Anita MonCrief Schumer, Gutierrez and Waters Honored for Governing the "ACORN Way" at Anniversary Celebration

Anita MonCrief

If there are any lingering doubts that ACORN has been an organization that was squarely in the tank for Democrats, ACORN (which has never been coy about its thuggery and aspirations of political power) has offered proof in their own words. ACORN's 39th Anniversary celebration takes place on June 17th, 2009 and it promises to be filled with a who's who of Democrats.

Sadly for new puppies everywhere, this announcement is also another nail in the coffin of the Main Stream Media, as the RSVP at the bottom is that of The Advance Group, a major firm specializing in public relations. The Advance Group has many contacts in the MSM, but this event has been surprisingly kept under wraps. How is it possible that ACORN, who is in the middle of a ground war with bloggers and right leaning newspapers across the country (MSM reports only when they have to), has managed to plan a major event in DC with little media scrutiny. The email accompanying the attachment is also very telling, the full text appears below. The ACORN ties of each honoree or member would require another 10 to 15 posts.

-----Original Message-----

From: pol.nat.2@acornmail.net [mailto:pol.nat.2@acornmail.net]

Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 7:53 PM

To: undisclosed-recipients:

Subject: ACORN 39th Anniversary Celebration Honoring Senator Schumer and

Representatives Gutierrez & Waters {INVITE}

Dear friends,

I would like to thank you for your generous contribution and support for ACORN in 2009. I am writing to invite you to attend or sponsor ACORN’s 39th Anniversary Celebration. We are hosting an event in Washington, DC on June 17 to honor the work of Senator Charles Schumer, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Rep. Maxine Waters and AFT President Randi Weingarten. We’ll also be recognizing our newly formed Advisory Committee: Dave Beckwith, Henry Cisneros, Eric Eve, Harvey Hirschfeld, Kathleen Kennedy-Townsend, John Podesta and Andy Stern. We’d be delighted if you join us and, of course would love it if you could help sponsor the event even if you can’t be there in person.

With the help of so many generous supporters, in 2008 ACORN organized, helped register, and spoke face-to-face with more than a million low-income voters who changed history when they went out to vote—many for the first time—in the historic November election.

In 2009 we are engaged as a strong partner in the progressive movement, fighting to make the change people voted for a reality and win real action on healthcare, housing, comprehensive immigration reform and more.

Of course, not everyone appreciates our work as much as you and I do: Right-wing extremists continue to attack ACORN with unfounded allegations. Various conspiracy theories allege that ACORN has taken control of the Census, the FCC, the banking system, and $8 billion in federal funds; alas, it is all false! In many ways it is an honor to be an A-list enemy of people like Rush Limbaugh, Lou Dobbs and Sean Hannity. But it isn’t cheap or easy to combat outlandish attacks while redoubling our efforts to organize ordinary people for progressive change.

And that’s why we need your help. Please join others who support our work. Please consider sponsoring our 39th Anniversary Celebration and on June 17, 2009.

Attach is an invitation to our event with options to buy tickets or sponsor at various levels. You can return the form with your check to ACORN (or tax-deductible contribution to the ACORN Institute) to:

ACORN Anniversary Celebration

739 8th Street SE

Washington, DC 20003

(Or you can donate online at www.acorn.org/donate. Just drop me a note to say you did and if we should reserve you tickets for the event on June 17th.)

For more information about our 39th Anniversary event or the work we are doing, please contact me directly at pol.nat.2@acornmail.net or (612)-385-2576. Thank you for your support and for all you do.

Sincerely,

Josie Mines

ACORN Civic Engagement Staff

pol.nat.2@acornmail.net

o.(651) 917-3680 - c.(612) 385- - fax (202)379-1786

P.S. ACORN’s grassroots leadership believes we are experiencing a once-in-a-generation opportunity and must not squander this moment. Your generosity is needed now more than ever. Thanks.

