BATTLING THE HYDRA

The ACORN video scandal is picking up speed. Today, the House voted to defund the organization, which is following on the heels of the Senate vote two days ago. Now we need a combined bill that can be sent to the President to sign. I'll be interested in the reaction by ACORN if that happens.

Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL) scurries like a cockroach from being questioned about his ACORN vote by Fox News. I foresee a lot of scurrying in the coming months! I wonder how many on the Hill are popping Xanax like Tic-Tacs these days....I know these developments have put a major damper on re-election efforts for many democrats. If I had a say in things, I would investigate the 7 senators and 75 congresspeople who voted against defunding, to see how closely they are tied to ACORN. But, considering our 111th Congress won't even launch an investigation into Rangel's well documented misdeeds, I'm pretty sure they won't look into congressional ACORN ties.

CA Governator Schwarzenegger has called for a statewide investigation into ACORN, along with MN Governor Pawlenty. No comment from NY Governor Paterson, but at least his Attorney General, Cuomo, is on the ball. Interesting how there are no calls for investigations in Maryland or D.C., where it all started - well, aside from a call to investigate the journalists.

All of this bruhaha over the housing branch has overshadowed the original investigations on ACORN - the voter registration investigations. There are investigations ongoing in 14 states, but the one to keep an eye on is the one in Nevada. Where, interestingly enough, Harry Reid is tanking in the polls. Huh. What are the odds? Anyway, in Nevada, they are taking the allegations of a '21 Club' very seriously. Their investigation looks to be the first to go to trial, and will be a test case for the others.

But what about the rest? ACORN is closely tied to over 200 other organizations, such as CCI, which is the funnel that pours taxpayer dollars into the money laundering machine that is ACORN. In a report by Republican investigators to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, they state:

""Operationally, ACORN is a shell game played in 120 cities, 43 states and the District of Columbia through a complex structure designed to conceal illegal activities, to use taxpayer and tax-exempt dollars for partisan political purposes, and to distract investigators," the report said. Structurally, it is "a chess game in which senior management is shielded from accountability by multiple layers of volunteers and compensated employees who serve as pawns to take the fall for every bad act.""

ACORN is like the Hydra of Greek mythology. When you cut off one part of the organization, two more step up to take it's place. Cut off funding to one area, and it will draw money from another. Hercules finally defeated the Hydra by cauterizing the stumps after he cut off the heads. That is what we need to do, and our government has taken up the firebrand by voting, in both houses, to cut off funding. The states are starting to fight back, too, but there needs to be a comprehensive attack on all branches of ACORN and all of its affiliates with a combination of investigation and defunding.

ACORN is trying to get out in front of this scandal by implementing their own 'investigation', in hopes that it will keep anyone else from doing it. This must not be allowed to be the only investigation of ACORN. This is a classic case of the fox guarding the hen house.

There are over 200 heads on this hydra, so the job won't be easy or quick, but it must be done.

The beast is wounded; now is the time to finish it off.