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Media Matters
PolitiFact's Fixers
(Page 2 of 4)
Eventually he ends the tortuous suspense and declares the assertion "absurd" and "irresponsibly misleading on several levels" as the Truth-O-Meter officially pronounces the claim "False."
But is it?
Not at all. As Farley acknowledged, I am the original source for the $8.5 billion figure that was reported by the Washington Examiner. I covered the complexities of housing finance on Capitol Hill for nearly seven years as a reporter in the Washington bureau of the venerable Wall Street daily, the Bond Buyer. Here's how I came up with the amount.
The $800 billion-plus stimulus bill that President Obama signed into law Feb. 17 contains $2 billion in funds for housing redevelopment and $1 billion for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). Separately, the proposed $47.5 billion fiscal 2010 budget for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides $1 billion for an affordable housing trust fund and $4.5 billion in CDBG funds.
There is no legal impediment of which I am aware that would prevent ACORN taking in the whole $3 billion sum from the stimulus package, which has already been enacted. There is also no bar to ACORN taking in the entire $5.5 billion from the HUD budget, which is pending before Congress.
In other words, ACORN is indeed eligible for the whole $8.5 billion, as Bachmann said.
The congresswoman said much the same thing on the May 18 edition on CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight. Debating ACORN ally House Financial Services Committee chairman Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts), Bachmann, a former tax litigation attorney, chose her words carefully.
She said she was worried about the fact that ACORN and other political advocacy organizations would "have access potentially to $8.5 billion" in federal funds:
Well, what I am concerned about is the eligibility criteria of organizations who have access to government grants. ACORN has received approximately $53 million since the early 1990s. Now, between the stimulus and the budget that was passed by President Obama, they have access potentially to $8.5 billion.
She again stressed the issue of eligibility during the broadcast, saying "we are talking about potential of access to ACORN or other similarly situated groups of $8.5 billion in grants." Bachmann never said ACORN alone was going to receive $8.5 billion, but Farley then proceeds as if she had, writing a news article that depicts something quite different from what actually transpired.
Farley states correctly that CDBG is an old program created in the 1970s. "To the extent ACORN has been eligible for CDBG money for decades, it is available to ACORN now."
Misinterpreting the evidence before him, he opines that "ACORN isn't eligible for CDBG funding. At least not for the controversial voter registration efforts that Republican leaders claim are a willful effort to forward the group's liberal agenda."
"We checked, and there is no money in the stimulus package or the budget for voter registration programs," Farley writes. "So if ACORN Housing was to apply for and receive CDBG money, it would be for a very specific project. And legally, it could not be transferred to other ACORN affiliates to perform political activities like voter registration."
But ACORN has somehow managed to get its hands on CDBG funds, according to House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio). In a letter to President Bush Oct. 22, he wrote that his staff had determined that "ACORN has received more than $31 million in direct funding from the federal government since 1998, and has likely received substantially more indirectly through states and localities that receive federal block grants."
ACORN is notorious for its huge financial transfers from one affiliate in the network to another. "ACORN is constantly shifting funding," he quoted me saying. "The problem is that ACORN transfers vast sums of money around in its network all the time. We don't know whether the money would be spent on voter registration or other activities."
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WRTolkas| 5.28.09 @ 8:07AM
As well as "Remember Pearl Harbor" did Davy.
George Hayduke| 5.28.09 @ 8:12AM
Anyone who has followed Michele Bachmann's ugly political career can attest to the fact that she is, indeed, guilty of serial outrage--and it's always phony. Whether it's gays or light rail or compact fluorescent light bulbs or ACORN, Bachmann is a fraud and a pathological liar and frauds like Matthew Vadum get reeled in like the suckers they are every time.
Brooks Butler| 5.28.09 @ 8:19AM
David Matthews' comment on this article is what one would expect from a Marxist Alinskyite.
"Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, polarize it. " He uses ridicule, another Alinsky tactic.
Put Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann together in the right national venue and the leftists would probably all have strokes.
grzmlyk| 5.28.09 @ 8:32AM
1) When you're a liberal, you adhere to the NY Times's motto: Some stories are too good to fact check.
2) When you're a liberal, facts are the enemy.
