In the wake of last week's arrest by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) of 11 Miami ACORN workers in connection with fraudulent voter registration forms, senior leaders of the Florida Legislature, including former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, a candidate for the recently vacated Senate seat of Mel Martinez, have called for a state-wide investigation into ACORN's activities. In a letter addressed to his rival in the Senate race, Governor Charlie Crist, who is a strong ACORN supporter, Rubio wrote, "Despite what now seems to be a prescient chorus of concerned parties asking for an investigation into ACORN's election-related activities, you insisted that you were unconcerned. In light of the recent allegations against ACORN, I suggest you reconsider your position . . ."
Crist did not reply directly to Rubio's letter. Instead, his office sent the former Speaker a form letter it had drafted to respond to citizens calling the Governor's office demanding an immediate investigation. In the letter, the Governor's office insists that it has undertaken an investigation, and that ACORN in Florida has not received any tax monies from the Legislature.
Meanwhile, the office of Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning also issued a statement that no evidence had yet been uncovered that the fraudulent applications had resulted in voting credentials being issued to anyone.
US Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat from Weston, in Broward (Ft. Lauderdale) county said, "I don't think that a couple of people getting sabotaged by right-wing conservatives with cameras means that type of conduct is pervasive through the whole organization," she said. "The organization overall has done a lot of good."
Wasserman Schultz was referring to the much-publicized videos of ACORN employees advising two young investigators on camera on how to establish a prostitution business and avoiding detection by authorities. Ironically, the young lady posing as a provocatively-dressed prostitute in the videos, 20-year-old Hannah Giles, is a resident of the tony Miami suburb of Aventura, which is in Wasserman Schultz's district.
US Rep. Kendrick Meek, D – Miami, an African American who is also running for the Martinez Senate seat, thinks ACORN should be investigated. "The accountability from the top down has not been in place," he said. "We're the stewards of the taxpayer dollars, and we're going to have to turn the spigot off until they get their act together."
State Rep. Adam Hassner, R-Boca Raton, a high-ranking Florida House Republican, issued a call for the investigation of the beleaguered organization saying, "The gig is up for ACORN."
Article comments
1 - Glenn Contrarian
Okay, if the investigation finds something that should be prosecuted, that's good - justice should always take its course (even though conservatives don't seem to think that applies to their own).
So if the investigation turns up NOTHING that needs to be prosecuted(like with Whitewater), will you have the courage to accept it? Or will you (like Limbaugh and Beck and Hannity) simply sit on the sidelines and complain that the investigation was either flawed or stopped by Those Really Bad Socialist people in Washington DC?
2 - Silas Kain
I think ACORN should be investigated. And, if the conservative side of the aisle is vicious in their prosecutions, I think we need a Justice Department that administers justice fairly. There are bad apples in baskets on both sides. That being said, the prosecution of the same should be fair and balanced -- except, of course, for Glenn Beck, who should be turned into Soylent Green at the first opportunity.
3 - Dave Nalle
Glenn, regardless of what the investigation comes up with, there will still be "really bad socialist people" in DC and running ACORN. Just being a socialist isn't a crime, after all. Just as being stupid isn't a crime.
Dave
4 - Clavos
"Really bad socialist" is a tautology.
5 - roger nowosielski
Clavos's wit is again on display.
6 - Christine
Clavos, did you see the Jay Leno spoof?
7 - Clavos
Thank you Christine, that's very funny!
Here's a good online tutorial to learn how to do links and other cool stuff.
8 - Christine
Thanks, Clavos, so much to learn here on Blogcritics!