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.