Another of Obama's acquaintances floated up

[merig00]

I hate long posts so I'll just summarize and you can google lengthy articles. So without farther due let me introduce to you ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now).

WHO IS ACORN:

"[ACORN Is] A Housing Advocacy Group That Also Helps Lead Ambitious Voter-Registration Efforts Benefiting Democrats." (Elizabeth Williamson and Brody Mullins, "Democratic Ally Mobilizes In Housing Crunch," The Wall Street Journal, 7/31/08)
ACORN Was Founded By Wade Rathke, Who Also Was The Founder And Chief Organizer Of SEIU Local 100. (Wade Rathke Website, www.waderathke.com, Accessed 7/14/08)
ACORN Conducts Its Voter Registration Activities Through Project Vote, Which Uses "Local ACORN Offices To Collect Registrations." ("Officials Question Error-Filled Voter Registrations Collected By Paid Workers," The Associated Press, 6/2/04)
Public Disclosures Showed Large Sums Of Money That Were Misappropriated From ACORN. (Stephanie Strom, "Funds Misappropriated At 2 Nonprofit Groups," The New York Times, 7/9/08)

• "Acorn Chose To Treat The Embezzlement Of Nearly $1 Million Eight Years Ago As An Internal Matter And Did Not Even Notify Its Board." (Stephanie Strom, "Funds Misappropriated At 2 Nonprofit Groups," The New York Times, 7/9/08)

ACORN Used "In Your Face" Tactics Like Disrupting Hearings, Bursting Into City Council Meetings, And Protesting Mayor’s Homes. (Stanley Kurtz, Op-Ed, "Inside Obama’s Acorn," National Review, 5/29/08)
"ACORN Has Been Accused Of Voter Fraud In 13 States Since 2004 And Was Convicted Of Falsifying Signatures In A Voter Registration Drive Last July, Drawing A Fine Of $25,000 In Washington State." (Editorial, "George Soros: The Man, The Mind And The Money Behind MoveOn," Investor's Business Daily, 9/21/07)
"ACORN Has Been Implicated In Similar Schemes In 14 Other States - Including Ohio, Where A Worker Traded Crack Cocaine For Fraudulent Registrations." (Editorial, "Another ACORN Scandal," New York Post, 7/13/08)


ACORN AND BARACK:

Chicago ACORN Leader Toni Foulkes Referred To Obama In The 2004 US Senate Primary As "The Candidate We Hold Dear." (Toni Foulkes, "Case Study: Chicago-The Barack Obama Campaign," Social Policy, 10/18/04)

"[W]e Have Invited Obama To Our Leadership Training Sessions To Run The Session On Power Every Year…" (Toni Foulkes, "Case Study: Chicago-The Barack Obama Campaign," Social Policy, 10/18/04)

"Acorn's Political Arm Has Endorsed Mr. Obama While Its ‘Voter Education’ Arm Has Pledged To Spend $35 Million To Register People This Fall…" (John Fund, Op-Ed, "Obama's Liberal Shock Troops," The Wall Street Journal, 7/12/08)

• "Sen. Obama Is Especially Reliant On Registration Drives, Such As Acorn's With Project Vote, To Help Him Win The White House." (Elizabeth Williamson and Brody Mullins, "Democratic Ally Mobilizes In Housing Crunch," The Wall Street Journal, 7/31/08)

"In 1992, Acorn Hired Mr. Obama To Run A Voter Registration Effort. He Later Became A Trainer For The Group, As Well As Its Lawyer In Election Law Cases." (John Fund, Op-Ed, "Obama's Liberal Shock Troops," The Wall Street Journal, 7/12/08)

• "When Obama Returned To Chicago From Harvard, He Put Off His Legal Career For Six Months To Take A Position Directing A Voter Registration And Education Campaign Targeting Chicago’s Low-Income Blacks."  (David Mendell, Obama: From Promise To Power, 2007, p.103)

"Representing The Association Of Community Organizations For Reform Now (ACORN), Obama And Other Attorneys Sued The State Of Illinois, Forcing It To Implement Federal "Motor Voter" Legislation That Makes It Easier For The Poor And Minorities To Register To Vote." ("Some Cases Obama Worked On In His Career As An Attorney," The Associated Press, 2/20/07)

• "[O]bama’s Side Won, Even Without Him Talking."  (Abdon M. Pallasch, "Strong, Silent Type," Chicago Sun-Times, 12/17/07)

The Chicago ACORN Received Grants Of $45,000 (2000), $30,000 (2001), $45,000 (2001), $30,000 (2002), And $40,000 (2002) From The Woods Fund. (Donors Forum Website, ifs.donorsforum.org, Accessed 6/10/08)

• NOTE: From 1993 To 2002, Barack Obama Served On The Board Of Directors For The Woods Fund. (Tim Novak and Fran Spielman, "Obama Helped Ex-Boss Get $1 Mil. From Charity," Chicago Sun-Times, 11/29/07)

AND WHAT OBAMA HAS TO SAY ABOUT ACORN:

Obama: "I’ve been fighting alongside Acorn on issues you care about my entire career…" (Steven Malanga, "Organizer In Chief," [New York] City Journal, Summer 2008)

poor Obama... again in a wrong place at the wrong time with wrong people... I didn't inhale!