Comments on: How Dumb is Congress?

By: Following Up on Congress’s Dumb Move - The Underground

Following Up on Congress’s Dumb Move - The Underground — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:35:00 +0000

[...] up on my column, “How Dumb is Congress?” I found that Laura Flanders has taken the idea of preventing an organizations under [...]

By: Jose

Jose — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:36:16 +0000

http://www.examiner.com/x-7422-Cobb-County-Conservative-Examiner~y2009m9d18-Governor-wont-renew-ACORN-contract-bars-agencies-from-doing-business-with-ACORN

70 ACORN employees have been convicted of crimes committed in the course of their work for ACORN and that ”numerous investigations, indictments, and prosecutions currently pending against ACORN and its staff throughout the nation.”

By: Jason

Jason — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:05:19 +0000

This action by Congress isn’t symbolic. If the bill makes it through, it will have real consequences (if it’s not struck down in the courts).

It’s less about defending ACORN and more about defending everyone’s right to due process, our protection against Congress singling people out for punishment to score political points. It’s a dangerous precedent to let media attention drive legislative decisions. There is enough mob mentality already in law making. That’s why the prohibition against bills of attainder was put in the Constitution, twice. So people convicted by public opinion could still enjoy protection under the law.

We disagree about ACORN, that’s why it should be up to the courts, not Congress, to sort it out.

By: ACORN and the hypocrisy of outrage | Media Infidel

ACORN and the hypocrisy of outrage | Media Infidel — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:52:41 +0000

[...] mainstream media of course, are now so outraged by the actions of a handful of ACORN employees that Congress is now bravely cutting off all funding for this already underfunded, inconsequential organization. Yet the recent — nearly [...]

By: Jose

Jose — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:01:53 +0000

The congressional vote against ACORN is symbolic. It is a very strong signal from Congress to America that ACORN is toast.

This is not an isolated incident with a few bad apples. This is about a long standing pattern of corruption where probes into misconduct have been blocked by powerful politicians.

Using attainder as a defense for ACORN is laughable at best. It will take some time for due process to run its course.

By: Jason

Jason — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 09:31:14 +0000

Those employees were screwing around. The filmmakers had been to like 10 different ACORN places and didn’t get anything. The guy claiming to be the “pimp” was so obviously not a pimp that the employees went along with the gag. The video clips released were only a piece of what was recorded. I read the transcript. It’s so ridiculous that it’s hard to believe adults came up with this half-baked scheme. Plus, they may have violated Maryland law by recording without permission.

In any event, the main point is that Congress shouldn’t be singling out any organization, no matter what they’ve done. It’s a violation of the Constitution. Is it not enough to say all organizations that have been under federal indictment are subject to being removed from the bidding process?

Plus, let’s calibrate our outrage. ACORN didn’t cause the housing bubble or raise unemployment to 9.5 percent. This story is so sensationalized, it’s hardly worth discussing. The significance, I think, is how serious Congress seems to think it is.

By: Zach

Zach — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:13:06 +0000

The reason for all the outrage against ACORN probably has something to do with the undercover video where an ACORN employee advises two filmmakers, posing as a pimp and prostitute, on how to evade taxes for their new “business.” The ACORN employee also tells them how to get a tax write off for housing young teens from another country who will be used for prostitution. Pretty sick stuff, especially coming from a group that receives our tax dollars. While you can’t judge a whole organization based on the acts of an individual, given other questionable acts by the group, I would say the outrage was justified.

See part 1 of the undercover video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtTnizEnC1U&feature=player_embedded