More Problems with ACORN and Obama’s Ties to ACORN
September 30th, 2008 at 07:39pm KMorrison
Ken Blackwell the former Secretary of State of Ohio wrote an article for National Review entitled An ACORN Falls from the Tree. He addresses why ACORN is now garnering attention, as it was to be a recipient of ‘Housing Trust Fund’ money earmarked by Democrats in the first version of the economic bill. He goes on to note his own experiences with this radical organization.
As the weekend progressed, reports were constantly emerging of the sticking points preventing a final agreement. One of these reputed points of contention was whether 20 percent of the profit proceedings for asset sales in the future would go to what is called the Housing Trust Fund, subsidizing certain groups for ostensibly nonpartisan activity. One of these groups that this trust supports is ACORN.
ACORN has often been in the news since 2004. Officially, they work to register voters and support housing. In reality, everyone in public life knows that they are hardcore supporters for the Democratic Party, and employ bare-knuckle tactics. Their organization is plagued by repeated investigations of voter fraud and other crimes.
In Ohio, where as secretary of state I oversaw elections for eight years, ACORN has been busy. One ACORN man in Reynoldsburg was indicted on two felony counts of voter fraud, and another was indicted in Columbus. Other such problems surfaced in Cuyahoga County, where criminal investigations are ongoing.
The New York Post notes in their article The Meltdown’s Acorn that Obama is directly connected to ACORN and he said so himself as recently as last November.
“I’ve been fighting alongside ACORN on issues you care about my entire career,” he [Obama] told the group last November.
Indeed, in the early ’90s, Obama was recruited by Talbott herself to run training sessions for ACORN activists.
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.
Ironically, the group stood to be a key beneficiary of the goodies Democrats were loading into Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson’s rescue plan - including one demand that 20 percent of any profits the feds make from reselling mortgage securities go to fund groups like ACORN.
Stanley Kurtz of National Review article Inside Obama’s Acorn details the aggressive methods of intimidation used by ACORN, as well as a shrewd tactical strategy that has kept them below the radar nationally. Thus ACORN’s radicalism and often illegal behavior garners much less attention than groups like MoveOn or Code Pink who seek the spotlight and in many ways are less radical. Kurtz refers to Sol Stern’s explanation of ACORN and a reply to his explanation by John Atlas and Peter Dreier.
Do Atlas and Dreier dismiss Stern’s catalogue of Acorn’s disruptive and intentionally intimidating tactics as a set of regrettable exceptions to Acorn’s rule of civility? Not a chance. Atlas and Dreier are at pains to point out that intimidation works. They proudly reel off the increased memberships that follow in the wake of high-profile disruptions, and clearly imply that the same public officials who object most vociferously to intimidation are the ones most likely to cave as a result. What really upsets Atlas and Dreier is that Stern misses the subtle national hand directing Acorn’s various local campaigns. This is radicalism unashamed.
But don’t let the disruptive tactics fool you. Acorn is a savvy and exceedingly effective political player. Stern says that Acorn’s key post–New Left innovation is its determination to take over the system from within, rather than futilely try to overthrow it from without. Stern calls this strategy a political version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Take Atlas and Dreier at their word: Acorn has an openly aggressive and intimidating side, but a sophisticated inside game, as well. Chicago’s Acorn leader, for example, won a seat on the Board of Aldermen as the candidate of a leftist “New Party.”
This is a definitively radical organization and Mr. Blackwell correctly states that, “Mr. Obama needs to explain his involvement with them.”
More Problems with ACORN and Obama’s Ties to ACORN
Entry Filed under: Barack Obama, Campaign Issues
6 Comments Add your own
1. Joe | October 5th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
The McCain campaign is getting more and more ridiculous every single day.
The country is tired of these kinds of attacks.
Way to raise the level of debate in this country.
Between the smears about ACORN and Palin stupid attacks about Obama and terrorists you people are out of ideas. Are you going to bring up Rev Wright again? I’m betting someone from mcCain’s campaign will bring him back up within the week.
Look at this foolishness…
I’m hoping your silence lately is you folks losing respect with the entire McCain act.
2. Joe | October 5th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Beyond disgusting. The straight talk express is a total train wreck…. or in this case, BUS-wreck.
Palin is getting disgusting and thank God people are seeing thru it. McCain/Palin campaign is sinking fast and they are throwing anything they can think of.