3) When you're a liberal, you are a card-carrying member of the uber-menschen - those rarefied elites who "understand" that inconvenient facts may be crushed with impunity in the service of the "Higher Truth."
4) The "Higher Truth" is ravenous, insatiable, onminverous, brutal, naked power.
5) The only difference between Obama's ACORN and Hitler's Schutzstaffel (SS) is the uniforms.
6) That will change.
7) The American taxpayer has the distinct honor of picking up the exhorbitant tab for the bayonets that will eviscerate him/her.
grzmlyk| 5.28.09 @ 8:48AM
Anyone who has followed George Hayduke's ugly life can attest to the fact that he is, indeed, guilty of serial outrage -- and it's always phony.
Whatever the pet liberal project he's there lying about it: gays, light rail, compact fluorescent light bulbs and ACORN. Hayduke never deals with the issues; instead, predictably and unfailingly, he attacks the messenger.
Hayduke is is a fraud and a pathological liar and he has a temper tantrum when perspicacous reporters like Matthew Vadum refuse to be intimidated and tell the truth.
Facts are to the left what water was to the Wicked Witch of the West.
Old Texican| 5.28.09 @ 9:24AM
Brooks
What a great idea! Lets do try to get Sarah and Michelle in the same room!
Gryzmlyk...or whatever (say, is that the name of the Superman character from the fifth dimension?)
You just posted the comment I was going to try to write.
You did a splendid job though and I am going to just quote you!
""When you're a liberal, you adhere to the NY Times's motto: Some stories are too good to fact check.
2) When you're a liberal, facts are the enemy.
3) When you're a liberal, you are a card-carrying member of the uber-menschen - those rarefied elites who "understand" that inconvenient facts may be crushed with impunity in the service of the "Higher Truth."
4) The "Higher Truth" is ravenous, insatiable, onminverous, brutal, naked power.
5) The only difference between Obama's ACORN and Hitler's Schutzstaffel (SS) is the uniforms.
6) That will change.
7) The American taxpayer has the distinct honor of picking up the exhorbitant tab for the bayonets that will eviscerate him/her. ""
I would only demur on your point 7.
I might begin that point with these words:
The American tax-payer will ultimately decline the distinct honor...
Turk| 5.28.09 @ 9:46AM
Matttyouse oh lenin/hiss lover. Back trying to smother conservative discourse??? You dont exist do you? Thats why you wont/can't answer the questions! Youre just a radical GROUP hoping to stifle America, aren't you? Let me repeat my last in the list: what did your bunch of leftists do on Memorial Day? What branch did you serve?? C'mon; answer the questions!!!
PS I missed you guys on Tyrells article today. Sensitive about the ACLU scum???
KevlarKevin| 5.28.09 @ 10:29AM
It's good to see that David Mathews is back.
Without comments from lying, undermedicated scumbags like him this blog just ain't the same.
Dai Alanye| 5.28.09 @ 10:37AM
ACORN seems the proper target for a RICO investigation. Too bad that when Republicans are in power the Justice Department never seems to go after anti-American organizations and individuals with the zest the Dem-controlled Justice Dept goes after—let us say, for example, among other patriots—the American Spectator.
As for Michelle Bachman, it's good to know she's such a stand-up kind of woman. I think I'm ready for an all-female ticket in 2012. Sarah and Michelle—beauty and fortitude on both sides.
Pete| 5.28.09 @ 10:43AM
Keep up the good work, Mr. Vadum. This kind of crap needs to be exposed and re-exposed until the MSM can no longer ignore it. Next up, the Chicago style treatment of GOP donor Chrysler dealers. You just can't make this stuff up, these people are the scum of the earth.
Gill O'Teen| 5.28.09 @ 10:54AM
I recall something about an allegedly neutral fact-checking organization claiming last year that obumassiah never voted to kill American Citizens who had just managed to beat the odds and survived the attempts of so-called doctors to shred their newborn bodies, and that any attempts to claim such was simply false. True, he never voted FOR the Born Alive Infant Protection Acts; he did vote AGAINST. But the bill sought to protect the lives of these babies, so his vote was to deny them the basic health care they needed to survive. The obumarrhoid truth is whatever they say it is. It is a variable, revised to fit their argument as convenient. I’m sorry that I don’t recall which truth checker I’m thinking about, but it was used as verification that I was full of it when I commented on obumassiah’s votes last year. I still don’t get why the lemmings continue to attack Governor Palin. Her team lost last November and she has been exiled as close to Siberia as it gets in this country.
