The recent dig by Sarah Palin at Obama's "community organizing" past brought a quick and pointed response from the Democratic party in his defense and revealed their thin-skin when confronted with any criticism of their candidate no matter how valid or documented.
What it didn't reveal is the shady relationship Obama has maintained over the years with radical and openly "above-the-law" groups from his past.
ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now is the organization Obama both organized for before attending law school and provided legal counsel to after.  According to the Wall Street Journal article, ACORN is a radical partisan group using partial funding from the federal government to pressure Wal-Mart and other non-union businesses. Their tax status requires that they be nonpartisan but they are in-fact anything but. They have been involved in voter fraud and other scandals bordering on extortion, intimidation, storming council meetings and other such "community" activities.
There have been convictions related to voter fraud in at least two states and investigations underway in several others. The founder's brother and organization CFO (Dale Rathke) embezzled nearly $1 million from the organization in 1999-2000 timeframe which he and founder brother (Wade Rathke) covered up along with others in the organization. Neither this organization, nor Obama's ties to it, has received appropriate media scrutiny. His ability (like ACORN's) to wrap his radical beliefs and methods in a pleasant non-threatening veneer is misleading and bodes danger for the country if it remains undisclosed. See also this and that and the other. By the way, ACORN is a private corporation and thus doesn't divulge financials, but they and subsidiaries do receive federal funds (at least $2 Million in 2003 in one subsidiary alone). ACORN endorsed, guess who, Obama for President.
In a related circumstance, Sarah Palin was wrongly criticized from some on the left (although not by Obama) for having a Downs Syndrome baby and how that might interfere with her VP duties. Her unmarried seventeen year old daughter's pregnancy to her future husband and intention to keep the child contrasted markedly with Obama's statement that he wouldn't "penalize" his daughter "with a baby" if she found her self similarly pregnant from such a "mistake" (Watch).
This situation is illuminating since Obama spoke at Planned Parenthood during the campaign, praised them for their work, and received their endorsement for President. What else does Planned Parenthood do? They received about $300 Million in Federal Funding in 2005 and used it to perform about 1 out of every 5 US Abortions (See here). Equally important, they refuse to follow the law and report child statutory rape events (here) and are perfectly willing to accept racially motivated donations (watch this) and ( this).
Why doesn't he hold organizations that he is involved in accountable to at least the law of the land?
Why does Barack Obama endorse, encourage, and seek the endorsements of organizations that behave dishonestly? A similar question could be asked about his long term associations with admitted terrorist Bill Ayers and convicted Tony Resko. Why does the Democratic party allow these shady allegiances to prosper?
More importantly, why doesn't the mainstream media ask about these matters. Why won't they tell you about these issues? What else won't they tell you about Barack Obama and his "community"? Is his the kind of "change" you want?  Do you want him "organizing" in your community or taking the oath to be your President? Given his history and relations to these organizations, would his oath even mean anything?
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Comments: 51
ACORN has fought against lending practices that it sees as predatory by targeting the national companies that practice them, working for stronger state laws against predatory practices, organizing against local financial scams, and steering individuals toward loan counseling. Following a three-year campaign Household International (now owned by HSBC Holdings and renamed HSBC Finance Corporation), one of the largest subprime lenders in the country, and ACORN announced on November 25, 2003 a proposed settlement of a 2002 national class-action lawsuit brought by ACORN. The settlement created a $72 million Foreclosure Avoidance Program to provide relief to Household borrowers who are at risk of losing their homes. The settlement came on the heels of an earlier $484 million settlement between Household, Attorneys General, and bank regulators from all 50 US states.
Living wage ordinances require private businesses that do business with the government to pay their workers a wage that enables them to afford basic necessities. ACORN has helped pass local living wage laws in fifteen cities including Chicago, Oakland, Denver, and New York City. ACORN maintains a website that provides strategic and logistical assistance to organizations nationwide.
ACORN members across the country, particularly in the Gulf region, have organized fundraising and organizing drives to ensure that victims of Hurricane Katrina will receive assistance and will be able to return to affected areas. ACORN's Home Cleanout Demonstration Program has gutted and rebuilt over 1,850 homes with the help of volunteers. The ACORN Katrina Survivors Association formed in the aftermath of the storm is the first nationwide organization for Katrina survivors and has been working for equitable treatment for victims. Displaced citizens were bused into the city for the New Orleans primary and general elections. ACORN Housing Services have helped more than 2,000 homeowners affected by the storm and is an official planner working with the city on reconstruction.
