Frugal Café Blog Zone

Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on September 22, 2009

UPDATE, September 23, 2009:
Crikey sakes alive — paint me speechless and clueless, but I didn’t know ACORN was working with the Internal Revenue Service… this totally creeps me out. Was I snoozing for a day? With the ongoing updates of ACORN garbage, it is purt-near impossible to keep up with everything. But the good news is, ACORN has been shown the curb by IRS. Phew, another bullet dodged. But it begs the question: What ELSE do we not know about ACORN’s sleazy infiltration into our government? I just felt the room temp drop 10 degrees…

Read about this breaking information at Big Government: IRS Severs Ties with ACORN Over Scandal.

ANOTHER UPDATE, September 23, 2009:
It’s now official as of today: ACORN is suing O’Keefe and Breitbart.com. This ought to be a wild ride, gang…

From Twitter… this tweet from norweaver expresses a majority of opinion about the lawsuit against Breitbart/O’Keefe/Giles… ACORN is showing as much intelligence as a bag of hammers with the launch of this oops-exposed-to-disclosure lawsuit.

More news breaking, September 29, 2009 — exclusive to Big Government… more audacious financing of ACORN, using taxpayer monies:
Capitol Confidential, Big Government: Exclusive: FEMA Awards Fire Prevention Grant to ACORN

Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe, undercover freelance journalists as a prostitute and a pimp, in ACORN sting operation

Bring plenty of popcorn… the ACORN investigations are launching.

From FOX News, Justice Department Inspector General Launches Internal ACORN Probe:

The Justice Department’s inspector general has agreed to investigate whether ACORN has applied for or received any DOJ grant money, in the wake of bipartisan criticism of the community activist group’s operation.

And seven other inspectors general are being asked by two congressional members to take a look at their funding mechanisms.

Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, issued a statement Monday praising the Justice Department inspector general’s decision to look into whether ACORN sought or received any grant money or whether the department conducted any reviews of ACORN’s use of such money.

The inspector general agreed to probe the matter at Smith’s request.

“As the primary federal law enforcement agency, the Justice Department has a responsibility to ensure that no organization receiving federal funds ignores our nation’s laws,” he said. “I am pleased that Inspector General (Glenn) Fine has agreed to investigate whether the Justice Department provided federal funds to ACORN through its grant program.”

Smith said ACORN has “fostered a culture of corruption.” Smith has also called for the FBI to launch an investigation.

Calls for closer scrutiny of ACORN have come from many corners of Washington. The pressure builds in the wake of controversy over a series of hidden-camera videotapes showing the organization’s employees offering advice to undercover filmmakers posing as a pimp and prostitute. ACORN has pledged to investigate its offices and workers.

The videotapes, filmed by 25-year-old James O’Keefe and 20-year-old Hannah Giles, led to both the House and Senate voting to defund ACORN last week. Many Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the measures.

Now, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., both the ranking members of their chambers’ government oversight panels, are asking other agencies to do the same.

The federal agencies and departments asked to “review grants, contracts, entitlements and other forms of assistance to ACORN and its affiliates” included the Housing and Urban Development, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Treasury Department, U.S. Election Assistance Commission, Labor Department, Small Business Administration and Corporation for National and Community Service.

“As long as taxpayers are subsidizing ACORN and its affiliates, we need to use every measure possible to ensure that those dollars are being spent and managed appropriately,” Issa said in a written statement. “The way in which ACORN and its affiliates have structured their organization raises significant questions regarding their intent and use of federal dollars. Clearly just taking them at their word is not sufficient enough oversight.”

Meanwhile on Sunday, ACORN’s top officer Bertha Lewis dodged repeated calls to come before Congress and testify about the embattled group’s finances and ties to other organizations.

Issa had pressed Lewis to prove her commitment to reforming the community activist group by showing more transparency.

But Lewis insisted her organization is taking proper precautions to prevent misconduct.

“Any organization is not entirely perfect,” Lewis said on “FOX News Sunday.” “I was outraged by (the videos). Everyone should be, and I can understand how the Congress was also.”

She said any employee “too stupid” not to adhere to professional standards will be terminated.

Lewis now claims she was “outraged by the videos”?

