Justice Dept. Says Acorn Can Be Paid

[humbled_opinion]

Source: NY Times

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has concluded that the Obama administration can lawfully pay the community group Acorn for services provided under contracts signed before Congress banned the government from providing money to the group.

The department’s conclusion, laid out in a recently disclosed five-page memorandum from David Barron, the acting assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel, adds a new wrinkle to a sharp political debate over the antipoverty group’s activities and recent efforts to distance the government from it.

Since 1994, Acorn, which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, has received about $53 million in federal aid, much of it grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for providing various services related to affordable housing


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/us/politics/28acorn.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1259355860-u1P2DRmPrdFQwFuMP5+Gww

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Good.

ACORN may have its bad spots but it does much more good then harm.

The initial call to end funding for ACORN was lame and purely political anyway and the right wingers should be ashamed of themselves.

At least we have some thinking people at Justice....

[alp227]

1. Aww, you beat me to it!

but thank you for posting anyway.

[humbled_opinion]

2. No Problem...

Good news is welcome news no matter who posts it....

:toast:

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has concluded that the Obama administration can lawfully pay the community group Acorn for services provided under contracts signed before Congress banned the government from providing money to the group.

The department’s conclusion, laid out in a recently disclosed five-page memorandum from David Barron, the acting assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel, adds a new wrinkle to a sharp political debate over the antipoverty group’s activities and recent efforts to distance the government from it.

Since 1994, Acorn, which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, has received about $53 million in federal aid, much of it grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for providing various services related to affordable housing.

But the group has become a prime target for conservative critics, and on Oct. 1, President Obama signed into law a spending bill that included a provision that said no taxpayer money — including money authorized by previous legislation — could be “provided to” the group or its affiliates.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/us/politics/28acorn.html

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I still can't believe that we elected more Democrats in office in 2006 only to suck it up to Republicantimidation.

[laughingliberal]

3. Hee Hee, that's gonna piss 'em off

I'm still waiting for this to face court challenges. I see no way it can stand up to the prohibition against bills of attainder.

[alp227]

4. The Constitution: Section 1, Article 9, Clause 3:

"No bill of attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed."

[BunkerHill24]

5. Let us hope the Obama Administration has the backbone to act on this recomendation..n/t

[tblue]

6. No kidding. I guess we'll find out soon.

I think he felt he had to cave to the conservatives' demands. I think I know why, but it made me sad that he didn't feel it was worth standing up for Acorn. Bush would have ignored his liberal critics.

[maglatinavi]

10. Obama

One more reason for my disappointment with Obama... That was really an exagerated response and worse still a cowering reaction of Obama... Oh! I am so disappointed... It hurts!!!
:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[mdmc]

9. not bloody likely

:(

[Name removed]

7. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Loudmxr]

8. Can we re negotiate the embroidery charges for KBR towels now?

Or any of the no bid contracts put in place by the Bushies? I didn't think so.