ACORN pushes education reform usually in the form of organizing neighborhood groups and "community" or "ACORN schools". In Chicago, ACORN has advocated for a certified teacher to be in every classroom. In California ACORN has documented the need for textbooks and school repairs. ACORN works with teachers unions to get money for school construction and more funding for schools. ACORN opposes charter schools and for-profit schooling initiatives, most notably the proposed Edison Schools takeover of the New York City public schools in 2001.
In 2006, ACORN intervened on behalf of Jersey City New Jersey in a lawsuit brought against the city, which challenged a local ordinance that limited handgun purchasers to one gun a month. The ordinance was ultimately struck down as it violated the New Jersey Constitution's Equal Protection clause, and a state statute prohibiting towns and municipalities from enacting firearms legislation.
The reality is that Obama is the media's pick and they are not only going to avoid reporting any thing negative about him.
"How Barack Obama Could Not Have Won the Democratic Nomination Without ABC, CBS and NBC"
http://www.mrc.org/SpecialReports/2008/obama/obamaExecSum.asp
"Key Findings:
# The three broadcast networks treated Obama to nearly seven times more good press than bad — 462 positive stories (34% of the total), compared with only 70 stories (just 5%) that were critical.
# NBC Nightly News was the most lopsided, with 179 pro-Obama reports (37%), more than ten times the number of anti-Obama stories (17, or 3%). The CBS Evening News was nearly as skewed, with 156 stories spun in favor of Obama (38%), compared to a mere 21 anti-Obama reports (5%). ABC’s World News was the least slanted, but still tilted roughly four-to-one in Obama’s favor (127 stories to 32, or 27% to 7%).
# Barack Obama received his best press when it mattered most, as he debuted on the national scene. All of the networks lavished him with praise when he was keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic Convention, and did not produce a single negative story about Obama (out of 81 total reports) prior to the start of his presidential campaign in early 2007."
Palin has shown herself to be a hypocrite and a liar, and he have only known about her for 1 week. I wonder what else she is hiding?
Brickner in his sermon described terrorist attacks on Israelis as part of "an ongoing reflection of the fact that there is judgment" by God of those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior.
"When Jesus was standing in that temple, He spoke that that judgment was coming, that there's a reality to the judgment of unbelief. ... Judgment is very real and we see it played out on the pages of the newspapers and on the television. It's very real."
OOOOPS!!!!!
AND IF THESE SERMON IS MAINSTREAM WHAT WORLD ARE YOU LIVING IN????why ddin't she walk out?
Brickner described when his son Isaac recently "was in Jerusalem, he was there to witness some of that judgment, some of that conflict, when a Palestinian from East Jerusalem took a bulldozer and went plowing through a score of cars, killing numbers of people. Judgment -- you can't miss it. "
Wasilla Assembly of God make's O'bama's problems look like nothin!
ACORN was called radical and partisan by others (I linked to them).The strategy that birthed ACORN of overburdening welfare rolls to the point of failure in order to force “a radical reconstruction of America’s unjust capitalist economy" sounds real mainstream to me. Granted their new strategies are a little different such as: municipal “living wage” laws targeting “big-box” stores like Wal-Mart, rolling back welfare reform, and regulating banks — efforts styled as combating “predatory lending.” These guys are not the shining stars they you seem to think they are (don't forget the phony voter registrations and embezzlement coverup). There is a real question if their efforts have really helped their 'clients' or just made government more socialist while gaining them (ACORN) more power.
As for Palin, I believe you'll see that she can defend herself just fine without requiring the help of the biased ABC/CBS/NBC/CNN/MSNBC media outlets to come to her aid (like they would anyway) as they have done so consistently for Obama. See Dan's excellent stats above.
Louis,
I don't know where you got your quotes and info on what I take from your context to be Palin's church. I will say God's Word (the Bible) says that God will be the final judge of mankind. We each have the choice to believe and accept that, or not. But if you don't, you can't apply your morality to someone that does no more than you can realistically criticise members of the "Start-Trek club". Granted applying that logic to Obama and Rev. Wright's church does yield the apparent conclusion that he stayed because he believed what he was hearing there (even if it was anti-American). Ok, that just speaks to his judgment and the voters can decide. Also NEWSFLASH! Sarah Palin is NOT running for president. Can you field dress a moose?
Your misrepresentation of Barack Obama's statement is deliberate making you somewhat of a liar or just generally dishonest. The mistake he was talking about was having pre-marital sex, not getting pregnant. The punishment for teens having premarital sex should not be a baby or an STD. That's why you EDUCATE them. Make sense to you are or are you so jaded that you think a Democrat running for president would actually plan to say that?
