ACORN: Not Your Wholesome Family-Friendly Neighborhood Organization

Remember when you were in grade school, and there was some kid who would do anything to win, even if it meant cheating, pissing everyone off, or losing friends?

In the political activism world, that kid is ACORN.

After voter registration fraud scandals all over the country rocked the organization in 2006 and 2008, you'd think they would have taken a step back and realized that illegal (or marginally legal) political tactics simply don't have a worthwhile payoff. But, no.

Now, the tax and loan departments of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now in (at the very least) Baltimore, Washington DC, New York, and San Diego are have proven they are more than willing to dish out advice on how to illegally traffic underage women from Latin American countries for a prostitution ring.

Those being helped by ACORN in their races for Congress and the White House shrugged off the voter registration fraud allegations. Apparently that wasn't enough to distance themselves from what was already proving to be a corrupt organization. Rather, it was the undeniable, unspinnable video-based proof of an attempt to start up a prostitution ring that forced former supporters start backing away. That is, except for Nancy Pelosi, who apparently has her head shoved so far up her asshole she doesn't know what's going on outside her own little world.

What's most astounding to me is that, despite this obviously juicy news, the only agency to even touch these stories as they were breaking was Fox News. In the words of The Daily Show's John Stewart (taken from Newsbusters):

"I'd love to know the intrepid journalists who broke this story. "60 Minutes"? The AP? That guy who gets the predators?
(Shows video of O'Keefe appearing on Fox News)
Are you f**king kidding me? First of all, you don't have to tell us you're a white guy. Your pimp costume appears to be a fur coat on top of your Andover uniform. Second of all, where were the real reporters on this story? You know what investigative media, see me on camera three: Where the hell were you? You know who broke this story? These two.
(Shows picture of O'Keefe and Giles.)
You're telling me that two kids from the cast of "High School Musical III" can break this story with a video camera and their grandmother's chinchilla coat? And you got nothing? They did it for $3,000, and that's Blitzer's monthly beard Wetvac budget. It probably cost CNN that much to turn on their hologram machine.
I'm a fake journalist, and I'm embarrassed these guys scooped me. Let's get to work people."

It really is depressing that an organization like ACORN is so rife with corruption. As an organization that reaches out to under-represented communities, it has so much potential. Unfortunately, like many unions today, the good they have the ability to cause is trampled by the selfishness, politicization, and greed of its leaders.

It's Official: Jimmy Carter is F@*king Crazy

Yesterday, an interview of former President Jimmy Carter was shown on NBC Nightly News. In it, he makes the grand assertion that "an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man."

This, coming from the same guy who, in his book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, accuses the big bad Israelis of holding down the innocent, peaceful Palestinians.

So, it's official, folks: either Jimmy Carter has absolutely no shame in spewing politically charged, extreme B.S., or he's off his rocker.

The fact is the vast majority of those opposing President Obama are not motivated by the color of his skin. Rather, they are driven to protest extreme policies and divisive, partisan behaviors coming from both him and the Democratic leadership in the legislature. With unemployment at 9.7% (expected to increase), and worry growing over government monopolizing the health care system, individuals across the country are feeling compelled to speak out.

Instead of calling the protesters un-American, Astroturf, or racists, leaders in our government should stop and consider that perhaps these people simply want nothing more than to be heard, and their concerns taken into consideration.

No One Likes Double-Dipping

The Financial Times reported yesterday that an influential economist who predicted the economic crash of 2007/8 is warning people that we are in for a double-dip recession. That is, a recession with a slight leveling out (even followed by moderate economic growth), but ending with yet another crash.

The economist, William White, former chief economist for the Bank for International Settlements, credits the Federal Reserve under Alan Greenspan's mantra of "persistent cheap money" for the crash. He further observes that the central banks pumping trillions of dollars into the world economy will create an artificial bubble that will inevitably collapse.

