As ACORN Falls, So Do the Rest? ((Updated))

Republicans framing ACORN as a corrupt organization is an old story. Wonks are aware that the Bush administration targeted ACORN for fraudulent voter registration practices in 2004 and 2006. The resulting scandal was not that of ACORN but the firing of nine U.S. attorneys. Firings which included David Iglesias, a U.S. attorney who refused to press criminal charges against ACORN at the request of operatives inside the Bush White House (see Karl Rove and Harriet Miers).

Today conservative media outlets like Fox News are advancing an overtly negative narrative about ACORN, traditional media outlets have followed suit and Congress has ineptly fallen in line. Congress recently passed legislation which would prevent ACORN from receiving federal funds. The IRS and the U.S. Census Bureau have distanced themselves from the organization and today it was reported that Bank of America has suspended all current commitments with ACORN, pending an investigation.

This is a lot of movement against a somewhat obscure, somewhat nationally unknown organization whose main objective is issue campaigning and helping low income families. An organization, that big picture, hasn’t received a lot of federal dollars – $53 million over fifteen years.

ACORN has registered close to two million voters in the past five years. By ACORN’s own admission incidents of voter registration fraud have occurred but what gets left out of the narrative is ACORN’s role in prompting  investigations and reporting the fraudulent acts – as required by law. Quite unfairly ACORN has been painted as a corrupt organization, committing widespread voter fraud, which is largely unsubstantiated by intent or conviction.

See, Manipulating the public agenda: Why ACORN was in the news, and what the news got wrong.

I find the Republican and conservative media obsession with ACORN fascinating and somewhat brilliant. It’s beyond contempt but brilliant – Rove like politics actually.

Rachel has another perspective:

More from Rachel, David Iglesias: