ACORN: Hey, maybe we do need to clean house

After BigGovernment began publishing undercover videos of ACORN offices offering advice on tax evasion and child prostitution, the community organizing group reacted as one might imagine: denials, accusations of falsification, and threats of lawsuits.  Their national spokesperson, Bertha Lewis, claimed that the “right wing” had made ACORN the “Willie Horton of 2009,” claiming victimization by racists.  Today, however, Lewis and ACORN are singing quite a different — and more humble — tune:

ACORN, calling the actions of some of its employees “indefensible,” has suspended advising new clients as part of its service programs and is setting up an independent review to see what happened.

ACORN chief executive Bertha Lewis said in a written statement that she was “ordering a halt to any new intakes into ACORN’s service programs until completion of an independent review.” …

Lewis continued: “We have all been deeply disturbed by what weve seen in some of these videos. I must say, on behalf of ACORN’s Board and our Advisory Council, that we will go to whatever lengths necessary to reestablish the public trust. For nearly forty years, ACORN has given voice to communities, and gotten results. Right now, our nearly 500,000 member are working their hearts out for quality, affordable healthcare for every American and to help stop the foreclosure crisis. We must get this process right, so the good work can go forward.”

Humble is what follows after humiliation, in most cases, and that’s exactly what ACORN has suffered for the past week.  Humble would have gone a long way toward moderating the public backlash against ACORN in the wake of these (now) “indefensible” actions by ACORN offices in Baltimore, New York City, Washington DC, and San Bernardino.  Had they acknowledged the obvious from the very beginning, the rest of these exposés would have become anti-climactic.

Instead, Lewis played the race card, and now has egg on her face and that of the entire organization.  ACORN definitely needs to clean house, and they should start with Lewis.  She has become the Baghdad Bob of ACORN and has zero credibility after accusing everyone of being racists for their offense at taxpayer dollars going to an organization that offers advice on how to cheat the IRS.

Blowback