So, basically, because governments are so worried about creating quick-fixes they are creating a system that will inevitably leave everyone worse off than they were before. The message here: if the government left the economy alone and let regular old supply and demand stabilize everything we'd be out of this mess quicker, and for a longer period of time.

William White isn't alone. The number of economists warning about a double-dip recession isn't small. Here's another article making the same warning. And another. And another. And another.

Neglecting the Powder Keg

The Wall Street Journal today published a very interesting editorial by Bret Stephens, suggesting that U.S. policy toward the Middle East is actually pushing Israel to strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.

Stephens' argument is quite compelling.

In sum, the conclusion among Israelis is that the Obama administration won't lift a finger to stop Iran, much less will the "international community." So Israel has pursued a different strategy, in effect seeking to goad the U.S. into stopping, or at least delaying, an Israeli attack by imposing stiff sanctions and perhaps even launching military strikes of its own.

Thus, unlike Israel's air strike against Iraq's reactor in 1981 or Syria's in 2007, both of which were planned in the utmost secrecy, the Israelis have gone out of their way to advertise their fears, purposes and capabilities. They have sent warships through the Suez Canal in broad daylight and conducted widely publicized air-combat exercises at long range. They have also been unusually forthcoming in their briefings with reporters, expressing confidence at every turn that Israel can get the job done.

The problem, however, is that the administration isn't taking the bait, and one has to wonder why. Perhaps it thinks its diplomacy will work, or that it has the luxury of time, or that it can talk the Israelis out of attacking. Alternatively, it might actually want Israel to attack without inviting the perception that it has colluded with it. Or maybe it isn't really paying attention.

The article concludes with an old Latin adage, Si vis pacem, para bellum--if you want peace, prepare for war.

President Obama is going to chair the United Nations Security Council on September 24. For a president who emphasizes our image abroad, letting this powder keg continue to build pressure is a bit discomforting.

A Personal Account of the DC Tea Party

As I was leaving the District via metro rail Saturday after kayaking with some friends, I ran into a group of Tea Partiers (Well, more than a group--they filled the metro car like a sardine can!) who were reveling in the success of their protest.
One person asked how many they thought showed up.
Another replied, "The mall cops estimated it at 1.2 million."
I was shocked. And pleased.

But today, American newspapers like the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Washington Post belittled the protest by diminishing the numbers to the "tens of thousands".

It was actually a British newspaper, the Daily Mail, that gave true credence to the number of people who showed up.

I find this very interesting because, the following day, the Pew Research Center released the results of a poll stating a whopping 63% of Americans no longer trust the mainstream media. Perhaps this should be a wake-up call to reporters to put aside their partisan leanings, and start focusing on facts.

When Snowe Says No

The National Journal, a non-partisan political journal, ranks U.S. legislators yearly on a liberal-to-conservative scale. Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) is usually ranked the #1 most liberal Republican in the Senate. In fact, the Journal rated 3 Democrat senators--Bayh, Nelson, and Landrieu--as more conservative than the senior senator from Maine.

Nevertheless, on Sunday, Snowe took a stand against a "public option" to solve the health care problem.

“I’ve urged the president to take the public option off the table,” Snowe said on the CBS “Face the Nation” program. “It’s universally opposed by Republicans,” Snowe said.

When Snowe says no, consider that option dead.

Strike Two for Obama Administration

First, the Obama Administration approves Air Force One for a low-altitude flyover over New York City without giving notice.

The resultant mass crapping-in-pants should have been a message to the current federal government that it should be a tad more sensitive to the concerns of its citizens.

But, no.

Apparently, the Department of Homeland Security, in a moment of obvious lucidity, decided it would be a good idea for the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct a training exercise with live ammunition on the Potomac River near the Pentagon, on the 8th anniversary of 9/11!

Smart, guys. Real smart.


***UPDATE: New reports are surfacing that the training exercise was, in fact, reported to the Associated Press, and that no actual shots were fired. If true, the stupid award now goes to CNN and Fox News. (updated 4:15pm on 9/11/09)

Selective Memory Much?