They apparently have nothing of any benefit to offer this country and have to resort to going beyond negative. They will do anything to win.
Country First My Ass.
3. pom pom girl | October 9th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Vote For Terrorism?
24 months ago Iraq was in trouble and the Obama plan for a pull out / retreat designed to push ahead with a speedy withdrawal of US troops which would have meant an even speedier withdrawal of allied troops. US Troops would be out of Iraq by now.
One can reasonably assume that Al Quaeda was hoping for this plans approval. One can definitely assume after a string of defeats in Iraq, a resurgent Iraqi Army, a sovereign government still in control that Al Quaeda really wishes that plan had been implemented. In fact, one can bet that Obamas modified plan for dramatic and speedy withdrawal after election is well supported by Osama and Al Quaeda.
4. vast left wing conspiracy | October 18th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Obama Taxes = Depression?
Under Obama’s plan he will raise taxes by over 800 billion dollars in an economy that may be on the verge of going into a recession while the Stock market seems to teeter on the brink. Does he not know enough about history that he does not remember Herbert Hoover?
In 1929 an Herbert Hoover raised taxes in the midst of an economic and Wall Street crisis. Economists will tell you that that piece of genius made a bad recession roll over into the Great Depression. Here we are a mere 80 years later and Obama has forgotten this devastating lesson from history.
5. tomas | October 19th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Winning a Debate does not guarantee good leadership!!!!!
INVASION USA LAST HOPE MCCAIN!!!!!!
I thought Americans were smart until they parade Barack Obama around like some hero in the face of his far left views, his open support of baby killing machines and his association with haters of America. The Palestinian terror group Hamas is dying for his win, and don’t you know America, the Moslem world will explode into party mood if he wins. Teheran is waiting to party, so is Al Qaeda, Hamas, all the jihadis around the globe and all the Marxists south of your border. America, you don’t know what you are getting into.
And for those Americans supporting Obama and despising McCain, you have lost your senses. If you had any brains, you would vote for McCain because he cares for you. Obama? Well he may bring change, but that change means he will take YOUR wealth and spread it around the world to many who hate America.
I am a non American, unlike the many who want Obama to win, but I speak otherwise. For your own good and for the good of your future, please vote John McCain and Sarah Palin. They are your only hope.
If Obama wins, he most probably will relax your migration laws and we will flood your towns and cities and we aliens will live off your generosity through Obama’s liberal free handout, tax the rich Robin Hood style economic policies. Don’t you see America, Are you ALL blind? Obama supports gay unions so people won’t procreate, and secondly those who want to kill the unborn and infants may please, by all means do so, says Obama. This is crazy, absolutely crazy. O foolish people, you are killing your own future Americans by the millions through abortion as supported by Obama so that he can flush more aliens in, who breed like rabbits, to take over your country and run it down. Rome fell and so will America, in your lifetime, if you ignore this warning. I am surprised that Americans and their liberal media cannot see past their noses. WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!
America, hear my plea. Vote McCain and keep America strong or we will enter your shores in droves and weaken the great republic to a failed superpower. Those Americans who despise McCain, you know absolutely nothing about what is about to descend upon America if Obama wins. Obama is our Trojan Horse, you fools.
AMERICA, YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD. I’m giving away this great secret and you should all thank me for disclosing information worth billions of dollars being the value of damages to America should Obama win. Critical information absolutely free which your famed FBI and CIA can’t even work out.
Please send this email to all Americans. Spread the word, please.
There’s only one way to spoil Al Qaeda’s party. Vote McCain.
6. Joe | October 21st, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Comments #3, #4 and #5 are prime examples of why McCain is losing this campaign.
You people are freaking weird.
I am stunned that this blog allows comments like this…
“his open support of baby killing machines and his association with haters of America. The Palestinian terror group Hamas is dying for his win, and don’t you know America, the Moslem world will explode into party mood if he wins. Teheran is waiting to party, so is Al Qaeda, Hamas, all the jihadis around the globe and all the Marxists south of your border. America, you don’t know what you are getting into.”
and this…
“Obama supports gay unions so people won’t procreate, and secondly those who want to kill the unborn and infants may please, by all means do so, says Obama”
You people are a freaking joke. perhaps you need to be thinned from the herd.
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