Reminds me of Obama's statement "I don't want my daughters to be punished with a baby if they make a mistake".... we will just let that ride. You can figure it out on your own.
If you drive too fast on a motorcycle and wreck and your girlfriend perishes (even though you had made her wear a helmet - for "protection"), you must still face the consequence of jail time for her death. With me so far?
Thus the dumb act (pre-marital sex or driving the motorcycle too fast) even in the face of protection (wearing a condom or a helmet) both have a consequence (baby or dead girlfriend). These consequences must be faced up to by mature people (deliver the baby to raise/or for adoption in the first case and jail in the second case). The failure of the "Choice" crowd to recognize this is why that position is selfish and morally corrupt. Instead of loving the child you have chosen to create (because of your dumb act) you instead simply kill the baby for your convenience. That life is from God and is not yours to simply kill on your whim.
And yes, Obama's support for abortion is so complete and without condition that I believe that is how he really thinks. Also, he said it. What about Planned Parenthood not obeying the law? Any comment on that?
Conservatives have praised Palin and her daughter for making the decision to have their babies. We keep hearing it's the family's decision. If it was up to Palin, no other family would have that decision. I don't think her daugher's pregnancy is an issue. I think the issue is what should be done about teenage pregnancy in America. It is a problem. She's pro-choice so I would like to see an article about what she feels should be done after teenage girls are forced to have a child. I'm serious if anyone has a link to some sort of article let me know.
Technique is not the point, responsibility is. When two people choose to get on the motorcycle (or to have sex) they have to be responsible for the consequences of their actions whether they be intended or unintended ones. The pro-choice position seems to me to really be pro-2-choices (that is, free to CHOOSE to have sex AND THEN free to CHOOSE to eliminate the consequences).
Crystal,
If Roe-vs-Wade were overturned, that action would just simply remove the Federal government's "trumping of state law". It would not make abortion illegal, it would simply return legislative jurisdiction to the States. Each could (and would need to) develop their own laws as to it's legality and controls. I think this whole issue probably be much less explosive if it is decided at the ballot box vs judicial decree (I could be wrong on that). I say that because people would care much less if abortion was legal (or illegal) in a far away state.
Why is it OK for McCurrupt to take $120,000 from Charles Keating?
The Savings and Loan scandal is estimated to have totaled around USD$160.1 billion, about $124.6 billion of which was directly paid for by the U.S. government—that is, the U.S. taxpayer,
Oh but we don't want to talk about that, lets talk about a group that want to unionize poor old Wal Mart.
You gots to be shitting me boy!
Bush told his crew they DON'T have to show up on congress' subpoena because "THEY ARE ABOVE THE LAW"
All because Bush wanted the A G office as his personal hit squad!!
The hypocrisy stinks to high heaven around here.
HOW CAN ANYONE STAND THE STENCH !!!!??????
Clinton fired 97 simultaneously!!!! It begs the question; how can YOU stand the stench of the hypocritical democrats?
You're sure executive privilege exists, but not in our constitution! Nor does "signing statements" to acknowledge which laws the president will abide.
And Bush's reason for firing those eight was not because they were unqualified or doing anything wrong, but because they did not believe as Bush did! And therein lies the difference. It wasn't even political spoils, just trying to manipulate the law.
Every stitch of Obama's political training was in the Chicago political machine. No "change" there. His voting record is #1 most liberal in the Senate and Biden is a more balanced #3 most liberal (http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/). If he is so clean, why does he not call to task the illegal activities of the organizations noted above? Because his agenda is their agenda and it is a radical agenda. So your position is that it was OK for Clinton to fire all 99 US attorneys but not OK for Bush to fire 8? Either they serve at the pleasure of the President or they don't.
What if Bush signed an Executive order requiring a media person to accompany Pelosi and Reid on ALL travels and conversations, and be privy (for public consumption) to all their "official" business conversations. Do you think they'd go for that? I bet they'd claim some sort of privilege.
Bottom line is that Obama is pretending to be something that he is not. Sarah Palin brings a dimension to the Republican ticket that Obama and the Democrats cannot match. She is authentic!
Lea,
It is naive to believe that a community can self-govern without some form of government. Thomas Paine addressed it well when he said, "That government is best which governs least."
How about this, I propose a new abortion law that would say it is legal in the cases of rape, incest, and for the medical health of the mother (but no broad "mental health" loophole here) and illegal in the case of convenience. What about that?
SHADES OF NIXON WHAT WILL YOU DO? STAY THE COURSE!
what about birth control and contraception? they seem to be against that as well as education.
did I mention AIP?
