Judge Rules ACORN Funding Cut Unconstitutional

By: Steve Maley (Diary)  |  December 12th at 08:00 AM  | 

ACORN funding cut-off was unconstitutional, federal judge rules U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon issued the preliminary injunction against the government, saying it’s in the public’s interest for the organization to continue receiving federal funding. ACORN claimed in its lawsuit that Congress’ decision to cut off its funding was unconstitutional because it punitively targeted an individual organization. Gershon said in her ruling that ACORN had raised | Read More »

New Orleans ACORN HQ Raided By LA Attorney General’s Office

By: Steve Maley (Diary)  |  November 7th at 02:02 AM  | 

State investigators taking dozens of computers from ACORN office on Canal Street Early last month, Caldwell’s office issued subpoenas for records from ACORN’s New Orleans office, where the organization — now moving its national headquarters to Washington — has long been based. … In a statement, ACORN’s attorney Pamela Marple said the group was told the raid was ordered because of reports that workers loyal | Read More »

When Nuts Collide: ACORN Power Struggle in New Orleans

By: Steve Maley (Diary)  |  October 13th at 11:30 AM  | 

Over the weekend, an unpaid ACORN volunteer in New Orleans expressed her desire to see a little more evidence of the Hope’n’Change she voted for when President Obama visits the city, however briefly, on Thursday. Since it’s hard to fire an unpaid volunteer, the Big Wigs from HQ showed up on Tuesday and sacked Beth Butler, longtime executive director of Louisiana ACORN. But there might | Read More »

LA Attorney General (D) Launches ACORN Embezzlement Probe

By: Steve Maley (Diary)  |  October 6th at 12:02 AM  | 

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that LA Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, a Democrat, is on ACORN, as we say, like gravy on rice. ACORN embezzlement was $5 million, La. attorney general says The organization, until recently headquartered in New Orleans, had tried to keep the details of an embezzlement quiet. The embezzler, Dale Rathke, was the one-time bookkeeper for the organization. His brother, Wade Rathke, | Read More »

Coercive Techniques, Torture and Mayhem: Situational Ethics 101

By: Steve Maley (Diary)  |  August 26th at 06:05 AM  | 

Misleading statements, (empty) threats of physical violence, harassing and disrespectful language, nap deprivation: the CIA is accused of employing these and other ethically troubling techniques in the interrogation of Khalid Sheikh “Bluto” Mohammad and other al Qaeda operatives in the War on Terror the Great Unpleasantness. This being a cruel world, however, we must recognize that there is a time and place for everything. We | Read More »

Deadbeat Chavez Takes One From ACORN’s Playbook

By: Steve Maley (Diary)  |  May 15th at 06:59 PM  | 

In declaring squatter’s rights, maybe Uncle Hugo has heeded the advice of a certain former Community Organizer. On May 7, Venezuela’s National Assembly passed a law allowing the selective nationalization of oil service firms. On May 8, President Chavez exercised his newly minted authority and nationalized the assets of some 60 foreign-owned oil-service companies. Service companies are not the owners of reserves; Venezuela already stole | Read More »