JoeJazz| 5.28.09 @ 11:32AM
Dave? Where's Dave? Did I arrive too late?
Mike| 5.28.09 @ 1:14PM
gryzmlyk
When you're a conservative, everything uttered by Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter, Malkin and Ingraham is gospel.
When you're a conservative, reason is the enemy.
When you're a conservative, you think your ideology is the "Only Truth."
When you're a conservative, you love Tom DeLay and the idea of a single party system. In other words, you lust for absolute power - Lord Acton be damned.
The only difference between "W," McConnell, John Boehner and the Scare Crow in the Wizard of Oz is that the latter had a brain.
If you're a conservative, you'll gladly pay for star wars and then wonder why it didn't prevent another terrorist attack.
All that I have written above is ridiculous, but it is fun the mirror the bs of some writers to this forum.
o2miller| 5.28.09 @ 1:16PM
Yeah - where is Dave?? I am new at this, but I like Dave already.
Turk| 5.28.09 @ 1:32PM
Dave bugged out. He refuses to answer questions! He's not a real person! A figment of the imagination of several leftists.
Angel| 5.28.09 @ 9:15PM
Mike, star wars was supposed to prevent terrorist attacks? You mean 'star wars' should have knocked those airliners down on September 11, 2001 before they flew into our buildings? I never knew that--I thought 'star wars' was a missile defense shield designed to protect us from nuclear attack. Could you be any more stupid?
wrinkle cream| 5.29.09 @ 5:52AM
i like this article and its all comments are very nice.
CONSTITUTION AL| 5.30.09 @ 10:22PM
ACORN IS NOTHING MORE THAN AN OBAMA DEMOCRAT CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION WHOSE SOLE PURPOSE IS TO STEAL TAXPAYERS MONEY TO COMMIT VOTER FRAUD TO KEEP DEMOCRATS IN OFFICE BY STEALING ELECTIONS. CAN SOMEONE GET ACORN'S FINACIAL RECORDS THROUGH THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT? THIS CRIME MUST BE STOPPED AND THE GUILTY PUT UNDER THE JAIL BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP ARE GUTLESS CO-CONSPIRITERS BECAUSE THEY KEEP LETTING THE DEMOCRATS GET AWAY WITH THESE CRIMES. IT'S TIME TO GET RID OF THESE COMPROMISING RINOSAURS AND REPLACE THEM WITH SOME FRESH FREEDOM FIGHTERS WITH SPINES WHO AREN'T AFRAID TO STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT.
Pingback| 6.3.09 @ 10:17AM
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Tenn Slim| 6.10.09 @ 10:46AM
Cap(italist) and Soc(ialist) Socratic Discourse, again.
Cap: A very well detailed piece on ACORN. Lots of stuff there to digest. ACORN does indeed, seem to have circles within circles. Soc, can you cut thru this Gordian knot to the truth?
Soc: Of course. ACORN serves as the Funder Money laundering system. A fine organization, dedicated to moving dollars, to support the various causes. It is simply a group of accountants, green eye shaders, (Not my social group at all, all they discuss is money), doing thier appointed tasks.
Cap: Seems the knot extends well into the bowels of the Congress, the OBNA, the Funders Progressive Media networks and who knows where. Can we untangle the knot, can we stop the money flow.?
Soc: Why would you want to do that? The money flow, from the Funders, to the deployed grunts on the streets, keeps the movement going. Read the Text "Masters of Deceit" circa 1953, Re Read old Sauls' texts, its all in there. The tactics, the methods, the controls of money via NGOs, ACORNs etc, no deviation here.
Cap: If this goes forward, can we expect to see ACORNers guiding the elections, the polls, the NGOs, the local city communities action groups, etc.?
Soc. Money and as you know, the results, always flow down to the lowest common denominator, the Streets. Follow the money, dont listen to the rhetoric, watch the actual results, and if possible predict the event prior to thier implementation. Only then can youall survive. Probably let the cat out of the bag here, but I enjoy talking.
end
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