Althouse: More ACORN video.

September 17, 2009

More ACORN video.

Here's the new San Diego video.

And, from a few days ago, the San Bernandino.

Amazing stuff here, and I assume you've been following it. I just wanted to put up a post so you could talk about it.

101 comments:

Beth said...: I'm waiting for that squirrel to pop up in one.; 9/17/09, 10:44 AM
Anonymous said...: What's really sad is the damage these people have done to their own poverty stricken neighborhoods. The inner cities are huge tax-funded plantations.

This is how government works now. The Feds scoop up all the money they can from innocent citizens, then distribute it in grants to all their cronies. Both sides do it.

This must stop.; 9/17/09, 10:44 AM
Salamandyr said...: It's truly desparing to see the wagon circling going on by some of our elected officials.

Pro-tip: right now none of this really reflects badly on you. That is, until you defend it. Stop defending the indefensible. Throw them under the bus, to overuse the cliche. Declare that you're, "Shocked! Shocked!" to hear of this. Learn when it's time to burn a bridge.

Word verification: spung. Spung! The word verification software does seem to have a whimsical sense of humor.; 9/17/09, 10:49 AM
Richard Dolan said...: My first thought on watching the videos is that what was once the stuff of novels (Dickens, Zola, Dreiser) has come back as a cartoon.

Not exactly progress, to mention that other 19th century idea that didn't turn out so well.; 9/17/09, 10:49 AM
traditionalguy said...: We must know that the existence of female sex slaves under age, or not under age, is part of the world we live in, and is restrained by law and law enforcement agencies. The shock is now knowing that the Demonrats are sending Government funds to "Organize Crime in Communities". I guess that should be expected since the Demonrats are a Crime Syndicate running DC with no restraint either. We need a Sarah Palin attitude before we have become so rotten that we cannot reverse the Rot.; 9/17/09, 10:52 AM
garage mahal said...: Sort of like an open thread.; 9/17/09, 10:53 AM
miller said...: Tragedy now repeated as a farce, if I remember my Marx Brothers.

I just can't remember which movie it was.; 9/17/09, 10:55 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: This is how government works now. The Feds scoop up all the money they can from innocent citizens, then distribute it in grants to all their cronies. Both sides do it.

Maybe true, but one side is based on that strategy, and politicians on the other side caught doing so are often dumped by their constituents - think Ted Stevens losing in Alaska.

In fact, I have not seen political payoffs to cronies done quite as blatantly as we have seen since this Administration was sworn into office. The "stimulus" bill that was no such thing started it off, but the recent trade war started initially over tires at the behest of the AFLCIO is a more recent manifestation of this.; 9/17/09, 10:58 AM
X said...: There's been a lot of CHANGE at ACORN since Barack worked there.; 9/17/09, 10:59 AM
Peter Hoh said...: I'm not defending ACORN. As I said on a previous thread, I've got no problem with this kind of thing being exposed.

What's really sad is the damage people like these two have done to poverty-stricken neighborhoods.

In similar schemes, the "owners" collected rent from unsuspecting people while not paying the mortgages, allowing the homes to slip into foreclosure without informing the residents. All the sudden, the residents, who have been paying rent all along, are informed that they have a day to move out.

This kind of fraud has been more devastating to North Minneapolis than anything that ACORN has done.; 9/17/09, 11:00 AM
miller said...: Nice try to change the subject, Peter.; 9/17/09, 11:01 AM
Automatic_Wing said...: Look, a squirrel!; 9/17/09, 11:02 AM
Salamandyr said...: Peter that's awful. I'm glad those two are getting the books thrown at them.

It's an unfortunate fact of life that schemers will prey upon the most vulnerable of us. People who expose these charlatans and con men should be celebrated.; 9/17/09, 11:07 AM
Peter Hoh said...: Miller, I'm not changing the subject. PatCA asserted that ACORN has been destroying the inner city neighborhoods.

That's simply not the fact where I live.; 9/17/09, 11:07 AM
John Burgess said...: If ACORN had kept its mission on what's in its mission statement, there wouldn't be all that much of a problem. Instead, it appears to have been on an evangelical mission to promote progressivism.

The certainly lost track of certain social and moral values. Bogus voter registration is not a community value, unless your community is a crime syndicate. Helping others evade the law is not a community value, unless yours is a criminal neighborhood.

The progressive thing would be to help the poor use the system, legally, to improve their lot.

Too slow, I guess. Corners must be cut to reach the goal.

WV: eless... must get away from the computer more.; 9/17/09, 11:08 AM
KCFleming said...: peter,

It's the same as ACORN.

The mortgage frauds came directly out of Democrat-backed initiatives to get more people to own homes, by lowering the requirements for lending. Liar loans and fraud were the inevitable result, and a federally-juiced bubble and crash were the result.; 9/17/09, 11:11 AM
Salamandyr said...: Miller, I'm not changing the subject. PatCA asserted that ACORN has been destroying the inner city neighborhoods.

That's simply not the fact where I live.

Peter, I think it's something like the Spanish Inquisition. AMONG the things destroying inner city neighborhoods is, fraud, nepotism, crime, charlatans preying on the poor, and ACORN.

