Beth Butler, longtime director of Louisiana ACORN, fired in wake of Obama flap

[funkybutt]

Source: Times Picayune, New Orleans

Beth Butler, the longtime executive director of Lousiana ACORN, was terminated by the organization's national leadership today, just two days after local ACORN leaders ripped President Barack Obama's planned itinerary for a trip to New Orleans this week.

The criticism of the Obama itinerary was actually voiced by Vanessa Gueringer, an unpaid volunteer who heads ACORN's Lower 9th Ward chapter.

"I'm thrilled that he's coming," Gueringer said Saturday. "But," she added, in remarks aimed at the president, "we want to see that change that you ran your platform on. We want to see the hope that symbolized your campaign in our neighborhood."

-snip-

Butler is the longtime companion of Wade Rathke, ACORN's New Orleans-bred founder. Rathke was fired by ACORN's national board last year after it emerged that his brother had embezzled nearly $1 million from the organization and been allowed to quietly repay it in installments.

Read more: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/10/beth_butler_longtime_director.html

[stuball111]

1. All this finger pointing at ACORN...

And the righties never says a peep about corporate and wall street corruption....what's wrong with this picture?:shrug:

[truthisfreedom]

2. Acorn's a bit sordid down there in NOLA, huh?

A million embezzled dollars paid back "quietly" by a family member?

[rfranklin]

3. It was paid back...

Unlike the billions stolen by Wall Street.

[EFerrari]

6. Thank you!

[Scruffy1]

4. sordid?

Amazing how some are willing to buy the right wing hit job on Acorn. Acorn has been very good in Minnesota in preventing mortgage fraud in my state and helping people keep their homes. The neo-con film
makers that made the news committed a felony in Maryland and broke the law in California. The ten step process was never completed in either case and the police were notified by Juan Vera in California. Its just amazing to me that du'ers would buy this bullcrap. Yes, Wade is gone and two workers were fired, but even if the allegations were true, this does not make ACORN a bad organisation. If you want sordid try Lockheed, General Dynamics, and Bank of America to name a few. Oh when the board found out about it Wade Rathke was gone. When When Halliburton was caught they get another contract.

[EFerrari]

5. Why are you tarring ACORN with the behavior of one individual?

[ro1942]

7. Democratic party folds again

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. What would have been an acceptable action by the Democratic Party regarding this?

:shrug:

[sabrina 1]

11. Maybe they could have agreed with her?

Unless you think that what has been done in NOLA is acceptable.

I would like to see them stand up for the poor every once in a while since that's who votes them into office, and with the hard work of ACORN's voter registration program btw. One of the REAL reasons why the rabid rightwingnuts are after them.

[placton]

8. Mr. Obama, please pass the veal? n/t

[Louisiana1976]

10. Agree with Gueringer's criticism--where are the hope and change in NOLA?

[joeycola]

13. It does seem to be an over reaction to the truth.

[BluDemocratGirl]

12. They are ripping the WRONG person. The person they should've slammed was Gov. Jindal

....for not taking the damn stimulus money!