Morning Fix: ACORN -- How Much Danger For Democrats?

Washington Post ^ | 9/17/09 | Chris Cillizza

[nickcarraway]

The ongoing controversy over the community organizing group ACORN -- spurred by several undercover videos shot for a conservative blog known as biggovernment.com -- has emboldened Republicans to use the group's troubles as a political cudgel against Democrats.

"If the Democrats continue to ignore the apparent fraud taking place with taxpayer money, they will pay a price politically," predicted former Florida governor Jeb Bush (R) in an e-mail exchange with the Fix late Wednesday.

Bush's Republican colleagues are already moving to exact that political price.

Minnesota Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is widely expected to run for president in 2012, announced on Wednesday that he had ordered all state funds going to the group frozen until a review of the organization had been completed.

Pawlenty's decision comes less than 48 hours after the Senate voted on a measure to restrict all federal funding devoted to ACORN -- a piece of legislation that drew wide bipartisan support with only seven senators (all Democrats) voting against it.

And, Republican leaders in the House continue to push the idea of bringing a similar bill up for a vote in the near future. "Simply put, ACORN should not receive another penny of American taxpayers' money," wrote House Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) in a letter to his colleagues earlier this week.

The ACORN effect is even hitting the campaign trail. In New York's 23rd district special election, Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman is hitting state Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava (R) for her alleged ties to ACORN.

The efficacy of these attacks remain to be seen -- John McCain attempted unsuccessfully to link President Obama to ACORN during the 2008 campaign--but it's clear from the reaction of the White House that leading Democrats understand that being seen as defenders of the community group is political suicide.

[centurion316]

The reaction of the state run media seems to have one theme - how can we help ACORN and the Democrats do damage control.

[hosepipe]

What ever happened to the FBI?.....
Is their(fbi's) BUDGET A WASTE?...

CBS investigated themselves while the FCC had a 300 million dollar budget..
Is ACORN going to be allow to investigate THEMSELVES?...
Or a sham investigation by ACORN cronies?..

[GilGil]

A lot of commentary on this post is pathetic. There are a lot of expert bloogers telling us that “ nothing will happen and it is hopeless.”

It is a good thing Glen Beck is cut of a different cloth. He did not sit on his butt spewing out how things were hopeless and let's not do anything. Come to think of it neither did the two people who did the undercover work against Acorn.

Their attitude was to fight and fight and fight and change things and they did. They did not listen to the blow bags who are certain nothing can be done.

There is a lesson here to learn for you know-it-alls.

[centurion316]

The reaction of the state run media seems to have one theme - how can we help ACORN and the Democrats do damage control.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

That seemed to be NBC’s approach last night on Nightly Nooze.

[Dark Wing]

ACORN’s acting as field workers for Democrats means the Democratic National & many State Parties are deeply in danger of being put into Federal receivership a’la the Teamsters due to their legal vulnerability to Federal racketeering, influence and corrupt organizatios (R.I.C.O.) statutes. Assuming that a Republican President is elected in 2012 and wishes to pursue the matter.

[bethtopaz]

RICO ACORN!

[Dark Wing]

Given the money George Soros put into ACORN, “RICOing ACORN” will pull him into Federal Court as well.

[dools007]

And where was Jeb Bush all those years ACORN operated openly and fraudulantly when he was governor. I seem to remember a painfully long drawn out recount in Florida that was no doubt aided and abetted by ACORN. Oh, but I forgot. W’s New Tone would ultimately trump all the ugliness.

Oh and lets not forget what didn’t happen while J. Bush was Florida’s governor. That state had and still has one of the poorest public education systems in the country. And the man never did fix DYFS in his state.

Aside from Onada’s continuing bungles, missteps and negative news, my next best thing would to never hear from a Bush again.