Basically, poverty stricken neighborhoods and people have problems. One of those problems is ACORN.; 9/17/09, 11:11 AM
miller said...: That makes no sense, Peter, unless you mean the statement should have been "ACORN is solely responsible for destroying inner city neighborhoods."

Which I don't think was meant.

This thread is about the nefarious ACORN.

Changing the subject to "well, look what this company did" is an attempt to deflect attention from a lefty icon.

ACORN is the recipient of federal and state dollars, and was lawyered by the Man Himself, so that's much more relevant.

I don't disagree that your example is another case of yet another roach feasting off the poor, but they are also not the sole reason.; 9/17/09, 11:13 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: San Diego

Wasn't that one of the cities mentions by the Acorn spokesperson where this was tried and failed?

Why yes, yes it was.; 9/17/09, 11:14 AM
Kirby Olson said...: Fox had several senators who wished to continue to fund ACORN on TV last night. None of them could give a single defensible reason to have voted as they did.

The worst was Burris of Illinois.

He ran from the camera, sweating, and his remarks weren't even audible.

Gillibrand was the only senator they couldn't even find.

It's hard to understand how you could continue to fund an organization that wants to help pimps score housing in order to hurt children!

They might as well fund Garrido, so long as he gets his sex-slaves to vote Democratic.; 9/17/09, 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...: peter, I can't argue specific cases with you. I will just say, and this is my opinion, that the progressive politics of the Democrats and the Compassionate Conservatives has resulted in no improvement whatsoever in urban America. With other people's money floating around in lots of millions or billions, there will be corruption, and there is.

I agree that this is the Dems' strategy, Bruce, propping up their crooked GOTV schemes, but the Reps have abandoned their fiscal conservatism pretty much lately as well. I don't want them to spend the Stimulus better, I want them to repeal it!; 9/17/09, 11:21 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: Salamandyr said...

It's an unfortunate fact of life that schemers will prey upon the most vulnerable of us.

Yeah, but 'the most vulnerable of us' didn't used to mean anyone with a paycheck.; 9/17/09, 11:23 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: It is disturbing about the graft,misuse of public money and the political strong arming and subversion of elections by ACORN, the entity.

BUT ...what is even more disturbing is the complete and utter lack of concern or shock about the use of illegally imported children as sex slaves. These women, and probably the entire organization, must be amongst the most depraved, soulless bitches on earth. They never even blinked an eye. Absolutely disgusting.

If I ever had any sympathy for the sob story that ACORN and the progressives try to peddle about the downtrodden, oppressed by whitey, inner city pipples, it has completely evaporated. They are worse at oppression than anything the KKK could come up with.

In addition to completely destroying any sympathy I might ever have had for their plight (drown in shit bitches) these depraved women have turned me off of donating anything EVER to their causes. They are all a bunch of liars and crminals posing as a charity.

ACORN has been a pustle on the American scene for too long. They deserve NO MORE funding of tax payer dollars and need to be extensively investigated as to their illegal activities in the last election. I wouldn't be surprised to find that they contributed /wink wink greatly to Obama's win.; 9/17/09, 11:26 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: “This is something that I know personally, the work you do, the importance of it. I've been fighting alongside ACORN on issues you care about my entire career."

-- Barack Obama

You voted for him, not me.; 9/17/09, 11:32 AM
A.W. said...: I would add besides the obvious commentary (I mean not even Jon Stewart is defending them, although is bit on it is classic), it occurred to me that Acorn is engaged in the worst kind of damage control. First, they need to speak with one voice. Second, that voice needs to shut up for a while. They should say nothing more than "we are investigating what is going on, we are taking this seriously, please bear with us." Stop trying to kill the messenger, stop trying to say anything about it because they are literally making it worse. When they say "they tried this in new york and failed" and what do you know?--they didn't fail--then it is time to quit talking. Better to be silent and be thought a fool or liar than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Seriously, it is pathetic that the most fair and incisive coverage by the liberal media is jon stewart.

And the democrats would be wise to defund acorn 100% and assign an independant counsel to the matter.

And FLS, figure out that there are something even you shouldn't try to defend.; 9/17/09, 11:34 AM
Republican said...: An employee of a community organization which is collecting billions of dollars in funding from us, is advising and assisting a client in how to illegally smuggle 13-15 year old girls into the country so they can work as prostitutes in (likely) a run-down neighborhood.

Reprehensible, but not surprising.; 9/17/09, 11:39 AM
Paddy O said...: Corruption is hatred of the poor.

Any time corruption and this kind allowance/encouragement of societal evil is not stomped on, it festers, ruins, breaks. And the poor, once again, suffer.

There has to be a clear and strong response against this and all corruption. Doing that will be the single strongest reaction to help pass any kind of government health care.

Jesus had strong words for the tax-collectors--those traitors to their own people who worked with the government to fill their own coffers.

Give it all, and more, back to the people you stole it from. Live right. Don't make a profit off the abuse of men and women.

