One Small Step for Sanity

Maybe all of the news about the recently passed bailout bill isn't bad. Senator Jim DeMint (R., S.C.) was able to sneak wording into prior legislation that will make it difficult for the Democrats to smuggle the bailout money to groups like ACORN.

President Bush signed the legislation, called the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, earlier this year. The law was passed prior to the bailout bill. Check out this section of the earlier legislation:

SEC. 2304. LIMITATION ON DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.

(a) IN GENERAL. - None of the funds made available under this title or title IV shall be distributed to -

(1) an organization which has been indicted for a violation under Federal law relating to an election for Federal office; or

(2) an organization which employs applicable individuals.

Clearly, ACORN (whose voter registration tactics are under investigation in a number of states) shouldn't be getting any money if it has violated federal election laws.

What about state election laws? David Freddoso, of National Review, discusses some of the implications of this section of the law in NRO. You can see his discussion here.

Hat tip: Otis Glazebrook (IV)