Someone needs to ask Alexi Giannoulias, Democratic U.S. Senate wanna-be, as well as fellow Dem contenders Cheryle Jackson and David Hoffman, whether they would have voted to defund ACORN, or if they would have followed the lead of current Illinois senators Dick Durbin and Roland Burris.The AP reports:
The Senate voted Monday to block the Housing and Urban Development Department from giving grants to ACORN, a community organization under fire in several voter-registration fraud cases.
The 83-7 vote would deny housing and community grant funding to ACORN, which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
The action came as the group is suffering from bad publicity after a duo of conservative activists posing as a prostitute and her pimp released hidden-camera videos in which ACORN employees in Baltimore gave advice on house-buying and how to account on tax forms for the woman's income. Two other videos, aired frequently on media outlets such as the Fox News Channel, depict similar situations in ACORN offices in Brooklyn and Washington, D.C.
If you haven't heard about the ACORN scandal before now, you must get your news (if you get it at all) from somewhere else other than FOX, which has been covering the issue for days, and yet noted the almost-complete MSM black-out on the story. As one FOX pundit stated,
The small scandal showing an embarrassing video of Baltimore ACORN staffers looking like they were giving tax advice on how to set up a brothel, is now national news. -- This story has everything you could ever want – corruption, sleazy actions at tax-funded organizations, firings, government ties, sex, hookers. It is a network news director’s dream. Imagine the ratings!
Only almost no one is covering it. [snip]
Only almost no one is covering it. [snip]
The ACORN fiasco has now impacted three offices – Baltimore, Washington and New York – with laugh-out-loud videos reminiscent of the hookers and pimps from the 1970s “Starsky and Hutch” show. Huggy Bear returns! Four employees have been fired, with more likely to come. And the controversy was so laughably bad that the Census Bureau cut off all ties to the group known formally as the "Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now." -- They called it the “tipping point” to shed themselves of ACORN. More nuts for someone else, I guess.
And yet. And yet it’s still been ignored by the network news. Nothing on ABC, CBS or NBC. The only thing any one of the three broadcast networks has done appeared in a blog post by ABC’s Jake Tapper. It's hardly worth noting except to show that the networks know about what’s going on. They just don’t care to report it. Only FOX News has bothered to report on the controversy.
ACORN, of course, doesn't want you to see any of the video, and is threatening to sue FOX. Wonder if they've figured out yet that such a move is about the only way to guarantee some MSM coverage, so have at it, folks.
ACORN, of course, doesn't want you to see any of the video, and is threatening to sue FOX. Wonder if they've figured out yet that such a move is about the only way to guarantee some MSM coverage, so have at it, folks.
Here in Illinois, our wonderful Democratic senators were two of only seven senators to vote against the measure to stop funding ACORN (more at Backyard Conservative, including Durbin's prior history of defending ACORN in the face of allegations of voter fraud, and vote details, as well as the Obama connection to ACORN, at Gateway Pundit).
I wonder why?
And I wonder if the Chicago news media will, #1) report on this story, and #2) ask the top Democratic contenders for Roland Burris' senate seat how and why they would have voted on this issue?
UPDATED 09/15/09 9:30 a.m.: This morning, Capitol Fax Blog has a nice look at the political skills of Congressman Mark Kirk as he turns lemons into lemonade for the political masses at a recent GOP rally. Rich Miller has video from the event with analysis. Check it out.
I wonder why?
And I wonder if the Chicago news media will, #1) report on this story, and #2) ask the top Democratic contenders for Roland Burris' senate seat how and why they would have voted on this issue?
UPDATED 09/15/09 9:30 a.m.: This morning, Capitol Fax Blog has a nice look at the political skills of Congressman Mark Kirk as he turns lemons into lemonade for the political masses at a recent GOP rally. Rich Miller has video from the event with analysis. Check it out.
UPDATED 12:10 p.m.: The Hill is reporting that Emily's List is endorsing State Rep. Julie Hamos over Dan Seals.
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13 comments:
the answer is they won't which is part of the reason a lot of former msm are now at pr firms and think tanks whining about the good ol days. They are bias liberal hacks who think this is "nutty".
Alexi would have voted for this, but even worse is the fact that ACORN's top ally is SEIU-the unions that destroy small business. SEIU's best friend on the GOP side in springfield is the blago endorsed beth coulson. Not much point in having a republican party if our candidate is the one in bed with ACORN's federal funds for prostitution rings.
FOKLAES
Really? I know ACORN is a pet target of the GOP, and frankly, it's a pretty crappy organization, but it's also tiny and not politically affiliated. It's not a grand conspiracy to throw elections, or make us into communists, or really, to do anything. Of all of the measures the Senate has voted on this year, matters of great weight and import, this is the first issue before that body on which you choose to question Alexi? I thought this blog was above the RedState/Beck wing of the Republican Party.
Have to admit, though, the video going around is pretty funny.
"it's a pretty crappy organization, but it's also tiny and not politically affiliated . . . "
LOL!
Which is why they concentrate their "registration" drives in Democratic leaning areas only.
Our two Illinois Senators voted for ACORN, which shows you how out of touch the Illinois Democratic Party is with the rest of the nation these days.
Louis G. Atsaves
tikkun is showing his age and his naive 'understanding' of the world around us. Acorn is responsible for some of the most egregiously dangerous tactics since their founding. You bet they target anyone not firmly tied to the Democrat playbook. Get a dose of reality, tikkun, get the proven facts before you think this is some mountain in a molehill. We need to be vigilant in exposing this shady organization and those who support it.
acorn is a powerhouse in urban politics, and a major pain in the ellen for people like us who work hard and play by the rules. NPR, that rightwing nut house radio station, exposed their links to SEIU. They have close ties to Democrats and are used for a lot of political work. This isn't the lee goodman for congress brigades with 2 people, a poster board and a catchy tune of koombyah.
Tikun, you're one of the better dem braves, but on this one you need to put down the koolaid. The problem isn't just the corruption, the goverment waste, the support for prostitution (a major source of abuse and violence against women) when mom and pop businesses that for generations have served their communities are going bellyup, it's that it's another sign of an obama administration that is out to lunch with the wrong priorities.
Considering democrats locally have run t.v. ads on iraq accusing mark of positions for a vote on an ammendment, you're really not one to throw stones on this being a small issue. Try again.
Coulson needs to answer questions on her ties to this group and the SEIU. There's being a moderate republican, and then there's being in bed with the scum of politics.
FOKLAES
Emily's List would not be endorsing a man over a woman, TA, so that's not a shocker. Let's see if Durbin has anything to say about his best buddies from ACORN. My bet is silence from him and nothing from the media in the Chicago area. Just imagine what Mark Kirk will be facing from these goons in the Primary and for certain in the General Election. It's about time these thugs and their counterparts at SEIU were exposed for who they are and what they reprsent.
Louis, ACORN exists to address urban-specific issues. Democrats are popular in most large cities. Not everything's a conspiracy, brother.
Anon 7:31- I'm not sure which "egregious tactics" you're referring to. The most egregious tactics in election shenanigan history were those used to prevent blacks from voting in the 100 years between the Civil War and the Voting Right Act. Small-scale voter registration fraud is of concern, to be sure, but when it has absolutely no effect on elections (and is effectively a victimless crime), superlatives might be misplaced.
"Louis, ACORN exists to address urban-specific issues."
LOL!
Their under the radar screen work for Democrats over the years is finally catching up to them. Take away our two Democratic U.S. Senators and their vote, and only 5 Senate Democrats in the entire country supported them on this vote?
But then, goldfish need voting rightss and representation too!
Are you kidding, tikkun? Are you asking anyone with a brain to believe that ACORN is some kind of mainstream, HONEST organization? You are truly living in a dream world, totally devoid of reality. Cases are pending in many courts about the ACORN thugs openly stopping some folks from voting in the 2008 election. It happened in more than one city, but let's not bother with facts, tikkun, since you and your friends go thru life believing what Obama is selling. Finally more Americans are waking from their slumber to see what kind of government this administration is trying to foist on us. Hope you wake up soon as well.
Both of the anonymous commenters are misreading my point. If the Democrats were so connected, so beholden to ACORN, then a Senate with a Democratic supermajority would never have de-funded the organization, especially not by such an overwhelming margin.
I also never said they were honest or mainstream. I said they were tiny and crappy, which is pretty much the opposite. I'm not defending ACORN; I'm questioning whether this is the most important issue on which to question Senate candidates. I have no problem de-funding them, I have a problem talking about them at length.
It's funny you should mention Princess Nudelman. I've talked to Steph twice this week, she's one of my best friends in the world. I know the details of that particular non-story intimately, and that story, and others similar to it, while easy to take advantage of, in no way deserve the hyperbole afforded on this blog.
Tik,
L'shana tova, may the new year bring you and all other members of the tribe happiness and health-and a new republican u.s. senator and leadership in the land.
ACORN got 1.2 million from the teachers unions, it got major federal dollars, it is a HUGE force in city politics. Calling them small and crappy is like calling the NRA a group of 4 guys with supersoakers that meet on thursdays in the summer at a swimming pool. They're the real deal. WAKE UP.
Democrats cut funding because there are a shitton of moderates who know that federal funds for black child prostitution is about as good a 30 second career killer campaign ad as you'll find. Democrats also voted to fund them in the first place, and you better get used to this because your House and white house are run by people like pelosi and axelrod who have never seen a brutal general election in their lives and are from places like chicago and san fran and d.c. where groups like this are loved.
Put $2 million behind that in an ad in arkansas where Senator blanche lincoln is up for re-election next fall and she's out of a job and sitting on the board of wal-mart rather than defending them in the Senate on union issues.
connecting the dots?
If it wasn't princess nudelman it was the hairy dog next door that magically voted for Dan Seals 4 times or terry links dead aunt edna who managed to get from 6 feet under to the polls.
FOKLAES
=== Calling them small and crappy is like calling the NRA a group of 4 guys with supersoakers that meet on thursdays in the summer at a swimming pool.===
FOKLAES, where do you get this stuff? ROFLMAO
"I'm not defending ACORN; I'm questioning whether this is the most important issue on which to question Senate candidates."
Understood Tik,
The question is their moral bearings, their sense of what is right and what is wrong, their ethics as office holders in the elite 100 in this nation.
They can repeatedly turn a blind eye to ACORN and their activities, which daily are souring whatever good they attempted to accomplish.
Or than be part of the tiny minority of seven who has trouble with their moral bearings, their sense of what is right and wrong, their ethics as office holders.
I expected the appointed not-so accidental "I not-so inadvertently withheld a few facts" Senator to vote that way. He's hopeless. But I also expected better of Durbin. His vote just plain disgusts me.
Louis G. Atsaves
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