Jan Schakowsky, ACORN, and no phone call

I received a tip last week that my congresscritter, Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), was holding a conference call-town hall on Wednesday, September 16. I called her office, gave my real name, and then I was asked by the woman who took my call, "How did you hear about the town hall?"

I replied, "From an e-mail"

"From whom?"

I informed her that I was at work and that I was unable to access my personal e-mail.

Then she told me to that I'd get a phone call tonight at 6:40pm

I'm still waiting for that call...

Okay, maybe there was a techonological problem, maybe the staffer entered my phone number incorrectly, or perhaps they checked a file, "Nut, Right Wing," and discovered my name.

My plan for this evening was to ask the Evanston Democrat about her ties to ACORN and whether she would vote to cut off tax payer funds to the community organizing group. Unless you only get your news from the New York Times, then you know that ACORN has been accused of serious crimes. For instance, employees of ACORN have been caught on videotape advising undercover reporters claiming to be interested in running brothels staffed by underage girls.

Then there are those allegations for voter registration fraud, such as the ACORN employee who registered the entire roster of the Dallas Cowboys to vote. In Nevada.

As for the call, I believe I was stood-up. I'm still a constituent of hers--I deserve to be heard.

So in lieu of a report on the call, I've compiled a greatest hits collection of ACORN and Schakowsky. I reserved two hours of my day for the congresscritter, below you will find the result of my labors.

Each link comes from Schakowsky's congressional web site. Bold print emphasis is mine.

Schakowsky was joined at the news conference by other members of the Housing Subcommittee and members of Congress, including Representatives Bruce Vento (D-MN), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Danny Davis (D-IL), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Michael Capuano (D-MA) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY). Officials from the National Low-income Housing Coalition, Center for Budget Policy and Priorities, ACORN, U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Association of Child Advocacy also attended the event. August 3, 1999.

U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Maxine Waters (D-CA) today called for Congressional hearings following the release of a report which found that African American and Latino borrowers are disproportionately denied mortgage loans. The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) prepared the study. October 4, 2001.

I want to thank ACORN for holding today's rally and for continuing to be a strong voice for low income and working families and for our community. October 21, 2001.

The Save Our Homes Act is supported by leading consumer rights organizations, such as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), National People's Action, and National Community Reinvestment Coalition. October 17, 2003.

Schakowsky encouraged EITC recipients and others who need assistance in preparing their taxes to use one of the many free tax filing centers located in her district and across the City of Chicago. The National Student Partnerships campaign and organizations such as ACORN train and staff these free tax preparations centers to help working families obtain their federal tax refund. The EITC refund is usually available to the taxpayer from the Internal Revenue Service within ten days. February 24, 2005

U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky today delivered the keynote speech to members of the Balanced Development Coalition and concerned Chicago residents about the need to provide new affordable housing options throughout Chicago. Representative Schakowsky joined leaders of allied organizations including ACORN, One, Metro Seniors, and the Jane Addams Senior Caucus to build momentum for initiatives to create new affordable housing options now pending in the Chicago City Council. October 9, 2005.

Yeah, I'm sure here and there ACORN has performed some good work. But remember, Al Capone ran soup kitchens, provided coal for poor families, and he was an early advocate of putting expiration dates on milk bottles.

Plenty of Democratic politicians have strong ties to ACORN. For instance, Chicago News Bench has done a terrific job documenting the ACORN (and SEIU) connections of Schakowsky ally Joe Moore, a Chicago alderman and an über-liberal.

Let's get to work, conservative bloggers, before the libs scrub their sites.

Tell them Big Al sent you.