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Media Matters
PolitiFact's Fixers
(Page 3 of 4)
And of course, even though neither Bachmann nor I actually said ACORN Housing was necessarily going to be the protagonist in this publicly funded drama, Farley keeps pounding away. He accepts at face value a dubious statement by ACORN executive director Steven Kest that ACORN won't apply for or receive a large chunk of the federal money in the stimulus package or HUD budget.
Farley cites an Employment Policies Institute report that states that ACORN Housing "has paid more than $5 million in fees or grants to other ACORN entities." He notes that the report does not claim "that federal tax dollars were shifted into ACORN voter registration efforts."
For the record, after Farley interviewed me I followed up with more research. Some hours later I emailed him a list of suspicious transactions that ACORN Housing disclosed in its tax returns from 1997 through 2006. For that period alone, I identified more than $4 million in unusual transfers to other ACORN affiliates. The largest individual transaction was a $947,609 grant in Tax Year 2004 to the American Institute for Social Justice, an ACORN affiliate.
The institute has taken in money for voter drives from foundations such as the Wallace Global Fund. According to its own website, the institute trains community organizers "to build and mobilize a constituency for change needed to transform poor communities"
And ACORN Housing discloses in the aforementioned tax returns that it received more than $18 million in federal money from 1997 through 2006.
Given the constant, well-documented shifting of funds within the nebulous ACORN network, how can Farley say with a straight face after his superficial examination of the facts that he knows for certain that federal tax dollars were not shifted into the ACORN network's voter registration efforts?
No one involved in the ACORN mess seems able to explain why ACORN Housing and other ACORN affiliates that are not supposed to be involved in elections routinely send money to ACORN affiliates such as the institute whose sole purpose is to organize and participate in the electoral process.
This is not to say that I don't understand Farley's desire to show his readers that in all likelihood ACORN won't get $8.5 billion from Uncle Sam this year. That's legitimate journalism. But instead of making that straightforward point, he chose instead to attack Congresswoman Bachmann, a favorite target of the left, and to try to depict her as a shameless liar.
That's reprehensible.
A more honest ruling by PolitiFact might have taken this form: "True, ACORN is eligible for $8.5 billion in federal funding but based on the evidence we don't think ACORN will get anything close to that amount from the federal government this year."
But that's not what Farley wrote.
Should anyone really be surprised that PolitiFact, part of the St. Petersburg Times, would have a liberal bias?
On Oct. 24, PolitiFact gave then-vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's statement that Obama would "experiment with socialism" a "Pants on Fire" ruling.
An editorial in Wednesday's print edition of the newspaper hails President Obama's selection of undistinguished radical jurist Sonia Sotomayor to fill the Supreme Court slot of retiring Justice David Souter. As if reading from an administration press release, the newspaper gushes that Sotomayor is someone with a "powerful intellect who demonstrates compassion and a common touch."
On May 22 an editorial lauded the president for a recent speech in which he "laid out a cogent framework to return to the rule of law in the future treatment of terrorism suspects and close the prison." Former Vice President Dick Cheney, on the other hand, was described as spewing "vitriol" and "recklessly" arguing that Obama's policies were encouraging more terrorist attacks.
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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
Biased PolitiFact.com Covers for ACORN, Attacks Michele Bachmann | Got Access News links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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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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