Nervy ACORN honoree Schumer projecting sinister intention onto Republicans

By Michael Gaynor

Americans need to appreciate the truth about "progressives," and Congressional Republicans need to stand firm for America's sake.

Ironically, the financial crisis that put ACORN man put Barack Obama in the White House is traceable to ACORN and the Congressional Democrats who blocked Treasury Department oversight of Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac.

In "Blame Obama's ACORN for the Financial Crisis" (www.webcommentary.com/php/ShowArticle.php?id=gaynorm&date=080929), I wrote:

"Don't expect the mainstream media to identify ACORN and its favorite community organizer and lawyer, rookie United States Senator and current Democrat presidential nominee Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. among the villains in the current financial crisis.

"But media bias does not change facts."

As a result, ACORN whistleblower Anita MonCrief, then a "liberal" Obama supporter and a confidential source for The New York Times hoping that it would report some of the ugly truth about ACORN and the Obama presidential campaign but looking for a backup plan in case The Times decided to conceal instead of reveal, contacted me.

It's not really surprising that "progressive" Senator Chuck Schumer (D. N.Y.) is trying to compound the irony to re-elect Obama by attributing the economic situation to Republicans if they don't do what he and Obama wants.

On June 30, 2011, Schumer suggested in a speech that Republicans not only are hurting the recovery by focusing on spending cuts, but may be trying to slow "down the recovery on purpose for political gain in 2012."

"Now it is becoming clear that insisting on a slash-and-burn approach may be part of this plan — and it has a double-benefit for Republicans," Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. "It is ideologically tidy and it undermines the economic recovery, which they think only helps them in 2012."

It's not what the stealth socialist spread-the-wealth crowd want, of course, but it's sound policy, Senator Schumer.

To support his charge, Schumer referred to a 2010 National Journal interview of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in which McConnell said his main goal was to make Obama a one-term president.

MCCONNELL: We need to be honest with the public. This election is about them, not us. And we need to treat this election as the first step in retaking the government. We need to say to everyone on Election Day, "Those of you who helped make this a good day, you need to go out and help us finish the job."

NATIONAL JOURNAL: What's the job?

MCCONNELL: The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.

That's not evidence that Republicans are trying to slow the recovery, but the Democrat demagogue declaimed: "Republicans aren't just opposing the president any more, they are opposing the economic recovery itself and all that means for America's working and middle class families."

Bulletin to Schumer: Republicans are trying to grow the economy in a fidcally responsible way, and it's NOT news that Republicans believe that raising taxes in a bad economy makes things worse and that deficit reduction is key to growing the economy and creating jobs.

Schumer insisted: "Republicans find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place, between their ideology and the reality. If the public comes to believe that Republicans are deliberately sabotaging the economy, it will backfire politically."

Translation: If Republicans stand on principle instead of capitulate to pressure, Democrats like Schumer will try mightily to shift the blame for a bad economy to the Republicans.

Schumer claimed: "In the end, I think they are bluffing when they intimate they might take the economy over the cliff. So we have a good opportunity to prevail on our critical priorities down the stretch."

Translation: "We think the Republicans will cave, and that will mean we can continue the deficit spending that's killing the economy but keeping liberal Democrats in office."

Schumer deservedly who was one of the honorees at ACORN's 39th anniversary gala in 2009.

In an article posted shortly before the gala (http://anitamoncrief.blogspot.com/2009/06/schumer-gutierrez-and-waters-honored.html)MonCrief posted this revealing ACORN email:

From: pol.nat.2@acornmail.net [mailto:pol.nat.2@acornmail.net]

Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 7:53 PM

To: undisclosed-recipients:

Subject: ACORN 39th Anniversary Celebration Honoring Senator Schumer and Representatives Gutierrez & Waters {INVITE}

Dear friends,

I would like to thank you for your generous contribution and support for ACORN in 2009. I am writing to invite you to attend or sponsor ACORN's 39th Anniversary Celebration. We are hosting an event in Washington, DC on June 17 to honor the work of Senator Charles Schumer, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Rep. Maxine Waters and AFT President Randi Weingarten. We'll also be recognizing our newly formed Advisory Committee: Dave Beckwith, Henry Cisneros, Eric Eve, Harvey Hirschfeld, Kathleen Kennedy-Townsend, John Podesta and Andy Stern. We'd be delighted if you join us and, of course would love it if you could help sponsor the event even if you can't be there in person.

With the help of so many generous supporters, in 2008 ACORN organized, helped register, and spoke face-to-face with more than a million low-income voters who changed history when they went out to vote — many for the first time — in the historic November election.

In 2009 we are engaged as a strong partner in the progressive movement, fighting to make the change people voted for a reality and win real action on healthcare, housing, comprehensive immigration reform and more.

Of course, not everyone appreciates our work as much as you and I do: Right-wing extremists continue to attack ACORN with unfounded allegations. Various conspiracy theories allege that ACORN has taken control of the Census, the FCC, the banking system, and $8 billion in federal funds; alas, it is all false! In many ways it is an honor to be an A-list enemy of people like Rush Limbaugh, Lou Dobbs and Sean Hannity. But it isn't cheap or easy to combat outlandish attacks while redoubling our efforts to organize ordinary people for progressive change.

