“Well, I absolutely agree with you, which is why as the CEO I took swift and immediate action, terminated those employees, because regardless as to what we know or… edited, doctored tapes and where you don’t see everything where finally people were thrown out in dozens of our offices, it is inexcusable, and indefensible, to sort of, have such poor judgment.  That’s not our professional standards.  That’s why those folks were terminated because all of my other employees, of course they did the right thing.  They saw this ridiculous couple, who by the way were very aggressive and refused to leave some of our offices, but our other employees did the right thing.  And so I wanted to make sure that people understood this is not who we are, we will not tolerate even two minutes of that kind of conversation, our standards are much higher, and in fact, these folks got thrown out of a lot of offices.  So, this handful of employees, it’s unfortunate, but you know what, you can’t work for me if you don’t have common sense.”

Jesus told the first generation of bishops, the apostles, to be as wise as serpents and simple as doves.  Up until very recently, this generation of bishops got it backwards when it came to ACORN.

There’s obviously been a lot of media attention this week on ACORN’s well-deserved meltdown.  One aspect of this sad tale that should not be forgotten is the shameful way the Catholic Church has been played the fool over the years by ACORN.

First, some stipulations.  I am a very faithful Roman Catholic who regularly attends Mass at my parish in Alexandria, VA with my family.  I even go to Mass during the week in downtown Washington, DC.  Just for fun, I pray the older breviary in Latin, and am taking an ecclesiastical Latin class on Saturday afternoons.  Suffice it to say, I love the Church and only want to prevent her further embarassment.

Many in the Church have big hearts and small brains.  The Catholic Church is the largest and oldest social welfare organization in the word.  We practically or actually invented hospitals, soup kitchens, schools, shelters, etc.  As such, the “social teaching” of the Church has always been a very high priority, and the execution of the corporal works of mercy is a necessity to salvation.  The people working on this day-to-day, though, are often naive fools.

And they were suckered by ACORN.

(more…)

I’m not sure why I bothered to sign up for MySpace. My manager assured me that it would be good for my career, but that was a long time ago, way back when it was okay to call the President a liar. I signed up too late, because MySpace just isn’t cool anymore. The idea behind my page was to introduce a new generation to my stand-up comedy, and help me develop a fan base. Instead it’s making people think I’m a sexual predator. 

I get friend requests all the time now, from shirtless teenage boys who are into skateboarding, and old dudes, and I can tell right away, that it’s a cop. (I’m beginning to think there isn’t anybody really on MySpace anymore, just pedpophiles and cops.) Every police force in America has at least one or two full-time officers pretending to be teenagers, and trolling through MySpace at all hours of the day. They’re looking for depraved lonely men, longing to do something despicable, and arranging meet-ups at the mall. The next thing you know, they’re starring on “NBC Dateline: To Catch A Predator.”

Over the four years the NBC series was on the air “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen made a lucrative career out of setting up old men with fictional teenagers. He also got a lot of those men arrested. Apparently, intent to contribute to the delinquency of a fictional teenager is a crime in many jurisdictions.

The show was cancelled in December 2008. I’m guessing the producers were finding it hard to trap perverts anymore. With so many cops on MySpace, and the teenagers moved on to other social networking sites, I would guess they were starting to get cops hooking up accidentally. I was always hoping to catch the episode where two cops at the mall suddenly realize they had spent the last month online, having cyber-sex with each other.

(more…)

From today’s Washington Examiner.

I posted my analysis of the 345-75 vote in the House to defund ACORN yesterday, and Byron York provides an excellent analysis of the issue today. But I have to say that I am still stunned by the conduct that filmmaker and his sidekick Hannah Giles documented at several ACORN offices. Of course I was familiar with the plentiful charges of vote fraud by ACORN affiliates, documented by John Fund of the Wall Street Journal over the years, and National Review’s Jim Geraghty helpfully collects some past stories about ACORN employees’ illegal behavior in Ohio, Wisconsin and New Mexico—all target states in the 2004 and 2008 elections. Geraghty also notes that ACORN shares offices in Snohomish County, Washington, with the local Democratic party and AFL-CIO. And that Congressman Rick Larsen, who represents most of Snohomish County, was one of the 75 Democrats who voted against defunding ACORN yesterday. By the way, Larsen’s district voted only 56%-42% for Barack Obama, and if I were running the Republicans’ House campaign committee I’d be busy on the phone recruiting a candidate. This district has been spinning leftward, but it did elect Republican Jack Metcalf in 1994, 1996 and 1998. I don’t think supporting ACORN is going to be a strong positive issue for Larsen in Skagit and Whatcom Counties.

Read the full article here.

“The behavior of Jonathan Klein, the president of CNN, has been despicable during this.”

MEGYN KELLY (co-host): Joining me now is Andrew Breitbart. He’s the founder of the website the video first appeared on. It’s called BigGovernment.com, and the videos are still there. Andrew, good morning to you.

BREITBART: Good morning, Megyn.

