Bachmann Calls on Congress to Block Funds to ACORN

[chernmax (Premo)]

Bachmann Calls on Congress to Block Funds to ACORN - Presidential Politics | Political News - FOXNews.com


Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann called on Congress Thursday to block ACORN's access to federal housing funds, citing repeated charges of voter registration fraud against the low-income advocacy group.

The Republican congresswoman, flanked by an ACORN whistleblower and an attorney who worked on an ACORN case in Pennsylvania, escalated a media offensive against the group, which is a favorite target of conservatives who claim liberals are unjustly protecting a dysfunctional organization by allowing it access to taxpayer money.

"ACORN, as you know, is no stranger to the spotlight," Bachmann said outside the Capitol. "Yet no matter how many times prosecutors investigate and even indict ACORN and their employees, they emerge unblemished as far as the federal government is concerned from having access to federal tax dollars."

Bachmann, who hit the same themes in an op-ed in the Washington Times on Wednesday, complained that House Democrats killed her amendment to block organizations indicted for voter fraud from receiving federal housing money. She said ACORN has received at least $53 million in tax dollars since 1994, and that she will have new legislation in the coming weeks.

"We simply believe that the bar needs to be very high," she said.

The call for congressional action comes after Nevada officials filed voter registration fraud charges against ACORN last week, and Pennsylvania authorities charged seven local ACORN workers with forging voter registration forms.

In the Nevada case, officials alleged the group illegally based employment and compensation on a quota system for voter registration. The group required canvassers to register 20 voters per shift or be fired, officials said, and gave bonus money to canvassers who registered more than 20 people.

ACORN spokesman Scott Levenson recently told FOX News that the group does not institute a quota system as a matter of national policy, but that in Nevada, "We had a bad employee."

But Anita MonCrief, a former ACORN worker, echoed Bachmann in describing the advocacy group as a sham. She said senior staffers train employees to avoid asking whether people are already registered to vote when they sign up residents, resulting in "thousands and thousands" of duplicates, and criminal problems for the employees.

"The employees were being thrown under the bus," she said. "[Senior staff] stood on the backs of the poor in order to make money for their organization."

Attorney Heather Heidelbaugh, who appeared with Bachmann, accused lawmakers and the mainstream media of avoiding the ACORN issue.

"We've had a swine flu scare here in the United States. I think there's denial flu in Congress," she said. "It's either a case of serious denial or complicity."

[ImnoMensa]

Originally Posted by chernmax

Bachmann Calls on Congress to Block Funds to ACORN - Presidential Politics | Political News - FOXNews.com


Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann called on Congress Thursday to block ACORN's access to federal housing funds, citing repeated charges of voter registration fraud against the low-income advocacy group.

The Republican congresswoman, flanked by an ACORN whistleblower and an attorney who worked on an ACORN case in Pennsylvania, escalated a media offensive against the group, which is a favorite target of conservatives who claim liberals are unjustly protecting a dysfunctional organization by allowing it access to taxpayer money.

"ACORN, as you know, is no stranger to the spotlight," Bachmann said outside the Capitol. "Yet no matter how many times prosecutors investigate and even indict ACORN and their employees, they emerge unblemished as far as the federal government is concerned from having access to federal tax dollars."

Bachmann, who hit the same themes in an op-ed in the Washington Times on Wednesday, complained that House Democrats killed her amendment to block organizations indicted for voter fraud from receiving federal housing money. She said ACORN has received at least $53 million in tax dollars since 1994, and that she will have new legislation in the coming weeks.

"We simply believe that the bar needs to be very high," she said.

The call for congressional action comes after Nevada officials filed voter registration fraud charges against ACORN last week, and Pennsylvania authorities charged seven local ACORN workers with forging voter registration forms.

In the Nevada case, officials alleged the group illegally based employment and compensation on a quota system for voter registration. The group required canvassers to register 20 voters per shift or be fired, officials said, and gave bonus money to canvassers who registered more than 20 people.

ACORN spokesman Scott Levenson recently told FOX News that the group does not institute a quota system as a matter of national policy, but that in Nevada, "We had a bad employee."

But Anita MonCrief, a former ACORN worker, echoed Bachmann in describing the advocacy group as a sham. She said senior staffers train employees to avoid asking whether people are already registered to vote when they sign up residents, resulting in "thousands and thousands" of duplicates, and criminal problems for the employees.

"The employees were being thrown under the bus," she said. "[Senior staff] stood on the backs of the poor in order to make money for their organization."

Attorney Heather Heidelbaugh, who appeared with Bachmann, accused lawmakers and the mainstream media of avoiding the ACORN issue.

"We've had a swine flu scare here in the United States. I think there's denial flu in Congress," she said. "It's either a case of serious denial or complicity."

She may as well go out and be flatulent in a 100 mph wind.

Acorn is backed by The Messiah and his good friend Barney Frank and the CBC, It's a done deal.

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by ImnoMensa

She may as well go out and be flatulent in a 100 mph wind.

Acorn is backed by The Messiah and his good friend Barney Frank and the CBC, It's a done deal.

That doesn't mean you don't make the fight.

One of the problems with the right vs. the left is that the left is willing to take small gains as long as the fight is going forward whereas the GOP, as evidenced especially around here, prefers to throw their hands up in the air, blame everyone else for being far too powerful to battle and quit.