Bachmann renews ACORN attack with new bill, petition

Must not let facts get in the way of good old political smear campaign. Just becuz it’s false don’t mean we can’t shout it from the rooftops.

Acorn needs to be totally and everystone turned over and tax fraud allegations and election fraud should be investigated…If Pres. Obama was fraudually elected president..impeachement charges pressed. Rick Trevino Twitter.com

PolitiFact did a terrible job.
Reporter Robert Farley’s piece is ahit job on Bachmann. Farley ignored important evidence that I provided him. His analysis is incredibly superficial much like the hatchet jobs one can read at the Media Matters for America website. Farley’s piece is not investigative journalism at all but a long-winded defense of ACORN.
Among other things, he takes an ACORN official at his word even though ACORN has a long, well documented history of lying about its internal affairs. Besides, ACORN is engaged in racketeering and election fraud is but a tiny bit of its business. It is engaged in extortion, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars and is under investigation by the FBI and at least 12 states. In recent weeks ACORN and ex-workers were charged with election fraud in Pennsylvania and Nevada.
I refuted the PolitiFact article at http://spectator.org/archives/2009/05/28/polifacts-fixers and wrote an extensively researched report on ACORN available at http://www.capitalresearch.org/pubs/pubs.html?id=663.

Matthew Vadum
Capital Research Center
Washington, DC

Thanks Matthew, but I’ll trust the work of a Pulitzer prize winner over the Capital Research Center.

“The Capital Research Center came under fire in the 1990s for publishing studies highly critical of charities which engaged in anti-tobacco lobbying efforts.[9]. These charities include the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society. It was later revealed that tobacco giant Philip Morris provided $50,000 in funding to the Capital Research Center.[10]“

The liberals pick on Michelle because she scares them. She is Pro-America! She is right that we must stop this corrupt organization from getting taxpayer $$$. Their own employees say they are corrupt. No more $ for ACORN or any entity associated with them. The liberal biased Politifact was WRONG about her statements. (i.e. lied) http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-vadum/2009/06/03/biased-politifact-com-covers-acorn-attacks-michele-bachmann

Andy:

That’s precisely the kind of snotty response I would expect from an arrogant journalist. Instead of examining the facts you are wowed by credentials. Shame on you. Your job is to pursue the truth wherever it leads you.

If you actually read my critique it is difficult for you to come away feeling that PolitiFact is right. My guess is, like Robert Farley, you’re too lazy or careless to actually take in the evidence.

Anyway, I’m not surprised you feel that way, Andy, given that you write for an aggressively left-wing media outlet. Let’s take a look at some of the dirty money the Center for Independent Media has taken in recently:

$100,000 from Tides Center in 2007
$75,000 from Tides Center in 2007
$60,000 from Tides Foundation in 2007
$12,500 from Tides Center in 2006
$10,000 from Tides Center in 2007
$6,000 from Tides Center in 2006

That’s a total of $263,500 from Tides Center and Tides Foundation in the last three years alone.

Using your reasoning that means the Center for Independent Media is beholden to the extreme left. Tides has long supported the most radical left-wing and progressive groups in America.

It is run by Drummond Pike, a radical leftover peacenik from the 1960s. After the brother of his friend Wade Rathke embezzled nearly $1 million from ACORN Pike came to the rescue of ACORN and paid off more than $700,000 in restitution owing to ACORN. Wade Rathke was on the board of Tides until fairly recently when news of the ACORN embezzlement scandal broke. Pike is also an officer of the Democracy Alliance, a George Soros-led donors’ collaborative that seeks to permanently move America to the left.

By your reasoning, these people pay you so you must be doing their bidding.

Perhaps you should begin using facts instead of smears.

Matthew Vadum
Capital Research Center
Washington, DC

[...] exchange may be found at the Minnesota Independent website here. BlinkList | del.icio.us | Digg [...]

Matthew, I did read your essay, and I read Politifact’s essay.

You’re a right-leaning mouthpiece calling a left-leaning mouthpiece a ‘left-leaning mouthpiece.”

Is ACORN Housing using taxpayer money for voter registration? That’s the question. I’ve read through a number of your essays and all I can see is vitriol directed at ACORN and some spurious connections you claim as proof. Of course if you actually had proof that ACORN was using HUD money to do voter registration and we found to be in violation of law (i.e. a conviction), then we wouldn’t be having this discussion, because your assertions would prove true.

Bachmann consorts with convicted money-launderers and gun/drug runners like Frank Vennes Jr. and takes tens of thousands of dollars in dirty campaign contributions from him and his family. Then Bachmann writes letters on Vennes’ behalf soliciting a presidential pardon for the crimes to which he admitted and for which he served time in federal prison. And Bachmann is concerned about possible voter registration fraud on the part of some ACORN employees? A bit of a double standard isn’t it?

Matthew Vadum has disingenuously attacked PolitiFact’s critique elsewhere:

http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/blog/index.blog/1913691/vadum-distorts-acorn-unhappy-about-getting-busted-for-it/

PolitiFact caught Vadum distorting ACORN, and he’s not happy about it.

If the facts I presented at length regarding ACORN’s well documented abuse of taxpayer dollars and various antics failed to make an impression on you I suggest you put down the bong and read the articles again. Everything I write is backed up.

No one apart from you and PolitiFact chose to focus on the rhetorical straw man of whether ACORN Housing is using taxpayer money from HUD for voter registration. It is not the question.

