The activist group ACORN, which has long worked with criminals as it preys on the weak and the troubled, is on the verge of yet another public relations catastrophe.
That's because a cross-dressing Ohio male escort whom ACORN registered multiple times to vote was convicted of full-fledged vote fraud in addition to the lesser crime of voter registration fraud. A spokesman for Cleveland prosecutor Bill Mason confirmed yesterday that a local investigation of ACORN remains wide open.
The conviction of Darnell Nash, apparently known by several aliases including Serina "Sexy Slay" Gibbs, is hugely significant for several reasons, not least of which is the fact that ACORN has long maintained that vote fraud, as opposed to the lesser crime of voter registration fraud, essentially never happens.
ACORN's Project Vote affiliate has tried to get rid of the problem of vote fraud by defining it out of existence. Lorraine C. Minnite, a political science professor at Columbia University's Barnard College, argues in an ACORN/Project Vote report called "The Politics of Voter Fraud" that "[t]he claim that voter fraud threatens the integrity of American elections is itself a fraud." Minnite is also a senior fellow at the liberal think tank Demos.
While ACORN has not yet been charged in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the fact that an individual voter registered by ACORN has been convicted of actually casting a fraudulent ballot appears to be a historic first for the embattled radical advocacy group.
But in the Nash case, the question arises: Who conned whom? Or were both Nash and ACORN to blame?
Nash, the self-proclaimed "Queen of Cleveland Gender Benders," claimed to make $150 an hour turning tricks, according to the New York Post. Describing Nash, who flashed a TV reporter on camera while dressed as a woman, as a "flamboyant con artist," the newspaper reported last October that Nash was also "busted for scamming local college students in a fake loan-program scheme that gave him access to the kids' checking accounts." It is unclear if the loan fraud allegations were acted on further by authorities.
Mason spokesman Ryan Miday said in an interview last night that ACORN remains on the prosecutorial radar screen. "We investigated the activities involving ACORN and at this point we have found no criminal conduct by ACORN." [Emphasis added.]
I pressed Miday, whose boss is an elected Democrat, to elaborate and he offered what sounded like a clarion call to whistle blowers.
"Our file remains open, meaning that we're not closing the case," he said. "If we receive more information or evidence pertaining to ACORN's involvement we will pursue it."
Miday explained that Nash was registered nine times to vote with the assistance of what the spokesman called "ACORN outreach workers." Nash repeatedly used different names and different addresses to register to vote. He was indicted by a grand jury earlier this year.
Nash cast a fraudulent ballot at the local board of elections office, Miday said.
Nash entered a guilty plea to one count of casting a fraudulent ballot and to several counts of false registration on August 5. On August 19 he was sentenced to six months imprisonment by Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo.
Miday said that Nash, who is in custody in a facility for male prisoners, filed for a petition for early "judicial release" on Oct. 1. Mason entered his opposition to the petition yesterday, the spokesman said.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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Balderdash, prosecuting voter fraud by ACORN, no such thing. There was no voter fraud in 2008 or that would mean .....
Posted by: Black Charlie Ebbolung2304 ||
10/09/2009 0:14 Comments ||
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Are we going to find out that McCain actually won?
#3
It doesn't matter who won the popular vote, g(r)omgoru. It only matters who the delegates to the Electoral College believed at the time had won in each of their states, because they are the ones who actually choose which candidate becomes president. So, legally, Mr. Obama is president, even if his people had stolen the election in each of the fifty states.
When last we left Gerald Walpin, the unfairly fired inspector general for the Corporation for National and Community Service, he had filed a lawsuit on July 17 protesting his dismissal. He submitted technical amendments to his complaint on July 24, and the government was supposed to respond within 60 days. Seventy-five days later, the government still is stonewalling.
Justice delayed is justice denied.
Government lawyers Tony West, Channing Phillips, Susan Rudy and Kathryn Wyer filed for an extension until Oct. 26, explaining that they were only "recently assigned this case." It's odd, though, that when it suits the White House's political needs, it finds grounds to fire Mr. Walpin immediately, without proper notice, but when it comes to responding to his complaint, it can't manage to move fast enough to meet court rules that are entirely reasonable.
Mr. Walpin was fired shortly after releasing two reports highly critical of close allies of the White House. He was fired without any independent White House investigation of the lame claims against him. Those claims were, first, that he was "disoriented" at a single meeting, and second, that he had the temerity to write an unapproved letter to the editor of a California newspaper to defend, entirely accurately, his investigation of a political ally of President Obama. As fireable offenses go, especially for a quasi-independent official such as an inspector general, his supposed transgressions rank in importance somewhere between piddling and nonexistent.
