Power to the Little People!

So I was thinking…

What does it take for an individual to have a BIG impact?  Well  a college student and recent college grad schooled me–and American journalism–this week.  James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles’ exposé of ACORN demonstrated the amazing impact individuals can have when they have a focused determination.  These two young people have courageously exposed corruption in the government-funded nightmare that is ACORN.  It seems ACORN has no problem using tens of millions of U.S. tax dollars to help madams become more efficient in their exploitation of foreign sex slaves.  Our tax dollars at work ladies and gentlemen.

And in a case of “the fox is guarding the chicken coup,”  Barack Obama, as a presidential candidate, paid ACORN $800,000 for its voter registration services during the presidential campaign.  THIS is the guy we’re supposed to trust to investigate ACORN’s dirty dealings?!

Congratulations to Gov. Pawlenty for putting a freeze on state funding to ACORN and to Gov. Schwarzenegger for his urging of California’s Attorney General to investigate the organization.  Kudos too to my own state’s governor Sonny Perdue for his decision not to renew Georgia’s contract with ACORN when it expires in 13 days.

Thanks to pressure put on them in the wake of the O’Keefe and Giles’ exposé, the House and Senate have FINALLY taken an interest in ACORN.  The Senate voted on Monday to ban federal funds in the current transportation and housing appropriations bill from going to ACORN.  Today, the House followed suit, voting 345-75 to defund ACORN.

Unfortunately, there are still more than 80 elected representatives who did not stand up to protect hard-working Americans from having their tax dollars squandered by ACORN.  Here is the “hall of shame”–those who voted in support of the clearly corrupt ACORN.  If your congressman or senator is on the list, it is time to pick up the phone and voice your disgust.  Better still, how about donating to their competitors’ campaigns?

Senators who voted to keep funneling your tax dollars to ACORN:

Burris (D-IL)
Casey (D-PA)
Durbin (D-IL)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Leahy (D-VT)
Sanders (I-VT)
Whitehouse (D-RI)

House Members who voted to keep funding ACORN:

Baldwin D WI No
Becerra D CA No
Brady (PA) D PA No
Brown, Corrine D FL No
Butterfield D NC No
Capuano D MA No
Carson (IN) D IN No
Castor (FL) D FL No
Cleaver D MO No
Clyburn D SC No
Crowley D NY No
Cummings D MD No
Davis (IL) D IL No
DeGette D CO No
Delahunt D MA No
Doyle D PA No
Edwards (MD) D MD No
Ellison D MN No
Engel D NY No
Fattah D PA No
Filner D CA No
Fudge D OH No
Green, Al D TX No
Grijalva D AZ No
Hinchey D NY No
Hirono D HI No
Holt D NJ No
Honda D CA No
Jackson (IL) D IL No
Jackson-Lee (TX) D TX No
Johnson, E. B. D TX No
Kilpatrick (MI) D MI No
Kucinich D OH No
Larsen (WA) D WA No
Lee (CA) D CA No
Lewis (GA) D GA No
Lynch D MA No
Markey (MA) D MA No
McCollum D MN No
McDermott D WA No
McGovern D MA No
Meeks (NY) D NY No
Mollohan D WV No
Moore (WI) D WI No
Moran (VA) D VA No
Nadler (NY) D NY No
Neal (MA) D MA No
Olver D MA No
Pallone D NJ No
Pascrell D NJ No
Payne D NJ No
Polis (CO) D CO No
Price (NC) D NC No
Rahall D WV No
Rangel D NY No
Roybal-Allard D CA No
Rush D IL No
Sanchez, Linda T. D CA No
Schakowsky D IL No
Scott (GA) D GA No
Scott (VA) D VA No
Serrano D NY No
Sherman D CA No
Sires D NJ No
Slaughter D NY No
Stark D CA No
Thompson (MS) D MS No
Towns D NY No
Tsongas D MA No
Velazquez D NY No
Waters D CA No
Watson D CA No
Waxman D CA No
Wexler D FL No
Woolsey D CA No

Democrats voting “present”:

Hastings (FL) D FL Present
Watt D NC Present