wasn't even just prostitution, but they said they were importing girls from South America. Which is reprehensible even to people who believe prostitution should be legal.

When it was just the first one, they could claim "oh this is an isolated occurance" when it is multiple, there is a pattern.

This on top of the long history of voter fraud all across the country.

It has been a long time coming. This organization needs to go down.

Obviously Obama knew nothing of these incidents, it is guilt by assocation. Of course, we judge people by the company they keep. He's not guilty of helping people import sex slaves, only guilty of bad judgement, and you wonder what his values really are when his confidants keep turning out to be criminals and crazies.

ACORN? Please....., the only ones who are afraid of that small little community organizing group are the paranoid crazies who watch Faux News and listen to Druggy Rush.

Posted by: Lane | September 15, 2009 3:32 PM

What an empthy headed comment...Nobody is afraid of ACORN- Assuming you actually work, earn money and pay taxes- are you ok with ACORN taking your money and then conducting business this way?

At what point does tax evasion, child sex trafficking and prostitution become something to wink at and tolerated?

Acorn has been on Obamas' resume' for 30 years, he even did legal work for them...and the Swamp is a little slow with the news, what are you going to write about tomorrow? Pearl Harbor... To all the people that think every thing Obama is sacred get your head out of the sand!!! When will the media own up to their responsibilties and report the news, without the slant? Barack Obama is not the chosen one, he is the President of the United States, and we all know to well they are not beyond making mistakes.

That's your response to another ridiculous mismanagement of taxpayer funds by an organization firmly committed to electing Democrats at all costs?

"At least $53 million in federal funds have gone to ACORN activists since 1994, and the controversial group could get up to $8.5 billion more tax dollars despite being under investigation for voter registration fraud in a dozen states.

The economic stimulus bill enacted in February contains $3 billion that the non-profit activist group known more formally as the Association for Community Organizations for Reform Now could receive, and 2010 federal budget contains another $5.5 billion that could also find its way into the group’s coffers.

An Examiner review of federal spending data found that ACORN has received at least $53 million in federal money since 1994. A downloadable spreadsheet of the $53 million is posted on washingtonexaminer.com".

Republicans don't want you, idiot. Stay oblivious with your own kind.

Well Lane,
tht "small little community organizing group" has received 53 million in taxpayer funds. I don't know aboutyou, but I work 2 jobs and pay my taxes, and I don't have anyone "advising" me for free on how to cheat the government. So typical of you libs to downplay anything that makes "The Messiah" look bad.

Are we to be afraid of NOT the pimp and the prostitutes, BUT the people who actually commit sexual acts that go against CONSERVATIVE VALUES like many republicans: Sanford, Bob Livingston, Newt Gingrich, Mark Foley...etc, etc.

Based on these cases, should we also get rid of the Republican party as a whole?

I think so!

I wanna be a Republican idiot. Come on over, all you have to change is the Democrook part. We will at least make you a half-wit over time.

So, I decided to look up the addresses of these offices around the midwest. I typed the addresses into Google and clicked on street view and it is amazing how so many of these offices are located in what look to be abondened buildings in the middle of nowhere. What are they doing with the millions of dollars they get from taxpayer money?! It sure isn't going to rent for decent looking offices that anyone with any sense of safety would step into. What a sham!

So.....Will Republicans now be entering ghetto communities and looking to register poor minorities??? I haven't heard ANY Republican state in unequivocal terms that the GOP supports to goal of ACORN. To register voters and increase turnout among poor minorities. Why?

Lightning rods have edges?

Entrapment? Pending lawsuit? Please... that would open the door for anyone arrested in an undercover investigation, such as police operating a bogus "pawnshop" or posing as prostitutes or drug dealers, to also claim entrapment - after all, I'm pretty sure the alleged criminals weren't asked to sign a consent form before those videotapes were shown to the jury!

To Lane
The only ones that actually support ACORN are those that listen to the Intellect wannabes on those fake news stations MSNBC and CNN.

Very astute of you to pick up this story so quickly. Not surprised that libs would defend this organization. After all, tax evasion was a positive attribute for joining the liar in chief's cabinet. Voter fraud is nothing more than an irregularity.

Didn't this financial crises take off when the "community organizer" started teaching ACORN how to extort loans for people that wouldn't be able to repay? It is time to apply RICO to this group and all those associated with it. Holder is too busy protecting the Black Panthers from prosecution so this could take awhile.

Posted by: Bruce | September 15, 2009 3:25 PM

For someone who complains (constantly) about bias...you give us MichelleMalkin? Biggovernment.com? prnewswire? I would think someone there gave a $100 to the republican campaigns, thereby disqualifying them in your own words.

"In the controversy surrounding a federally financed community organization whose members have been accused of vote-tampering...."

Uh, Mark, could you back that up? Have there been actual allegations of vote tampering, or just voter registration fraud? You do understand the difference, no? Here's a hint: just because some lazy ACORN worker registered Mickey Mouse to vote doesn't mean a six foot tall mouse actually was ALLOWED to vote.

ACORN is becoming a political liability for Obama. Get ready to be thrown under the bus.

Let's not forget all the ACORN voter registration scandals, or the fact that ACORN, while claiming to support various labor laws, has tried to claim that they don't apply to ACORN.

ACORN's as crooked as a dog's hind leg.

While we're at it, let's cut off taxpayer funding to all those banks who cut subprime loans to people who couldn't afford them, and then bundled them up and sold them as securities. Oh, yeah, I forgot: the consequences of those actions pale in comparison to all the harm that ACORN does, according to the paranoid right...

I used to work for ACORN and when i see these reports it saddens me. Are they at least somewhat true? yes. But at a very grassroots level, there is so much good that ACORN and its members accomplish. Sadly, once you get a step or two above the local "city" level, the yuck starts... My time community organizing was the most eye-opening time of my life. Running a local office was awesome. But truly, my reason for "separating" from the group had much to do with the central office, the lack of autonomy of city groups and the "shove it down your throat" attitude taken both by the "home office" and encouraged/ demanded of the local offices as well. Great premise, i still believe in organizing, but the people on top @ ACORN just can't handle it.

In regards to politicos who have given to ACORN: I've seen how it works, I was taught how to "present the package" and none of them should be held accountable. ACORN has so many sub-groups that you couldn't ever know who you were giving money to... and in the end, it was always to the big "bottom line."

$54 million? Chump change compared to the billions FOX hawksters promoted for the war in Iraq. Blackwater anyone?

What an empthy headed comment...Nobody is afraid of ACORN- Assuming you actually work, earn money and pay taxes- are you ok with ACORN taking your money and then conducting business this way?At what point does tax evasion, child sex trafficking and prostitution become something to wink at and tolerated?
Posted by: heartburn | September 15, 2009 3:59 PM
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PrePuke,
Just because your hero Glenn Beck cries about ACORN doesn't mean the rest of us out here in sane America believe all of the BS Repug propaganda.

On 9/11, Beck tries out new conspiracy theory: ACORN, Van Jones to blame for Katrina?
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http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/09/11/on-911-beck-tries-out-new-conspiracy-theory-acorn-van-jones-to-blame-for-katrina/
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Blackwater gets about $53 million dollars a day in govt funding to murder civilians and children in Iraq. I don't hear any of these right wing d-bags making a stink about that.

Yes, we need a congressional investigation of all reputed election fraud activities in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 elections. It must not just include ACORN, of course, but also Karl Rove, Jed Bush, and the RNC.

If you have forgotten (or never knew) Obama’s very close past and PRESENT ties to the multi-tentacled criminal ACORN, here’s a very brief refresher course.
1.Obama worked as an attorney for ACORN in Chicago
2.Obama worked as a “leadership trainer” for ACORN’s community organizing
3.Obama stated “ACORN and its friends will shape his presidential agenda." Who do you think had the most input in the stimulus package fiasco??

Oh wow. Someone at ACORN gave tax evading advice. How horrible.
And just how many corporations have legal teams & lobbyists throwing campaign contributions at republicans while they find ways to avoid paying billions in taxes?

Stuart Katzenberg, lead organizer for the group's Maryland chapter, said the pair's conduct "did not meet ACORN's standards of professionalism."

Boy, that's an understatement. By the way, this was not "entrapment" by any means. The people on the tapes are not coerced into giving out the information on how to set up the UNDERAGED PROSTITUTION OPERATION AND EVADE TAXES ON THE INCOME. So regardless of how the information was obtained, it is clear that something wrong is going on. Now they've got offices on the west coast as well, with the person bragging that she killed her husband! This is a story you don't know how to report? You've got to be kidding.

Why is it unfair for rabid conservatives to jump on the actions of Obama supporters when those people get caught, on tape, behaving in a disreputable manner but it is not unfair to jump on the loony conservative comentators when they say idoitic things such as "I hope Obama fails"?
All of you should decide.

