The trashing of ACORN. How the far right smashed help for the poor.

[TheBigotBasher]

ight wing crooks and liars have pulled off one of the most stunning assaults on progressive organizing in decades. I’m speaking specifically about the forced dissolution of ACORN and the manufactured public anger at the organization’s “scandals.” The assault on ACORN, however, is symbolic of a larger social problem, namely the effort by conservatives and “free marketers” to blame the housing collapse and economic crisis on progressive community activists and “big government.” This campaign is particularly menacing at a time when corporatist voices are leading the effort to kill meaningful financial reform of Wall Street.

Conservatives’ hatred for ACORN arises from the fact that the group historically organized poor and minority communities to demand increased social welfare services and government regulation of abusive business practices. Some of the most visible attacks on the group reach back to the 2008 election, when a small minority of ACORN’s canvassers were accused of “voter fraud” by registering false names such as “Brad Pitt” or “Mickey Mouse.” A search of the Lexis Nexis academic database shows that this “scandal” received widespread coverage, as ACORN was referenced in more than 300 programs (nearly seven a day) on Fox, MSNBC, and CNN combined in the month and a half run-up to the election.

Contrary to conservative claims, there’s nothing surprising about poor ACORN canvassers artificially boosting their registration rolls in order to earn more money. Furthermore, false registrations are not evidence of “voter fraud,” short of conclusive evidence that someone claiming to be Mickey Mouse actually showed up at the polls to vote. These simple points, however, didn’t stop Republican presidential and vice presidential candidates John McCain and Sarah Palin from attacking ACORN for “destroying the fabric of democracy” and for “steal” the 2008 election.

Also left out of the conservative attack on ACORN was the fact that the bogus registrations were only identified because ACORN itself alerted state authorities of the forms, flagging any that were deemed suspicious. While some might argue that ACORN should have filtered out the fake registrations, state laws required ACORN to submit the forms for review, so as to avoid charges of tampering. If there’s an electoral scandal involving ACORN, it centers on state governments’ refusal to automatically register all voting age adults. This should have been the main concern of conservatives attacking ACORN – but these individuals were motivated by partisan, rather than democratic considerations.

http://www.counterpunch.org/dimaggio05102010.html

The rest of the article is ESSENTIAL reading.

[depakid]

1. ...with the help of cowardly and complicit Democrats.

[TheBigotBasher]

2. Indeed. That was a cowardly decision.

The last two paragraphs of the article are quite telling

Media coverage clearly had a significant impact on encouraging opposition to ACORN, as 80 per cent of those who followed the pimp video “scandal” “very closely” felt that all federal aid should be cut off. The mediated scandals against ACORN have had the effects conservatives hoped for; by March of 2010, half of ACORN’s 30 state chapters had been closed down, with the organization declaring that the remaining branches would also disband as a result of the media’s attack and declining revenues. Most disturbing about ACORN’s demise is the open admission from conservatives like Bill O’Reilly that their opposition springs from their contempt for the poor. O’Reilly condemns ACORN as a “quasi-socialist organization” and for pursuing a “Robin Hood” strategy of “take from the rich give to the poor.” As O’Reilly lucidly asked on his program, “should the government have the right to take my money and give it to people who are poor?”

The campaign to rewrite the history of the economic crisis carries with it dire implications. On one level, it demonstrates the viciousness of right wing reactionaries, who are willing to fabricate stories and blatantly lie to the public to get what they want and destroy their political enemies, no matter the cost. On another level, this conservative campaign will make it increasingly difficult to pursue meaningful financial regulations of Wall Street, especially if the public is convinced that progressive activists lobbying for system-wide reform are themselves responsible for the economic crisis. If “big government” created the recession – rather than deregulation and unconstrained corporate power, then why support further government intervention in “efficiently” functioning “free markets?” All the more reason to publicize the true story at a time when Wall Street friendly financial “reforms” are being proposed by leading Democrats in Congress. Without a real social movement for change, little is likely to materialize in terms of promoting progressive regulation of Wall Street.

[depakid]

3. Cowardly and self-defeating

[bobbolink]

5. And you notice the deafening outrage of "progressives"?

:(

[laughingliberal]

6. True

We've seen plenty of ACORN bashing right here on DU.

[bobbolink]

9. Yet, they can't understand why we poor folk get ANGRY.

They aren't getting that the rage is building in the ranks of the bottom-rungers.

One day, it will explode, because they refuse to listen.... just judge us for being angry. "You're hurting your own cause." Like that has never been said about justice movements. :eyes:

Some people need to rerread their Malcolm X and Black Panther literature, not to mention the Suffragists!

[TheBigotBasher]

11. Far too many were willing to jump on

racist propaganda dressed as news. They then wonder why they lose.

[bobbolink]

26. Racist, yes, but more so Classist.

Dems just can't deal with classism at all.

[izquierdista]

13. Note to Bill

The "government" is the one who keeps the poor from shooting you and taking it in the first place.

[bobbolink]

4. .

:applause:

I would NEVER vote for any of those who voted to defund ACORN!

[Enthusiast]

33. This was most disturbing of all.

And coordinated attacks on ACORN started way back. The media (including NPR) was as helpful as can be to Republican efforts to destroy ACORN.

[Rex]

7. They used the exact same tactics to steal the 2000 election!

Sad how effective it is even today, Repukes are criminally minded scum.

[TheBigotBasher]

10. In part because Democratic politicians allow it to happen.

They act like pussies when Republicans just outright lie, so the silence is accepted as legitimate and the lie stands.