More important, they rank far below the importance of the transgressions on which Mr. Walpin was blowing the whistle. For instance, he had unearthed major misuse of funds by AmeriCorps grantee Kevin Johnson, a former professional basketball star and Obama friend who is now mayor of Sacramento. Giving further credence to Mr. Walpin's work, the FBI since has opened an investigation into the Johnson case.
Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Iowa Republican and longtime supporter of government whistleblowers, has been so angered at the refusal of the White House and the Corporation for National and Community Service board to turn over documents related to the strange firing of Mr. Walpin that he put an official hold on the nomination of corporation board chairman Alan D. Solomont to be ambassador to Spain. The hold is entirely justified. The White House's defenestration of an honest IG, without adequate explanation, is a scandal.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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Leaders in the House and Senate have a plan to pass President Barack Obama's sweeping health care plan by Thanksgiving without any significant participation by the American public. CNS News has confirmed the details in our September 22nd titled "Passing a Shell of A Bill: Congress' Secret Plan to Ram Through Health Care Reform." Nicholas Ballasy reports "a senior aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) told CNSNews.com that it is 'likely' that Reid will use H.R. 1586--a bill passed by the House in March to impose a 90-percent tax on bonuses paid to employees of certain bailed-out financial institutions--as a 'shell' for enacting the final version of the Senate's health care bill, which Reid is responsible for crafting."
This story confirms the four part scenario that would railroad the bill through the Senate using a very unusual closed door procedure to craft the bill with no input from the American people.
The four stage plan to pass Obamacare has been publicly confirmed and is ready to be implemented. The following is a comprehensive update:
Step One: "The Senate Finance Committee will finish work on the marking up of Senator Max Baucus' (D-MT) conceptual framework for legislation by this Friday." Progress on this had been stalled and the bill was not passed by the end of last week. Foxnews.com is reporting that the Congressional Budget Office score of the bill will be released later today and a high score may further stall progress on the Committee's Vapor Bill. Senate Finance Committee's progress on passing something out of committee -- INCOMPLETE.
Step Two: Next, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will take the final product of the Senate Finance Committee and merge it with the product of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee. CNSnews.com has confirmed that "the actual final text of the legislation will be determined by Reid himself, who will consolidate the legislation approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the still-unapproved legislation from the Senate Finance Committee. Reid will be able to draft and insert textual language that was not expressly approved by either committee." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will write the final version of Obamacare to be considered in the Senate with no input from the American people. This is an extremely complex procedure that will not be done in public, or in the form of a hearing, or a public conference committee, and only Senator Harry Reid, some other Senators chosen by Reid and Obama Administration officials will be allowed to read the bill before the Senate debate starts. Merger of the bills -- IN PROGRESS.
Step Three: Senator Reid will then move to proceed to H.R. 1586, a bill to impose a tax on bonuses received by certain TARP recipients. A senior aid to Senate Majority Leader Ried has confirmed that he will move to proceed to Senate Calendar Number 36, H.R. 1586, or another House passed tax measure, so the Senate can avoid the Constitutional mandate that tax bills originate in the House. Proceed to tax shell of a bill -- CONFIRMED.
Step Four: This scenario would most likely be implemented after the Massachusetts state legislature gives Governor Deval Patrick the power to appoint a new Senator and that Senator is seated by the Senate. The Senate swore in new Massachusetts Senator Paul Kirk on September 25th. Change Law of Massachusetts to allow for interim Senator -- COMPLETE.
The final step in this plan is for the House to take up Obama care, without amending the legislation, and then sending that bill directly to the President for his signature. Matt Cover at CNSnews.com reports "House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) won't rule out having the House vote on the Senate health-care bill without making any changes in it, which would allow the bill to go directly to President Barack Obama without having to pass through a House-Senate conference committee and another round of votes in the House and Senate--and a longer period of public scrutiny of what the text of the proposed law actually says." This scenario is in the process of being implemented and, if successful, it will result in Obamacare being on the President's desk in time for Thansgiving with minimal participation of the American public.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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Hey I got news for you "Secret Planners", its called "Vote the B-stards Out" and it begins to take shape as soon as this BS passes in Congress.
Posted by: Black Charlie Ebbolung2304 ||
10/09/2009 0:24 Comments ||
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Vote them out, and have the US Armed forces frog march the pres and his choggies out of that white house for violation of oath and unqualifying bid.
#3
Um no, let's not ever involve our armed forces in political chicanery (air force tanker contracts excepted).
I don't want to live in a banana republic.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/09/2009 10:59 Comments ||
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Some time ago (I can't remember who or when) someone offered a proposal that would outlaw ANY and ALL amendments and riders to bills presented to Congress. The idea was to eliminate "hidden" legislation from being voted on, and as a result each bill would stand or fall on it's own merits. Maybe this proposal should become reality.
#5
Steve you already do live in a banana republic. The miltary is the last group of Americans with the power and integrity to restore the republic - after that it's up to those like you and me.
