Hodgepodgery

ACORN: Are you shocked by the Acorn employees caught on tape giving pointers on how not to get caught running a child prostitution ring? Glenn Beck (Mr. Meltdown) has been showing this all week. I'm no fan of Beck's, he is too often embarrassingly, disturbingly emotional, but he is doing a good job on Acorn.

Acorn is corrupt, always has been. Long ago I was approached a few times to "join." After checking them out, attending a few meetings, etc. I said thank but no thanks. I have not paid much attention to the organization since, other than to shoo them away from my door, although I have heard many stories of corruption from folks who have dealt with Acorn over the years. Ninety percent of the Acornistas I have known or knew of, were liars, thieves, social dysfunctions who seem to know nothing of life other than to piss and moan, blame and game, lie and cheat, and scam the man. Those who might be decent folks, always seemed desperately lonely and lost - looking to feel part of a community, any community.

Back when I knew it, Acorn had the feel of a cult. Reminded me of bible thumpers, who if you would but listen and receive their word, you could be saved. When I turned down membership I knew they thought I was unworthy of their lofty ideals, a hopeless fool for not wanting to walk their path to social justice, welfare rights, cheap housing, free lunches, wages, etc. Acorn claims it informs, moves and recruits members and allies on such important issues. Yep, and look how much better off folks are today.

But nothing is more important to Acorn than the fatcat acorns at the top who can buy a politician or two or three or .... especially founder Wade Rathke and his I-stole-a-million dolla brother Dale Rathke. Acorn tried to keep Dale's embezzlement quiet but someone blew the whistle. How's this for "social justice" - Dale was dismissed from Acorn, no charges, and last year Wade stepped down as Acorn's chief but remains the chief of Acorn International - why not, since Acorn has taken its brand of social justice global.

Rathke is author of Citizen Wealth but I doubt Acorn followers get that the citizen and wealth is him and his. Citizen Rathke writes that all the "social justice" his cult has scammed and demanded for 30 years, is now not enough. Reportedly his new book shows how food stamps, unemployment insurance, and tax relief are temporary. The justice Acorn has fought for, are now stop-gap fixes and "do not address the systemic problems that keep people from building up the assets they need to create a stable life for themselves and their families." Supposedly, Rathke now has a real, workable plan to end poverty (his anyway).

JOE WILSON: Smacked on the wrist with a congressional admonishment, after 2 apologies, and after Obama took the high road and accepted the apology. How come? Because Obama's inner circle jerk, holding a deck of race cards, wanted it. Come on Barry, chastise that s.o.b., show that Joe mo'fo who be the boss. As ill-behaved as Wilson's you lie, do Obama advisers want him to look like a backwater preacher, clowning around with the congregation? If the wuss-faced Democrats had any backbone at least one of them would have yelled you lie, at least once, when Bush addressed them - and we would have cheered. Instead, Bush was given the go-ahead for war and the Democrat wussies talked against it later. Also, I take issue with the exactness of "you lie" versus "liar." The first is signifying a lie, the latter a person who tells lies, usually on a routine basis. There's a difference between saying you lie and you're a liar. But that's just my parsing, and hard to keep a straight face with lie/liar in conjunction with pols. Speaking of straight faces - Nancy Pelosi's expression seemed frozen, other than the eyelids opening wider. Botox? Did you notice seconds before the "you lie" she stifled a yawn. Wilson woke her up, maybe that expression was her morning wake face.

ALBERT GORE: An inconvenient truth may be that Al is co-founder and Chairman of Generation Investment Management (along with buddy Pete Knight), which provides funding for "alternative" energy, which also owns 10% of the Chicago Climate Exchange, which will issue the carbon credits that Cap and Tax legislation is based upon. Yep Bubba, it's generational. Al is also a partner in the venture capital firm of Kleiman, Perkins, Claufield and Byers (KPCB). KPCB is heavily invested in renewable energy and electrical grid improvements. The market for their products is almost completely dependent on government programs in the form of subsidies, tax breaks or regulation. Al Gore's contribution to KPCB is to promote government intervention in the energy markets. (Note KPCB global alliance with China.) Who said the "left" doesn't love Big Business? Not to worry - when you're literally keeping warm by singing around the campfire, reformed healthcare will pay for your Cymbalta.

MOVE/MOVED BEYOND: I'm so tired of this meme. This "national debate" of whether we have or have not moved beyond, regarding issues which I wonder why the hell we stopped to look at in the first place - other than for pols pandering to the meanest among us.