They are doing the same to a whole religion.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8342588

[Rex]

31. Al Sharpton stood out in the rain in front of the news and said it was wrong

people threw eggs at the limo that had Bushy in it on their victory drive. That was the extent of it all so ya...we will never win if we enable Repukes to feel they can get away with crimes.

[Richard Steele]

8. K&R

[Forkboy]

12. K&R

[Radical Activist]

14. The right doesn't want an anti-authoritarian left group organizing the poor and middle class.

They want tea parties to be the only populist option for the disaffected poor. They definitely don't want the sort of radical left wing organizing that happened during the great depression. ACORN had to be eliminated.

[depakid]

15. Neither does the center right "leadership" in the Democratic party, from the looks of it

[Radical Activist]

16. Or most established progressive organizations

if you want to start blaming everyone who didn't defend ACORN.

[depakid]

23. Just telling it like it is- and not distorting matters to cover for the center right politicians

[TheBigotBasher]

17. It was not even that radical.

They encouraged and assisted low income families where they could in to home ownership, which to me is not "radical". It is from a UK perspective very conservative. I do however accept that what would be "conservative" in the US would be considered fascist in Europe and conversely the European centre right is considered communist by the GOP and its friends.

Where would Angela Merkel fit in to US politics?

[Radical Activist]

18. That's true if you're talking about ACORN Housing.

But if you're talking about the legally separate ACORN that does community organizing, the yes, they are fairly radical left wing. Their goal was to build coalitions across race lines between low-income and middle class workers to directly empower communities to fight for their own interests. They were already starting to stop foreclosures with direct action tactics like left groups did during the Great Depression. Banks were scared shitless of that idea spreading.

[bobbolink]

27. Heavens to Mergatroid! Alliances between poor and middleclass people!

:scared:

[MH1]

19. It's a shame that's at counterpuke

I have to unrec just for that. Although the article does seem good. If published on a credible site I would read it.

[Forkboy]

22. Oy vey.

:eyes:

[TheBigotBasher]

24. I found the article when I was trying to find out what happened to the crook

O'Keefe.

The "Palin hacker" is looking at 20 years but O'Keefe is likely to get off with a fine at most. Justice. It is not blind.

[Canuckistanian]

20. ACORN was a fiasco for progressives

And why? Because they never defended themselves. The Baltimore ACORN office FIRED the employees involved in the video. WRONG MOVE.

They should have backed their employees to the hilt. But when the employees were fired, the media had a field day and suddenly ACORN was guilty of a "coverup". The rest was predictable.

Why do progressives always fold like a cheap card table when under pressure?

[bobbolink]

25. Ummm, maybe because... WE HAVE NO SUPPORT.

[aquart]

21. And I recall DUers going right along with it.

Not questioning the story or its intent. Oh, their outrage! Oh, their zeal to show the Republicans how we can clean house best.

[jotsy]

28. And they're not done.

The Greenlining Institute, an organization with a similar charter in California is said to be the new target of conservatives.

[Enthusiast]

34. They will never be done.

They have engaged in 'dirty tricks' for decades. It is their MO.

[jotsy]

36. Compromised beings

who remain intent impeding any progress not of their design, likely as a result of their inability to interact beyond a grade school clique level. I think a lot lately about a trendy moment in the late 80's surrounding the notion that all any of us needed to succeed, we learned in kindergarten; it was the whole "I don't know if I can, but I can sure try" thing. So does that mean all we ever needed to learn about politics was in the fourth grade, from bullying, manipulative liars at lunch recess?

[Enthusiast]

37. You've nailed it.

A dangerous combination of bullies and their weak minded followers. Where have we seen that before.

[jotsy]

38. Only everywhere you look!

Religious cults

Blackwater's brigade of brainless beer belching bull dogs on the billionaires beat

The right wing media machine living on that sub I call the yellow sub regime, the yellow sub regime, the yellow sub regime.

Law enforcement that places a higher priority on the citizenry showing 'proper deference' than keeping peace.

Banksters

The anti union crowd.

The health insurance industry, don't take my word for it, ask Physicians for a National Health Plan.

And of course the ultimate personification of human atrocity, a guy I've always referred to as Wicked Dickie, recently re-dubbed Slicky Dick. Rove is little more than a ring kissing crony as runner of the rimnods, comparatively speaking.


If you've seen the little girl dance video that's gone...viral, I think is the expression, nothing is beyond tainting. Even innocent and awesome talented performers who will pay a price in terms of public ridicule for the poor decisions made by the adults in their lives, rather than allowed to feel what I think they should, which is pride for what they've accomplished as physical artists.

Rant concluded. And so ensues the existential battle between the hardened and heartier hearts.

edited for typo.

[Hekate]

29. We watched it happen, and it made me sick. From Rove's young protege to the MSM to Congress...

... they were all jumping on the bandwagon and gleefully treating this like the latest celebrity sex scandal instead of doing the most minimal amount of research. Even here we still have posters decrying ACORN's alleged wrongdoing in the matter of voter registration.

Just know: when the powerful decide to bring you down, even just to show they can, no one will stand up for you but your own mother.

Hekate

[scarletwoman]

30. "when the powerful decide to bring you down,even just to show they can,no one will stand up for you"

Yup. That certainly was made abundantly clear right here on DU.

[raouldukelives]

32. Pretty funny when 60 seconds of Fox News

Contains more "clever" editing and misleading statements than all of Michael Moore's work combined.

[NJmaverick]

35. K & R!