I distinctly remember that she was outraged at the two journalists who produced the videos while she was defending ACORN. Lewis maligned them, calling them liars who had manipulated the videos, and she threatened a number of times in the press that she was going to see to it that James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles would be prosecuted within an inch of their lives. And she was going to go after FOX News as well (although, FOX News had nothing to do with the production of the tapes, only the airing of them to the American public, which is what REAL NEWS STATIONS do… unlike the “close your eyes” fringe media). Glad that Bertha is finally outraged at ACORN’s blatant lawlessness…

Funny what a difference a week makes.

Wait, there’s more…

FOX News: ACORN Chief Dodges Congressman’s Call to Come Before Congress

ACORN’s top officer on Sunday dodged repeated calls to come before Congress and testify about the embattled group’s finances and ties to other organizations.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, had pressed chief organizer Bertha Lewis to prove her commitment to reforming the community activist group by showing more transparency.

“The bottom line is there’s no transparency in ACORN,” Issa said on “FOX News Sunday.”

The pressure comes in the wake of controversy over a series of hidden-camera videotapes showing the organization’s employees offering advice to undercover filmmakers posing as a pimp and prostitute. ACORN has pledged to investigate its offices and workers.

“Internally, let’s have some reform,” Lewis said. “It’s indefensible what I saw (in the tapes).”

But she refused to answer Issa’s request to come before his committee.

Issa challenged Lewis to provide full disclosure to Congress on the “firewalls” in place to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not going toward political activities.

“There is no God-given right for any organization to receive a grant from the American people. The fact is there are organizations standing in line that wish they won instead of you, and they’re giving us the transparency so we can have the confidence the money is spent only for the purpose of the grant,” Issa said.

Lewis said her organization has “firewalls” to prevent non-political money from going toward political purposes, but Issa said that’s not true.

“You shouldn’t get another penny of federal dollars until you demonstrate that those dollars are firewalled for only that use, and that has not been the history of the organization,” Issa said.

Pressed again on whether she would open her books to Congress, Lewis said: “I am willing to do the work that I need to do every single day, not be distracted, make sure that things that we do well we beef up, and things that we don’t do so well that we change and we reform.”

So, was that a “yes” or a “no” to opening up ACORN’s books to scrutiny, Bertha?

