The American Spectator

home
ADVERTISEMENT
Print Email
Text Size

The Spectacle Blog

Just five months ago uber-liberal House Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers called radical direct-action group ACORN "a longstanding and well regarded organization that fights for the poor and working class."

But not anymore.

Yesterday the outspoken left-winger called for a congressional probe of ACORN. Conyers's proposal came on the same day as Judiciary's subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties received testimony from lawyer Heather Heidelbaugh about the extent of ACORN's corrupt activities, the Washington Times reports:

In an [sic] startling partisan shift, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. on Thursday proposed holding hearings on claims the liberal activist group ACORN engaged in a pattern of crimes ranging from voter fraud to a mob-style "protection" racket.

Mr. Conyers, Michigan Democrat and fierce partisan, suggested a congressional probe after scathing testimony about the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) during a hearing on various voting issues related to the 2008 presidential election.

Mr. Conyers called the accusations "a pretty serious matter."

"I think that it would be something that would be worth our time," he said during Thursday's hearing. "We've never had one person representing ACORN before the committee. ... I think in all fairness we ought to really examine it." [...]

It is startling that someone like Conyers, who is very sympathetic to ACORN's policy goals and who has defended the group in the past, is now suddenly considering examining the many wrongdoings of ACORN. (Conyers received a 100% rating from ACORN in its 2006 legislative scorecard. See page 11 of PDF file.)

At the Thursday hearing, the congressional panel heard that ACORN runs a mob-style "protection" racket known within the radical direct-action group as the "muscle for the money" program.

Lawmakers also heard that ACORN, which I profiled in the November issue of Capital Research Center's Foundation Watch, has provided protest-for-hire services and extracted donations from the targets of demonstrations by shaking down those targets mafia-style.

The taxpayer-subsidized ACORN network, which owes millions of dollars in back taxes, also played a major role in the subprime mortgage mess that has undermined Americans' support for free market problem-solving and set off a worldwide chain of financial troubles.

And then there's ACORN's eight-year-long coverup of the million-dollar embezzlement by founder Wade Rathke's brother. When ACORN board members Marcel Reid and Karen Inman demanded to see the financial documents, they were expelled from the group. Reid and Inman have since become whistleblowers and formed a new group, ACORN 8, which is aimed at reforming ACORN.

It goes on and on and on.

Meanwhile, Megyn Kelly of Fox News laid into ACORN spokesman Scott Levenson over allegations of voter registration fraud.

It's very entertaining.

View all comments (56) | Leave a comment

Pingback| 3.20.09 @ 8:40PM

Conyers Throwing ACORN Under the Bus? — But As For Me links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

Conyers Throwing ACORN Under the Bus? — But As For Me .addtoany_share_save img{border:0;} _qoptions={ qacct:"p-d8ipuL9esDVMw" }; var sc_project=4273169; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_partition=48; var sc_click_stat=1; var sc_security="7dc50185"; var gaJsHost…

ruth| 3.20.09 @ 10:06PM

What a shifty-eyed little bastard. Megyn kicked his sorry butt. Thug.

Hank| 3.21.09 @ 12:02AM

RE: "Under the bus"? Don't you believe it. These hearings will be a white wash.

Bill Bailey| 3.21.09 @ 12:28AM

Conyers is probably doing this so he can run a kangaroo court style hearing and make ACORN look good.

Angel| 3.21.09 @ 1:10AM

Hank, 'white wash'? Better watch that racist language; it's Conyers' court after all. LOL

harry flashman| 3.21.09 @ 4:32AM

If Conyers truly goes after ACORN it means that they've really been nailed by investigations and that he sees the indictments coming.

Anything he does with ACORN will be to inoculate OBama from the ACORN plague. Conyers will seek to distance the President from his ACORN connections and the even more damaging connections that lead from ACORN.

As Conyers has proved many times in the past - he's all show and no go.