Enough already with your inane repetitions about AIP. There is no there there. But if you want to keep throwing untruths and mean-spirited rocks at the Republican ticket while ignoring the serious questions that exist about the character and wisdom of the Democratic ticket then, .......... why you'd be just like the mainstream media!
Planned Parenthood doesn't support the involvement of families, apparently they'll give abortions to underage girls without parental notification and without hesitation.
The society/government has a right to encourage a culture of life in the citizenry as such as attitude makes for a more healthy culture. The question is how to best do that.
Let's start with Clinton... why did he fire 97 US Attorneys in one fell swoop? Did he have an epiphany? The only difference between what Clinton did and what Bush did was that congress brushed aside Bush's executive powers and made it into a political witch hunt. Please provide me with something to differentiate these two situations. If you can't, you are just another partisan hack with blinders on.
Because the LIFE that exists in the womb has rights too. There needs to be a limit on how far into a pregnancy can go before abortion is no longer an option. This can even be debated on a logical level if we can all agree that a fully formed fetus with a central nervous system is entitled to basic human rights. For instance, if a women were expected to deliver a baby on Tuesday would it them be ok to abort the baby on Monday? It's still in the womb, so why not???? It's obvious to any sane person that it would be flat wrong to abort a baby one day prior to its birth. With that premise, one needs to have a limit. I believe that limit is some where around three months.
Don this the same question I have been asking these libs from the beginning! I think we will both be waiting a very long time for an answer!
I liked Dons comment : Liberism is a mental disorder.... Can they get a government check for this condition since they love having people dependent on the government by handing out more of the taxpayers money....??????
Great article Ken......
The firing of attorneys is irrelevant to what this thread is about. One of the early rules of debate is, if you don't have anything to work with, try to divert the subject to what it is not about!
However, you tell me that Obama is the most Liberal Democrat in the senate, and don't feel that would be a change, following eight years of the most conservative, black Republican to ever hold that office! Doesn't that sound silly to you also? Even McCain is attempting to separate himself from the current administration as it is too far out and out of the acceptable range of public interest. Unique that a Republican is calling for "change" after eight years of Republican rule!
BTW, the firings, since you want to know, were for altogether different reasons. Only Bush's were on people he had appointed who failed his ideological litmus test! And tell me where, in the constitution, you find "executive privilege?"
Tell me to just what organizations you are referencing and just what crimes they are known to have committed and I'll support prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law!
I have no idea what you perceive Obama is claiming he is but he is an agent for change, without doubt! He is somewhat of a visionary. That is a little more risky but it is appropriate to take that risk at this point in time. The country has been badly damaged by the Bush administration and it will take an extraordinary leader to get us out of it, as well as the cooperation of congress!
Obama is the man capable of inspiring and motivating people, as well proven by his campaign, and we need someone to do just that. He is capable of change and is not tied to an ideology, but rather to a pragmatic direction. He appears to have the ability to grasp and analyze foreign policy matters quickly and with an open mind. Read David Broder's column about him in today's papers.
David does speak well of McCain as well I would add in the interest of fairness. But he emphasizes Obama's skill in this area.
Now, instead of knocking Obama, which doesn't need doing as there are many already doing it, why don't you try writing about the positive aspects of a McCain presidency? It would seem, from the lack of such articles, that the right wing has no faith in their candidate!
These wild accusations do nothing to explain why the annual income for the average American household has declined over the last eight Bush / McCain years or how he is going to get us out of Iraq and not get us into any more dumb and expensive wars.
I have really come to believe that some people would have had no problem had McCain selected Paris Hilton as his running mate and that they would rather see this country entirely destroyed than vote for a black man.
I didn't bring up the US attorneys. I merely responded to those that did. I don't say Obama is the most liberal Senator, that would be National Journal (see my earlier comment). The change that McCain wants is to RETURN to proven and effective republicans principal like low taxes, smaller government, less waste and corruption. These ideas have never been part of a Democratic vision and they are not part of the Obama vision.
C'mon, it is not that hard, if Obama tells the country what he really wants (as evidenced by his voting record and organizations that he supports as I have outlined and referenced), the country would reject him. It is ONLY by pretending to be something he is not that he can fool enough people to gain power. That is, after all what democratic politics is all about (2 quick examples - Pelosi's refusal to allow either domestic oil drilling or the rejection of the so-called fairness doctrine to come to votes despite majority support for them. Her interest is power. period). The links I included in the article outline the numerous crimes and investigations involving just 2 radical organizations that Obama is totally committed to. Are you proud of the way "Your" party has treated Sarah Palin. The Democratic party, supposedly for women's rights and choice have extended to her neither. I see their true colors, why won't you? Her experience is on a par with B. Clinton and Bush 2 and most importantly, she is number two on the ticket, not number one. Your "change" candidate choose the farthest possible candidate from any change in Washington. Great!