KELLY: You were with us the morning that the story broke — the morning that the first video aired on BigGovernment.com. And now in a week’s time, the congressional action, the response by the Feds, has been really stunning. I mean, for years, the Democrats in Congress have not wanted to sign on to anything that would cut back funding from ACORN, and now we see these huge majorities coming out of the Senate and the House to cut down the group — to cut off the group’s funding. What’s your reaction, a week into this?

BREITBART: Well, I’m grateful that the American public has realized that there’s a serious problem here, and that their elected representatives are taking their concerns seriously. A new Rasmussen poll came out this morning that says America’s overwhelmingly disturbed by what they’ve seen on these videos.

But, predictably, and why we rolled the videos out one by one by one by one, we set traps for ACORN to lie; each and every time they lied. They went to the mainstream media, continued to tell those lies. The next day, the previous day’s lies were exposed. And CNN in particular has kept going back to ACORN and taking their line.

MORE at MediaMatters.org.

We can all be grateful that the Rev. Jesse Jackson has taken time away from his primary job of extorting money from corporate America fearful of his histrionic accusations of racism to cut through the rhetorical clutter and get to the bottom of the health care debate in a recent column in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Unfortunately, just like the president, Jackson is misrepresenting facts across the board and, also like the president, possesses little grasp of the fundamentals of health care economics.

Before itemizing the good Reverend’s errors and outright fabrications, it bears noting that, along with every other Obamacare apologist, Jackson starts by launching ad hominem attacks on those who have contrary opinions about the best way to reform health care.  He praises the president for calling opponents “fear-mongers” but asserts that daring to call Obamacare a “government takeover of health care” reduces the debate to childishness.  As countless commentators have noted, and as the American people are realizing, this administration and its allies couch no dissent and will vilify and personally denigrate anyone who opposes its policies.  This arrogance has been the most effective weapon available to slow the descent towards socialized health care.

Rev. Jackson says it is a “stark reality” that we already have “a government-run, single payer health care plan,” known as Medicare.  This is flat out incorrect.  A single payer system means that all, or nearly all, care is paid for by a government entity.  It is also known as a “universal” system, meaning it covers everyone.  Medicare covers only those over 65 and with permanent disability.  It also does not preclude beneficiaries from purchasing care outside of the Medicare system.  One fact that has been little mentioned by liberal champions of the Medicare model is that millions of seniors dig into their pockets each month to pay premiums for Medicare supplemental insurance that covers additional services and out-of-pocket costs that Medicare does not cover.  As it exists, Medicare is far short of a single payer system since beneficiaries can and do contract for additional coverage and can also go outside the Medicare system at any time and pay cash for any service they desire. 

(more…)

After checking a few federal spending reports, economist Chris Edwards has revealed exactly how much money ACORN received over the past few years from taxpayers.

According to the database, taxpayers supported ACORN to the tune of more than $12.5 million from 2003 to 2007.

Edwards says cutting off ACORN is only the beginning:

ACORN’s share of overall federal subsidies is tiny, but as thousands of similar organizations have become hooked on 1,800 different federal subsidy programs, a powerful lobbying force has been created that propels the $3.6 trillion spending juggernaut. ACORN’s own website touts its lobbying success in helping to pass various big government programs. So cutting off ACORN is a start, but just a small start at the daunting task of cutting back the giant federal spending empire.

And just how are we going to cut back the “spending empire”? For starters, here’s a department-by-department guide to cutting the federal government’s budget.

To be released by Rasmussen Reports…

 ACORN Favorable            15%

Unfavorable                      67%

No opinion                          19%

 By 3-1 margin (51% to 17%), voters favor cutting off all federal funds

 By 6-1 margin (64% to 10%) voters agree with census bureau decision to cut ties

 Only 20% believe the investigations of ACORN are politically motivated… 57% say they’re the result of illegal activity

Say what you will about the health reform bill introduced by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), and the Left is having a field day attacking it, but at least it is a plan. President Obama has spent months talking about what he wants out of a bill, but when the chips are down and the polls are crashing, all we get from him is a two and half page outline.  Why would he offer such weak leadership?

One possible answer, for you cynics out there (and I may be one), is that he has zero leadership experience and this is simply his way of voting “present” one more time. But that’s too easy and too amateurish for someone so politically savvy.

The only logical answer is he doesn’t want to be pinned down on any specifics.  Sure, he’s talked about what he’d like in a bill, but he’s pretty much disavowed everything he’s said he supports too. He wants a public option one day, but doesn’t need one the next, then explains how it is vital to “real reform.” It literally can’t be both but that hasn’t stopped him from having it both ways.

So at this point, whenever anyone criticizes Obamacare the White House has the perfect defense, “There is no bill.” You can’t win a shadow boxing match, you can’t pick a lock with mashed potatoes, and you can’t pin any unpopular proposals on the President.

(more…)

Riding the wave of the GOP’s successful push to have Congress defund Acorn, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) tried to push through another prudential budget matter: killing the John Murtha-Johnstown Cambria County Airport. His effort was not as successful.