People who pursue or allow corruption hate the poor, and hate them in the worst ways possible, because they often speak with words of hope before draining them, and their communities, of life.; 9/17/09, 11:41 AM
Republican said...: ACORNers are mouthing off because they aren't accustomed to being confronted or challenged, and they are run by thugs and criminals who have no professionalism or education.

Remember, they're staffed by people who believe it's okay to accept the lowest common denominator trash-for-clients.

Criminals.; 9/17/09, 11:42 AM
KCFleming said...: It's really quite amazing how two unknown kids, a journalism student and a filmmaker, have done such stellar work, exposing the dark underbelly of community organizing for all to see, perhaps even bringing down a criminally corrupt organization.

And the MSM, never having looked into prior complaints about ACORN's voter fraud, having kept quiet as long as it could once the scandal unfolded, is exposed as completely useless.; 9/17/09, 11:43 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: It's really quite amazing how two unknown kids, a journalism student and a filmmaker, have done such stellar work, exposing the dark underbelly of community organizing for all to see, perhaps even bringing down a criminally corrupt organization.

Actually I think its even more amazing that the ACORN nitwits could be so monumentally stupid to believe the white kid dressed like Huggy Bear was really a pimp.; 9/17/09, 11:50 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: You know, I wish you guys (and gals) would read my blog as a series of facts, and not the ravings of a nutcase. It strikes me that Dust Bunny's reaction to this is the same as mine when I opened up to this idea - that there's some serious, heinous bullshit going down under the cover of appealing to our sensitivities. It enrages me, as it has her. If enrages me because it's systematic, it's based on the insult of using the color of my skin, and it's popular - popular enough to elect a president - and anyone who sees it for what it is is vilified because they have the natural reaction for being outraged.

I am outraged - have been for years - and I'm not going to let it go until I see a sufficient number of my fellow Americans joining me.

I KNOW I'm not crazy. I see these people for what they are. And I do it by using the filter of NewAge beliefs. It's what, both, drives them and blinds others. You may not believe it but you didn't believe this either. I don't "believe" anything about this:

I "know" things.; 9/17/09, 11:50 AM
KCFleming said...: Crack, you do know things.

Hoosier: the coat belonged to his grandma!; 9/17/09, 11:52 AM
Methadras said...: Yeah, my wife told me about the San Diego video and I went and saw it because I live in San Diego. But I have to say that at this point, why RICO statutes are not being brought to bear on this organization at this point is going to be a test of whether Eric Holder is a legitimate USAG or not or rather nothing more than a race baiting mouthpiece.; 9/17/09, 11:52 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: You know, I wish you guys (and gals) would read my blog as a series of facts, and not the ravings of a nutcase, like people did Glenn Beck. It strikes me that Dust Bunny's reaction to this is the same as mine when I opened up to this idea - that there's some serious, heinous bullshit going down under the cover of appealing to our sensitivities. It enrages me, as it has her. If enrages me because it's systematic, it's based on the insult of using the color of my skin, and it's popular - popular enough to elect a president - and anyone who sees it for what it is is vilified because they have the natural reaction for being outraged.

I am outraged - have been for years - and I'm not going to let it go until I see a sufficient number of my fellow Americans joining me.

I KNOW I'm not crazy. I see these people for what they are. And I do it by using the filter of NewAge beliefs. It's what, both, drives them and blinds others. You may not believe it but you didn't believe this either. I don't "believe" anything about this:

I "know" things.; 9/17/09, 11:53 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: I doubt that they have helped obtain housing for underage sex slaves often. However, if they're willing to go along with this case, how many times must they have gone along with/encouraged more minor crimes? Things like tax fraud for claiming extra dependents, or fraud on mortgage applications, or applying for welfare benefits?; 9/17/09, 11:57 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: The double post was an accident, but I'm leaving up the second one for the links - check out the one that says "heinous bullshit" - it's just more of the same as ACORN from my old hometown.

I hate this. I really truly hate this. But I hate the implications of this and this even more.

Thanks, Pogo. "I have seen the enemy,.."

Hey, Ann, if I get a camera, etc., will you do a bloggingheads with me?; 9/17/09, 12:02 PM
Peter Hoh said...: The right response was, "Pardon me while I go get someone who has more experience in these matters."

And that someone else should have been a cop.; 9/17/09, 12:03 PM
pdug said...: I think the guy in the San Diego video looks rather skeptical of the pair. Maybe he's stringing them along. Not so the other videos, but this one might not be as effective.; 9/17/09, 12:08 PM
Paddy O said...: I vote yes on a bloggingheads with Ann and Crack Emcee.; 9/17/09, 12:09 PM
Chase said...: The BEST part of Jon Stewart's spanking of ACORN is his take-down of the liberal media's failure to discover his story on their own:

Where were the real reporters on this story? Where the hell were you?! You know who broke this story? These two!!!! You're telling me two kids from the cast of "High School Musical 3" can break this story with a video camera and their grandmothers chinchilla coat and you got NUTHIN'?!!!

I'm a fake journalist and I'm embarrassed these guys scooped me!; 9/17/09, 12:09 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: I doubt that they have helped obtain housing for underage sex slaves often

I would think that once would be too many times.

I agree with Crack Emcee. There is some heinous shit going down behind the facade of a helpful community organization.

