Leave it to the Associated Press to drive the establishment media's attempt to portray ACORN's serious impairment as almost entirely the product of the Republican Party.
Never mind that Democrats control the Senate, which voted 83-7 to pull HUD funding from the group earlier this week, meaning that the vast majority of Democrats supported the measure. Never mind that the House, including about 70% of Democrats, yesterday voted to totally defund ACORN by 345-75.
In the world of Jim Abrams and the Associated Press, it must be almost all the GOP's fault that this happened. Check out the headline (frequently used elsewhere, as seen in this Google Web search on the exact title in quotes) at the reporter's story:
In AP's partial defense, the headline without the final six words is at links such as this one with the same time stamp of 1:40 a.m. this morning. In AP's complete non-defense, what's with the word "strike" in the first sentence, even if it's not in the headline? It was a GOP "move," because the Republican Party can't "strike" anything, let alone get the majority indicated, without getting a lot of Democrats to throw their weapons (i.e., votes).
Abrams waited until the 5th paragraph to describe the video undercover work of James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles. To the AP reporter's credit, he didn't reflexively tag O'Keefe as conservative, instead going with O'Keefe's self-description as an "activist filmmaker."
A big miss by Abrams is in this later paragraph:
ACORN said Wednesday that it is ordering its own independent investigation of the incidents, while stressing that they were isolated cases.
Isolated, schmisolated. After the ACORN announcement, the BigGovernment web site released similar O'Keefe/Giles vids out of San Diego (teased on Wednesday evening; fully released very early Thursday). ACORN's contention crumbled further, and Abram's failure to report it Thursday evening is pathetically weak journalism.
Make that two big misses by Abrams. O'Keefe and Giles have been so relentless, I almost forgot to mention their adventure in San Bernardino, California. Abrams totally forgot.
But look at the bright side: AP is only 36-48 hours behind in the news cycle. That's better than the five days of ignorance Charles Gibson displayed earlier this week.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
—Tom Blumer is president of a training and development company in Mason, Ohio, and is a contributing editor to NewsBusters
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
The GOP has been after them
September 18, 2009 - 11:38 ET by KC MulvilleWell, yeah ...
When the group tries to politicize the poor, it does seem logical for the Republicans to oppose giving them billions of taxpayer dollars to subsidize a partisan operation against them.
GOP-led strike on embattled group
September 18, 2009 - 11:39 ET by CarlosSIf the AP wants to "blame" the Republican party for the bi-partisan vote to de-fund ACORN I'm all for the Republican party accepting full responsibility for de-funding these child-prostitution advocates
Funny how the terms
September 18, 2009 - 11:47 ET by BKeyserFunny how the terms "left-leaning Acorn" and "GOP strike" have the same level of accuracy. Whatever Acorn was leaning on, broke. And the only thing the GOP "struck" was the good fortune to read certain "right-leaning" blogs.
De-funding Acorn
September 18, 2009 - 12:13 ET by cheesegraterI heard Michelle Bachmann this morning on Don Wade and Roma (WLS) and she said that these votes to de-fund don't mean anything because thay are amendments to two different bills and neither one has much of a chance of getting the President's signature.
getting the President's signature
September 18, 2009 - 13:00 ET by CarlosSAre you suggesting that the President of the United States would VETO a law to de-funding child-prostitution advocates?
Now, that would be real news!
Jay Leno ACORN add embed
September 18, 2009 - 13:04 ET by MaximusBraveheartJay Leno ACORN add embed video was worth watching. It is located further down the home page on another thread. Very funny! M-B
For Carlos S.
September 18, 2009 - 15:00 ET by cheesegraterThe Representitive said that the stories about how congress has voted to de-fund ACORN are not what they seem to be. The vote in the House and Senate were for the same amendment, but it was attached to two different bills. That means that both bills must pass the House and Senate then be signed by the President in order for the de-funding to happen. As of right now ACORN has not been de-funded. Nothing has changed.
Aint that the truth
September 18, 2009 - 22:47 ET by general companyCant expect this POTUS to be on the right side of anything these days.!!
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
There is no news anymore
September 18, 2009 - 12:13 ET by katainkentThere is what the press writes and what really happens. Never the twain shall meet.
____________________________________________
The Emperor, he has no clothes
names
September 18, 2009 - 12:14 ET by sevenCan ACORN name Republicans they supported? Remember they should be party neutral. They never have been.
Obama paid them 800,000 dollars.
I propose ACORN Fairness Doctrine
September 18, 2009 - 12:22 ET by MaximusBraveheartI propose ACORN Fairness Doctrine: They will have to keep track of actual voting record of people they help & must split the money 50/50 between conservatives and liberals. People would have to vote conservative just to balance out their books... lol. Sounds fair as that is why they vote DEM; to get more hand outs of OUR money!
M-B
The Year That Old News Died
September 18, 2009 - 12:46 ET by cjbreischThe MSM has been clueless for years, and fading into non-existence. But I really feel that this year will be remembered as the turning point. Last year they were cheerleaders for a candidate, and actively sought to destroy a VP candidate.
But this year, they've been deliberately absent from reporting any real news.
It's the year that old news died, or as I like to call it:
American Pie 2009.
Well Tom. Technically, the AP story is correct...
September 18, 2009 - 12:55 ET by Gary HallWell Tom. Technically, the AP story (as well as just about every other bit of coverage that I've seen, in the print or TV coverage) is right on.
It is a GOP (OK, and/or conservative media) led strike.
Why?
It's that because the national media is not interested in investigating rampant fraud and illegal activity in their own back yard - when it will damage their agenda and/or hurt the Democratic party.
(;~/ gary
'it will damage their agenda and/or hurt the Democratic party'
September 18, 2009 - 13:59 ET by JDWHow many libs were elected with ACORN's 'assistance'?
JDW
DAILY WAVE
Hoping for change
Want to really nderstand WHY the media 'reports' the way they do
September 18, 2009 - 14:08 ET by Willis_Leon_JohnsonHere is a 12 minute treatise on political correctness, it's inception and its history.
http://www.pjtv.com/...
http://gjresult.com
Thank you Willis!! I
September 18, 2009 - 14:43 ET by MaximusBraveheartThank you Willis!! I watched the first link and it is an INCREDIBLE history lesson! Thank you! Worth forwarding to others! http://www.pjtv.com/v/2343 M-B
Defunding will go to Conf Comm
September 18, 2009 - 14:23 ET by Nortoand the defunding will be dropped, end of defunding! Congress still looks good though.
Probably not.
September 18, 2009 - 14:28 ET by Willis_Leon_JohnsonEven the liberals realize that this issue is being watched too close to play many games with it.
If it comes out of committee with even one word changed there will be 30,000 internet blogs on it within minutes.
http://gjresult.com
Sorry if I state or even restate the obvious...
September 18, 2009 - 14:33 ET by spmcintyrebut there is a majority in the house and senate, even with 7 and 75 dems voting against defunding, there is still a majority of dems left that voted to take away the cookie jar...
When it comes to government, its not whether the glass is half full or empty, its that the glass is just to big.
ACORN will be the media's
September 18, 2009 - 14:54 ET by G. MayACORN will be the media's Waterloo.
So AP, you're saying then
September 19, 2009 - 02:01 ET by CooltomSo AP, you're saying then that the Democrat Party approves of child prostitution, illegal alien smuggling, and tax evasion?
September 19, 2009 - 09:45 ET by jessieHLet the dinosaur die. The AP is going the same route as the big three. Self destruction.