I suspect this once-in-a-generation opportunity involves radical change in America, and a quick look at the honorees gives the appearance that this is actually a victory party. Like many high ranking Democrats, Charles Schumer has quite a history with ACORN. A Schumer website press release states;

"The U.S. Senate gave final approval Wednesday to a measure proposed by U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Robert P. Casey (D-PA) to grant $100 million in funding to housing non-profits on the front lines of the fight to prevent a national foreclosure crisis from the subprime lending fallout. The measure—which would provide resources to government-approved agencies that help negotiate between borrowers and lenders to keep families in their homes—was contained in the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) spending bill that passed the full Senate this morning."

...The initiative by Sens. Schumer, Brown, and Casey has been welcomed by the nonprofit entities, which have seen demand for their services soar in recent months. Among the groups supportive of the effort are: National NeighborWorks Association, Center for Responsible Lending, Consumer Federation of America (CFA), National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), and Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).

In addition to high profile Democrats with a pattern of doing favors for ACORN, the newly formed ACORN Advisory Committee is made up of familiar faces. For space and time reasons, I will not touch upon Andy Stern, President of SEIU, but his presence on the committee should be duly noted. However, former head of Obama's Transition Team, John Podesta continues to openly support the "non-partisan" group. A "transcript of a management conference call dated March 20, 2006 states that:

"During a December 2006 Year End/Year beginning ACORN staff meeting in New Orleans, Podesta traveled there to speak to staff in a December 15 2006 session entitled: Preparing for Power: The Next Cycle?

Very interesting title and I am sure ACORN will state that it is a coincidence. Podesta also seemed to not only be yet another ACORN/Sandler link but also a go to guy for finance. In a management conference call dated March 20, 2006 it states that:

"WFP Ballot Line: Chris Entrikin to get signs in SC and hiring an operative to help with it. OR the committee is not going to the ballot in 06. In WA Clare C. (Crawford) meeting with honchos to see if going to ballot in 06. MA. Fundraising problems. AFSCME wants to block endorsement by state Fed. We did briefing w/John Podesta to help drum up $$. No word yet."

Henry Cisneros, another member of the committee served as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under President Clinton. ACORN's own website describes this access to Democrats in power in a section called Insider Opportunites:

"Democratic control of the federal government meant that ACORN had increased access to top officials with more sympathetic ears. ACORN members began regular meetings with Henry Cisneros, HUD Secretary under President Clinton, on a variety of issues. ACORN organizing began to include more tenant groups under the ACORN Tenant Union (ATU), and Cisneros was increasingly helpful."

In the section entitled Focus on Partnerships ACORN says:

"In July of 1994, ACORN invited insurers to a national Insurance Summit in Chicago where the Neighborhood and Home Safety Program was presented. The keynote speaker at the Summit was HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, who lauded ACORN’s efforts and pledged to investigate violations of the Fair Housing Act by insurers. Summit participants included the eight largest companies which write over 40% of the country’s homeowners insurance. They took a tour of a typical ACORN neighborhood and attended a session explaining the benefits and success of neighborhood organizing and programs. After the summit, ACORN entered into negotiations with a number of the participating insurers to put the Neighborhood and Home Safety program into effect."

A little investigative reporting by the MSM would uncover the roots and seeds for the housing collapse at this very gathering. Each one of the honorees or committee members has put ACORN's goals and aspirations to power over the true needs of the people. ACORN and its cronies were aware of what was happening, but chose to capitalize on a historic power grab, as this December 2006 quote from an ACORN year end report illustrates (emphasis mine):

“In 2006 we saw the cracks begin to form in the subprime mortgage market with foreclosures on the rise and hundreds of billions of dollars in ARMs resetting. All signs indicate that in 2007 things will be even worse and the system could rupture. We need to be right there when it does.”

Congratulations to Schumer, Gutierrez and Waters; your association with ACORN has left you with a myriad of things to celebrate, foreclosures, fraud, missing tax dollars and a legacy of thuggery.