I agree with Crack "it's systematic, it's based on the insult of using the color of my skin," ACORN cynically plays the race card all the time and it is systematically hurting those it pretends it is there to help.

It is like the Mafia who offers you protection from horrible circumstances that they created themselves. They really aren't there to help or to lift people out of poverty (which is real) or help families or help children (obviously). They exist to get money and power and the don't seem to care who gets hurt in their path.

The fact is: that this evil evil organization is demeaning other organizations that are legitimate and do want to help.

The fact that they are so closely tied to Obama and were instrumental in getting him election should make us all very worried.; 9/17/09, 12:15 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: Anybody listening to Rush right now? He's talking about the Left's use of projection, a subject I cover often .; 9/17/09, 12:26 PM
Unknown said...: Ph “What's really sad is the damage people like these two have done to poverty-stricken neighborhoods.”

It’s not these two kids that have done the damage to the pover-stricken neighborhoods. It’s Acorn doing the damage. All these “kids” are doing is exposing the corruption.

I woujld tend to agree that Acorn is destroying the inner-city neighborhoods by encouraging victimization, increasing dependency. That’s not the way to get out of a hole. That’s not how you help people you really care for. That’s how you create servitude.; 9/17/09, 12:31 PM
David said...: Just how many more of these tapes do you suppose they have? If I were Acorn or its supporters, I would just shut up for a while.

Remember, hustlers go where the hustle is. Acorn is hustle central these days.; 9/17/09, 12:32 PM
chickelit said...: The right response was, "Pardon me while I go get someone who has more experience in these matters."

And that someone else should have been a cop.

But that wasn't the response was it?
Peter, perhaps instead of deflecting and protecting the indefensible, you should try defending ACORN on general principles?; 9/17/09, 12:37 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: Isabel said...

It’s not these two kids that have done the damage to the pover-stricken neighborhoods.

In peter hoh's comment, 'people like these two' is a link to a different story, referring to different people, not the two who made the Acorn videos.; 9/17/09, 12:46 PM
Salamandyr said...: As far as the normal media is concerned, it's not that they don't know its there. Like in the Untouchables, everybody knows about it. They know ACORN commits voter fraud. They know that politicians pass out "walking around money" in African American neighborhoods. They know which politicians are getting drunk and sexually assaulting waitresses at trendy DC joints.

Everybody (and by "everybody" I mean major journalists and political types) knows these things. It's not really a secret. It's just nobody with any power wishes to do anything about it. They're invested in the system as it stands, and have no real interest in upsetting it. No, they save their investigative skills to skewere those who might upset the apple cart.; 9/17/09, 12:48 PM
A.W. said...: DBQ

I am not so sure they never have. It didn't take them long to figure out how to set up the loans and the brothel--they figured it out disturbingly quick.

i mean even jon stewart was distrubed by the way they seemed to work it out so fast--like as if they had done this before. "Joan, get me form 424-P. that's P for pimping and prostitution."

And the latest one sure as heck sounds like this guy was ready to help smuggle those girls in, and might have even been interested in buying Giles' services one weekend, though it is just inconclusive enough to keep him out of jail for solicitation of prostitution.; 9/17/09, 12:51 PM
MikeR said...: To me, the most amazing thing about this story is the incompetence of the ACORN response. Couldn't they see from day one that all these videos would be on the web soon? Couldn't they convince their operatives to tell them the truth, since it will all be public knowledge soon? Who tells lies which they should have known would be exposed in short order? Videos were doctored, just one/two/three/four/five sets of individuals, thrown out of all the other offices...
They should have realized from the first that these videos will demonstrate an endemic problem, not just a few incompetents. Their response should have taken that tack from the first.
By the way, they should not be firing the people on the videos. It makes ACORN look worse.
And as some of the comments have implied, these videos show how ACORN does damage, not good. Not because they support underage prostitution, which I hope is the minority of their cases. But because they obviously perceive their goal as being get money from The Man and give it to their people. And not, Help our people straighten out their lives.; 9/17/09, 12:52 PM
Der Hahn said...: peter hoh said...
The right response was, "Pardon me while I go get someone who has more experience in these matters."

And that someone else should have been a cop.

(from the hotair.com story about the San Diego video) In the second video, O’Keefe plays with Juan Carlos, telling him that he went to ACORN because some unnamed organization in Oceanside called the cops on them when they started talking about trafficking in 13-year-old girls. Even though Juan Carlos says he has cousins who are cops, he assures O’Keefe and Giles that he won’t drop a dime on them, and that he’ll help get the girls across the border..

First rule of holes, dude.; 9/17/09, 12:54 PM
Balfegor said...: These look like kind of a mixed bag, actually. The bits I saw on the Daily Show clip were pretty bad, but given what the two budding journalists look like, at least one of ACORN's lame defenses (that their people were having fun at the "pimp" and "prostitute's" expense) doesn't actually look all that implausible.