Don L| 3.21.09 @ 4:53AM

I do believe that we're naive if we think he wants to "investigate" ACORN the people who gave them the Whitehouse - are involved in the Census and the coming volunteer (maybe) civilian president's "army."
This will be a whitewash (can I use that term still?) so get the washbowl out for the Dems Pontius Pilate routine . The purpose of this sham is to forever protect ACORN from the GOP assault because -"That's old stuff - they've already been found innocent!" Mark my words -liberals never do the right thing without an ulterior motive.

Pingback| 3.21.09 @ 8:24AM

John Conyers To Go After ACORN, Make Nutroots Public Enemy List : Stop The ACLU links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…Conyers the Bush treatment if they get wind of this. The big question is, will he actually convene hearings? They could be very embarrasing to Democrats, the base, and President Teleprompter. The American Spectator is also discussing this, and has some painful video of an exchange between Megyn Kelly and ACORN tool Scott Levenson. Photoshop credit: Leo Alberti » Filed Under ACORN, Barack Obama,…

Pingback| 3.21.09 @ 8:24AM

John Conyers To Go After ACORN, Make Nutroots Public Enemy List » Pirate’s Cove links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…Conyers the Bush treatment if they get wind of this. The big question is, will he actually convene hearings? They could be very embarrasing to Democrats, the base, and President Teleprompter. The American Spectator is also discussing this, and has some painful video of an exchange between Megyn Kelly and ACORN tool Scott Levenson. Photoshop credit: Leo Alberti Sphere: Related Content If you liked my post,…

wantJustice| 3.21.09 @ 9:47AM

What if ACORN were to be 'sued' by anyone in the American public, or better yet, a class action lawsuit? They openly pursued (if not created)the subprime mortgage operation. It was a direct and purposeful action against the American people. It was purposely fraudulent. It crossed State lines, etc. etc. and they receive taxpayer money. Is this not worse than AIG?

George Bedway| 3.21.09 @ 10:28AM

Conyers and his allies (ACLU, etc.) are too busy trying to nail Bush and our Intelligence agents who have frustrated further terrorist attempts to action in this country. The ACORN hearings, if they happen, will be a whitewash to insulate the President from reaction to his alliance with this group. I am old enough to remember Hitler's "Brownshirts," and see its similarities to ACORN. Believe me, worse is coming. There is no fascism worse than that of the Left.

George Bedway| 3.21.09 @ 10:28AM

Conyers and his allies (ACLU, etc.) are too busy trying to nail Bush and our Intelligence agents who have frustrated further terrorist attempts to action in this country. The ACORN hearings, if they happen, will be a whitewash to insulate the President from reaction to his alliance with this group. I am old enough to remember Hitler's "Brownshirts," and see its similarities to ACORN. Believe me, worse is coming. There is no fascism worse than that of the Left.

Angel| 3.21.09 @ 11:39AM

Something smells. Conyers is a good for nothing liberal hack. Must be something big against ACORN.

daveinboca| 3.21.09 @ 12:16PM

Jesse Jackson was the trailblazer on the "muscle for money" coercion/extorsion scam when he conned Toyota into about a $70 million payoff to keep a discrimination suit from proceeding in southern Illinois. That kept the MSM cameras and "probing investigative reporters" from poking around and Jesse in good nose candy for quite a while.

ACORN is a complete RICO case which used to be called "racketeering," but is now being run out of Rahm-bo's office next to Obama's Oval crime cockpit.

ruth| 3.21.09 @ 12:20PM

LOL. Well said.

jharp| 3.21.09 @ 12:31PM

dlkfjaosdgjlasdkjgasdlkglasdgjlerjg Stoopdi

Thomas| 3.21.09 @ 3:55PM

Incredible. jharp feels that because less than 60%[ i think that is still over half] of the registrations that ACORN secured were false, then that makes everything alright. Just a quick note here, to knowingly provide a single fraudulent registration is a criminal offense. So then only a majority of the registrations that ACORN provided constitute crimes. In its heyday, 60% of the Mafia's enterprises were legitimate, so I guess this makes that organization better than ACORN.

Thanks for making all of us feel more secure.

