Death by a Thousand Cuts: GOP Hits Obama on ACORN "Stimulus"

Well, not death by a thousand cuts, but maybe superficial wounds by ten or twelve cuts.

Expose the bullshit, win the argument:

Republican lawmakers are raising concerns that ACORN, the low-income advocacy group under investigation for voter registration fraud, could be eligible for billions in aid from the economic stimulus proposal working its way through the House.

House Republican Leader John Boehner issued a statement over the weekend noting that the stimulus bill wending its way through Congress provides $4.19 billion for "neighborhood stabilization activities."

He said the money was previously limited to state and local governments, but that Democrats now want part of it to be available to non-profit entities. That means groups like ACORN would be eligible for a portion of the funds.

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., told FOX News Tuesday that the money could be seen as "payoff" for groups' political activities in the last election. ACORN generally supports Democratic candidates and actively backed President Obama last year.

But he said the funding is just one example of frivolous spending items in the $825 billion package.

"It's just a long list of spending items. Not a real economic stimulus job creation bill," Vitter said. "It's line after line after line of favorite liberal spending programs, and it amounts to a big government bill -- not a job creation bill."

Not only is this good policy, it's good immunization as far as politics. By raising awareness of obviously non-stimulating pork bullshit by this, Republicans lay the predicate for voting against the bill and being praised, or at least not scorned, for doing so -- because the public is wise enough to know that for every major case of shenanigans like this, there are six or seven less major ones still lurking in the Great Liberal Budget Blowout Bonanza of 2009.

Thanks to Dan.

Vid: Vitter Slams. At William Amos'.

posted by Ace at 04:13 PM

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