I think ACORN is a scummy organization, with -- like many nonprofits -- internal compliance and oversight functions that are probably 20 years out of date, but for this to be what brings them down is, frankly, kind of messed up. A bunch of their footsoldiers get indicted for voter fraud, and no one cares -- thanks to the secret ballot, it's practically impossible to prove voter fraud anyway. But some college student does some cheap videos and the Census terminates their relationship and the Senate votes to bar funding?

It's like when Palin seized control of the terms of the health care debate with a post on her Facebook page. The world has turned absolutely upside down.; 9/17/09, 1:14 PM
chickelit said...: Rep. Darrell Issa just introduced measure to strip ALL federal funding for ACORN. Passed with HUGE bipartisan support. 345-75!; 9/17/09, 1:35 PM
chickelit said...: The world has turned absolutely upside down.

@Balfegor Parts of the USS Policy capsized on 1/20/09. Some people are just to right the ship of state.; 9/17/09, 1:38 PM
jaed said...: Just how many more of these tapes do you suppose they have?

At this point, it wouldn't much surprise me if they had a tape for every ACORN office in the country.

The thing that bothers me is not so much how many offices are this corrupt, but what *else* have they been doing? People who don't bat an eye at discussing tax shelters for income from child sex slavery are people who are probably used to offering their assistance to many unsavory schemes. And those schemes not fictions dreamed up by two citizen journalists with a camera. How many non-fictional evils have these selfsame ACORN employees assisted with?; 9/17/09, 1:42 PM
jaed said...: "Just to be clear, ACORN in not [sic] in the prostitution business," Spach said. (from the WSJ quoting the San Bernadino Sun)

When your spokesperson has to actually say "We're not in the prostitution business"...; 9/17/09, 1:44 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: I usually dislike Stewart immensely. But his riff on ACORN here was really, really good.; 9/17/09, 1:46 PM
knox said...: The mortgage frauds came directly out of Democrat-backed initiatives to get more people to own homes, by lowering the requirements for lending. Liar loans and fraud were the inevitable result, and a federally-juiced bubble and crash were the result.

Pogo, thank you. This is exactly right. They've never really been held accountable. Probably never will.; 9/17/09, 1:53 PM
The Drill SGT said...: Just introduced measure to strip ALL federal funding for ACORN. Passed with HUGE bipartisan support. 345-75!

I'm not convinced this isn't a Bill of Attainder and haven't looked at what the Volokh huys said on the topic.

I like the fact that large majorities of both Houses are now on record though, however,

The Obama guys could have gotten out in front of this quickly using executive powers rather than a Bill of Attainder. seems perfect:

Executive Order 12549, 1986 Reagan.

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, and in order to curb fraud, waste, and abuse in Federal programs, increase agency accountability, and ensure consistency among agency regulations concerning debarment and suspension of participants in Federal programs, it is hereby ordered that:

Section 1. (a) To the extent permitted by law and subject to the limitations in Section 1(c), Executive departments and agencies shall participate in a system for debarment and suspension from programs and activities involving Federal financial and nonfinancial assistance and benefits. Debarment or suspension of a participant in a program by one agency shall have government-wide effect.........; 9/17/09, 1:54 PM
Unknown said...: "but given what the two budding journalists look like, at least one of ACORN's lame defenses (that their people were having fun at the "pimp" and "prostitute's" expense) doesn't actually look all that implausible."

I wouldn't think that's plausible. If someone I don't know comes to my office and starts talking prostitution, I close off communication. If I'm joshing around with someone I know and we start joking around about the topic, you'd be able to tell that my comments are probably off base (unless I was able to do some googling! or call my local Acorn office.) :); 9/17/09, 1:58 PM
EKatz said...: John Stewart's clip was both funny and spot-on.

At the gym last night, CNN was on with a short piece on the ACORN scandal. They showed two short clips from the San Bernardino video (two of the mildest bits), completely left out the 'underaged sex slaves from El Salvador' part and how to launder the money and cover up the fact that it's a brothel (it could pose as a group home! an exotic massage parlor!) and instead made it seem like the 'outrage' was that the San Bernardino worker herself claimed to have once worked as a prostitute. Then they put the head of ACORN on so she could blather about how seriously they were taking this but that really people are out to make them look bad.

That's CNN for you. Such blatantly lopsided and incomplete coverage. And they wonder why so many people have lost trust in mainstream news media.; 9/17/09, 1:59 PM
Der Hahn said...: Balfegor, people almost expect some level of vote fraud in elections but you know what they say about politicans and live boys or dead girls.

and what jaed said. If they regard these conversations as 'having fun with' a pair of goofy kids and not a reason to be absolutely shocked that someone would be asking for help in a prostitution scheme (even in jest), what sorts of real financial arrangements are they facilitating?; 9/17/09, 2:02 PM
Shanna said...: BUT ...what is even more disturbing is the complete and utter lack of concern or shock about the use of illegally imported children as sex slaves. These women, and probably the entire organization, must be amongst the most depraved, soulless bitches on earth. They never even blinked an eye. Absolutely disgusting.

It is absolutely amazing, isn’t it? Not just one, what are we up to 7 or 8 now?