And that's why we need your help. Please join others who support our work. Please consider sponsoring our 39th Anniversary Celebration and on June 17, 2009.

Attach[ed] is an invitation to our event with options to buy tickets or sponsor at various levels. You can return the form with your check to ACORN (or tax-deductible contribution to the ACORN Institute) to:

ACORN Anniversary Celebration

739 8th Street SE

Washington, DC 20003

(Or you can donate online at www.acorn.org/donate. Just drop me a note to say you did and if we should reserve you tickets for the event on June 17th.)

For more information about our 39th Anniversary event or the work we are doing, please contact me directly at pol.nat.2@acornmail.net or (612)-385-2576. Thank you for your support and for all you do.

Sincerely,

Josie Mines

ACORN Civic Engagement Staff

pol.nat.2@acornmail.net

o.(651) 917-3680 — c.(612) 385 — fax (202)379-1786

P.S. ACORN's grassroots leadership believes we are experiencing a once-in-a-generation opportunity and must not squander this moment. Your generosity is needed now more than ever. Thanks

Schumer's working relationship with ACORN is illustrated by the press release (http://schumer.senate.gov/new_website/record_print.cfm?id=282791set) forth below demonstrates:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 12, 2007

Senate Passes Measure by Schumer, Brown and Casey to Grant $100M to Housing Nonprofits to Help Prevent Foreclosures

Foreclosure Prevention Resources Represent First Federal Effort To Facilitate Safe, Sustainable Subprime Refinancings

Schumer Calls on Mortgage Lenders and Loan Servicers to Pump In Additional Funds

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Senate gave final approval Wednesday to a measure proposed by U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Robert P. Casey (D-PA) to grant $100 million in funding to housing non-profits on the front lines of the fight to prevent a national foreclosure crisis from the subprime lending fallout. The measure — which would provide resources to government-approved agencies that help negotiate between borrowers and lenders to keep families in their homes — was contained in the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) spending bill that passed the full Senate this morning.

"For the millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes, these nonprofits can provide shelter from the foreclosure storm," said Schumer, the Chairman of both the Joint Economic Committee and the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Housing. "This investment will pay for itself many times over, through the avoidance of foreclosures and the pain and suffering they cost this country, both in economic and non-economic terms. But government alone cannot solve this problem. It will require a major commitment by others as well, particularly those banks and mortgage servicers which have the ability, through loan modifications and refinancings, to help homeowners avoid foreclosures."

"These funds will help thousands of families stuck in bad subprime loans, but there is much more work to be done," Senator Brown said. "It is not just the economy and speculation that are behind today's crisis, but deceptive marketing by too many unethical mortgage brokers. We need tougher regulation of the industry, and we needed it yesterday."

"I have heard the heartbreaking stories of Pennsylvanians who have had the American dream turn into a nightmare as they lost their homes in the subprime mortgage crisis," said Senator Casey. "By helping those who are trying to keep people in their homes, this bill can have a profound effect on millions of families."

The funding will benefit HUD-certified nonprofit programs that perform one-on-one counseling with homeowners and perform negotiations with a variety of mortgage industry stakeholders. Specifically, the $100 million in funding will allow these non-profits to:

• Increase training and capacity to focus on default and foreclosure prevention counseling;
  
  
• Seek out and engage homeowners to ensure early intervention
  
  
• Improve the communications between homeowners and servicers/lenders, and;
  
  
• Negotiate modified loan agreements or refinances.
  
  

The measure is particularly timely given the 2 million homeowners with adjustable-rate mortgages who are expected to experience payment shocks as their loans reset in a weakening housing market. Acting to prevent these foreclosures is not only important from the perspective of protecting entire communities, but it also makes good economic sense. Foreclosures can cost up to $80,000 for all stakeholders — homeowners, neighbors, cities and local governments, lenders, and loan servicers. Meanwhile, estimates suggest that foreclosure prevention counseling can cost as little as $1,000 per household.

The initiative by Sens. Schumer, Brown, and Casey has been welcomed by the nonprofit entities, which have seen demand for their services soar in recent months. Among the groups supportive of the effort are: National NeighborWorks Association, Center for Responsible Lending, Consumer Federation of America (CFA), National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), and Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).

Schumer, Brown and Casey first proposed the measure last May, at the same time they introduced the Borrower's Protection Act that would impose first-of-its-kind controls on the largely unregulated broker industry.

"Because there are so many distressed homeowners right now, the non-profits are overwhelmed. They've already received more calls for help this year than they did all of last year, and things are likely to get worse before they get better. The non-profits simply do not have the resources to deal with this crisis," Schumer said.

In a letter to federal financial market regulators last month, Schumer sought the regulators' help in jawboning industry players from mortgage lenders to loan servicers to contribute still greater resources to the nonprofit groups. In addition, in a personal meeting with Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo last week, Schumer urged the company to consider committing $250 million in funding to the groups. Both the Bush administration and Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke have both expressed support for the work that these nonprofits are doing to prevent foreclosures.

Americans need to appreciate the truth about "progressives," and Congressional Republicans need to stand firm for America's sake.

© Michael Gaynor