The 'ACORNization' of America

By Ed Lasky

Remind me why protest groups who interfere with the running of the US government deserve taxpayer dollars, which they already receive and which they would have received in abundance if the Democrats had their way and created a slush fund for ACORN in the bailout bill.

This is especially grating when the same group has a history of voter fraud. Of course, if Barack Obama wins and the Democrats continue to control Congress - which looks guaranteed - we can expect increased funding for ACORN.

This is a group that has long lasting ties to Barack Obama and a group to which he has pledged his fealty: welcome to the ACORNIzation of America where Congressmen, businessmen, and local government officials will face the prospect of protest groups intimidating them any time the far left anti-capitalist, anti-free mearket radicals do not get what they want.

Political extortion is their specialty. And it is part and parcel of the same rule book the Obama campaign uses to silence critics and chill free speech. They give us threats and protest, not reason and compromise.

The latest manifestation of this tactic: a protest at the office of the embattled Republican Congressman from Connecticut, Christoper Shays.

The group went into the building at 10 Middle St. and delivered a letter to Shays' staff, demanding he include forced restructuring of mortgages and to allow bankruptcy judges to modify the terms of loans in any bailout package. Tuesday's picket in Bridgeport was part of a national action by ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, with other chapters delivering similar letters to their members of Congress.

Bobby Jones and Steve Horvath, the movers, were taking a lunch break on Middle Street when about 18 ACORN members began their hourlong demonstration.

Congress is debating a $700 billion plan to buy troubled assets, like mortgages, off the balance sheets of financial institutions in an effort to free financiers to hand out more loans and keep the economy moving. But ACORN and other groups are demanding Congress force those banks to modify high-interest and adjustable-rate loans to help prevent foreclosure. Many of these loans are the "troubled" loans being considered for the government purchase.

"We were just talking about it," said Horvath. "If you decided to go with an adjustable-rate mortgage, you deserve what you get. Homeowners are at fault for this."

Which just goes to show that ordinary Americans have more common sense than our political elites ever give them credit for.