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ACORN’S involvement in risky loans meltdown:

http://www.barackbook.com/Profiles/MadelineTalbott.htm

At ACORN, Talbott Was A Key Leader Of An Attempt By ACORN To Storm The Chicago City Council. “And what exactly was Talbott’s work with Acorn? Talbott turns out to have been a key leader of that attempt by Acorn to storm the Chicago City Council (during a living-wage debate). While Sol Stern mentions this story in passing, the details are worth a look: On July 31, 1997, six people were arrested as 200 Acorn protesters tried to storm the Chicago City Council session. According to the Chicago Daily Herald, Acorn demonstrators pushed over the metal detector and table used to screen visitors, backed police against the doors to the council chamber, and blocked late-arriving aldermen and city staff from entering the session.” (Stanley Kurtz, “Inside Obama’s Acorn,” National Review Online, www.nationalreview.com, 5/29/08)

Talbott Justified Her Actions Of Storming The Meeting. “This was not an overreaction by frustrated followers who couldn’t get into a meeting (there were plenty of protestors already in the gallery), but almost certainly a deliberate bit of what radicals call ‘direct action,’ orchestrated by Acorn’s Madeleine [sic] Talbot [sic all]. As Talbot was led away handcuffed, charged with mob action and disorderly conduct, she explicitly justified her actions in storming the meeting.” (Stanley Kurtz, “Inside Obama’s Acorn,” National Review Online, www.nationalreview.com, 5/29/08)

Talbott And ACORN Staged Protests In Bank Lobbies Intent On Pushing Risky Lending Strategies. “Various ACORN chapters across the country, led by folks like Chicago’s Madeline Talbott, staged in-your-face protests in bank lobbies and filed complaints meant to hold up mergers sought by targeted banking firms. Unless the banks agreed to ACORN’s terms - which many (understandably) did. Talbott & Co. generally wanted them to ease down-payment requirements and ignore weak credit histories. And their intimidating tactics often necessitated police action, as at a ‘97 protest at Pulaski Bank & Trust in Arkansas, where activists blocked drive-through lanes.” (”The Meltdown’s ACORN,” New York Post, 9/29/08)

Talbott Bragged Of “Dragging Banks Kicking And Screaming” Into Dubious Loans. “ACORN recognized very early the opportunity presented by the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) of 1977. … ACORN proudly touted ‘affirmative action’ lending and pressured banks to make subprime loans. Madeline Talbott, a Chicago ACORN leader, boasted of ‘dragging banks kicking and screaming’ into dubious loans.” (Mona Charen, “Guilty Party,” National Review Online, www.nationalreview.com, 9/30/08)

Facts About Me and Barack
Stanley Kurtz On Obama And Madeline Talbott: “He had very close ties to Acorn and in particular to the head of Chicago Acorn. Her name was Madeline Talbot [sic all]. Madeline Talbot was an absolute pioneer of these intimidation tactics against banks, and Barack Obama was selected by Madeline Talbot when he was just sort of a wet behind the ears organizer. She recognized his abilities, and she asked him to train her personal staff. When he came back to Chicago from law school and Madeline Talbot was beginning her campaign against these banks, Barack Obama trained the leadership of organizers in Acorn in Chicago.” (Fox’s “Fox & Friends,” 9/30/08)

Talbott Hired Obama To Train Her ACORN Staff. “ACORN attracted Barack Obama in his youthful community organizing days. Madeline Talbott hired him to train her staff — the very people who would later descend on Chicago’s banks as CRA shakedown artists. The Democratic nominee later funneled money to the group through the Woods Fund, on whose board he sat, and through the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, ditto. Obama was not just sympathetic — he was an ACORN fellow traveler.” (Mona Charen, “Guilty Party,” National Review Online, www.nationalreview.com, 9/30/08)

Talbott Spoke Up In Defense Of Obama After Some Claimed He Exaggerated His Accomplishments In Spearheading Asbestos Cleanup. “Some claim that Obama’s book, Dreams from My Father, exaggerates his accomplishments in spearheading an asbestos cleanup at a low-income housing project. … Speaking up in defense of Obama on the asbestos issue is Madeleine [sic] Talbot [sic all], who at the time was a leader at Chicago Acorn. Talbot, we learn, was so impressed by Obama’s organizing skills that she invited him to help train her own staff.” (Stanley Kurtz, “Inside Obama’s Acorn,” National Review Online, www.nationalreview.com, 5/29/08)

“’He Got People To Vote With Their Feet’ On The Issue, Organizer Madeleine [sic] Talbot [sic all] Said. At The Time, Talbot Worked At The Social Action Group ACORN And Initially Considered Obama A Competitor. But She Became So Impressed With His Work That She Invited Him To Help Train Her Staff.” (Letta Tayler and Keith Herbert, “Chicago’s Streets Obama’s Teacher,” [New York] Newsday, 3/2/08)
“This Was The Woman Who First Drew Obama Into His Alliance With ACORN, And Whose Staff Obama Helped Train.” (Stanley Kurtz, “Inside Obama’s Acorn,” National Review Online, www.nationalreview.com, 5/29/08)

Talbott Was Quoted Affirming ACORN’s Strong Ties To Obama. “[Obama has] ties to such radical groups as Chicago ACORN, whose lead organizer at the time, Madeline Talbott, practiced the sort of intimidating and often illegal ‘direct action’ that ACORN remains famous for. Talbott is quoted affirming that ‘Barack has proven himself among our members … we accept and respect him as a kindred spirit, a fellow organizer.’” (Stanley Kurtz, “True Believer,” National Review, 6/30/08)

Talbott On Obama: “He says things like, ‘Do you think we should do this? What role would you like to play?’ … Everybody else just puts out an e-mail and says, ‘Y’all come.’ Barack doesn’t do that.” (Peter Slevin, “For Clinton And Obama, A Common Ideological Touchstone,” The Washington Post, 3/25/07)

At Two Charities, Obama Funneled Money To ACORN. “ACORN also got funding from two charities, the Woods Fund and the Joyce Foundation, when Obama served on their boards, and from the Chicago Annenberg Challenge - the radical ‘education reform’ outfit Obama ran from ‘95 to ‘99.” (”The Meltdown’s ACORN,” New York Post, 9/29/08)
My Donations and Bundling for Barack

What Barack Says About Me
Obama: “I’ve been fighting alongside Acorn on issues you care about my entire career…” (Steven Malanga, “Organizer In Chief,” [New York] City Journal, Summer 2008)