The Republican party questions itself, many are less than comfortable with some of the actions Bush has taken and some of the stands that McCain has embraced and have said so. This is healthy. Contrast that with the robot-like agreement that is found in the Democratic party. No internal questioning of their candidate and his past or positions. Everyone follows him as they would a Pied Piper. "we love obama...we love change...." is all you get.
The changes he wants will cripple the economy. He doesn't like profit, business (about which he understands little - except how to intimidate and threaten and sue them). Don't fall for his nice veneer.
McCain is a steady leader, and is what the country needs now. He is not adored in Europe which is fine. He is feared by our enemies which is important. Yet, he chose a reformer who can come to Washington without strings and shake up the entrenched bureaucratic mess that is there. That is good "change".
Julia,
Did you read the tactics and goals of ACORN? No one thinks that community service is a bad thing at all. But organizing using ACORN tactics is not something anyone should be proud of. If they keep a Wal-Mart out of an inner city because of "living -wage" disputes, are the members of that community really benefited? No, their prices are higher and their access to a source of jobs and associated businesses is hurt. Do you agree with Obama that we can withhold heathcare to babies that happen to survive an abortion? Do you agree with Planned Parenthood that they need not report statutory rape of underage girls or that they willingly and proudly accept contributions to be used exclusively for the abortion of blacks? Are these "changes" that you are happy with? They are apparently OK with Obama because he has said nothing against them. Don't fall for the veneer no matter how "nice" it looks.
I realize the true colors of the candidates as well! Only, I understand their varying goals and ambitions and the Republican one frightens the hell out of me.
I come from a family that deeply loves this country, my father fought in WW I and my brother in WW II and neither was a "military man" in reality, just a good citizen. Now we have traveled so far from the ideals for which they fought that it is a disgrace to our forefathers! If you cannot see this, you are clearly wearing blinders.
There is zero chance of real change in direction from McCain. That is a pretty obvious given. Barack's change is not well defined but the capability of the man to learn and react appropriately, and to understand the role of the US at home and in the world is vast. Republicans try to make this about splinter, peripheral matters such as the church Obama attends, with continual bashing of Obama, with half truths, outright lies and innuendos! It is pretty evident that conservatives do not see McCain as a good man and are unable to build his character as opposed to bashing Obama.
This is an age old process, noted heavily in our relationship with the black people of this country. Tear others down as if have nothing to add to yourself, that is the method and it is being heavily employed in this election.
I'm still seeing articles claiming Obama is Muslim and other blatant lies, even though they have long been proven lies!
It is my deepest regret that I have not found the words, nor do I have the oratorical and persuasive skills necessary to show you that we are headed in the wrong direction and the eventual disastrous result of that. When the neo-cons brought their contempt for our nation to be effective in the policies and practices of this nation it was a sad day indeed! Note, I'm not saying Republicans as most of them love their country just as I do, it is the neo-con or PNAC followers to which I refer.
Under that leadership, we've lost any semblance o fiscal responsibility. Don't know if you remember WW II but as a kid we bought war bonds at school. Taxes were not cut for the war. Scrap drives were held - to which my grandmother donated an original funnel mouthed blunderbuss! My mother ran the ration office, everyone shared in the effort and most quite willingly! We were attacked in that war, by the ones we fought. This nation had real and honest pride and a sense of right! McCain feels this sense but has lost touch with the reality of things because of his experience and background. A new face is needed that is not steeped in the Viet Nam era thinking to where they can no longer see truth. Obama is that person!
Don't be so hung up on false allegations! This election does not have ACORN running, it is Obama and McCain. You have no real knowledge of what Obama is all about as you've let the negativism of the party blind you to the truth. I'm not, in any way, knocking you as a person and am sure that you too feel that what you support is best for this nation. But, unfortunately, it is not.
Were it good, after eight years of Bush, we'd be in fantastic shape, especially considering that for six years he had a totally Republican controlled congress! Like someone said, insanity is to continue doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results! Electing McCain is doing the same thing over again! I will urge you not to fall for the "veneer" of the Republican party! It is fools gold.
No. Nobody is perfect. I'm just pointing out that the bloom on the Obama rose is not nearly the size that the mainstream media would have us believe that it is.