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Liberal activist organization ACORN is in big trouble. Over the summer two young filmmakers posing as a pimp and prostitute sought and received advice from ACORN on how to conceal elicit activities.
A week later the House and Senate voted to stop all funding to the group, which raises the question – can ACORN survive without the taxpayer? And was it a conservative crusade or rather widespread corruption that landed ACORN in such controversy? We’ve got answers to those questions from FOX, Salon.com, the Washington Examiner, CBS News, Gawker and more.
To highlight exactly how dependent ACORN is on federal funding, the conservative-leaning Washington Examiner and blog Quipster give the story some ‘financial context’.
“…ACORN has received at least $53 million in federal money since 1994.”
Blog Quipster builds on that number with research from the Consumers Rights League.
“From 2004 through 2006, government funds accounted for 40 percent of the group’s $18.3 million in revenue.”
But NPR gets far different numbers from ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis.
“ACORN has received millions over the years but Bertha Lewis says federal funds make up only about 2 percent of the group’s budget. And that ACORN plans to continue its work helping the poor with or without government aid.”FOX’s Bill O’Reilly, a long time ACORN critic, compiled a video montage of Lewis on American news networks claiming it was a set up and ACORN will survive.
“We are not going to take this lying down. We believe that, in fact we know that this was a form of entrapment and yes we’re going to go after this videographer and FOX.” “FOX and the right wing to have the stoop to a made up scenario in one thing but as you know and as I’ve said over and over again, they did, those people were reprehensible.”
But the network isn’t backing down either. FOX anchor Megyn Kelly hints ACORN is on the verge of collapse. She points out that Democrats have always been behind ACORN – until now.
“Now in a week’s time, the congressional reaction, the response by the Feds has been really stunning. I mean for years the Democrats in Congress have not wanted to sign on to anything that would cut back funding from ACORN and now we see these huge majorities coming out of the Senate and the House to cut down, cut off the group’s funding.”A Salon.com editorial has a different view. Joe Conason writes the end of federal funding won’t destroy ACORN. He says what is important is the quote “right-wing crusade” behind ACORN’s troubles.
“For many years the combined forces of the far right and the Republican Party have sought to ruin ACORN, the largest organization of poor and working families in America. Owing to the idiocy of a few ACORN employees, notoriously caught in a videotape "sting" sponsored by a conservative Web site and publicized by Fox News, that campaign has scored significant victories on Capitol Hill and in the media.”
CBS News says regardless, ACORN’s reputation will be hard to repair.
“No matter who’s to blame, long term damage to the poverty rights organization may already be done.” “Now I don’t believe it was accidental that this video caught ACORN employees delivering the same message in different cities. They magnify a troubling, systemic and a criminal pattern.”
Yet a Miami Herald editorial believes ACORN’s reputation is repairable, it just needs a quote “top-down clean-up if it is to survive.” Gawker.com seconds that with…
“Rather than trying to blame conservative groups for all of its problems, perhaps ACORN should take a good, hard look at its staff, actions and methods and make some changes, because, if it doesn’t, there’s little chance it can come out on top and not look like a bunch of paranoid activists who are shaking their fists at an invisible enemy.” So do you think ACORN can survive? Do you think the sting was part of a conservative crusade? Or was it just the outing of a corrupt organization?
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