It is impossible to see this and have any illusions that this sort of thing is an unusual occurrence for the ACORN folks. These people do this ALL THE TIME. And these were mostly or all women, too (haven’t seen every video). Disgusting.; 9/17/09, 2:02 PM
A.W. said...: guys, if you watch the actual video, the guy did not show up in that silly pimp outfit. that is just him goofing around to add entertainment value.; 9/17/09, 2:02 PM
Unknown said...: ACORN has always been about taking from people who earned what they have (read Wade Rathke's mission statement for the organization).

Considering all the people who have been slimed, maligned, defamed, and run out of public life by the Lefties in general, and community organizers in particular in some cases, on flimsy or non-existent evidence, that ACORN is getting a taste of Alinsky's medicine is way overdue. That fact that the Lefties are going into convulsions over two kids reporting the long overdue truth with a tube top, his grandmother's Chinchilla coat, and a video camera is the icing on the cake.

Schaudenfreude - he's not just your psychiatrist anymore.; 9/17/09, 2:03 PM
Hoosier Daddy said...: I think ACORN is a scummy organization, with -- like many nonprofits -- internal compliance and oversight functions that are probably 20 years out of date, but for this to be what brings them down is, frankly, kind of messed up.

I see you point but keep in mind that Al Capone was a bootlegger and murderer but after all was said and done, he ended up in prison for tax evasion.; 9/17/09, 2:06 PM
Joe said...: Drill SGT, since this is removing funding, I'm not convinced that this is a bill of attainder. That said, it raises the question of how these yokels got funded in the first place. It also raises issues about using non-governmental proxies to fund government programs. The "faith based" initiative programs have made me very uneasy for this reason (I also suspect that fraud is endemic amongst those organizations as well.) Those Congress persons complaining that "czars" thwart the oversight authority of Congress, need to look at the programs THEY authorized which are resulting in the same thing (and we know it's not accidental--having people do things without oversight so nobody can be held accountable is a classic political move.); 9/17/09, 2:15 PM
Revenant said...: I'm sort of proud that San Diego has its very own ACORN scandal video. I was feeling sort of left out.

I know somebody who used to work in the office, actually. Although given their turnover (they treat their employees like shit) I doubt any former coworkers are still there.; 9/17/09, 2:28 PM
garage mahal said...: It's like when Palin seized control of the terms of the health care debate with a post on her Facebook page. The world has turned absolutely upside down..

Nice feather in the cap for Democrats. Punked by a chick on Facebook. And arguably one of thee dumbest chicks on Facebook, which is saying something. ACORN won't be getting there 3 million per year. I mean, where does that rank in the scheme of things again?; 9/17/09, 2:28 PM
Paul said...: Of course Jon Stewart misses the point. The "legitimate" media is in full coverup mode when it comes to Democrats in general and Obama and his cohorts in particular. His implication is that they were unwittingly scooped. Their sin is duplicity, not incompetence.

And I don't find his exaggerated, juvenile shtick funny. Sorry.; 9/17/09, 2:33 PM
Hoosier Daddy said...: And arguably one of thee dumbest chicks on Facebook, which is saying something.

LOL! Yes it certainly does garage. The smartest President in history gets punked by a dumb chick on Facebook.

And you think this is a plus for your side how?; 9/17/09, 2:36 PM
Paul said...: "And arguably one of thee dumbest chicks on Facebook, which is saying something."

As proclaimed by the dumbest commenter on the internet.

That "chick" is ten times as smart and one hundred times as principled as your precious messiah and the likes of a lowlife schmuck like you isn't fit to even proffer an opinion.; 9/17/09, 2:37 PM
raf said...: Look at this from the ACORN workers' side. They have been immersed in the lefty ethos for, approximately, ever. Illegal immigration is not bad, opposition is racist. Sex work is a legitimate career choice and business, opposition is wacko rightwing territory. Redistribution of wealth is of the highest morality. What is there to object to in this proposed scheme? The underage part? They'll grow out of it, and it may be in their best interest because it gets them to America where they can be part of the ACORN constituency.; 9/17/09, 2:39 PM
Original Mike said...: Wasn't that one of the cities mentions by the Acorn spokesperson where this was tried and failed?

On TV last night, Giles says they were not turned away from a single ACORN office they visited. (Translation: ACORN is lying). Of course, I don't know who's telling the truth (though given ACORN's credibility, I have my suspicions).; 9/17/09, 2:44 PM
Anonymous said...: Hmm, wasn't it a really obscure blog written by an employee of the Human Rights Campaign that basically killed Foley right before the 2006 elections with their outing of his problems with pages? Stop Sex Predators or something like that?

I notice the press had no problem with non-journalists putting out info back then.

But video of people committing crimes is a non-issue?

I wish they'd let us know when it's OK to report and when it's not.; 9/17/09, 2:53 PM
Original Mike said...: I received yet another NYT subscription solicitation in the mail yesterday. I must get one every couple of months. I sent it back (on their dime) explaining that, since I want to be a well informed individual, I limit the transfer of my hard earned dollars to news organizations that report all of the news.; 9/17/09, 3:07 PM
garage mahal said...: That "chick" is ten times as smart and one hundred times as principled as your precious messiah and the likes of a lowlife schmuck like you isn't fit to even proffer an opinion..

