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|NEXT STORY »

ACORN's Founder Blasts GOP Attacks

Dismisses them as 'poppycock,' part of anti-Obama vendetta

By Nick McMaster| Posted Sep 23, 09 3:53 PM CDT|

(Newser) – The founder of ACORN says the conservative portrayal of the group as a "criminal enterprise" is a “complete fabrication." Claims that the group systematically misuses federal funds for political purposes are being circulated as fact on TV talk shows and blogs, Wade Rathke tells the Washington Post. "It's balderdash on top of poppycock. It is a tactic they are trying to aggressively use to attack Obama.”

Rathke, who left the group after failing to disclose that his brother embezzled from it, said the "sneak films" that recently embarrassed the group are "too painful" for him to watch, and he said any employees that violated the "do-right" rule should be fired. He faulted Republican-led investigations of his group as biased and "part of the neo-McCarthyism that's going on this country right now."

Rep. Darrell, Issa, R-Calif., left, accompanied by Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., discusses a House bill to ban federal funding for ACORN. (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg)

Wade Rathke in 2002. (AP Photo/Bill Haber, File)

Acorn CEO Bertha Lewis addresses community members Friday, June 19, 2009, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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41 comments

VIEWING:

godawgs
Sep 23, 09 4:03 PM CDT

I like the use of the words balderdash and poppycock in the same sentence. Reply

+20

IN RESPONSE:

Doctor_Supercilious
Sep 23, 09 4:05 PM CDT

He should be wearing a top-hat, monocle and spats.

+10

IN RESPONSE:

Jayster999
Sep 23, 09 4:21 PM CDT

This Rathke guy left after his brother was caught embezzeling--and he now has the chutzpah to call accusations of impropriety poppycock topped off with balderdash? What a mook. ACORN has probably been full of scams and schemers from the get-go. Oh, and Obama says he endorses an investigation into ACORN, so this hardly comes across on some kind of attack on him.

-3

IN RESPONSE:

Timinator2K
Sep 23, 09 4:40 PM CDT

Had he tossed in "Ballyhoo," "Tomfoolery," and "Hijinx," I'd believe him!

IN RESPONSE:

Jayster999
Sep 23, 09 5:26 PM CDT

jamerican: Way to call a spade a spade. Your candor is refreshing.

IN RESPONSE:

Fondue
Sep 23, 09 5:40 PM CDT

Jayster, way to use that phrase over and over. Your creativity is amazing.

IN RESPONSE:

Fondue
Sep 23, 09 5:41 PM CDT

jamercian, how much money do they hand out every year?

-1

IN RESPONSE:

Fondue
Sep 23, 09 5:44 PM CDT

You're all for putting the middle east wars on credit with no plan to pay it back on the taxpayer's dime, but $4 million a year for the last 10 years and you bitches get bent out of shape and call names. Priorities.

-3

IN RESPONSE:

Jayster999
Sep 23, 09 5:59 PM CDT

Fondle: Are you brain damaged? Please let me know of ONE prior occasion of me using that phrase. ONE!

IN RESPONSE:

Fondue
Sep 23, 09 6:23 PM CDT

Would it matter?

IN RESPONSE:

Shannonals
Sep 23, 09 8:54 PM CDT

I find it hilarious that you, of all people, who called someone, much less an organization, racist Jamerican. You've made yourself very overt with your assessment of anyone that is of another color, so your comments hold little weight. Is ACORN corrupt, yes, but your fooling yourself if you think that there are not several other organization out there who are milking the American tax payers. As for the fake voter registration, you seem to forget that ACORN internal auditors reported all of the fake registrations submitted during the 08' election. ACORD needs to clean house, but it's not the worst organization out there.

| 0 minutes ago

easterner
Sep 23, 09 4:04 PM CDT

Well Acorn your not doing a good job when it comes to verifying your clients eligibility and your not dotting your I's or your T's .........You might really want to think about cleaning your house with a fine tooth comb. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Fondue
Sep 23, 09 4:07 PM CDT

I never dot my T's.

IN RESPONSE:

Thinker
Sep 23, 09 4:15 PM CDT

Actually, it's "you're," not "your" in front of "not doing a good job."

IN RESPONSE:

Reader64481089
Sep 23, 09 4:30 PM CDT

Thinker don't confuse them :) besides, we use it for comic relief. If you move them up to two to and too it may cause a breakdown

IN RESPONSE:

easterner
Sep 23, 09 4:35 PM CDT

ok cross your T's

-3

IN RESPONSE:

Timinator2K
Sep 23, 09 4:42 PM CDT

a flea & lice comb, you probably meant.

IN RESPONSE:

proud_prude
Sep 23, 09 5:30 PM CDT

If the bill cutting off ACORN funding should pass I predict it will be the first to be vetoed by the president. And rightfully so. As we should have learned in the 50s, witch hunts are not a good basis on which to pass precedent setting legislation.

-6

| 0 minutes ago

Doctor_Supercilious
Sep 23, 09 4:39 PM CDT

Then we get into there, their and they're and two, too and to. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

TheMan
Sep 23, 09 4:46 PM CDT

We must view Acorn from the macro perspective. What is the fundamental purpose of Acorn? Of course: it is to steal, cheat, lie and subvert the basic underpinnings of American democracy in retaliation for the angry underclass's self-declared status as "aggrieved victims of oppression" and "disadvantaged but endlessly entitled." Indeed, the more sociopathic, the more indolent, the more worthless the dysfunctional losers, the more "marginalized" and "dehumanized" this proves them to be. Such a veritable holocaust licenses Acorn to violate and scoff at every one of this evil society's laws and every tenet of human decency in pursuit of "social justice." That's why it is striking clear that Mr. Obama IS the personification of Acorn. Reply

-1

IN RESPONSE:

Shannonals
Sep 23, 09 8:57 PM CDT

Do you actually believe the things you post TheMan?

| 0 minutes ago

tman3220
Sep 23, 09 5:03 PM CDT

They need to leave Acorn alone. Obama's going to need a job in 2012, Prez is such a liar. What is it with these Dem Presidents and habitual lying? Reply

-2

IN RESPONSE:

Fondue
Sep 23, 09 5:26 PM CDT

I just wonder how well McCain would be doing.