Robert Farley used this straw man knowing he could easily knock it down, and that’s exactly the approach that your friends at the character assassination factory Media Matters for America do too.

Seriously, how can anyone write a fact-checking piece about a controversial statement made by the figure in question (i.e. Bachmann) and then proceed to focus on statements not made by the person?

PolitiFact is a joke.

It is undeniable that ACORN is eligible for $8.5 billion in federal funds this year. It won’t get the whole amount as I have said repeatedly and as Congresswoman Bachmann has said repeatedly. The scandal here is the fact that a group under indictment and under investigation across America for fraud is eligible for any taxpayer dollars.

If you continue to defend ACORN, you are one of the criminal group’s useful idiots.

Matthew Vadum
Capital Research Center
Washington, DC

Capital Research Center must not have used all the tobacco money for its pro-tobacco campaign. They had enough left over for really good tin-foil hats.

I didn’t want to say that, but George Soros is holding my family hostage.

[...] Andy Birkey of the Minnesota Independent (part of the Center for Independent Media) throws a spotlight on the [...]

“No one apart from you and PolitiFact chose to focus on the rhetorical straw man of whether ACORN Housing is using taxpayer money from HUD for voter registration. It is not the question.”

Ok, now you’re just being foolish. Bachmann’s bill specifically targets groups for indictment for violating election law. What critics are saying is that even if ACORN violated the election law (and that’s for judges and juries to decide, because we believe in innocence until proof otherwise), the funds being debated by Bachmann aren’t part of the equation. They are part of ACORN Housing which is a different, albeit related, entity.

Where the money is coming from and going to is exactly the question, since it is that money that is being debated and ACORN that is being singled out.

A straw man is when you purposefully distort an opponents argument and then debate the false argument. Politifact pointed out that Bachmann’s assertions are incredibly simplistic and exaggerated. Which they are.. and not just on this issue.

Neither I, nor Politifact are engaging in straw man. We are in fact discussing the very specifics of Bachmann’s bill and her statements.

Andy:

You, PolitiFact, and the Media Matters hack Terry Krepel commenting above all seem to have a reading comprehension problem.

The PolitiFact article available at
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/may/21/michele-bachmann/bachmann-claims-acorn-has-access-85-billion-federa/ says this at the top:

“The Truth-O-Meter Says:
ACORN ‘could get up to $8.5 billion more tax dollars despite being under investigation for voter registration fraud in a dozen states.’
Michele Bachmann on Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 in a press release”

This statement, not the merits of Bachmann’s legislation, was supposed to be discussed. Robert Farley of PolitiFact then pulled a bait-and-switch and decided he would prefer to attack Bachmann on other grounds.

The statement she made, that ACORN is eligible for $8.5 billion, is undeniably true. I did the research. I covered housing finance for almost seven years on Capitol Hill. I understand how it works. I did not say ACORN would get $8.5 billion, nor did Bachmann. If you understood grammar you would know that “could” and “would” and “will” mean different things.

Keep on lying if you want but you’re the ones looking foolish.

Meanwhile, an ACORN-registered voter was just indicted in Ohio:
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/06/04/ohio-prosecutor-acorn-voter-fr

ACORN is under investigation there too!

It will be interesting to watch how quickly the rats start abandoning ship at ACORN.

There is still time for you, PolitiFact, and Terry Krepel to grab a life-preserver.

I am not, and haven’t been, discussing $8.5 billion. It might be you that has the reading comprehension problem.

I heard about the petition on the mark levine program and am in complete agreement with michele and would like to add my name to her petition.

[...] has continued on her crusade to bring ACORN, The Web of Corruption, to task for their misuse of taxpayer money through their web of corrupt organizations. She has [...]

How about a bill to censure Bachmann?

I find it funny that the right always assumes minorities vote Democrat. And that Acorn only signs up Democrats. I think the head of the Republican Party may be a little Acorn himself.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, for example, partnered with ACORN in March 2008 for a “Home ownership Promotes The Economy” task force.

In July 2005, meanwhile, another Republican governor, Rick Perry of Texas, signed ACORN’s Lending Law Reform Bill that changed the state’s home lending practices.

In July 2008, California Governor and McCain supporter Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill that ACORN helped draft aimed at California homeowners facing foreclosure.

In June 2007, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty signed a similar bill — drafted by ACORN — that helped homeowners get fairer deals on their mortgages.

Mitt Romney signed an anti-predatory lending bill that ACORN supported. In February 2006, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman met with the ACORN Katrina Survivors Association. And back in July 2005,

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg actually got a kiss from ACORN’s state leader, according to the publication City Limits, during an announcement that the city would protect or create 65,000 affordable units in a new housing proposal.

And then there is John McCain.

“What makes America special is what’s in this room tonight,” says the keynote speaker in this video clip from February 20, 2006. Who was speaking that night? None other than Republican presidential candidate John McCain. Where was he speaking? At Miami Dade College in Miami, Florida, at an immigration rally sponsored by—wait for it—ACORN.

Matthew Vadum just can’t stop insulting people he disagrees with, can he?

Vadum will never admit that his claims are true only if you don’t examine them closely — which, unfortunately for him, is exactly what PoltiFact did. They fall apart when the specifics of the situation are applied, and they are exposed for the biased attacks they are.

If Vadum would simply admit that he’s out to get ACORN and is taking refuge in overbroad assertions, then we’d be getting somewhere. Of course, that’ll never happen.

STOP ACORN.