You seem to have massive problems with numbers. Are you sure you're a musician? Seriously. And I think you said jazz musician of all things? That's almost as believable as Palin claiming to be a licensed neurosurgeon. For someone that's as obviously miserable and close minded as you I shudder at the type of "jazz" you could even play.; 9/17/09, 3:10 PM
Synova said...: The problem with the theory that the Acorn people were playing with them isn't that the two are so unbelievable (and the sort of are, but I suppose even baby pimps and ho's act like clueless 20 year olds, because they sort of are) the problem is why?

Why play with them? They've got nothing better to do? If someone comes into your place of business and you think they're not serious, how much time do you waste on them? Do you think to yourself, hey, I'm going to string these two along?

I think that the lady in San Bernardino might have been making up stories, or at least embellishing, to make her self seem interesting. These others? Call the cops if you think the two kids are serious, (or at least warn them not to enter a life of crime!) Kick them out if you think they aren't serious.

Oh, wow... I'm listening... the guy just said that his cousins are police. Oh, I soooo wouldn't like to be them just now.; 9/17/09, 3:39 PM
Synova said...: BTW... one thing I've thought about (because human brains are weird and seem determined to screw us over) is how people who might have otherwise objected are maybe drawn in slowly past where they'd usually go... but actually bringing up "these other people threw us out and threatened to call the cops" brings in the moral judgment of others and really does give them the opportunity to recognize and conform to the community standard.; 9/17/09, 3:45 PM
Paul said...: "You seem to have massive problems with numbers. Are you sure you're a musician? Seriously. And I think you said jazz musician of all things? That's almost as believable as Palin claiming to be a licensed neurosurgeon. For someone that's as obviously miserable and close minded as you I shudder at the type of "jazz" you could even play.'

Hahahah!! Me miserable, close minded and innumerate! Pot meet kettle!

Good thing Jack DeJohnette, Jimmy McGriff,and other steller players I've worked with don't have your "knowledge" of jazz.

But I'm the first to admit that being an accomplished artist or academic is usually a guarantee of massive political ignorance, myself excepted.

Seriously garage, you need to get off the Sarah Palin is stoopid meme. It's pathetic, particularly in light of President God Damn America's colossal and amateurish bungling of absolutely everything he's touched.; 9/17/09, 4:00 PM
TosaGuy said...: Tammy Baldwin voted to not strip ACORN funding; 9/17/09, 4:13 PM
garage mahal said...: Sorry, just can't see you sitting in with McGriff, awashed in the sweet soulful sounds of his B3. For some reason I just think you immediately put your hands over your ears. Not saying you're lying, I just can't imagine it. What instrument do you play?; 9/17/09, 4:14 PM
Paul said...: Guitar and saxophone. I was a musician long before I turned to the right politically. All my life as a matter of fact. It's just bigotry on your part to assume soulfulness is owned by left wingers.

I play frequently with a Russian pianist who is a great jazz player and he is well to the right of me politically, due no doubt to having seen first hand the horrors of central planning.

It's the left's conceit and delusion that they are smarter, more evolved, more sensitive, creative, etc.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.; 9/17/09, 4:36 PM
buster said...: The Crack Emcee said:

"Hey, Ann, if I get a camera, etc., will you do a bloggingheads with me?"

I'd very much like to see CE on bloggingheads. Here's hoping Althouse will make it happen.; 9/17/09, 4:49 PM
Bad Penny said...: What I'm curious about is where did the "pimp and ho" get the idea to do this? What on earth made them think that ACORN would help somebody set up a brothel?

Turing word: nition. Nation of nitwits?; 9/17/09, 4:52 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: I think that the lady in San Bernardino might have been making up stories, or at least embellishing, to make her self seem interesting

I have a friend who is a retired motorcycle cop from the East LA area. He states that the San Bernadino lady was high on meth. Drug addict and if he has seen one, he has seen thousands. Is that proof. Nope. Just an observation from someone who dealt with scum every day for 20 years.

She wasn't playing with the journalists. She was delusional, flying high and making shit up to make herself seem interesting. Probably repeating stories that she has heard from her "clients" or has personal knowledge. That was his take on it.

Oh. And she wasn't in the least bit fazed by the idea of underage sex slaves and gave some good insider type advice on how to disguise the operation.

No one is buying ACORN's bullshit anymore.; 9/17/09, 4:53 PM
garage mahal said...: I was a musician long before I turned to the right politically .

Well that explains.; 9/17/09, 4:58 PM
Original Mike said...: No one is buying ACORN's bullshit anymore.

Tammy Baldwin is.; 9/17/09, 4:59 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: @ Synova

"is how people who might have otherwise objected are maybe drawn in slowly past where they'd usually go... "

It is called The Banality of Evil. It doesn't excuse it, however, because not everyone gets sucked into treating evil as an ordinary, pedestrian, daily activity.; 9/17/09, 5:04 PM
Roger J. said...: the silence from our libtards is deafening--where are you montana, montagne, alpha? you must approve of acorn! lets hear a little condemnation! no?; 9/17/09, 5:35 PM
Paul said...: You're a bigot garage. Admit it and then you can begin to change it.