Shouting "You lie!" at President Obama in the middle of his speech to a joint session of Congress was disrespectful.

So was this.

Either everyone should be allowed to heckle and jeer, or no one should. Making the kind of scene that was made about one guy's two-word interjection seems a tad hypocritical.

Two-faced Politicking

Today, President Obama will be giving a speech before a joint session of Congress on health care reform. There seems to be adamance on his end that health care reform must happen sooner than later. I don't disagree.

Unfortunately, it seems only one proposed solution is being debated: HR 3200. This, despite the message coming from President Obama and Speaker Pelosi, "If you have a better idea, put it on the table."

The funny thing is there are other, potentially better ideas. Like this one, or this one, or this one.

What's more, despite the rhetoric about welcoming alternative suggestions with open arms, The Hill magazine reported that the president "has not invited House GOP leaders to the White House for meetings on healthcare reform since the end of April."

Earlier this year, GOP leaders sent a letter to the president in May stating that they would like to work with the administration to find "common ground" on healthcare reform.

But the administration responded with a tersely worded letter indicating that they had healthcare reform under control.

This all seems a bit two-faced to me.

It's disappointing that after promising a new political era during the 2006 and 2008 campaigns, the current leaders in Congress and the White House really haven't changed the partisanship and attitudes in Washington much.

Half a Solution...

...doesn't solve a problem.
That's the saying I'm going with to describe this current event.

With Senate coming back into session, and health care reform at the top of the docket, Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) proposed a solution for which he hopes to gain bipartisan support.

The plan from Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana would make health insurance mandatory, just like auto coverage. It would provide tax credits to help cover the cost for people making up to three times the federal poverty level. That's about $66,000 for a family of four, and $32,000 for an individual.

But those who still don't sign up would face hefty fines, starting at $750 a year for individuals and $1,500 for families. The maximum penalty on individuals would be $950.

Baucus's plan has merits in simply giving incentives for families to purchase quality health insurance in the form of tax credits. Unfortunately, it doesn't attack the root cause of the health care issue, ignoring possible predatory business methods from some (but not all) insurance providers. It's half a solution that leaves the core half of the problem flopping around on the table.

The fact is both Republicans and Democrats want to make quality health insurance affordable to everyone. The divide between the parties is whether the best option is one controlled by a government bureaucracy. When a constructive health care solution that doesn't involve expanding bureaucracy is put forth I am confident Republicans and Democrats will work together, if only for this one bill.

Senator Baucus's proposal is a step in the right direction, but it's only one step up a long, winding staircase.

A Revelation of Character

Today, President Obama is making a televised speech to grade schools across the United States. The reactions (or lack thereof) of people around the country reveal quite a bit about their motives and biases. And fault is spread like jam on toast.

The President
President Obama broke a cardinal rule: don't exclude parents in decision-making. Although it shouldn't be, politics today is incredibly partisan. The Obama Administration should have been cognizant of this reality, and allowed the parents the option to view the speech before being shown to their children. By ignoring the fact that parents tend to be incredibly defensive about what information is given to their kids, the massive backlash has resulted in many schools refusing to show the speech.

Congress
In 1991, then-President George H.W. Bush also organized a televized speech to school children. At the time, the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress, as they do today. However, Congress reacted by holding hearings and invstigations, casting a negative light on what was most likely a benign outreach effort. Today, though, Congress has issued no response, further revealing a bias that only builds barriers to bipartisanship.

The Public
Unfortunately, the narrative coming from political parties--and now the media--has caused some individuals on to political fringe to take extreme, defensive stances against those with whom they disagree. The not-so-fruitful "birther" and "Obama's-a-Muslim-and-that's-bad" movements are cases in point. Now, there is a knee jerk reaction among similar crowds to shelter their children from anything Obama says. It's a shame that the gap between Republican and Democrat has widened so substantially that people in the United States can't even trust their own president's speeches.


Perhaps more needs to be done to mend fences among those of voting age before the federal government reaches out to their kids.