From Bachmann to the signers of Bachmann’s petition to the comments above, it appears that the GOP and the right-wing have not relented in their efforts to suppress votes by persisting in perpetuating the lie of “voter fraud” by ACORN and other groups. Karl Rove’s attempt to systematically create a lie that community organizer groups like ACORN were engaged in “voter fraud” was exposed as such by the “US Attorney gate” where a few of the Bush appointed US Attorneys who actually had scruples refused to go along with this subversive effort.

A few ACORN workers were shown to have turned in false voter registration cards. They did it not as part of a systematic effort by ACORN to commit fraud but to defraud ACORN of its money. For Bachmann to use this to promote legislation and collect signatures shows how depraved, lying nutjob she really is. People who buy into this are either in on the false GOP propaganda talking point effort or too stupid to know what is going on.

Wow.

I just found out that the Center for Independent Media and the unethical lying weasels at Media Matters for America (headed by admitted liar David Brock) are bosom buddies. Not only are they political allies that receive money from many of the same funders, they also share the same office space: http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=7307.

Incredible.

It must be very cost-effective, though. David Brock can just walk across the hall and give the Center for Independent Media its talking points every day. Now that’s smart management.

Wow.

You’re quite the investigative reporter, Matthew. (If David Brock offices across the street from the Minnesota Independent’s world headquarters in North Minneapolis, I’ll eat my shorts.) But using Horowitz‘s Discover the Networks as your sole journalistic source makes you seem less than credible yourself.

For the record, Media Matters’ address is 1625 Massachusetts Ave. NW. The Center for Independent Media’s DC office is located at 1825 Connecticut Ave. NW. The organizations do not share an office.

Might want to correct this.

May I suggest that Mr. Vadum needs some lessons in etiquette and logic. You will never convince an independent looking at this exchange of your rightness with the language and attitude you use. In fact, you have me thinking the exact opposite viewpoint than yours should be supported. If the rationale and data supported you, you wouldn’t be ranting and calling people names. Seemingly your information cannot stand without your personal attacks, foul language and what appear to be lies.

Does Representative Bachmann know that such a man is supporting her? does she support the use of foul language when speaking to someone with a different opinion on policy matters? That is NOT the Minnesota way.

It doesn’t take much to send Mr. Vadum running.

Thanks for the lecture, Amuseinc, but I’m not sure anything I wrote actually constitutes foul language and surely “hack” doesn’t qualify even in the land of “Minnesota nice.” I note that I rarely see any civility practiced by liberal commenters on the Minnesota websites I’ve visited such as the Star Tribune’s (at least not on the Strib’s political stories).

so little acorn has some money and they do work for the working class. which brings out the republican apologists. nice work when you can get it and it seems that you can. the american enterprise institute, cato and heritage foundation just to name the top three that get a lot of that kind of work. everyone knows they are the mouthpieces of big business but they’re used on all the news services as honest representatives for conservative policy instead of a fascist front. let working people have someone on their side and out come the little puppets that so know what their masters want that the strings are invisible. so if the puppets win this argument and win again and leave the working class without real representatives then whats left besides slavery? maybe war is left. better we have acorn then blood and death. so stop whining you conservative cowards acorn just might be saving you life.

Now to this question about whether Media Matters for America and the Center for Independent Media share office space.

I did rely on the DiscoverTheNetworks entry at http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=7307 when I wrote the above comment. For the reasons cited below, it looks like I made a good decision.

Let’s get into the details: It is claimed that the address of Media Matters is 1625 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC and that the address of the Center for Independent Media is 1825 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington DC.

However, in addition to a pile of evidence that the two organizations share office space, there certainly is a lot of overlap between Media Matters and CIM. It goes on and on and on.

CIM’s current help wanted page at idealist.org shows CIM’s address as 1625 Massachusetts Ave. NW. How can that be? That’s supposed to be the address of Media Matters. Check it out here: http://www.idealist.org/en/org/154388-186. And don’t bother pulling a Carol Browner: I already made a screen grab.

Jeff Fecke writes (quoting someone else) at http://moderateleft.com/?p=2722
“To clarify, the Center for Independent Media is not receiving funding from Media Matters. The only financial arrangement they have is to rent office space.” Hmmm.

This same statement is repeated at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Monitor, the Wikipedia entry on the Minnesota Monitor which is now called the Minnesota Independent.

This document at http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/NewJournalistApplicationAddress.JPG
which purports to be a CIM document indicates CIM is located at 1625 Massachusetts Ave., 3rd Floor, Washington DC 200036.

This seems to be a longer version of the same document: http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/NewJournalistApplication.pdf

I just did a “Locate a Business (Nationwide)” search on Nexis for 1825 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC.

Interestingly, Nexis returned hits for both Media Matters and CIM at the Connecticut Ave. address.

Here are some of the hits:

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1825 CONNECTICUT AVE NW STE 625
WASHINGTON, DC 20009-5733
D.C. COUNTY
Contact Name: BENNAHUM, DAVID

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW FL 3RD
WASHINGTON, DC 20036-2212
D.C. COUNTY
Contact Name: BENNAHUM, DAVID

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW FL 3RD
WASHINGTON, DC 20036-2212
D.C. COUNTY
FEIN: 33-1137541

In the search results for 1825 Connecticut Ave., this address, namely 2040 S St. NW, Washington, DC, kept coming up.

I did a Nexis search for 2040 S St. NW. Here are the first three hits.

