ATTACK ON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BACKFIRING BIG TIME

This lame attempt at an October surprise is actually becoming our first October self-inflicted wound. This all started with a liberal blogger at John Podesta's 'Think Progress' website. In light of Obama's long list of shady techniques, Alinsky-style politics, and thuggery, the attempt on the part of this White House to call out the Chamber of Commerce was fool hearty at best. The Chamber is winning this battle in a big way and continues to mount an extremely effective counter-offensive.

At issue is the White House demanding that the Chamber of Commerce reveal its list of political donors. When the Chamber refuses to do so, the White House says they must have something to hide. The Chamber responds by saying they're not legally required to reveal the names and the main reason for not doing so is because those donors will then become the subjects of Union thuggery.

Jake Tapper of ABC interviewed Bruce Josten, executive vice president for government affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce on October 13th and asked good questions. Josten didn't just defend his organization; he went on the attack:

TAPPER: They're suggesting, based on a ThinkProgress report, that since you do get some money from foreign companies and from AmChams, which are based in other countries, essentially foreign money is finding its way onto the American air waves to fund political attacks on politicians you are trying to defeat.

JOSTEN: Well it's a sad day and a last gasp I guess by this administration and their outside allies, and I wouldn't call the ThinkProgress blog a report Jake, I would recognize it's a liberal blog, subset of the Center for American Progress, which is run by the president's transition campaign director John Podesta, that made a lot of inferences and clearly Al Fang who is the author of that blog doesn't even understand what an American Chamber of Commerce abroad is.

He's right about Think Progress. This an extremely partisan, left wing group that directly influences White House policy. As for the reasons why Josten is rightfully refusing to disclose the Chamber's donor lists...

TAPPER: I said this wasn't necessarily related to the Chamber issue, I was talking about this to --

JOSTEN: I know, but look, Target corporation in Minnesota, which is a very progressive company and exceptionally progressive with respect to the gay and lesbian community in that state, out some money behind a ballot initiative in that state on economic growth. And it just so happened that one of the people running for governor connected to that, is anti gay and lesbian rights. That company has had a boycott, they have been attacked, they have been harassed, and there have been attempts to demand, if you will, that they make equal contributions to other outside groups. Even though their history in that space speaks eloquently for itself.

So, what happens here is intimidate, harass, and try and push people away from participating in the process. We have no intention of not participating in the process.

As I'm watching this attack on the Chamber of Commerce unfold, it reminded me of that interview with an alleged White House 'insider' that came out last month. In light of the inexplicable decision to go after the Chamber, check out this excerpt from one of that insider's answers:

The President of the United States threw a temper tantrum. The jobs reports are always setting him off, and he is getting increasingly conspiratorial over the unemployment numbers. I never heard it myself, but was told that Obama thinks the banking system is out to get him now. That they and the big industries are making him pay for trying to regulate them more. That is the frame of mind the President is in these days. And you know what? Maybe he is right, who knows?

Paranoia would certainly explain targeting the Chamber.

As for the unsubstantiated charge Obama is levying about foreign donors, how about this video report from 2008 in which Palestinians had set up a phone bank in Gaza to raise money for the Obama campaign. The man running it barely spoke english.

SQUIRRELS IN ACORN FINDING LESS NUTS

In the wake of all of the somewhat less-than-flattering videos surfacing in the undercover videos in the Baltimore, D.C., Brooklyn, and San Bernardino ACORN offices, the sources of funding for the organization are drying up.

On Friday, we learned that the Census Bureau is SEVERING TIES and then on Monday, the Senate voted by a margin of 83-7 to block Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from issuing grants to ACORN.

A wide margin, yes, but how on earth could 7 senators justify continuing to fund such an organization when multiple offices were caught aiding a would-be pimp and prostitute in the trafficking of 13 year-old girls into this country illegally to work out of a brothel? Seems to run a bit counter to HUD's charter, doesn't it?

Two of the seven senators are from Barack Obama's home state of Illinois - Roland Burris and Dick Durbin. Here is the ENTIRE LIST:
Burris (D-IL)
Casey (D-PA)
Durbin (D-IL)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Leahy (D-VT)
Sanders (I-VT)
Whitehouse (D-RI)

Say, would that be the same Roland Burris who was appointed by the indicted and impeached governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich? Uh, yes. So not only does Obama have extensive ties to ACORN but both senators from his state appear to be willing to martyr their political careers to defend the organization as well.

On Tuesday, as it became clear that an employee at the San Bernardino office was caught on tape admitting to the murder of her husband, 130 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to Barack Obama, asking him to terminate ALL Federal funding to ACORN. That leaves 305 Congressmen who did not sign it.

Here is the letter:


2009-09-15_ACORN_Letter_to_President_Obama-1 -

I'm not sure who makes up the list of the 305 yet but today's WALL STREET JOURNAL piece by Jake Sherman seems to provide some indication as to what future talking points for those who will side with ACORN might look like (there is a problem with low level employees but not with management and executive leadership).

The office of Nancy "Speech" Polici didn't return calls for comment and House Whip Steny Hoyer appears rather adept at the art of manufactured naivete.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D., Md.) told reporters Tuesday the Acorn employees' behavior was "despicable." "If it's broader-spread, I think we need to look very carefully at the assistance that we give," he said.

Note that the employees - who were trained by someone - exhibited despicable behavior but he gives the organization quite a wide berth. I'd say employees who engage in very similar behavior in four offices across the country (including New York and California) would indicate a problem that is a bit systemic.

ACORN is still exhibiting a high degree of gall in the face of all of this.

An Acorn official said the organization is not worried about losing federal funding. Brian Kettenring, the organization's deputy national director, said Acorn received between $2 million and $3 million in federal money last year.

"People are going to have to look at the fact that we got grants because we are so effective at helping people improve their daily lives," Mr. Kettenring said.

Wouldn't you love Mr. Kettenring to explain his view of helping people improve their daily lives? We already know how multiple ex-employees in several ACORN offices interpret the idea.

It would appear that ACORN 8, the group of former ACORN employees-turned-whistleblowers may be receiving some phone calls from other former ACORN employees soon (if they haven't already).

h/t to BIG GOVERNMENT