Acorn in 4 of their locations is perfectly fine with underage illegal alien sex slave brothels and is willing to help with tax advice. That is wrong regardless of what party voted to fund them.
Thank you for helping to highlight why this whole us versus them thing is bad.
]]>And plenty of republicans have also applauded ACORN’s work. Here’s flyboy John McCain toasting ACORN in 2006, when he told them “You are what makes America special”
(http://) marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/a_lifetime_ago_sen_john.php
]]>“Then again (and as always), it’s OK if you are a rich republican.”
It says more about you than me that you attribute this belief to us.
No, it isn’t ok. This is part of the genesis of the tea party. Right is right, and wrong is wrong, regardless of who does it. Both parties work grow government even if one grows it a bit slower, and both parties work to benefit the powerful and politically connected at the expense of the many.
It’s the really frustrating thing about dealing with you on this blog. The only thing you seem to care about is attacking to help your team without bothering to engage the substantive arguments.
]]>I have huge issues with the current tax code that is thousands of pages long and riddled with loopholes. It distorts behavior and creates opportunities for people to legally and illegally avoid taxes. Many of these credits and exemptions are inserted by the politically connected. The rest of us pay for it in the form of higher marginal rates than we would otherwise need to raise the same level of revenue.
]]>(http://) http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2009-08-19-ubs-tax-irs_N.htm
(http://) archive.democrats.com/preview.cfm?term=Accountants-Big%205
Nary a word from Beck or the TP about any of these rich tax cheats. Then again (and as always), it’s OK if you are a rich republican. These folks were just trying to keep the greedy government off of their hard earned money, right?
]]>Surely you aren’t comparing employees to rally/event attendees and saying they are equivalent are you?
First, Acorn is a nationwide organization with actual physical offices and central control. The Tea Party movement, such as it is, is a conglomeration of relatively like minded groups. There isn’t a “tea party” like there is an Acorn.
Because of that central control, Acorn as an organization has some responsbibility for the actions of their employees. I would gladly dismiss one or even two instances of what went on in the videos, but we’re now up to four versions in geographically separate areas. This constitutes a pattern. Keep in mind again, that these people work for someone with Acorn that in theory supervises them.
In contrast with the tea party movement, you have a whole bunch of local groups that may or may not choose to ally or affiliate with some of the groups claiming national leadership. And with these local groups, you generally have a core group of organizers and then a bunch of people that attend events. There isn’t a command and control structure that even has the ability to weed out the bad apples.
Yes, the tea parties draw some of the crazies to their events. It isn’t credible to even suggest otherwise. This happens to those on the left too. There are always fellow travellers that make the more rational ones look bad. What I think is unfair is to characterize an entire movement by the most extreme that participate.
I want to address specifically the recent town hall events. We only disavow those that are intentionally disruptive – as in being there only to shout someone down or to be prevent others from hearing. That does *not* include responding to the questions or other comments. Booing, cheering, or asking tough questions does not count. Nobody should be or is expected to sit on their hands and be talked down to like children by their exalted representative.
And about the 9/12 Project, we are not them, but there is a huge overlap in their membership with ours. I consider their local leadership to be personal friends. I am a supporter of the 9 principles and 12 values that they advocate for.
I watch Glenn Beck occasionally and take the good with the bad. He does some things really well like reporting stories you won’t hear about elsewhere (Acorn, Van Jones, etc…), but I cringe when he sounds more conspiracy minded.
I disagree that the 9/12 Project (or at least the Cincinnati version thereof) is a group of misinformation and hostility peddlers.
]]>There’s a unique irony in this article being linked from a blog entitled “Hot Air”.
Every time Cincinnati Tea Party gets called to the mat for the behavior of any their members at the recent public events held by our Congresspeople, the CTP is extremely quick to disavow any association with these people. CTP has consistently argued that it isn’t related to the 9/12 Project (Glenn Beck Love Club), while simultaneously holding combined events with this group of misinformation and hostility peddlers.
There you have it: If you can blame all of ACORN (another non-profit) for the misdeeds of a few, then I think it is completely and totally acceptable for us to blame you for interrupting and disrupting what were supposed to be informational and civil discussions with our congressional leadership on the subject of health insurance/care reform.
]]>To address Chuck’s comment, the only thing he gets right is that the weather was rather nice.
As usual, it’s sidestep the argument and call names.
A few possibilties.
1. Chuck thinks the videos are incorrect or not indicative of organization wide issues with Acorn.
2. Chuck thinks that the videos are correct, but that they aren’t newsworthy.
3. Chuck just doesn’t care about facts and is only out to make fun of us.
Given that he didn’t respond to any part of the argument, I think it’s pretty clear what the answer is.
]]>PS-Sorry that your Glen Beck/TP march in DC didn’t turn out the million that was predicted. 70,000 is rather run of the mill by DC standards. at least you had lovely weather for it.
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