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 2040 S ST NW
WASHINGTON, DC 20009-1110
D.C. COUNTY
Contact Name: BENNAHUM, DAVID

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1825 CONNECTICUT AVE NW STE 625
WASHINGTON, DC 20009-5733
D.C. COUNTY
Contact Name: BENNAHUM, DAVID

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW FL 3RD
WASHINGTON, DC 20036-2212
D.C. COUNTY
Contact Name: BENNAHUM, DAVID

Farther down the search results page, the Media Matters address on Massachusetts Ave. pops up yet again in a hit about CIM:

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW FL 3RD
WASHINGTON, DC 20036-2212
D.C. COUNTY
FEIN: 33-1137541

And the hits just keep on coming.

Let’s compare the Tax Year 2007 IRS Form 990s (tax returns) for the two entities.

Here is the 990 for Media Matters: http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2007/470/928/2007-470928008-041cb805-9.pdf

Here is the 990 for CIM: http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2008/331/137/2008-331137541-04d0a62e-9.pdf

The tax returns of Media Matters and CIM were prepared by the same firm, Drolet & Associates. (see page 9 of both documents)

Both list Bonner Group, Inc. under the heading Compensation of the Five Highest Paid Independent Contractors. (see page 10 of both documents)

All in all, that’s an awful lot of evidence and an awful lot of overlap.

Unlike Media Matters most of the time, I would gladly correct the record if I were convinced I had made a mistake, but I’m not convinced.

Unburden your conscience. It’s time to come clean. Media Matters and the Center for Independent Media are joined at the hip. You can’t deny it.

Now to this question about whether Media Matters for America and the Center for Independent Media share office space.

I did rely on the DiscoverTheNetworks.org entry at http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=7307 when I wrote the above comment. For the reasons cited below, it looks like I made a good decision.

Let’s get into the details: It is claimed that the address of Media Matters is 1625 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC and that the address of the Center for Independent Media is 1825 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington DC.

However, in addition to a pile of evidence that the two organizations share office space, there certainly is a lot of overlap between Media Matters and CIM. It goes on and on and on.

CIM’s current help wanted page at idealist.org shows CIM’s address as 1625 Massachusetts Ave. NW. How can that be? That’s supposed to be the address of Media Matters. Check it out here: http://www.idealist.org/en/org/154388-186. And don’t bother pulling a Carol Browner: I already made a screen grab.

Jeff Fecke writes (quoting someone else) at http://moderateleft.com/?p=2722
“To clarify, the Center for Independent Media is not receiving funding from Media Matters. The only financial arrangement they have is to rent office space.”

This same statement is repeated at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Monitor, the Wikipedia entry on the Minnesota Monitor which is now called the Minnesota Independent.

This document at http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/NewJournalistApplicationAddress.JPG
which purports to be a CIM document indicates CIM is located at 1625 Massachusetts Ave., 3rd Floor, Washington DC 200036.

This seems to be a longer version of the same document: http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/NewJournalistApplication.pdf

I just did a “Locate a Business (Nationwide)” search on Nexis for 1825 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC.

Interestingly, Nexis returned hits for both Media Matters and CIM at the Connecticut Ave. address.

Here are some of the hits:

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1825 CONNECTICUT AVE NW STE 625
WASHINGTON, DC 20009-5733
D.C. COUNTY
Contact Name: BENNAHUM, DAVID

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW FL 3RD
WASHINGTON, DC 20036-2212
D.C. COUNTY
Contact Name: BENNAHUM, DAVID

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW FL 3RD
WASHINGTON, DC 20036-2212
D.C. COUNTY
FEIN: 33-1137541

In the search results for 1825 Connecticut Ave., this address, namely 2040 S St. NW, Washington, DC, kept coming up.

I did a Nexis search for 2040 S St. NW. Here are the first three hits.

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 2040 S ST NW
WASHINGTON, DC 20009-1110
D.C. COUNTY
Contact Name: BENNAHUM, DAVID

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1825 CONNECTICUT AVE NW STE 625
WASHINGTON, DC 20009-5733
D.C. COUNTY
Contact Name: BENNAHUM, DAVID

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW FL 3RD
WASHINGTON, DC 20036-2212
D.C. COUNTY
Contact Name: BENNAHUM, DAVID

Farther down the search results page, the Media Matters address on Massachusetts Ave. pops up yet again in a hit about CIM:

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW FL 3RD
WASHINGTON, DC 20036-2212
D.C. COUNTY
FEIN: 33-1137541

Let’s compare the Tax Year 2007 IRS Form 990s (tax returns) for the two entities.

Here is the 990 for Media Matters: http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2007/470/928/2007-470928008-041cb805-9.pdf

Here is the 990 for CIM: http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2008/331/137/2008-331137541-04d0a62e-9.pdf

The tax returns of Media Matters and CIM were prepared by the same firm, Drolet & Associates. (see page 9 of both documents)

Both list Bonner Group, Inc. under the heading Compensation of the Five Highest Paid Independent Contractors. (see page 10 of both documents)

All in all, that’s an awful lot of evidence and an awful lot of overlap.

Unlike Media Matters most of the time, I would gladly correct the record if I were convinced I had made a mistake, but I’m not convinced.

Unburden your conscience. It’s time to come clean. Media Matters and the Center for Independent Media are joined at the hip. You can’t deny it.

It looks like my response was too long (it doesn’t appear after I submit) so I’ll have to break it up.

PART 1

Now to this question about whether Media Matters for America and the Center for Independent Media share office space.

I did rely on the DiscoverTheNetworks.org entry at http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=7307 when I wrote the above comment. For the reasons cited below, it looks like I made a good decision.