-2

IN RESPONSE:

proud_prude
Sep 23, 09 5:26 PM CDT

We know about the lies of most previous presidents (can't think of any by Carter off hand -- I'm sure you can, Mr. T.) What lies told by the current POTUS do you have in mind? Just asking.

IN RESPONSE:

proud_prude
Sep 23, 09 10:39 PM CDT

None. That's what I figured.

IN RESPONSE:

SilenceDogood
Sep 24, 09 2:40 AM CDT

proud-prude 1; End income tax for seniors making less than $50,000. 2; Allow five days of public comment before signing bills. 3; Tougher rules against revolving door for lobbyists and former officials. 4; Create a $3,000 tax credit for companies that add jobs. 5; Allow penalty-free hardship withdrawals from retirement accounts in 2008 and 2009. 6; Recognize the Armenian genocide. 7; Negotiate health care reform in public sessions televised on C-SPAN. Check out http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/rulings/no-action/

| 0 minutes ago

MrsK
Sep 23, 09 5:40 PM CDT

Not one more tax dollar to that bunch of hoodlums. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Robert_Dada
Sep 23, 09 7:03 PM CDT

Nobody ever said tax money was going to republicans MrsK. You can go back to bed now.

-1

IN RESPONSE:

Shannonals
Sep 23, 09 8:56 PM CDT

Way to go MrsK, doing your Grand Wizard proud!

| 0 minutes ago

doingtherightthing
Sep 23, 09 7:02 PM CDT

A old Hitler tactic is to deny deny deny. One lie becomes bigger then the rest (dent), then all lies are eventually forgotten (deny) and you only get truths which are lies (deny)... Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Robert_Dada
Sep 23, 09 7:04 PM CDT

Figures you would know all about the Nazi propaganda machine since your politics embraces it.

| 0 minutes ago

cornelison
Sep 23, 09 9:09 PM CDT

Just get the facts. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

yoeydude
Sep 23, 09 10:40 PM CDT

man there is some real trailer trash on here ,..... with no education , no grounding in history or science , no memory of the recent past , the proud , the ignorant , the obeseness that I detect here is revolting , shitbag overweight imbeciles with no fuking clue break a fuking leg Reply

| 0 minutes ago

MrJohnSpeaks
Sep 23, 09 10:41 PM CDT

Republicans have ruined a great country and are angry that people have figured out what they have been up to for so many years and are now tired of it. Bush put the war expenses on a credit card and they appear happy with that. Obama told us what INSURANCE will cost for 10 years and the Republicans have gone ballistic. At this point I would bet that ACORN has even helped some POOR WHITE PEOPLE. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

lindamae
Sep 24, 09 3:25 AM CDT

Constitutional reminder. Congress writes the Bills and creates a Budget. The President enacts the bills / budget by signing them into law. Or - he an veto them - or pocket veto them. So - All of the money we've spent since Obama entered the Senate was part of his doing as well. Remember that Bush had made it clear that he would veto the Porkulous bill so Pelosi held it back until after the election. I had believed Obama when he said there would be no more pork so I expected him to veto it and send it back to Congress for revision. After having it on line for 5 days for us to review. Which - is really part of what Congress is supposed to do -- but NNNNOOOOO. He signed the bill into law because he had millions of pork in it as well. All parties joined in the foodfest. And our babies will be paying for it. Bush had nothing to do with it. He did not have the power to do so.

| 0 minutes ago

Circusdog
Sep 24, 09 12:23 AM CDT

Don't worry another Born again right wing Senator or Gov will be banging his girlfriend or blowing his boyfriend in a gas station bathroom soon enough. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

cornelison
Sep 24, 09 1:16 AM CDT

It doesn't help when Glenn Beck post Acorn employees' photos on blackboard on his Fox show. In some courts it taints the juries & the public. The owners of Fox News might find themselves in court as well. Is it possible that a formal investigation will demand that Beck shut his mouth about Acorn? He's spoiling the jury pool as it is. Reply

-1

IN RESPONSE:

lindamae
Sep 24, 09 3:29 AM CDT

This is just so National Inquirer like. Don't you love it? Like Candid Camera. Or the TV show which caught all of the perverts coming to have sex with a 13 year old girl. Or the old fashioned TV news shows of yesteryear when the reporter would stick his mike into someone's face and ask very pointed questions to point out graft and / or corruption. Those were the good old days. Now we have tingling legs and - you know who.

IN RESPONSE:

SilenceDogood
Sep 24, 09 7:11 AM CDT

Good point, but it was a great photo op.

| 0 minutes ago

lindamae
Sep 24, 09 3:15 AM CDT

Perhaps he can convince some that he is honest and the fact that Obama trained Acorn community organizers did not happen. This is what happens when graft and corruption - and lack of press coverage - go hand and hand. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Ucantusethatname
Sep 24, 09 4:56 AM CDT

Wade Rathke. There is a guy whose word we can trust. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

View all 41 comments »

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