And Democrats running Congress have their "motion to refer."
That was the slimy tool Speaker Nancy Pelosi wielded on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday to cover up for her tax-dodging top committee chairman, Charlie Rangel.
In a convoluted parliamentary charade, Democrats voted in nearly lockstep to thwart a resolution to remove Rangel from the powerful chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee, where he sits as the nation's top tax-writer -- at least until his numerous ethical and legal woes have been resolved.
For as long as he remains in power under this odious cloud, Rangel makes a mockery of the "People's House." Among the wall of 243 House Democrats who voted to quash the resolution was, not surprisingly, Rangel himself.
"It's unfair," Rangel told a reporter before the vote. "I think the Ethics Committee should get a chance to work its will."
Whenever Rangel speaks, it brings to mind the epic scene in "The Godfather II" when Frank Pentangeli remembers his omerta and, from the stand in the Senate hearing room, recants all his testimony against Michael Corleone.
"I never knew no Godfather. I got my own family, Senator," Pentangeli says in a strangled voice eerily similar to Rangel's.
In Sicilian, Pentangeli means "five angels," as in the five angels watching over in the famous Botticelli painting "The Virgin with the Child and Five Angels."
But in this sordid world of politics where the fallen reign supreme, Charlie Rangel has 243 "angels" watching over him.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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I wonder if anyone has the balls to ask this guy if he would like a pair of concrete overshoes.
Or is it that Congressmen are immune from prosecution from Mr."We are a nation of cowards"
Posted by: Black Charlie Ebbolung2304 ||
10/09/2009 0:07 Comments ||
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Out with the old. In with the new.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
10/09/2009 12:26 Comments ||
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Paint EVERY Democrat with this. They support him and Pelosi. Blue Dogs too. Actions speak louder than words.
Posted by: M Defarge ||
10/09/2009 14:16 Comments ||
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It's looking impossible to clean this House
Just another step towards the unthinkable, to welcome Caesar. It won't be anyone looking to fight for Caesar, it'll just be that most of us won't care anymore to defend the putrid remains of a once great republic.
Kids from the Ron Clark Academy are on CNN singing for health care reform set to Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA." The song mentions "Obama says everyone needs health care now."
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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Very appropriate to post the picture of the Lenin Stalin Pioneer Youth with the article.
You guys at Rantburg know your Propaganda !
Posted by: Black Charlie Ebbolung2304 ||
10/09/2009 1:04 Comments ||
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Buffalo is "oversaturated" with charter schools, and the state should be more demanding when it is asked to create new charter schools here or to relicense existing ones, the president of New York State's teachers union said here Wednesday.
"I would say Buffalo has, unfortunately, more than reached a saturation point," said Richard Iannuzzi, president of New York State United Teachers. "It makes it almost a side-by-side school district, and you can't function like that."
He said the brakes should be put on charter school growth when total charter school enrollment exceeds from 5 to 8 percent of the enrollment of the traditional public school system in which the charters are located. In Buffalo, that figure exceeds 10 percent, and Albany has also passed that threshold.
The damage, Iannuzzi said, is that school districts are required to make transfer payments to charter schools based on enrollment and suffer financially as charter schools grow.
"I would hope that the chartering institutions [the state Board of Regents and the State University of New York] look much more carefully at the applications of charter schools in Buffalo and Albany," he told The Buffalo News Editorial Board.
When existing charter schools seek relicensing in those cities, "maybe you have to have a higher standard," Iannuzzi added.
As opposed to higher standards for the non-chartered public schools ...
Peter Murphy, a spokesman for the New York Charter Schools Association, said the State Legislature created that higher standard in 2007 by requiring new charters in Buffalo and Albany to present "significant educational benefits."
"That's a message from the Legislature that a higher bar is needed here," Murphy said.
NYSUT is aggressively seeking to unionize teachers at the state's 130 charter schools and already has 21 affiliates, including five in Buffalo.
Ah-ha ...
Posted by: Fred ||
10/09/2009 00:00 ||
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The charter schools were a way to get out from under the mediocrity of teacher union run schools. Unions were the bane of the 20th century, and should be religated to the "dust bin of history" which the 20th century is history.
Posted by: Black Charlie Ebbolung2304 ||
10/09/2009 0:47 Comments ||
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Translation: How can we survive unless the State suppresses the competition on our behalf?
#5
I don't know, lotp. My high school, Amherst Central, was top fifty public high schools in the U.S. back in the 1970s, and is still quite good. Mr. Wife went to Lackawanna, which was not at all and now caters to a vocal Muslim minority, mostly Yemeni. I'll ask my mother and report back.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Every criminal operation has its code of silence.
Kids from the Ron Clark Academy are on CNN singing for health care reform set to Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA." The song mentions "Obama says everyone needs health care now."
