Like rats deserting a sinking ship, ACORN’s many enablers over the years are racing for the exits as the scope of the organization’s shenanigans come to light.
Even leftist fellow-traveler — and, until now, stalwart ACORN defender — Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) is squirming.
What took them so long? We’ve been warning about the group for ages.
Nonetheless, in the past two weeks, both the Senate and the House voted to yank federal funding from ACORN; the Census Bureau cut off ties; the Treasury Department launched a review — and the IRS dropped ACORN from its list of approved tax-assistance providers.
Meanwhile, the ugly disclosures keep coming:, GOP Sen. Charles Grassley on Thursday released documents showing that ACORN shifted millions in charitable and government funds meant for the poor to its political and for-profit arms.
Now even Frank, one of ACORN’s biggest congressional pals, says he agrees the group should lose federal funds.
And it was all triggered by that “guerrilla journalism” footage of its workers counseling a supposed pimp and prostitute on how to skirt various laws.
Frank missed the recent vote to strip funds from ACORN, but a spokesman originally said he would have voted to keep the money flowing. Then, in a letter to The Wall Street Journal, Frank insisted his spokesman . . . mis-spoke: Frank now says he would have voted to defund ACORN.
He also claims he hadn’t closely read a letter with his signature on it that asked the Congressional Research Service to do a study on how much “good” ACORN does — and on laws that the two young journalists might have broken in exposing ACORN’s corrupt proclivities.
Funny thing, though: Frank has been a leading promoter and defender of ACORN — up to and including this year.
Last year, he had a featured role in the group’s “Grassroots Democracy Campaign” promotional video. This year, he tried to overturn a law banning groups under indictment for voter fraud (read: ACORN) from getting housing subsidies.
Give Frank some credit. While his ethics and ideology are questionable, the man is no fool: He’s clearly read the writing on the wall and is out to distance himself as fast as possible from an organization that’s grown politically toxic.
But never mind Frank’s hypocrisy.
ACORN’s sudden loss of friends may presage an eventual demise of the tainted, radical group that’s done so much harm.
Hey, we can hope, can’t we?