Yes, Cozi - you hit the nail on the head. A NUMBER of related organizations are based out of what looks like an abandoned house in New Orleans. NOBODY WORKS THERE. ACORN and the SEIU are nothing but money laundering schemes.

Somehow those cops in Texas come to mind. The ones who stopped minorities and confuscated their money. I don't remember a call to defund police in texas.

PrePuke,
Just because your hero Glenn Beck cries about ACORN doesn't mean the rest of us out here in sane America believe all of the BS Repug propaganda.

Posted by: antacid | September 15, 2009 4:59 PM

Glenn Beck didn't make the video- he reported them...

Or are you so indoctrinated that you don't believe your own eyes when you see the video...

So what do you do--- you use your pudgy little fingers to go to media matters' website and get the latest spin spoon fed to you with some other attempt to call this racism and distract you from facts. Way to go-

Somehow those cops in Texas come to mind. The ones who stopped minorities and confuscated their money. I don't remember a call to defund police in texas.

Posted by: bill r. | September 15, 2009 5:48 PM

bill R- imagine that another charge of racism from you... And the beat goes on- talk about a one trick pony.

So in your wildest imagination do you think it is not racist to be okay with the exploitation of El Salvadoran girls by the ACORN people? Is the problem that they are not dark enough for you? Think Much ?

Hey heartburn, you forgot to mention the plot that the Great Leader Glenn Beck has discovered where ACORN conspired ith the Commie Van Jones to folod New Orleans to cover up their criminal activity. What would wqe do without the serious journalism of Glenn Beck? How can anyone doubt anything reported by such a fine and fearless journalist?

Give Republicans millions and tell them they need to register people to vote and you have the same results as acorn, greed is present in republicans, democrats alike.

Republicans know they can use these cases to win over zombies... so they do, what do we expect.

As a democrat who believes in balance and justice, I am not stepping back one bit.

We will resists any attempts to negate our victory in 2008.

We are here AT LEAST until 2012, only time will tell who will win the elections then, but until then, we are here to push our agenda, which is an agenda of justice and balance.

No Propaganda: Our tax dollars are funding your Dem run ACORN illegal activities, you idiot. You should be outraged but you're oblivious.

Your rantings are less than meaningless, even though you post the same BS under dozens of different names on the same story. Your writing style is horrible and easily recognizable - public school limited education. Pathetic.

Most of you people out there just don't get it!. This should not be a Republican-Democrat issue it should appall any honest upstanding American. Stop the bickering between the parties and go after this outrage.

So what do you do--- you use your pudgy little fingers to go to media matters' website and get the latest spin spoon fed to you with some other attempt to call this racism and distract you from facts. Way to go-
Posted by: heartburn | September 15, 2009 6:41 PM
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PrePuke,
The rest of us out here in the real world go to all kinds of media outlets searching for the truth, you Wingnut cretins stick with Faux and Rush because you have a sick need for a daddy figure to tell you that the propaganda they feed you is all that you need to know and to reinforce that thought every single day.

Republicanism is a mental illness.

bill R- imagine that another charge of racism from you... And the beat goes on- talk about a one trick pony.
Posted by: heartburn | September 15, 2009 6:46 PM

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Gosh your right heartburn....i should have said those cops that confuscated money from circus clowns.

I don't like the part about ACORNs corruption, but I do like the part about Al Frankin.

This is even more racist than "you lie," if that's possible.

Mark, why minimalize this?
4 different Acorn locations caught advocating fraud, today one admitting she killed her husband, numerous voter registration fraud cases pending and convictions and more irrefutable evidence that this so called organization has been conducting illegal activity.
Even the Feds are FINALLY catching on. Census cutting ties, US Senate overwhelming vote to cut off funding, AG office investigating more vigilantly of this operation.
And on top of it, our two Senators voting against cutting off funds. That speaks volumes of just how we are represented in the Senate
Please, use some common sense.

ACORN is emblematic of the community organizing entities set up to fleece the government, keep the impoverished an underclass forever, and to line the pockets of the criminals in politics who are "helping" the poor. All at the expense of the taxpayers, since we have taxation by representatives who lie, cheat, and use subterfuge to funnel the money to these operatives, and eventually, back to themselves.

DURBIN must go!

Mark, so when 60 Minutes or NBC News does a hidden camera story, that is considered award-winning journalism. But when two young conservatives do it, it is entrapment?