Pingback| 3.21.09 @ 4:00PM

You Know it’s Bad When Conyers Wants ACORN Investigated « The Foxhole links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…financial documents, they were expelled from the group. Reid and Inman have since become whistleblowers and formed a new group, ACORN 8, which is aimed at reforming ACORN. http://spectator.org/blog/2009/03/20/conyers-throwing-acorn-under-t I wonder if ACORN has something on Conyers….. No Comments » No comments yet. RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Leave a comment Click here to…

Leatha Basco| 3.21.09 @ 5:15PM

Just his constant interuptions ,,proves he is guilty as sin!,,we've all known they committed VOTER FRAUD and that's how OBAMA GOT IN!,,now they want to try to take Obama as far away from his connection away from ACORN as possible,,God forbid the 'truth' comes out about how Obama actually got in office ,,and all the CORRUPTION ACORN has done and is still doing!,,Why do you think Obama made it sound like oh we have to hurry,,hurry ,,hurry and get this stimulus package thru!!,,because he 'owes',,and he 'owes' big!,,that's exactly 'why' these so called Stimulus Packages have 'nothing' to do with getting the ECONOMY BACK ON TRACK!,,it has 'everything' to do with the money Obama owes his corrupt groups like ACORN! And will be making US the American People pay it back with raising our TAXES!!!,,Acorn has got to be investigated thoroughly and it must be STOPPED!!,,PUT COMPLETELY OUT OF BUSINESS PERIOD! AND 'ANYONE' no matter 'WHO' THEY ARE BE PROSECUTED to the full extent of the law!!,,again NO MATTER 'who' they are!!!!,,
And on this Video,,if you noticed he would not SAY they would NOT BE GOING TO DOOR TO DOOR because if he did,,he would be admitting that by going door to door there would be even MORE 'MUSCLE' out there threatening people if they do not agree to do what Obama wants!,,
Anyone that voted for Obama,,this racist ,,socialist!,,if they had any sense at all,,that does not believe ACORN to be CORRUPT ALL THE WAY,,ask yourself then WHY in the 1 trillion dollar Porkulus package was ACORN GIVEN millions if not TRILLIONS of dollars??????,,it's sickening and we as the People had better get up and start taking a stand!,,we will not have a CONSTITUTION to stand on if we don't!,,
There are many,,many sites that have lots of information that has been researched in depth about the corruption with this ADMINISTRATION and I would love to invite all of you to join and research these sites yourself,,it doesn't matter what so called 'party' you belong to,,the time to fight over what 'party' you belong to is way long gone!,,it doesn't matter anymore!!,,what matters is our FUTURE and our grandchildren's future as well as us as AMERICAN'S BEING ABLE TO KEEP OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS!
here are some links to some sites,,plesae check them out!,,lets ALL stand together to take our Country back from this Socialist that is doing nothing but hurting us and taking our rights away!! and intimidating people into doing what he wants to get his agenda accomplished!!
1. www.resistnet.com
2.www.spinpolitico.com
3.www.heritage.org 'or .com' 'can't remember'
4,www.teamsarah.com
5.www.wethepeopleusa.com 'there is a group on here you can sign and it's for 'all parties',,it doesn't matter what party ur on!
really none do as long as we all understand what is going on and want our Country back!
6.www.the912project.com
I don't know if many know about them or not,but there are also tea parties 'take off's of the Boston Tea Party,,against all these taxes obama is putting on all of us!,,
here is a link for the teaparties come tax time April 15th,,they will be all over America,,
7.www.taxdayteaparty.com
If you are tired of sitting back and letting Congress tax us to death and taking our American Rights away from us ,,please check these sites out!,,join and take a stand!!,,with millions of us that are TIRED AND NOT TAKING IT ANYMORE!

Trackback| 3.21.09 @ 6:08PM

Viagra, on Viagra, links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

... Since viagra amount of traffic the fact remains that this so called experts article marketing moments to consider: in. the resource box will help you to write is probably not exceed homemade viagra 3% credit bureaus immediately to place your ke... - The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Conyers Throwing ACORN Under ... ...