Let’s get into the details: It is claimed that the address of Media Matters is 1625 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC and that the address of the Center for Independent Media is 1825 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington DC.

However, in addition to a pile of evidence that the two organizations share office space, there certainly is a lot of overlap between Media Matters and CIM. It goes on and on and on.

CIM’s current help wanted page at idealist.org shows CIM’s address as 1625 Massachusetts Ave. NW. How can that be? That’s supposed to be the address of Media Matters. Check it out here: http://www.idealist.org/en/org/154388-186. And don’t bother pulling a Carol Browner: I already made a screen grab.

Jeff Fecke writes (quoting someone else) at http://moderateleft.com/?p=2722
“To clarify, the Center for Independent Media is not receiving funding from Media Matters. The only financial arrangement they have is to rent office space.”

This same statement is repeated at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Monitor, the Wikipedia entry on the Minnesota Monitor which is now called the Minnesota Independent.

This document at http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/NewJournalistApplicationAddress.JPG
which purports to be a CIM document indicates CIM is located at 1625 Massachusetts Ave., 3rd Floor, Washington DC 200036.

This seems to be a longer version of the same document: http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/NewJournalistApplication.pdf

PART 1

Now to this question about whether Media Matters for America and the Center for Independent Media share office space.

I did rely on the DiscoverTheNetworks.org entry at http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=7307 when I wrote the above comment. For the reasons cited below, it looks like I made a good decision.

Let’s get into the details: It is claimed that the address of Media Matters is 1625 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC and that the address of the Center for Independent Media is 1825 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington DC.

However, in addition to a pile of evidence that the two organizations share office space, there certainly is a lot of overlap between Media Matters and CIM. It goes on and on and on.

CIM’s current help wanted page at idealist.org shows CIM’s address as 1625 Massachusetts Ave. NW. How can that be? That’s supposed to be the address of Media Matters. Check it out here: http://www.idealist.org/en/org/154388-186. And don’t bother pulling a Carol Browner: I already made a screen grab.

Jeff Fecke writes (quoting someone else) at http://moderateleft.com/?p=2722
“To clarify, the Center for Independent Media is not receiving funding from Media Matters. The only financial arrangement they have is to rent office space.”

This same statement is repeated at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Monitor, the Wikipedia entry on the Minnesota Monitor which is now called the Minnesota Independent.

This document at http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/NewJournalistApplicationAddress.JPG
which purports to be a CIM document indicates CIM is located at 1625 Massachusetts Ave., 3rd Floor, Washington DC 200036.

This seems to be a longer version of the same document: http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/NewJournalistApplication.pdf

No comment about how the “unethical lying weasels” at Media Matters aren’t actually sharing offices (or talking points) with the Center for Independent Media? You are a hack, Vadum, if your facts are so egregiously wrong and you won’t acknowledge or correct them.

[...] So, that site is no longer accepting my comments. I suspect it has something to do with an argument I was having with the contributors to the site over the relationship of the Center for Independent Media to Media Matters for America. (Minnesota Independent article and comments section) [...]

[...] The pissing match in the comments section at the Minnesota Independent website escalates. [...]

Since you brought it up. Let’s look at the agendas of these two “Unethical lying weasels”.

“Funded with “more than $2 million in donations from wealthy liberals.” “Among Mr. Brock’s donors is Leo Hindery, Jr., the former cable magnate; Susie Tompkins Buell, who is co-founder of the fashion company Esprit and is close to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, and Ms. Buell’s husband Mark; and James C. Hormel, a San Francisco philanthropist whose appointment as ambassador to Luxembourg was delayed for a year and a half in the late 1990′s by conservative lawmakers protesting what they called his promotion of a ‘gay lifestyle.’”–sourcewatch

Media Matters for America is funded in part by the Democracy Alliance.

Officially launched in April 2006, CIM states that it grew out of “a four-month intensive research study conducted by a progressive not-for-profit media watchdog organization.” (An organization that fits this description perfectly is the George Soros- and Hillary Clinton-affiliated Media Matters, from which CIM rents office space in Washington, DC, but CIM does not identify the “watchdog” group by name.) “The research project’s objective,” CIM continues, “was to understand how blogs work to broaden ideological diversity in the media, and how to reinforce these positive effects.

The baseline term of a CIM fellowship is 3 months, with the possibility of renewal once the term expires. In practice, most of the fellowships are in fact renewed, and thus span two three-month periods. Fellowship recipients receive: “a stipend of $4,500 to be paid over 3 months; investigative journalism training; editorial mentorship from experts in the field of blogging and/or journalism; research tools such as Lexis Nexis and access to information databases; legal information, advice and access to legal representation; technical help and consulting; networking opportunities with other bloggers, news media and news makers in the state; and possible media training/booking and other promotion of the work produced.”

In exchange for the foregoing benefits, CIM fellows are expected to: “produce at least 3 blog posts [2 to 3 paragraphs apiece] per day on average …; fulfill goals in original reporting, to be set on an individual basis; demonstrate an impact on statewide debate; adhere to a set of ethical and journalistic standards; participate in all trainings, meetings, and conferences; and regularly submit a status report on their blogging endeavors.”

CIM’s Program Director is a young woman named Ali Savino. As of November 1, 2006, the following ten individuals were CIM’s Minnesota fellows, writing predominantly about local issues:

Jeff Fecke: An aspiring novelist who lives in Eagan, Minnesota, Fecke has been writing the “Blog of the Moderate Left” since 2002.