Anyway, the usual comments from the Loons on the Left. One asks about who has more convictions. Well, there are many investigation into ACORN and should be a lot more.
Now if we want to look at crooked Republicans versus crooked Democrats, I can think of Tony Rezko, Todd Stroger, Blago, Daley, 50 Chicago alderman, Dick Durbin, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Bill Clinton, Charlie Rangel, William Jefferson, Bob Toricelli, Elliot Spitzer, Ted Kennedy, Michael Madigan, and on and on and on and on. Pediphiles, stealers, woman abusers, you name it, the Democratic party is full of it!

Blackwater needs a Congressional investigation.

Halliburton needs a Congressional investigation.

Goldman Sachs needs a Congressional investigation.

AIG needs a Congressional investigation, or two, or three.

Paulsen and Kash&Karry need a Congressional investigation.

When those are over, then Acorn can go on the docket.

The biggest part of the story is the fact that it's a HUGE story and the media refused to cover it, until it became impossible. Nobody who's paying attention is ever going to forget that fact.

Just watched the latest Acorn prostitution video, this time in San Bernadino. What a corrupt bunch they are. I also heard Charlie Gibson say this morning that he knew nothing of this story. So the Trib isn't the only "Speaking Truth to Power!"

If Acorn is so honest and on the up and up it should welcome w/open arms an investigation into its business practices and its financial books. But Acorn is resisting, claiming defamation, etc. Which makes me think...if it looks like a rat and smells like a rat it probably is a rat. The amount of tax dollars this (and similar) organizations receive is incredible and as a taxpayer I demand an investigation. We are a broke nation and if this taxpayer money Acorn is receiving is not being used legally and legitimately then they should not receive anymore and quite possibly go to jail for any financial misdoings it has conducted as a tax-exempt entity. And this has nothing to do w/not wanting to help the poor, underserved, community etc. This is about ethics and what is right vs wrong. And like I said at the beginning, if Acorn is such a great organization it should have nothing to fear by any and all investigations. The good businesses and organizations never do.

Did I hear that right? "feast your eyes eye feasters" ??? WT...? Seriously. And people take this guy seriously? Please tell me that anyone who thinks this guy is credible grew up in the woods. Keep padding his bank account...he loves you for it.

The Chicago Tribune, once the country's most important conservative voice is now nothing more than the New York Times west. Congratulations, Sam Zell. Perhaps both papers can cease operations together. Where will all the libs post then?

Why is there no story on why Durbin and Burris were two of the very few senators who voted against cutting funding for ACORN? It seems we should get some explanation from them.

Those ACORN staffers must be some of the jobs saved by the $800 B Stimulous Package. It's working!

If only we had known sooner that all the problems in our country were caused by the all powerfull ACORN! Look at the power this massive criminal conmspiracy has! They are solely at faulty for the banking meltdown. The banks and Wall Street were powerless against them! They have contrrolled every election through massive vote fraud. hey destroyed New Orleans. The hookers David Vitter used? Supplied by ACORN. ACORN outed Valerie Plame. ACORN has Saddam's WMD's and are going to supply them to Iran. Who was on the gressy knoll? ACORN. Who let the dogs out? ACORN. Who took the last cookie from the cookie jar? You guessed it. ACORN! They're everywhere! Be afraid! your neighbors are ACORN, your relatives are ACORN, the mailman is ACORN. Trust no one!

Beck's ideas on the levees is no more ludicrous than the Sheen concept that Bush orchestrated 9/11. I don't think Beck's idea has validity but then, I don't think Bush was involved in making 9/11 happen.

To NO CONSERVATIVE PROPAGANDA:
Well, Mr Obamba has the biggest tax-evader running the treasury, so I guess he doesn't really give a damn about tax evasion anyway! The absolute horror in all this is the morals violation...Prostituion??!! Underage Sex Slaves??!! Where are your morals? .

JoAnne is right, Republicans would never stand for Prostitution! We are all morally pure as the driven snow.

A

Community

Of

Real

Nutjobs

When I first heard this story seven days ago, I put the over/under at 11 days before the Trib would run their own story (not an AP wire story), in print (not "The Swamp"). Only four more days to go.

ACORN = Apparent Cheating Okay Report Nonchalantly

Legislation specifically targeting one particular group or one particular person is called a "bill of attainder" and it's expressly prohibited in our Constitution. If this is the sort of thing you support you are NOT a patriot.

I think that Immediate action is necessary to ensure that no additional tax dollars are directed to ACORN. Simply put, ACORN should not receive another penny of American taxpayers' money.