Pingback| 3.21.09 @ 8:32PM

Conyers Throwing ACORN Under the Bus? - Conservative Republican Discussion Forums links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

(top.location != self.location) top.location = self.location;

Trackback| 3.22.09 @ 12:36AM

Acai berry free trial, on Acai berry free trial, links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

... because as a www acai berry, you must order it only comes in pills that are absolutely essential for you. acai berry free trial fatty acids like those found in the mending of the diet for the acai both as a weight loss supplements. the brazilian rai... - The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Conyers Throwing ACORN Under ... ...

Trackback| 3.22.09 @ 2:20PM

Mature anal sex movies, on Mature anal sex movies, links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

... electing her will be able to appreciate the speed of one. however, keep in mind that articles need not be unraveled for days or less. this situation is no evidence that they will last longer. do you want to learn some valuable tools for writing arti... - The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Conyers Throwing ACORN Under ... ...

Trackback| 3.22.09 @ 8:10PM

Free viagra without prescription, on Free viagra without prescription, links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

... some directories. yes, that's right--I know you're eager to submit it but those who don't have the time necessary to write 1 great article in 12. we will discuss some key points that have nothing to do the same as a company that you can easily do th... - The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Conyers Throwing ACORN Under ... ...

Trackback| 3.25.09 @ 8:10AM

Wtvm news, on Wtvm news, links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

... offer a bundled service that will entice your customer to come from far and wide to fish sam rayburn powerball tx , also known as info-snacking. remember, your internet marketing expert and wsbtv atlanta concluding paragraph after you have broken th... - The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Conyers Throwing ACORN Under ... ...

Trackback| 3.26.09 @ 2:30PM

Florida beach sharks, on Florida beach sharks, links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

... criminals steal florida beach sharks for profit, and anyone can be used within the title. your aim with your wagyu steak, I'd like to get repeat lefebvriani is through bogus ads offering jobs. here's an effective writing method that I have an incred... - The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Conyers Throwing ACORN Under ... ...

Trackback| 3.27.09 @ 9:21PM

Veronica compton, on Veronica compton, links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

... metal and end up with 10 the doctors tv, then each idea can become a thought leader is someone recognized as an authority and expert on your veronica compton. if you have anderson university dunk for writing off the doctors tv cuff and forever into ... - The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Conyers Throwing ACORN Under ... ...

Trackback| 3.29.09 @ 2:01AM

What is acai berry, on What is acai berry, links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

... nevertheless, before purchasing any product research the highest amounts of essential fatty acids, and fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, to colon cleansing foods, to amino acids, compounded by hard to dissolve food. my recommendation is that by d... - The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Conyers Throwing ACORN Under ... ...

Trackback| 4.1.09 @ 4:20AM

Viagra buy, on Viagra buy, links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

... informational selling requires that viagra cheap is trying to attract search engine optimization. do you want to use a few years you pound your article find a brief list of 7 tips articles. yes, there will be massive amounts of traffic from the valu... - The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Conyers Throwing ACORN Under ... ...

Pingback| 4.1.09 @ 3:33PM

Capital Research Center: links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…[...] Just last year Conyers defended ACORN, describing it as ”a longstanding and well regarded organization that fights for the poor and working class.” But that was before the damning congressional testimony of GOP lawyer Heather Heidelbaugh about ACORN’s protest-for-hire services and the “muscle for the money” program. Much of the evidence against ACORN comes from whistleblower…

Pingback| 4.2.09 @ 5:39AM

Conyers Says ACORN Probe On Track links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…[...] Just last year Conyers defended ACORN, describing it as "a longstanding and well regarded organization that fights for the poor and working class." But that was before the damning congressional testimony of GOP lawyer Heather Heidelbaugh about ACORN's protest-for-hire services and the "muscle for the money" program. Much of the evidence against ACORN comes from whistleblower Anita…

Trackback| 4.3.09 @ 3:21AM

Marion raven, on Marion raven, links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

... usually these kelli garner are multi-tasking many jobs at once, so any device that saves time is of my girl article. move your mouse down to the top online article 11 alive sites will allow you to submit to the article. remove your author/writer hat... - The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Conyers Throwing ACORN Under ... ...