Andy Birkey: This recent graduate of the University of Minnesota holds a degree in Urban Forestry, Urban Studies, and Sociology. Originally from Peoria, Illinois, he has been a Minneapolis resident since 2000 and is active in LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) issues, HIV/AIDS advocacy, and environmental and transit concerns in the Twin Cities.

Sorry, but, they may not be across the hall, but they do rent office space from them.

I think the real story here is the left’s inability to see the obvious, namely moral equivalency.

If Heritage, and Cato, and Newsbusters, and Capital Research are hacks because they get money from big business, then what does that make the left-wing power structure that Soros, et al fund?

Acorn has some funny ways of “fighting for the poor”. There are reports that they protested the bank that was in direct competition with one of their largest donors.

http://www.thenextright.com/category/blog-tags/world-savings

It looks like some rich people (the Sandlers) have gotten the poor to fight for them.

“Prior to launching the Center, Ms. Savino had worked with several progressive campaigns and organizations in a number of capacities. Starting with the Dean campaign in 2003, she has been a part of an assorted array of campaigns in various positions. She has worked in numerous states such as Iowa, South Carolina, and New Jersey. Mostly recently she was responsible for developing an Internet strategy for the Democracy Alliance, and blogosphere analysis for Media Matters for America. Previous to Ms. Savino’s work in the political and advocacy world, she held software programming positions with companies such as Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Strategic Forecasting and Netegrity. Alexandra Savino is a graduate of Cornell University, with a Bachelors of Engineering degree in Computer Science and a Master’s degree with a focus on computer security”. –NOI

Seems all this money comes from the same place, including the hefty “stipends”. Moveon.org

* According to the March 10, 2004, Washington Post, “The Democratic 527 organizations have drawn support from some wealthy liberals determined to defeat Bush. They include financier George Soros and his wife, Susan Weber Soros, who gave $5 million to America Coming Together (ACT) and $1.46 million to MoveOn.org; Peter B. Lewis, chief executive of the Progressive Corp., who gave $3 million to ACT and $500,000 to MoveOn; and Linda Pritzker, of the Hyatt hotel family, and her Sustainable World Corp., who gave $4 million to the joint fundraising committee.”[25]

In order to comply with U.S. tax and election laws, the MoveOn family of organizations consists of three entities, each with its own separate website:

“1. MoveOn.org,[26] a 501c4 organization, primarily focuses on education and advocacy on important national issues. Under U.S. tax laws, a 501c4 organization can engage in lobbying for legislative change but is not allowed to intervene in political campaigns in support of or opposition to any candidate for public ice.
2. MoveOn.org PAC,[27] a federal political action committee (PAC), primarily helps members elect candidates who reflect the organization’s values. Unlike 501c4 organizations, PACs are allowed to raise “hard money” for individual candidates.
3. The MoveOn.org Voter Fund[28] is a 527 committee – the same IRS category as the Republican National Committee, the Democratic National Committee, and the campaign organizations for John Kerry and Bush-Cheney ’04, Inc. MoveOn’s voter fund primarily runs ads exposing President Bush’s failed policies in key “battleground” states.”–sourcewatch

How are we ever going to move on if we let these PAC’s, 527 and 501c4′s pour millions into our political system? This is not right, even if you have the best intentions.

We need campaign reform now!

I agree the country needs campaign reform preferably that would preclude candidates from taking any money. Not that that’s going to happen in my lifetime. But what’s your point, lazercat? That Center for Independent Media gets funding from Moveon.org? or George Soros? Or some other people you and other rights wingers find “liberal”?

Or because they expose right wing politicians and their supporters as chronic liars and frauds? Let’s be clear about who’s doing the defrauding of the government and the people in this post: it ain’t ACORN.

I’m with Soros. I think we came so close to Fascism you could smell the Jackboots.

My point is if you are being paid by the powers that be, are you really a revolutionary? And what makes Minnesota Independent any different than Minnesota Democrats exposed?

Soros’ vote should be one (1) just like mine or yours, and he should be able to give the same amount of money for elections that I can.

I don’t really feel like looking it up, but this guy has spent millions to push his candidates and if he can do this so can Exxon.

Oh, plus, I think I made my point that Vadumb was not entirely correct but he was pretty close and I think the “independents” are guilty of the sin of omission.

It amazes me how many people seem to support Rep. Bachmann and her reality-avoidance approach to governing. Evidence, facts, reasoning, judgement seem in very short supply. Fear, anger, intolerance and blind faith in a camera worshipping elected official seem to define these sad misguided citizens

Good thing neither Rep. Bachmann nor her supporters are not taken seriously by the vast majority of citizens and government representatives. They’ll have to be content with the always-zaney Ms. Bachmann to put a public face on the silly sector of American politics.

Who signed this petition? Just your ordinary everyday citizens.

Captain Jeff W. Johnson, USN is a senior intelligence analyst and systems engineer at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)where he supports the U.S. Intelligence Community

His assignments as a contractor and as a military officer have included the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Joint Chiefs of Staff, (JCS), Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)

Dec 29, 2006 … Robert (Bob) H. Whitley, Jr. joyfully found peace from pain as hejoined beloved family members in heaven on Thursday, December 28,2006. Bob was preceded in death by his mother and father, Hazel andRobert H. Whitley, Sr. Surviving family are Betty, wife of his youth;brother, Jerry Whitley …

WHITLEY, ROBERT H JR 14013522 ARMY TEC 5 10/05/1944 MIA

Barbara Darracq? Can’t find.

