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Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen


9.15.2009

 

Senators' lonely stance on ACORN funding

Vermont Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders were among seven lawmakers who voted against an amendment that would prevent ACORN from receiving federal funding. ACORN is the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now and has been around since 1970.

With 83 other senators, Democrats and Republicans, supporting the restriction, Vermont's two senators kind of stand out.

What were they thinking? Vermont Republican Party Chairman Rob Roper called the pair out of touch with common sense for objecting to the restriction on funds for an organization he described as riddled with fraud and abuse.

Leahy and Sanders argued that Congress shouldn't get involved in decisions about which organizations receive federal grants. There's a process for deciding that.

"Just as I would be against banning other specific organizations on the right or on the left from applying for competitive grants, I believe it is harmful, even though popular, to approve an amendment like this," Leahy said in defense of his vote.

Sanders noted ACORN's mixed history -- the recently released videos showing employees giving advice about illegal activities to people who had posed as prostitutes as well as the years of advocating for affordable housing, banking services in low-income neighborhoods and decent-paying jobs.

Like Leahy, Sanders argued it was a mistake for senators to spend time arguing about which organizations should receive funding -- when there was an established process.

ACORN and its problems have a long political history that won't be going away soon.

Expect to see and hear about the votes Sanders and Leahy made for months -- maybe years to come.

-- Nancy Remsen

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Comments:
These two losers are so out-of-touch with reality they should just fade in to retirement. An organization wrought with fraud can not be explained away by these two bozos. I was shocked to learn that they were among the seven who are complicit in wasting MY tax dollars. 2010 can't come soon enough for Leaky Leahy. You bet I'm fired up and will do all I can to dethrone the bums.
 
Wow, I bet the senators' wives sure must be proud of them !
13 year old hookers are not a problem with their moral compass, huh? Actually Pat, there IS a mechanism to determine which projects get funded. It's called payoffs to senators like yourself from organizations like ACORN to get you elected so you can give scum like these people funding.
It case you don't know it yet, you're in BIG FREAKING TROUBLE !
 
Pat Leahy and Bernie Sanders have done more for VT than anyone else!

I guess that is why they win elections with huge margins!

Go Bernie!
Go Pat!
 
You guys might, might be taken seriously but then you go and blow it with statements like this...

"It case you don't know it yet, you're in BIG FREAKING TROUBLE !"

What world are you from to actually believe that ANYONE can beat Senator Leahy in an election in VT.

The ONLY person in this state that could even come close is Jim Douglas and just go ask Jim how that worked out for him last time.
 
It's official. Vermont is now the laughing stock of the country because of these two dopes (and you were just getting over that whole gay marriage thing, too.)
 
This is progress. The anonymous right winger admits to "getting over that whole gay marriage thing."
 
"Vermont is now the laughing stock of the country..."

You really think we took that title away from South Carolina? I mean come on a Republican cheating on his wife and lying to the state while using the tax payers resources to go to Argentina and an idiot that yells out "Liar" in a joint session of congress.

Nope sorry SC is still the champ
 
VT is only a laughing stock to conservatives - and that does not bother me!
 
At least Vermont has two guys who know the difference between right and wrong and are willing to stand for the former.
 
"ACORN and its problems have a long political history..."

Sources, please?

What I recall about ACORN is that it was a fairly quiet, rather productive community-organizing group that became a Republican whipping boy during the 2008 campaign, and has continued to be a target of right-wing commentators. Conservatives have accused it of widespread voter fraud, but there's been little or no evidence to support those charges.

The video is troubling, but is there any evidence that it's typical of ACORN, or an aberration? And is there any evidence that "ACORN and its problems" are anything more than the right-wing attack machine in action?
 
I'm glad Vermont has two senators who have the courage to vote no on lynch mob legislation. How about finding out if the videos are undoctored to begin with; then maybe giving ACORN a chance to respond? If five mortgage officers from Citibank were shown in a Michael Moore movie giving advice to prostitutes on how to qualify for a mortgage, how many of these brave Senators would vote to disqualify Citibank from all federal assistance?
 
"At least Vermont has two guys who know the difference between right and wrong and are willing to stand for the former."

Yep. Thanks goodness for Douglas and Dubie.
 
As Bernie Says " these actions are outrageous" but keep up the good work and we will keep sending you money. Leahy has spent years talking about "rule of law" but it apparently doesn't apply to aiding prostitutes, aiding in smuggling teenagers for sex, tax evasion, etc.
Maybe one of you can recommend housing for your granddaughters next to a brothel!
As for getting elected- I don't know who looks dumber, the votee, or the voter!!
 
Peter Welch showed more common sense!
 
Neither. Sanders and Leahy are too smart to fall for a conservative setup. See today's news and see the relationship of participants to conservative advocates.
 
This isn't a conservative -v- liberal issue. This is a basic issue of right and wrong.

You are implying that wrong isn't so wrong if the opposing party uncovers it. C'mon.
 
These people posing as prostitutes went to nearly two dozen Acorn offices to get this tape. They were tossed out of most of the offices and in some cases Acorn called the police. The Acorn people in the video are bad actors but they are clearly outside the norm. This was the intake process and none of the faux prostitutes made it through the entire process. I think the comparison with Michael Moore is valid and the progressives got a taste of the Michael Moore gotcha.

So this week a California Republican gets caught accepting sexual favors from a lobbyist and Acorn gets caught trying to help a prostitute.
 
That is a close comparison- someone having consensual sex with someone willing to engage in interstate transporting of minors used in prostitution AND tax evasion.
I know- it was all a scam and these ACORN employees just won the "National Ethics" award- they should get bonuses for their acting!
 
It's always nice to know that this joint is run solely for the factually-challenged benefit of nekkie boy and the rest of nameless nitwit nation.

Keep up the good work.
 
Welfare-Coop now accounted for.
 
"Sanders and Leahy are too smart to fall for a conservative setup."

But Welch isn't?
 
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