[billhilly]

“John McCain attempted unsuccessfully to link President Obama to ACORN during the 2008 campaign—”

The hell you say. It was a plain as if they were handcuffed together, which by the way, is not a bad idea.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

ACORN’s problems may not rub off politically onto the Dims, but it will have a HUGE impact tactically and strategically.

[truth_seeker]

“This cries out for a Special Prosecutor, with the mandate to follow it as far up as it goes....”

Absolutely.

[Buckeye McFrog]

certainly they are doing their best and try to bury it...I think that task is getting out of hand because the foreign press is taking this story and running with it. And nobody knows how many more tapes those young patriots have in their archives.

[Buckeye McFrog]

“John McCain attempted unsuccessfully to link President Obama to ACORN during the 2008 campaign—”

All that proves is that if you sent John McCain out to convince people that the sun comes up in the East, he’d have a hard time closing the deal

[GOPJ]

It's easy to understand.

If a a crook or sociopath - wants to steal tax dollars and prey upon the weak, they start a liberal non-profit. They have the assurance of knowing "the press" will leave them alone - 60 Minutes will never darken their door - - reporters will not ask questions...

And so, like a magnet, scammers are draw to the goodies...

O'Keefe has a lifetime of corruption to uncover.

[Sybeck1]

2nd that, plus most foreign aid IMO.

[KITCAT55]

BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO! STOP ALL OF YOUR WHINING AND BACK UP
GLENN BECK!! HE NEEDS WHISTLE BLOWERS AND INFORMATION NOT
WHINERS!!1

[The Sons of Liberty]

I agree wholeheartedly, but the “one world” people would rather have Americans go hungry and give our money to foreigners.

[backhoe]

I've started a running file on ACORN,
' The Issa Report- ACORN "a criminal enterprise..."'--Click the picture:

[AmericanInTokyo]

>

Look Freepers. Lets get real here.

Obama has plans in place to bring about a Hugo Chavez, Venezuelan President for life situation for him in the United States.

Why do I say that?

Because the operational structure he has built and from which he presides has all the organizational characteristics of the Hugo Chavez Chavista Community Organizating goups (en los bloques, en los esquinas) as was with the "turbas" (mobs) of "community organizers" by the Sandinistas in Nicaragua seizing total Socialist control, bloque by bloque, barrio by barrio, buying this segement of the population off with gifts, bribes, funds, i.e. tax monies taken from the backs of the actual producers of the society. Further, when Mel Zelaya very recently made his similiar Chavez-inspired, Chavez-copied, Chavez-funded anti-constitutional, socialist, Leader-for-Life power grab in Honduras, OBAMA went ahead with it 100% to the point of pulling aid from the patriots (Michelleti) who kicked out Zelaya and who courageously prevented his return and squashed the leftist community organizing groups in Honduras.You see, clearly folks, OBAMA WANTS THIS FOR THE UNITED STATES AND FOR HIMSELF.

Obama called for a large civilian national security force, larger than our US army.

THE POLITICAL POWER CENTER OF THAT FORCE TO ACHIEVE THAT COUP D'ETAT UNDER A SHREDDED U.S. CONSTITUTION UNDER "THE MESSIAH" WAS AND IS NONEOTHER TO BE THE SHOCK TROOPS ***ACORN*** AND ***SEIU*** and others.

WE have gone in and begun to crack the testicles of this ACORN Operation and they do not like it one bit--and they are relatively silent as they were on Van Jones because they know we are on to them. It is only a matter of time before they order hits on people standing up to this impending Chavista takeover. We have to keep this up, keep this up, keep this up, tell the Republicans to lead, follow or get out of the way, and if necessary, take that imposter out of the White House on top of his furniture along with the rest of his trash (figuratively speaking).

ACORN--Along with the Tea Parties, Town Halls and D.C. March--REPRESENTED TRULY the opening shots of this long battle. AND THE WHITE HOUSE KNOWS IT.

And THIS is where the rubber meets the road. Keep it up, this has to do with the very continuation of our Republic as we know it.