You are the guys with the Nexus Lexus look it up. Looks curious to me. Bachmann is a snake, I would check out every name on that petition.

Mr. Vadum. Saw your blog post that claimed you “have outworn [your] welcome at the Minnesota Independent website… that left-wing site is no longer accepting my comments.” This is entirely untrue. While I don’t moderate comments as often on the weekends (which may account for a delay in OKing comments), I have not deleted any of yours. We do have a comment policy that determines whether comments go live, but I haven’t deleted any of yours on those (or any) grounds. I understand you might like to cast us as nasty lefties who refuse to publish dissenting opinions, but it’s a fabrication on your part. Comment away!

I now understand your point lazercat and I’m all for full disclosure especially where the writers fail to disclose hidden conflicts of interest. But are you suggesting that the individuals reporting on this site have some sort of hidden conflict of interest that disqualifies their reporting on this ACORN issue or any other issue for that matter? There is a big difference between this site and Minnesota Democrats Exposed because Michael Broadkorb is a dogmatically right wing Republican masquerading as an independent truth squad. I don’t think the people at this site pretend they are not liberal or progressive or anti-right wing. I don’t sense that they are taking talking points from Charles Schumer, Emanuel Rahm, or Nancy Pelosi or other Democratic Party functionaries. Compare that to the right wing disciplined Wurlizter machine (i.e. MSM) spewing Karl Rove’s propaganda 24/7 for the last 8 years (or 15 really). I agree, that an individual must always be alert and ask a lot of questions. But just because an outfit like Minnesota Independent is funded by the superrich doesn’t mean they are carrying their water or some hidden agenda.

jonerick

the rightwing game was defined by Gingrich some years back – cast aspersions on everything and everybody liberal – turn the very term into a slur of traitorous contempt.

That rightwing people don’t like who funds the left is not surprising. Their heros – like Scaife – are no saints, and both sides have some deep pockets helping the cause.

So flipping what?

The Minnesota Independent stands the reality test – the information it supplies seems to check out with what is really happening. The major rightwing crowd – Fox News – fails that same test.

The Bachamannistas see conspiracies everywhere – all intended to …. heck, who knows what Michele B is really uncorked about?! She regularly picks a non-issue, turns it into a media fuss until the facts come out, and her position is found absurd. Time after time.

Her personal grudge against ACORN is beyond silly.

Her lack of support for mortgage reform, her lack of support for public transit – THOSE issues actually affect her constituents, unlike ACORN issues. But what does she spend time on?

She’s a real loser, intellectually and politically. Those who support her are simply wrong, and they suffer for that support. How foolish is that?

mill: so we agree on all points. Did I write something that made you think otherwise?

Jonerik

i was writing in agreement, not dispute. just venting, sorry to be repetitive

[...] never asked for any earmarks for her Congressional district-and lie, after lie, after lie, about ACORN. She’s actually introduced legislation in Congress against ACORN, alleging that it was needed [...]

Paul Schmelzer now writes above that my comments were not deleted or did not fail to be approved. What I wrote at the CRC blog and at AmSpecBlog was that I seemed to have been blocked at this site. I tried about a dozen times to submit my most recent comment using different browsers and each time I clicked “submit” nothing happened, whereas earlier in the thread my comments had been approved instantly. I didn’t fabricate anything and I didn’t accuse anyone of anything. All I wrote was that I seemed to have been blocked and was resorting to other means to publish my response.

If the comments thread is working here, here is my response which I posted at http://www.capitalresearch.org/blog/2009/06/05/minnesota-independent-covers-up-its-relationship-with-sleazy-media-matters-for-america/.

If CIM doesn’t share space with Media Matters, why the vast electronic trail?

* * * * *

Now to this question about whether Media Matters for America and the Center for Independent Media share office space.

I did rely on the DiscoverTheNetworks.org entry (http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=7307) when I wrote the above comment. For the reasons cited below, it looks like I made a good decision.

Let’s get into the details: It is claimed that the address of Media Matters is 1625 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC and that the address of the Center for Independent Media is 1825 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington DC.

However, in addition to a pile of evidence that the two organizations share office space, there certainly is a lot of overlap between Media Matters and CIM. It goes on and on and on.

CIM’s current help wanted page at idealist.org shows CIM’s address as 1625 Massachusetts Ave. NW. (http://www.idealist.org/en/org/154388-186) How can that be? That’s supposed to be the address of Media Matters. Check it out here. And don’t bother pulling a Carol Browner: I already made a screen grab.

Jeff Fecke writes at http://moderateleft.com/?p=2722 (quoting someone else): “To clarify, the Center for Independent Media is not receiving funding from Media Matters. The only financial arrangement they have is to rent office space.” This same statement is repeated at the Wikipedia entry on the Minnesota Monitor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Monitor) which is now called the Minnesota Independent.

This document (http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/NewJournalistApplicationAddress.JPG), which purports to be a CIM document, indicates CIM is located at 1625 Massachusetts Ave., 3rd Floor, Washington DC 200036. This (http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/NewJournalistApplication.pdf) seems to be a longer version of the same document.

I just did a “Locate a Business (Nationwide)” search on Nexis for 1825 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC. Interestingly, Nexis returned hits for both Media Matters and CIM at the Connecticut Ave. address.