More ACORN information:
Alexander Marlow, Big Government: Breitbart and Giles Talk ACORN Lawsuit on Fox News
John Nolte, Big Government: Propaganda, Health Care and ACORN: Full context of NEA Conference Call Reveals Disturbing Pattern
This Ain’t Hell… But You Can See It from Here: Frank and Conyers order ACORN investigation
Matthew Vadum, Big Government: Breaking (Update): Hill’s Leading Nonprofit Watchdog Sen. Charles Grassley Demands ACORN Probe
Mike Flynn, Big Government: ACORN Recap Video: Pictures Worth Two Weeks of News
Frugal Café Blog Zone: The Dying Mainstream Media = “Fringe Media” (political cartoons, video) and ACORN: “We’ll Help You Get Away with Stuff” — Jay Leno, Bill O’Reilly, & Dennis Miller Weigh In (video) and ‘Big Government’s’ Breitbart Lets Major TV News Media Have It for Lying, Ignoring, or Distorting ACORN Child Hooker-Tax Fraud Scandal (video) and ACORN “Pimp/Ho” Exposé: James and Hannah Interviewed by Hannity, Discuss How They Came Up with Sting Operation Idea (video) and Bring Your Sunscreen… James & Hannah Go to California to Sting ACORN with Pimp/Ho Undercover Child Prostitution Operation (video, Part I) and ACORN Sex Exposé Blockbuster Continues: Parts II and III of ‘Bring Your Sunscreen… James & Hannah Go to California to Sting ACORN with Pimp/Ho Undercover Child Prostitution Operation’ (video) and ACORN Sex Scandal, Now a Triology: O’Keefe Exposes Again, in New York City (video) UPDATE: ACORN Claims It Will Sue FOX News & Filmmakers… Bring It On, Baby
Radio Vice Online: Alinsky Rule #8: Never let up
Sister Toldjah: ACORN files suit against Breitbart.com
The Lonely Conservative: Audio: White House and NEA Employees Illegally Push Partisan Agenda
Big Hollywood: Statement on the Recording of the August 10 NEA Conference Call
Nice Deb: Justice Dept. Inspector General To Look Into ACORN Funding and $850 Billion Stimulus Package Would Funnel Money To ACORN and Video: Glenn Beck Notices Lack Of Media Coverage On ACORN Story
Cogent Nirvana: ALARMING: EXPLOSIVE NEW AUDIO Reveals White House Using NEA to Push Partisan Agenda
John Nolte, Big Hollywood: Mainstream Media Fears Where Stories They Ignore May Lead
Kathryn Lopez, Townhall.com: ACORN Scandal Has Deep Roots
Bret Jacobson, Big Government: Would Red Cross Pimp Out Children?
Pundit & Pundette: Jay Leno doing his job and ACORN’s friends in the House
Greg Gutfeld, Big Hollywood: Daily Gut: ACORN: The Movie
Ztower: Obama – ACORN not worth talking about (Video). On the other hand, flying to Copenhagen to lobby for Chicago Olympics?
Publius, Big Government: Bertha Lewis: Help ACORN, Vote Obama! and Is Breitbart More Powerful than ACORN? and Slate: Two Cheers for Andrew Breitbart and Maryland ACORN Official: It’s Racism and Bombshell: House Amends Bill with ‘Defund ACORN Act’ – Full Text and Breaking: Rassmussen Poll on ACORN Scandal and *BREAKING** House Votes to Cut all Funds to ACORN and Bertha Lewis Media Blitz: ACORN ‘Chief Organizer’ Says ‘We’re Gonna Go After This Videographer and Fox’ and ACORN Co-founder Defends Group’s Integrity, Blasts ‘Unfair’ Critics
Diary of a Mad Conservative: A must read blog and blogger: Anita MonCrief and Enter the ACORN apologists and ACORN BLOCKBUSTER – HERE IT IS…
Bill O’Reilly, Townhall.com: Obama and Us
Noel Sheppard, NewsBusters: Media Ignore ACORN Giving Business Advice to Pimp and Prostitute
SFGate, San Francisco Chronicle: Nut falls near the ACORN tree
Evan Coyne Maloney, Big Government: ACORN, Kanye West and the Hierachy of Multiculturalism
UrbanGrounds: ACORN and Their Democrat Enablers and ACORN: Here’s the Best Way to Smuggle Underaged Sex Slaves into the Country
RightWingSparkle: Please Let This Be The End of ACORN
Chris Muir, Big Government: The Company We Keep
Another Black Conservative: Leno lampoons ACORN
Dana Loesch, Big Government: Taxpayer Funded Serve.gov Filtering Activists to ACORN
the Legacy of My Fathers: O’Reilly Likes Toasted ACORN
Moonbat Patrol: ACORN Probe To Include O’Keefe & Giles Actions?
Big Hollywood: CNN Anchor Bombs on ‘Celebrity Jeopardy’
Michelle Malkin: Video: Leno goofs on ACORN and Another pipeline closed off: House cuts ACORN funding, 345-75 and What’s missing from the New York Times coverage of ACORN and NBC (the network that rigged crash tests, staged racism stings & faked flood coverage) criticizes ACORN “entrapment” and Senate votes on Johanns amendment to cut off ACORN housing funds; Update: Amendment passes, 83-7 and ACORN/prostitution sting, Part II: D.C. edition and ACORN Watch: Big pimpin’
Chris Moody, Big Government: Exactly How Much Taxpayer Money Went to ACORN?
FOX News: ABC’s Gibson: ACORN Scandal a Mystery to Me and ACORN Officials Videotaped Telling ‘Pimp,’ ‘Prostitute’ How to Lie to IRS
Matthew Vadum, Big Government: Once Upon an ACORN: Why ACORN’s Internal Audit is a Sham
Hot Air: Breaking: House votes to suspend payments to ACORN and ACORN Videos: San Diego and Tijuana Dreaming
IDB Editorials: Acorn’s Cash For Hookers
LA Times: From ACORN, a mighty controversy grows
WQQW TV Eau Claire, WI News: Minn.’s Pawlenty orders review of state ACORN ties
James O’Keefe, Big Government: ACORN Video: Prostitution Scandal in San Diego, CA
Big Hollywood: ‘The Audacity of Hos’: ‘Daily Show Skewers ACORN
Ken Blackwell and Ken Klukowski, Big Government: ACORN = RICO
Liberty Chick: Tea Parties: Calling Out Irresponsible Media Bias
Don Loos, Big Government: SEIU: ‘One of the Pillars of the ACORN Family’

Categories: Government, Law & Constitution, Media & Communication, Social and Political Climate
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