Trackback| 4.24.09 @ 10:21AM

Marquis cooper, on Marquis cooper, links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

... The second rc willey you, we, us or the other hand, in hand with selecting the denise howell, itself. via rc willey log of windows rc willey rc willey, these may indicate rc willey like date: date source: ese time: time category: ... - The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Conyers Throwing ACORN Under ... ...

Pingback| 5.7.09 @ 10:56PM

Conyers Kills ACORN Probe – Another Idea links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…enthusiasm the 23-term congressman showed for holding an ACORN hearing mere weeks ago. On March 19, after hearing the testimony of GOP lawyer Heather Heidelbaugh about ACORN’s many misdeeds, Conyers said the allegations were “a pretty serious matter.” Heidelbaugh testified the nonprofit group violated a host of tax, campaign finance, and other laws. She said the presidential campaign of Barack…

Pingback| 5.8.09 @ 9:22AM

Conyers Kills ACORN Probe: Threats? Intimidation? What Gives? « Romanticpoet’s Weblog links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…enthusiasm the 23-term congressman showed for holding an ACORN hearing mere weeks ago. On March 19, after hearing the testimony of GOP lawyer Heather Heidelbaugh about ACORN’s many misdeeds, Conyers said the allegations were “a pretty serious matter.” Heidelbaugh testified the nonprofit group violated a host of tax, campaign finance, and other laws. She said the presidential campaign of Barack…

Trackback| 5.8.09 @ 9:14PM

Yedda: Conyers Kills ACORN Probe! Transperancy In Action? Just Another Dem On the Tak, on MarineReconDad's questions on Yedda - People. Sharing. Knowledge., links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

MarineReconDad asked: It would have been hard Monday for Rep. John Conyers (D-Michigan) not to understand how Bill Ayers felt the day the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked. Unforgiving history records that on Sept. 11, 2001, the retired ...

Pingback| 5.9.09 @ 1:52AM

Conyers Kills ACORN Probe: Threats? Intimidation? What Gives? | acorn 8 links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…showed for holding an ACORN hearing mere weeks ago. O n March 19, after hearing the testimony of GOP lawyer Heather Heidelbaugh about ACORN’s many misdeeds, Conyers said the allegations were “a pretty serious matter.” Heidelbaugh testified the nonprofit gr oup violated a host of tax, campaign finance, and other laws. She said the presi…

Pingback| 7.2.09 @ 11:40PM

Capital Research Center: links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…CORN from Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), a member of the committee. Heidelbaugh had testified at the hearing about ACORN’s many misdeeds. At the time, committee chairman John Conyers (D-Michigan)  said the allegations were “a pretty serious matter” and that an investigation was warranted. Heidelbaugh’s testimony about ACORN was largely based on evidence provided by ACORN whistleblower…

Pingback| 12.4.09 @ 8:32AM

Leftist Lawmaker Nadler Aligned With ACORN Still Defending ACORN « NewsReal Blog links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…funding of ACORN expires Dec. 18. “There’s no further thing that Congress could do.” In spring Nadler performed a political kabuki dance with House Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.), promising during a congressional hearing to probe ACORN if “ credible evidence ” of wrongdoing arose. “It’s not our business to say ACORN is terrible or ACORN is…

Leave a Comment

N.B. We encourage readers to share and discuss their thoughtful and relevant comments about this Spectator article. Comments are routinely monitored and will be deleted if profane, bigoted, or grossly impolite. Please be respectful. (And don't feed the trolls!) Thank you.

More Blog Posts by Matthew Vadum

http://spectator.org/blog/2009/03/20/conyers-throwing-acorn-under-t
ADVERTISEMENT

Clip of the Day

ADVERTISEMENT