Why Democrats think it’s ok to punish ACORN now
Michelle Malkin liveblogged the Senate vote earlier this evening on the issue of funding ACORN in the current transportation and appropriations bill. Tonight, they voted 83-7 to not include funding for ACORN in those bills, which was a welcome sight to see, considering their routine funding and praising of them during the Bush administration in spite of the repeated instances of corruption and wrongdoing that were widespread across the country.
It took three separate incidents, reported within a two or three week timeframe, and an amendment brought to the floor by a Republican Senator, to finally get the Dems to wake up.
Or have they?
If this had happened under a Republican President with no ties to ACORN, would they have taken this stand? My belief is that they would not have – their last 8 years of forcing taxpayers to fund the corruptocracy at ACORN prove that. The reason they’re starting to throw ACORN under the bus now is because it’s an embarassment to both their party and President Obama.
It’s not unsimilar to what then-candidate Obama did once Rev. Wright insulted him personally: He threw him under the bus and left TUCC. Years of Jeremiah Wright’s race-baiting commentary and America-hating weren’t enough to make him want to leave the church, but Wright calling Obama out on how he was being “political” about distancing himself from his “former” pastor was just too much. In this case, now the spotlight is on our Democrat President and his majority and the recent ACORN stories are a “distraction” from the “big picture.”
Not only that, but ACORN did their jobs in helping President Obama get elected last year. So they’re not as valuable to the success of the Dem party now this year as they were a year ago. Mission accomplished, or something like that.
Bbbbbut, there’s always next year to consider.
So, while I’m happy to see this rare moment of agreement between Senate Dems and Republicans, I’m not convinced that the Dems have had any real moment of clarity. They just want to get what they hope will be a temporary distraction in the form of ACORN mischief and illegal activity off the front pages and out of their hair. That way, when next year rolls around and – assuming ACORN quiets down long enough – they can get back to Business As Usual.
And the beat goes on.