“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
James Madison understood the need for an unrestrained press that would be eternally free to speak its opinion and the need for people who were eternally free to express themselves at well. The Constitution is quite clear – “Congress shall make no law...”
Yet ACORN thinks it can challenge this tenet that has long defined American society. The young team of James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles reminded us of what journalism is all about – shedding light on corruption and uncovering stories that the public otherwise would never have heard.
The explosion of cable television and the Internet over the last couple of decades has made innumerable sources of information available to the public. To get hits to a website or viewers of a “news” program content providers too often provide fluff content or resort to shock tactics to attract viewers. The ACORN investigation is a classic case of investigative journalism that was worthy of attention.
Undercover reporting has long been a tactic of the exalted journalists at 60 Minutes. Reporters for the news show have uncovered countless outrages over the last four decades – more often than not at the expense of whatever company or government entity was perpetuating the scandal.
Today a pair of twenty-somethings have continued that tradition in their revealing of the corruption of the largest “community organizer” in the United States. ACORN’s corruption has long been hinted at – voter fraud, gang-like strong-arming tactics, improper use of federal funds, etc. – but concrete evidence was needed.
ACORN may be responsible for voter fraud so extensive that it overthrew the 2008 Presidential election. Last year wasn’t the first time the group perpetuated a major offensive against American voters’ right to choose their President – a quick search of Google’s news archives shows a spike in “ACORN corruption” stories in October 2004 as well.
Now that ACORN’s systematic willingness to help a pimp and hooker set up a child-prostitute ring has been exposed Congress has quickly acted to cut off funding, and the Census Bureau and IRS have severed ties with the group. To me it’s remarkable this group would even be considered to carry out the work of the Census Bureau but so many mind-blowing developments have come about with the new administration that it doesn’t seem so ridiculous any more.
We’ll see how ACORN’s lawsuit plays out. If the judge on the case respects the Constitution it will be immediately thrown out. The lawsuit was filed in Baltimore on grounds that they were “illegally videotaped.” Perhaps the group has a sympathetic legal ear in Baltimore, after all the Baltimore DA immediately considered prosecuting the journalists after the story broke.
Comments
So, will Barack be reprising his role as ACORN defense lawyer?
ACORN: Association of Criminals Obama Represented in the Nineties
I've been fighting alongside of ACORN on issues you care about my entire career [including child "services", financial "services", and "voter" registration?] Even before I was an elected official, when I ran Project Vote in Illinois, Acorn was smack dab in the middle of it, and we appreciate your work. --Obama, 2007
ACORN: Assisting Call-girls, Obama, Reid & Nancy
It's interesting to note that in any lawsuit, there is a time for "discovery". I heard James say in an earlier interview that they were hoping ACORN would bring suit so more would be uncovered through the process. Now James & his team gets all kinds of access to ACORN's nonpublic info & data!
I'm excited to watch this one play out.
We all need to become investigators and cripple this communist government NOW! THIS IS AN OUTRAGE POINTING RIGHT TO OBAMA! iMPEACH THIS PRESIDENT WHILE WE CAN!
Ray - absolutely! ACORN will have to throw open their books. I won't be surprised if they drop the case.
hargoosh - yes we do! The current outrages are what inspired me to write here.
Sorry Brian, but ^) Minutes never did this kind of reporting.
Last major media case was ABC against Food Lion - and ABC lost big bucks in the lawsuit.
I think ACORN is scum - but they are NOT a public building, but a private organization. This was criminal trespass under most state laws.
I'd think a "libertarian" would be concerned about that.
That was 60 Minutes, BTW - somehow I hait shift on the numbers LOL
As a due's paying libertarian, I have more of an issue with any organization like this recieving federal funding or involved with federal functions.
@Jake
Food Lion was NOT receiving millions in tax payer funds. The fact that Acorn was receiving millions, and stood to get BILLIONS means they are a quasi-public organization. I think you will see this fact become central to the argumant in court. When the public has a fiduciary interest in an organization, that organization is accountable to the public interest.
@Obamanov: Yes, they got federal funds - about $2.5 million/year spread across the entire organization - about 10 percent of their $25 million annual budget. (Check their IRS filings, not the pseudo-conservative rants.)
No, they did NOT stand to "get Billions" - hundreds (thousands?) of organizations were eligible to apply for parts of that stimulus money IF they could show projects. ACORN stated early they would not be applying for any of it because it was for things they don't do - and when the application deadline passed in July, they had NOT applied for anything.
None of which is to say they may not have misused federal money - and they certainly should be investigated with vigor.
But the specific issue here is secretly recording on private property - and the courts have been rather consistent in finding for the property owner as an illegal invasion of privacy.
And that doesn't even get into the issue that the videos were rather obviously edited.
Jake - you are obviously a hardcore progressive "social activist." No one else would defend ACORN.
Acorn membership costs $10 per month.
Wonder how many got their 'free' tax advice for $120 per year.
Wrong again, Brian. Which part of "ACORN is scum" and "should be investigated with vigor" did you not understand?
But unlike you appear to be, I'm not ready to toss property rights out the window just because I don't like someone. That makes you no different than those "social activists" who think they should take your money for they believe is a better use of it.
My point has been that I suspect, based on precedent, ACORN has a legal case against the film makers - who had better find some deep pockets quick to pay their legal bills.
Jake - you can donate to their legal defense fund. Hannity mentioned it on Fox. I'm sure they can pay their legal bills.
I'm very happy with the expose. There wasn't a private contract violation. I suspect Maryland's wiretap law. It wasn't a criminal investigation, it was a journalistic investigation.
ACORN turned themselves in on the voter issue, as they were legally required to report any voter registration fraud, such as numb-nut right-wingers who register themselves as Donald Duck. Lots of numb-nuts, enough to draw attention to the numbers so the media could have a hay-day over what they don't have time to investigate. So much for following the rules.
This is Too funny. Like a 20 year old college student who wants to be a reporter has 5 million dollars. If it was me I'd say sue me! Even if she made a hundred thousand a year and lived with her parents(whatever) it would take 50 years to pay off the lawsuit, but it's not even plausable. Wake up people that's like drug dealers caught by undercover cops on tape can sue the police? What happened to the first amendment? Why can't ACORN just accept they hired some sorry people and put them in positions that they're clearly not qualified for. The repercussions should be felt at the highest level (district or regional management) and trickle down cleaning out the trash. This shouldn't even be a political debate. Who gives a damn if they are republicans or democrats. The fact is they F-ed up and have been doing corrupt things for quite some time. And what about the toothless old bag that said she killed her husband? Where's the cops at? What's next people? This isn't the USA I fought for 3x.
Jake is obviously a moron. Why doesn't Jake move to a country that accepts corruption like this. I've traveled the world 4 continents and 16 countries including communist nations. The people there are not happy but they make do with what they got. Just like how we just dealt with the great depression. Maybe our forefathers saw this comming and that's why we have the bill of rights today. Sadly some people have taken advantage of our constitution. Who gives a damn there is a cross in the Mojave desert or there is the ten commandments outside the courthouse. Nothing against religion that's a pretty good set of laws to live by if you ask me. Our country has gone to hell, and it's up to us to fix it.
Show me where I defended corruption, Chuck. I've been more than critical of ACORN - but also point out that, LEGALLY, the pseudo-journalists would appear to be at risk on several levels.
Perhaps you should learn to read and think before tossing out terms like 'moron.'
And Brian, this was not a "journalistic investigation" in any sense - O'Keefe's own comments on Fox News Sunday yesterday will be used to show this was a political 'gotcha' from the start.
But the most interesting part was his claim they were not thrown out of the Philly office and the police were not called - especially since the Philly police have released a copy of the police report. Raises serious credibility questions.
If, after ACORN gets the raw footage in discovery, ONE of the quotes in ONE of the videos is shown to be selectively edited to create a false impression, ACORN wins the lawsuit.
It's no different than Dan Rather with the 'W' documents - fake, even though they reflected truth.
And a final question, Brian: What the frak does the First Amendment have to do with ACORN's lawsuit?
Which part of "CONGRESS shall make no law..." don't you understand? This is a private organization suing private individuals over property rights - something any self-described libertarian should at least understand.
That's rich Jake - ACORN is a publicly funded, corrupt group possibly responsible for throwing the last election.
Wrong again, Brian - they are a private not-for-profit with SOME government funding (about 10 percent of their budget is federal) - which gives federal auditors certain rights and even means the public can come in and request to see their IRS filings - but it does NOT change the fact their building is private property and undercover filming is, at a minimum, a trespass.
As for the other part: PLEASE cite a single case where one of the fraudulent registrations submitted by one of ACORN's hired vote registrars ACTUALLY CAST A BALLOT.
I've yet to see one - anywhere - which makes your "throwing the election" allegation just so much balderdash.
REAL election fraud requires getting votes - either casting ballots or fudging the count. For examples, see East St. Louis in the 1990s.
Or be a real Libertarian and look at how the Republican Wing of the Incumbency Party worked to deny the vote to groups expected to vote for the Democratic Wing the last few elections - then look at how both work to keep alternatives to them off the ballots.
ACORN is privately funded through the SEIU.
Exactly how do we determine how many fraudulent votes were cast Jake?
A quick overview of ACORN's 990s shows SEIU funding is even less than the 10 percent federal money. (You know what 990s are, right, Brian? You wouldn't be making claims without evidence, would you?)
Now, given the complexities of ACORN's structure of affiliates, it's certainly possible the union has done more - too bad no enterprising investigative reporter has so far had the time and money to really dig into the 990s of each and every affiliate.
But based on the evidence to date, your SEIU claim is seriously overblown.
As for fraudulent votes - how do you think you do it? You get the lists of fraudulent registrations (if you haven't identified THOSE, you don't have a case to begin with) and you check to see IF THEY VOTED!
You ever vote, Brian? You ever been checked off on the voter registration list to show you voted? Or do you just pontificate your pseudo-libertarianism online?
You don't seem to understand the voting process, that's for sure.
Jake - are you including the money provided by SEIU within your assessment of "private funding" - I don't think so.
Here's some more details about ACORN's funding over the last few years: www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/09/17/funding-acorn/
What I see on the Cato site is that their numbers for federal money going to ACORN are even smaller than mine.
Try the Guidestar link, plug ACORN into the search - and you'll see what I'm talking about concerning the complexity of their finances. And local affiliates have their own 990s, which expands the paperwork exponentially.
But as I said, it appears claims about SEIU are overblown - which makes sense,if you think about it: Union finances actually receive fairly strict federal scrutiny, and I'd expect that to be especially so the last eight years.
But its a free-for-all now huh Jake?
"But its a free-for-all now huh Jake? "
A statement you base on what evidence, Brian? It's way to early in this administration to even have data on whether or not they are investigating any unions.
Actions by the Obama Justice Department so far are a mixed bag.
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