You'd be surprised how many musicians are politically to the right. They remain in the closet as I do because you lefties are for the most part true fascists and you simply and hysterically will not tolerate anyone who isn't a doctrinaire liberal.

That is the essence of bigotry.

Also I might add that I have a huge advantage over you in terms of perspective as I once held leftist viewpoints. I know exactly how you think and exactly what you do not know which allows you to think that way. I'm convinced an intelligent man can be made to believe just about anything if certain data is withheld from him. I know now that the only reason I could maintain my leftist illusions was because the information that countermands the premises of those illusions was simply unknown within my cultural milieu.; 9/17/09, 5:40 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: Paul,

I'm a composer, performer, and recording artist - and I second that emotion. I almost had a rock group ready for the stage, after two months of steady twice-a-week rehearsals, when the entire band pulled out merely because I was a conservative. The guitar player was actually shaking when he told me. We had gotten it down, too - it was really good - but all that hard work meant nothing next to their ideology. And I've rarely felt more alone.

Anyway, that was the end of my experiences with liberals. I've just been accepted to work in a(nother) Jazz band. They're much more conservative - so much so that, after hearing some of my past work, they're worried I'll try to bring a lib perspective to their work. I told 'em no worries.

I've learned my lesson.; 9/17/09, 5:58 PM
garage mahal said...: Oh for fucks sake Paul I was just tweaking you. You need to get over yourself. I didn't go up to Jimmy Smith, or a Pat Metheny after a show I was lucky enough to see and ask them what their politics were. And I don't care. I have literally thousands of jazz cds and I really don't know political affiliations of any of them.

Now shut up and listen to some funk from Garaj Mahal. They're from NoCal and I highly recommend seeing them live.; 9/17/09, 6:13 PM
Revenant said...: What I'm curious about is where did the "pimp and ho" get the idea to do this? What on earth made them think that ACORN would help somebody set up a brothel?

Lucky guess? It isn't like anyone should be surprised that ACORN would support illegal activity. Illegal activity is pretty much their M.O.; 9/17/09, 9:12 PM
Synova said...: "What I'm curious about is where did the "pimp and ho" get the idea to do this? What on earth made them think that ACORN would help somebody set up a brothel?"

In an interview (with Glenn Beck?) Hannah Giles said it was her idea. She's a journalism student on an internship or some-such, and said she was jogging and saw an Acorn office and the idea just popped into her head.

What she didn't say and I'm guessing is that this was probably in the context of "investigative reporting" being a subject in her schooling. Maybe not consciously, but sort of looking around for an idea of who to "investigate". She said she saw the office and thought (sounding *exactly* the age she is) "I don't like them" and went on to think... I wonder what would happen if...

It wasn't clear from the interview if she was friends with O'Keefe, knew him, or only knew he'd done an undercover Planned Parenthood expose... but she gave him a call and described her idea.

He said "Are you willing to play the prostitute?"

She emptied her savings to pay for it.; 9/17/09, 9:39 PM
dick said...: IF you look at who voted against defunding ACORN, the votes are really interesting. I noted that the whole Mass delegation but Barney Frank voted against defunding ACORN. Barney did not even vote. All the usual suspects voted to fund them. Very strange. What were these fools thinking.; 9/18/09, 1:06 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: I bought a webcam yesterday. $100.00. Now Apple is hitting me up for a .mac subscription for another $100.00, but I'm not paying for anything further until I hear from Ann.

C'mon, Ann, you gotta be sick of the same ol' same ol', aint ya?; 9/18/09, 7:04 AM
Peter Hoh said...: Crack, Apples just supposed to give it away? Let's hear it for capitalism.

As for me, I'm not yet sold on mac.com. My trial expired before I discovered any awesome capabilities that made me want to drop real cash for it.; 9/18/09, 8:58 AM
Peter Hoh said...: I wrote: The right response was, "Pardon me while I go get someone who has more experience in these matters."

And that someone else should have been a cop.

Chickenlittle responded: But that wasn't the response was it?
Peter, perhaps instead of deflecting and protecting the indefensible, you should try defending ACORN on general principles?

Where's my defense of ACORN? I've been pro-expose since the story broke. Look at the earlier threads if you don't believe me. Repeating "ACORN got nailed, deservedly" doesn't add squat to the conversation.

If you think that I was suggesting that ACORN workers should have called the police because these two were videotaping a poorly-disguised sting, you are leaping to conclusions based on something other than reality.

ACORN workers should have called the police because these two were telling of their alleged child prostitution ring. Police, the INS, and Child Protective Services should have been called ASAP.; 9/18/09, 9:12 AM
Anonymous said...: did ACORN helps charlie rangel with his tax filings?; 9/18/09, 11:45 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Mac.com annoys me. It was too expensive to use instead of Flickr for photos, and I end up paying every year for almost nothing.; 9/18/09, 9:25 PM
Peter Hoh said...: I realize that I worry about unlikely scenarios, but I would like to see flickr offer an archive option. Something that would stand in case some vandal managed to delete my photos some way or another (after having stolen my laptop, for instance).; 9/19/09, 9:54 AM