October 18, 2008

Contradicts Fight the Smears’ claim, “Barack Obama never organized with ACORN”
by Bill Levinson

Obama’s two-faced statements on his involvement with ACORN reminds us of a scene in Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado” in which Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner, must perform an execution to avoid the abolition of his office. The Mikado’s incognito son, Nanki-Poo, volunteers to be “executed” to avoid an unwanted marriage, and goes into hiding afterward. The official Poo-Bah is initially quite pleased with his role in the purported execution.

Mikado: And this is the certificate of his death. “At Titipu, in the presence of the Lord Chancellor, Lord Chief Justice, Attorney-General, Secretary of State for the Home Department, Lord Mayor, and Groom of the Second Floor Front—-”
Pooh-Bah: They were all present, your Majesty. I counted them myself. [Pooh-Bah holds all the named offices.]

Then, however, the Mikado discovers that the executee was in fact his long-lost son.

Mikado: I forget the punishment for compassing the death of the Heir Apparent. …Something lingering, with boiling oil in it, I fancy. …I know it’s something humorous, but lingering, with either boiling oil or melted lead. Come, come, don’t fret–I’m not a bit angry.
Pooh-Bah: I wasn’t there.

Like Pooh-Bah, Barack Obama was quite proud of his deep involvement and close association with ACORN.

Meanwhile, Obama was right there by ACORN’s side all along.

“I’ve been fighting alongside ACORN on issues you care about my entire career,” he told the group last November.

Indeed, in the early ’90s, Obama was recruited by Talbott herself to run training sessions for ACORN activists.

Now that ACORN is up to its neck in indictments and actual guilty pleas for voter registration fraud, however, Barry tells a very different story.

Barack Obama Never Organized with ACORN

Discredited Republican voter-suppression guru Ken Blackwell is attacking Barack Obama with naked lies about his supposed connection to ACORN.

• Fact: Barack was never an ACORN community organizer.
• Fact: ACORN never hired Obama as a trainer, organizer, or any type of employee.
• Fact: ACORN was not part of Project Vote, the successful voter registration drive Barack ran in 1992.

Just like Pooh-Bah, Barry now wants us to believe “I wasn’t there.” Note also the doublespeak in his efforts to distance himself from ACORN. It is admittedly true that ACORN never hired Barry as a trainer; he trained its personnel for free. Let’s go back to see how the Emperor of Japan reacts to Poo-Bah’s excuse.

Mikado: That’s the pathetic part of it. Unfortunately, the fool of an Act says “compassing the death of the Heir Apparent.” There’s not a word about a mistake… Or not knowing… Or having no notion… or not being there. There should be, of course, but there isn’t. That’s the slovenly way in which these Acts are always drawn. However, cheer up, it’ll be all right. I’ll have it altered next session. Now, let’s see about your execution–will after luncheon suit you? Can you wait till then?

Now Barry, let’s see about your landslide defeat–will November 4 suit you? Can you wait till then?