ACORN disbanding because of money woes, scandal Comments

The once mighty community activist group ACORN announced Monday it is folding amid falling revenues -- six months after video footage emerged showing some of its workers giving tax tips to conservative activists posing as a pimp and prostitute.

"It's really declining revenue in the face of a series of attacks from partisan operatives and right-wing activists that have taken away our ability to raise the resources we need," ACORN spokesman Kevin Whelan said.

Several of its largest affiliates, including ACORN New York and ACORN California, broke away this year and changed their names in a bid to ditch the tarnished image of their parent organization and restore revenue that ran dry in the wake of the video scandal.

ACORN's financial situation and reputation went into free fall within days of the videos' release in September. Congress reacted by yanking ACORN's federal funding, private donors held back cash and scores of ACORN offices closed.

Earlier this month, a U.S. judge reiterated an earlier ruling that the federal law blacklisting ACORN and groups allied with it was unconstitutional because it singled them out. But that didn't mean any money would be automatically be restored.

Bertha Lewis, the CEO of ACORN, which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, alluded to financial hardships in a weekend statement as the group's board prepared to deliberate by phone.

"ACORN has faced a series of well-orchestrated, relentless, well-funded right wing attacks that are unprecedented since the McCarthy era," she said. "The videos were a manufactured, sensational story that led to rush to judgment and an unconstitutional act by Congress."

ACORN's board decided to close remaining state affiliates and field offices by April 1 because of falling revenues, with some national operations will continue operating for at least several weeks before shutting for good, Whelan said Monday.

For years, ACORN could draw on 400,000 members to lobby for liberal causes, such as raising the minimum wage or adopting universal health care. ACORN was arguably most successful at registering hundreds of thousands of low-income voters, though that mission was dogged by fraud allegations, including that some workers submitted forms signed by 'Mickey Mouse' or other cartoon characters.

This is being reported in all the MSM media. It seems very orchestrated. Obama budget office also issued a memo for funding to be restored last week.

They are not dis-banning. They have been starting new up-shoots, Same people different. name. The election will involve these people in full force to steal November election. The media reports are dishonest trick.

possible new names:

ACCE
NY Communities for change
New England united for justice.

TUESDAY'S GREGALOGUE: ACORN, THE MOVIE

So ACORN, everyone's favorite nuthouse, finally closed its doors. I quietly mourned, just as I had when "Just Nuts" at the local mall shut down. It had 60 kinds of nuts, including the Ogbono - which isn't really a nut, but a drupe. Fun fact: macadamia is neither a nut or a drupe, but a follicle.

Maybe that wasn't a fun fact after all.

Kind of an opposite of a fun fact, if you ask me.

But you didn't. Anyway, with ACORN gone, it leads me to two thoughts. One: if it were a right-wing entity, and the pranksters were lefties - this would immediately turn into a mega-million dollar movie, directed by Steven Soderberg, with George Clooney comically hamming it up as the bad guy.

In fact, they should do that, anyway!

Turn ACORN into a drug company, with James O'keefe and Hannah Giles becoming whistleblowers who discover that the lifesaving cancer drug was made from fetuses! No wait. That won't matter. It's made from puppies! Right! puppies!

Matt Damon could play O'keefe, or possibly even Giles. He'll take any excuse to show off his marvelous legs.

But you get my point. In the past five years, we've had two very funny movies by Sasha Baron Cohen, a performer who used either racist or overly obnoxious characters to create discomfort among clueless Yanks (who, for the most part, reacted politely). But none of his pranks ever exposed corruption or real, deadly hate. I've said it before - Cohen, a Jew, would have scored more points if he hit a Willesden mosque, instead of a southern rodeo.

But he's the star.

Anyway, I look forward to the newest incarnation of ACORN. This stuff just doesn't go away, you know - it only finds another shell.

(What, you thought I wouldn't end with a nut metaphor?)

And if you disagree with me, you're a homophobe racist who bullies overweight flight attendants.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.