Did O’Keefe and Giles produce a fair and balanced story that included how many ACORN offices rejected their scheme? No. They released the worst stuff. But they’ve never hidden their motivation. Nor has their ally and Web guru, Andrew Breitbart, whose company was also named in the ACORN suit.

I don’t put much stock in the argument that mainstream journalists should have done something like this. People may think we’re whores, but we don’t look good in the getup. Plus, lying is a firing offense at many news organizations.

But I do think the press didn’t do much in the way of other ACORN reporting, such as the recent WashPost report on its screwed-up finances. It’s not the most important issue facing the Republic. But when the House and Senate vote to cut off funding to one organization, it makes you wonder if those of us in the news business were lamentably late.