What’s Holder’s hold-up?  One major factor of course is that ACORN serves as a taxpayer-funded Democrat army.  As with unions, it behooves Democrats to ignore corruption amongst the ranks of the powerful forces that elect them. What appears on the surface to be mere political payback for a job well done is in fact much more insidious.  One family’s involvement with ACORN and the Obama administration is of particular interest and elucidates the complicated web of connections and cash behind ACORN and this President.

Meet the Ratners.

Bruce Ratner is a New York real estate developer who has given thousands of dollars to Democrats including President Obama.  His philanthropy also includes having bailed out ACORN with $1.5 million to pay off their embezzlement debt, a decision he stands by despite ACORN’s recent prostitution scandal and a Congressional report detailing the systemic criminal elements in the organization.

As of late, Mr. Ratner has spent thousands lobbying the Obama administration for stimulus funds for an affordable housing / basketball arena boondoggle called Atlantic Yards.  Oh yeah, Ratner owns the Nets who will occupy the new stadium should he have his way.  In addition to paying back Mr. Ratner for his generous support over the years, the stimulus funds would benefit, you guessed it, ACORN! What’s more, the project would be seizing property from the very poor ACORN and liberals claims to represent by invocation of the extremely controversial doctrine of “eminent domain.”

With important supporters like these counting on the Obama administration’s stimulus Ponzi scheme, how could the DOJ initiate a criminal investigation of ACORN? To do a thorough investigation would put not only their moocher grassroots force in peril, but campaign funding as well. Moreover, given Democrats’ ties and vested interest in ACORN, the integrity of any internal investigation would be questionable at best.

Far left politicking and activism runs in the family. Bruce’s brother Michael Ratner is a human rights attorney and the president of the Center for Constitutional Rights.  Michael shares some odd sympathies with Eric Holder. He represented Guantanamo Bay terrorist detainees in the lawsuit where they gained the right to legally contest their detention.  Michael’s other contributions to society include books like The Prosecution of Donald Rumsfeld: A Prosecution by Book and a book on guerilla terrorist Che Guevara. Ratner is a vocal critic of the Justice Department and a proponent of political prosecutions – of Bush officials, not Obama officials of course.

Bruce’s other brother, Ronald Ratner, along with many other family members, is an executive at Forest City Enterprises – the parent firm of Bruce Ratner’s Forest City Ratner Companies lobbying for the aforementioned Atlantic Yards boondoggle. It just so happens that Ronald’s son, Matthew Ratner, worked for Obama for America.  Today, Matthew enjoys a position in the Obama administration. Can you guess where?  The good ole’ U.S. Department of Justice.

In this post-partisan age, only a cynic would imply that this appointment and Bruce Ratner’s business plans might constitute conflicts of interest for DOJ, ACORN, or the White House. Shameless stimulus panhandling and money magic tricks aside, one job this administration can and should “create” is that of a special prosecutor to conduct a fair, unbiased, transparent review of the complex workings of ACORN.

Real Estate Developer Bruce Ratner and Bertha Lewis

The Center for Constitutional Rights is going to stand up for this corrupt organization, and I think I know the reason why.  It’s all about family.

The President of the Center for Constitutional Rights is Michael Ratner.  Michael Ratner is a well known liberal lawyer who has fought against the Patriot Act and Guantanamo Bay.  He also teaches at Columbia Law School.

If you haven’t heard of Michael, that’s all right, I’m sure you’ve heard of his brother Bruce.  He’s a prominent developer and owner of the New Jersey Nets.  His company is Forest City Enterprises.

ACORN had been supporting Bruce Ratner’s plans for a massive new arena for the team and his surrounding real estate development plan.  Last September as the embattled community organization was dealing with the repercussions of the Rathke embezzlement Ratner came to the rescue with a $1 million loan and a $500,000 grant.  The money, which helped ACORN through some of its darkest days, also bought their silence as criticism of Ratner’s development became widespread.

Now we see Michael Ratner’s Center for Constitutional Rights fighting to overturn Congressional efforts to defund this corrupt organization.

These two brothers are working hard to defend this troubled organization.  One brother provides the bail money while the other defends them in court.

This lawsuit filed against the United States, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, OMB Director Peter Orszag, and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, will be defended by the Department of Justice.  I’m not confident they will provide the most zealous defense.  Their track record under the Obama administration has been less than stellar.  Attorney General Eric Holder has resisted Congressional calls to appoint a Special Counsel to investigate ACORN; instead he has launched an investigation of whether the Department has given ACORN any grants.  The Department of Justice was victorious in a lawsuit against members of the Black Panthers accused of voter intimidation and then voluntarily dismissed the charges.  It seems that the Department’s zealous advocacy and investigation ends where supporters of President Obama may be implicated in wrongdoing.