I was browsing the top recommended diaries after watching a piece on the Rachael Maddow show about the whole defund Acorn talk, and read an interesting one about a fundraiser for Acorn, and it struck me as a good idea. Then an even better idea hit me...
In similar fashion to the whole "Acorn stings", why don't we go into any NRA affiliated gunshop, and see if we can coax the owners into talking about what it would take to start an anti-government militia? I'm sure for those readers who are located in the deep south and mid-western United States, this would be a breeze to do. If there's anything gun nuts love to do, is talk about how they'd overthrow the government, and which guns would be right for the job. Some may even go into great detail about a plan already in the works and may even invite you to join in! Then, if we can somehow send it to some liberal media...[Keith Olbermann or Rachael Maddow would be pefect for this!], and get them to spin it in such a way that the NRA is linked to secretly overthrowing the government and actually a parent group to various domestic terrorist militias, we can get not only the defund the NRA talks going, but the DOJ to launch a serious investigation!
All kidding aside though, what I really plan to do, is write my senators[Mark Warner and Jim Webb], to ask to testify regarding this unconstitutional bill that is being proposed to defund Acorn. What this bill is specifically doing, is targeting Acorn on the basis of fraud to deny them any future funding and/or government contracts. The constitution clearly states, that a bill/law cannot specifically target any group of persons, individual, or specific organization/place of business. The law must cover all groups, all individuals, and all organizations/places of businesses.
So...if they want to go after Acorn to defund them based on giving tax advice to a man dressed as a pimp, and woman dressed a prostitute, or for voter registration fraud? Here's a list of organizations, people, and businesses that should also be defunded. Never allowed to gain any kind of funds from the government, or awarded any kind of government contracts:
Sen. John Ensign(R-NV): Not only did he have an affair with a staffer, he put her SON[19 years old] on the Republican payroll to shut her up. I.E. quid pro quo. He has essentially committed fraud by using RNC funds, to coverup personal indiscretions and affairs. His government contract should be terminated, and he should be barred from running for any future office/position where he would collect a government paycheck.
Gov. Mark Sanford(R-SC): Had an affair with a woman from Argentina. This isn't a big deal. Guy couldn't keep it in his pants. What is a big deal, is that he potentially used government money to fund his trips to Argentina to see his mistress under the guise of trade missions to South America. Fraud. Misuse of government funds. Should be forced to resign, and barred from holding any government office/position where he would collect government money.
Blackwater/XE: This is a PMC[Private Military Contractor] which is currently under investigation for multiple forms of fraud and breaking of many international laws and treaties. Illegal weapons smuggling, Illegal arms dealing, murder of Iraqi civilians. They should be defunded, and their government contract canceled, and barred from ever being contracted by the US government for ANYTHING ever again. Any PMC Soldier employed by Blackwater/XE after this defunding would immediately fall under the jurisdiction of whatever country that they happen to be in.
Lockheed Martin: They make everything from Weapons, Airplanes, Tanks, to Radar systems, and Satellites that are launched into space. Also, they've been investigated for multiple business ethics violations, and fraud by the US government, and have been fined a total of 11 times, totaling a little under 70 million dollars. Defund these people, and find someone else to make our fighter jets, missiles, tanks, guns, bullets, etc...Oh, lets not forget that we outsource in some states the census to them aswell.
Northrup Grumman: Also another one of our defense contractors that makes weapons, airplanes, tanks, radar systems, etc...They've also been hit up by the government for fraud and fined 9 times to the tune of 500 million dollars! The most egregious of these fraud cases being knowingly giving the Navy defective aircraft, price gouging the US government on space projects contracted to them, and knowingly giving the US Airforce satellite systems that were knowingly faulty and would more than likely fail. Oh, let's not forget their illegal gun running operation which they were caught shipping arms to China, Yemen, Angola and the Ukrain.
This is just a small sample of fraud that takes place to companies that are contracted by our very own government. There are tons more. My point is, is that if you want to defund Acorn for fraud, fine. But also defund every business, group, and person that also has a government contract, or receives government funding of some kind. Call up your congressman/congresswoman, senator and bring this to light.