On Thursday afternoon, the GOP brought a measure to the Senate floor to end federal subsidies for the airport Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) had built in Johnstown, PA, right in his home district. Over the past few years, the airport has received roughly $150 million in funds from the defense budget, and it got $800,000 in stimulus money.

But it just so happens the airport only sees about 6,700 passengers… a year. Luckily, Murtha is the chairman of that wonderful little defense committee, dutifully guiding money towards the airport build largely so he could get from Dulles back to his home easier.

Tyler Grimm wrote in The Wall Street Journal earlier this month:

The usually barren airport—there were several times during the day I paced the building for 15 minutes and did not see another human being—has a lot of unused advertising space. But you can’t miss the large picture of John Murtha among a collage of Lockheed Martin workers at the airport’s center. It’s a monument to earmarks: “Partnerships Make a World of Difference,” the ad reads.

(more…)

The Obama Administration has placed a large premium on what it calls “national service.” It has launched a website, www.Serve.gov, that is reported to act as a clearing house for Americans eager to “give back” to their communities. Unfortunately, Americans looking for an opportunity to volunteer may get something they weren’t expecting.

By typing “ACORN” into the search field entitled “What interests you” at Serve.gov, you’re transported to allforgood.org where you can choose from a list of volunteer opportunities, including “healthcare activist.” This particular “volunteer” opportunity is with the Tuscon ACORN office:

The description after clicking:

They’re unclear regarding financial reimbursement; though past recruitment, like the Craigslist ads in St. Louis, advertised for “paid progressive activists, $90 a day, call Lorna 314-732-0131.”

(more…)

Rep. George Miller (D-CA) is Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. Noone would ever mistake him for a member of the Blue Dog Caucus–the organization of relatively ‘moderate’ democrats in Congress. Not to put to fine a point on it, he is an unreconstructed leftist of the highest order. A Saul Alinsky Sith Lord, if you will. Yet, even Rep. Miller thinks ACORN’s days may be numbered.

Appearing tonight on the Ed Schultz show on MSNBC, Rep. Miller had this to say about ACORN:

But, they’ve made some horrendous mistakes. I don’t know whether or not they can survive it.  We’ll see what the investigations say.

Yes, we will. (more…)

Anti-ACORN Guerilla Art goes viral in Los Angeles. Obama “Hope” poster artist Shepard Fairey’s studio targeted (below).

“ACORN Funded Prostitution Zone” tagged on the wall of the Shepard Fairey-owned Studio Number One.  Fairey became a household name after designing the Obama “Hope” Poster..

From the Telegraph in UK, journalists across the pond continue to follow the ACORN scandal here:

If there’s one story that’s had it all in the past week it’s the series of undercover reporting stings that have uncovered the true nature of ACORN – the Association of Community Organisations for Reform Now. It’s got sex, misuse of taxpayer funds, the condoning of illegal activity by officials and connections to Barack Obama.

You would be forgiven for having missed it, however, because it’s got almost no play in the mainstream media. It wasn’t the “New York Times”, CNN or NBC who broke the story. Rather, it was two twenty-something independents with a few thousand dollars, a bit of time and a lot of guts.

(more…)

Last week, the United States Senate delivered a very public rebuke of ACORN. 83 Senators went on record to say that ACORN should be prohibited from receiving any more federal housing grants. But, the outrage over ACORN’s activities didn’t end with this public display. Big Government has obtained a private letter, sent by 28 U.S. Senators to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. In the letter, reproduced below, these Senators demand a series of hearings to probe the criminal allegations against ACORN. As the adage goes, ’sunlight is the most effective disinfectant’.

28 Senators are calling now for sunlight on ACORN. When will the others follow?

Harry Reid – Acorn – 09-17-09 – Signed (2)

The announcement by ACORN that it is creating a panel of inquiry consisting of its corrupt friends is a fairy tale. ACORN did the same thing last year after an internal scandal but when the honest people on ACORN’s internal panel began asking uncomfortable questions, it cast them out.

Since it’s a fairy tale, let me tell the story the fairy tale way:

Once upon a time there was a group called the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). It was run, and continues to be run today, by very bad people who do very bad things while they pretend to make America a better place.

They get very upset when people point out the bad things they do. They always lie about those things and call those people who speak against them nasty names like “racist” so those people will get scared and run away. Often it works.

They carry out voter registration drives strictly with a view to meeting predetermined quotas. They don’t give a farthing’s cuss if their canvassers register Mickey Mouse or the dead to vote; in fact, they encourage it. As long as the big fat checks keep coming in from billionaire leftist George Soros and Herb and Marion Sandler everything is OK in their eyes.

(more…)

Big Government has obtained the full text of the amendment–technically  a “motion to recommit” to defund ACORN. The “Defund ACORN Act” passed the House this afternoon by an overwhelming margin of 345-75. The House vote comes just days after the Senate voted 83-7 to block ACORN from receiving federal housing grants. With these votes, 80% of the members of Congress have weighed in to block ACORN from receiving any more taxpayer dollars.

HOUSE VOTES TO DEFUND ACORN