In the wake of the release of the ACORN Philly video, which shows conclusively that ACORN continues to lie to the public, press and its own supporters, ACORN is marshalling its remaining allies for a ‘rally.’ Scheduled for tomorrow in Los Angeles, the ‘rally’ is a last-ditch effort by ACORN to change the subject away from its lies and misdeeds. Full press release:

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For Immediate Release Contact:
Barbara Maynard or Erica Zeitlin
(213) 387-0780; Zeitlin cell (310) 968-0367

Communities Standing Together
Powerful Coalition of Clergy, Community, Labor Leaders to Hold Press Conference Denouncing Attacks on ACORN and Other Organizations Working for Change

A powerful new coalition of educators, clergy, civic, labor, and other leaders, “Communities Standing Together” – will hold an important press conference to denounce the recent slew of smear campaigns, factual distortions, and ugly attacks on ACORN and other organizations and individuals working for justice.

The press conference will take place at the home of Tommy and Debora Beard in Watts, longtime residents who saved their home of 24 years from foreclosure by organizing with ACORN. Civic leaders will denounce the attacks on ACORN and others – attacks that are clearly part of a broader coordinated effort to weaken the power of diverse groups working to level the playing field in America. As unemployment, foreclosures, and other problems continue to rise, community, faith, labor, and other leaders are standing together to restore the issues that matter to Americans, and to proclaim, “We will not be divided.” (more…)

Stern’s New Big Labor Same as the Old Big Labor

For the past four years, the highest profile Big Labor Boss was Service Employees International Union (SEIU) President Andy Stern.  Stern has deliberately parlayed his controlling style as that of a New Labor Boss, and he has painstakingly worked on the SEIU “purple brand.”  And yet, Stern and the SEIU union have failed to live up to the New Labor Boss identity that he claimed in his New York Times Magazine and CNN/Fortune Magazine articles.

Stern tried to separate himself from the herd of “old-styled” labor bosses in several ways, most noticeably with his dress.  He conscientiously wore his beloved SEIU purple with its slight pinkish hue.  Apparently, Stern is trying to replicate for his union what brown does for UPS.

Stern’s limitless purple attire led some to refer to him as the Lavender Labor Leader.  And recently, SEIU’s Anna Burger looked very chic in her purple suit as Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC) grilled her about SEIU’s relationship with ACORN.

Whatever color of scarves, suits, or hats Andy Stern decides to wear, you cannot deny his influence with the White House, U.S. Congressional King Pins, the Democrat National Committee, and ACORN among others.  But, has Stern’s smash-mouth organizing and relationship to ACORN begun to turn SEIU’s purple into black and blue? You bet it has!

Clearly, ACORN’s partnerships with SEIU and other Big Labor outfits has begun to drag down SEIU’s image.  SEIU has decided, now that ACORN is damaged goods, to cut ties for now.  But, that will be very difficult because ACORN and ACORN’s training programs are totally interwoven into the purple fabric that makes up SEIU.  

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Yesterday, Rep. Mark Kirk offered a great illustration of the relationship between ACORN and SEIU. A part of that chart is worthy of a further look: The relatively unknown story of how SEIU and ACORN took their act from Illinois Southward to mess with Texas and allegedly threatened to kill one man’s business because he wouldn’t toe the union line.

Most people know that unions haven’t done as well in the South as in industrialized (and economically troubled) Northern states such as Illinois and Michigan. So, in 2006 SEIU decided it would bring its brand of “justice for janitors” to Houston to set up a new foothold in the South.

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