Here are some of the hits:

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1825 CONNECTICUT AVE NW STE 625
WASHINGTON, DC 20009-5733
D.C. COUNTY
Contact Name: BENNAHUM, DAVID

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW FL 3RD
WASHINGTON, DC 20036-2212
D.C. COUNTY
Contact Name: BENNAHUM, DAVID

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW FL 3RD
WASHINGTON, DC 20036-2212
D.C. COUNTY
FEIN: 33-1137541

In the search results for 1825 Connecticut Ave., this address, namely 2040 S St. NW, Washington, DC, kept coming up.

I did a Nexis search for 2040 S St. NW. Here are the first three hits:

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 2040 S ST NW
WASHINGTON, DC 20009-1110
D.C. COUNTY
Contact Name: BENNAHUM, DAVID

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1825 CONNECTICUT AVE NW STE 625
WASHINGTON, DC 20009-5733
D.C. COUNTY
Contact Name: BENNAHUM, DAVID

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW FL 3RD
WASHINGTON, DC 20036-2212
D.C. COUNTY
Contact Name: BENNAHUM, DAVID

Farther down the search results page, the Media Matters address on Massachusetts Ave. pops up yet again in a hit about CIM:

Business Information
Company Name: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Address: 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW FL 3RD
WASHINGTON, DC 20036-2212
D.C. COUNTY
FEIN: 33-1137541

Let’s compare the Tax Year 2007 IRS Form 990s (tax returns) for the two entities. Here is the 990 for Media Matters (http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2007/470/928/2007-470928008-041cb805-9.pdf). Here is the 990 for CIM (http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2008/331/137/2008-331137541-04d0a62e-9.pdf).

The tax returns of Media Matters and CIM were prepared by the same firm, Drolet & Associates. (see page 9 of both documents) Both list Bonner Group, Inc. under the heading Compensation of the Five Highest Paid Independent Contractors. (see page 10 of both documents)

All in all, that’s an awful lot of evidence and an awful lot of overlap.

Unlike Media Matters most of the time, I would gladly correct the record if I were convinced I had made a mistake, but I’m not convinced.

Unburden your conscience, Minnesota Independent. It’s time to come clean. Media Matters and the Center for Independent Media are joined at the hip. How can you deny it?

Come on: What’s the relationship between you two?

I just thought you guys were a little rough on Vandumb. They may not be in the same office but, they have this little thing called Email now…

I really think this Acorn stuff is a waste of everybody’s time. A bad red herring from the election that won’t go away even though there isn’t a lick of truth in it. It’s kind of like Vince Foster all over again.

BTW, I’ll say whatever you want for $1500 a month. Where do I sign up?

A quick update: Mr. Vadum’s comments were not deleted, but were filtered out by our spamcatcher (likely because of the number of weblinks he included, a trait many filters use in detecting spam). His comments have been published and appear above. Apologies to him for the technical glitch.

I am not, Mr. Schmelzer, seeing it unless this pingback above linking to my comment on another website counts as posting my comment:
http://minnesotaindependent.com/36246/bachmann-renews-acorn-attack#comment-31906.

In any event, I assume Mr. Schmelzer is acting in good faith but do wish to make clear to readers of this website that the response we’ve been talking about is available at the website of the think tank where I work. Here is the link and thank you for your kind indulgence in this matter:

http://www.capitalresearch.org/blog/2009/06/05/minnesota-independent-covers-up-its-relationship-with-sleazy-media-matters-for-america/

Found a few more in spam, Matthew. They’re published as well.

As for the shared-office situation, I asked my colleagues in Washington: CIM did sublet space from Media Matters early on in its existence (for roughly six months from ’06 to ’07), but has had two different offices since that arrangement — hence the outdated address at Horowitz’s site. CIM has always operated independently from Media Matters: MnIndy’s parent hasn’t contracted with them and has no shared board members. As for funders, we’ve long had a link at the bottom of each page showing where CIM gets its money. Many of these donors are indeed progressive, and I’m grateful for their support.

Capital Research is an odd group to say the least.

They are against the American Cancer Society but take money from the Tobacco Industry. (Take a look at the board of the ACS some time.)
They hate the environmental movement and take money from Exxon.
They take lots of money from the Bradley Foundation (see below)

“The overall objective of the Bradley Foundation, however, is to return the U.S. — and the world — to the days before governments began to regulate Big Business, before corporations were forced to make concessions to an organized labor force. In other words, laissez-faire capitalism: capitalism with the gloves off.

“To further this objective, Bradley supports the organizations and individuals that promote the deregulation of business, the rollback of virtually all social welfare programs, and the privitization of government services. As a result, the list of Bradley grant recipients reads like a Who’s Who of the U.S. Right … Heritage Foundation … Madison Center for Educational Affairs … American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, literary home for such racist authors as Charles Murray (The Bell Curve) and Dinesh D’Souza (The End of Racism), former conservative officeholders Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, Jack Kemp and William J. Bennett, and arch-conservative jurists Robert H. Bork and Antonin Scalia….

This is the organization that Vandumb speaks about and for. I refuse to call it a think tank, because that would imply it was chaired by intelligent people.

You guys lost shut up. More on this horrid organization, later.

Talk about sleezy, you can’t get slezier than Kock. The Kock brothers and the Cato Institute are big time funders of Vandumbs clansman convention.

“The company is owned by two of the richest men in America,” David H. Koch and Charles G. Koch (described as ‘reclusive billionaires’), who have a combined personal fortune estimated at more than $3 billion and who have emerged as major Republican contributors in recent years. … Both David and Charles Koch are ranked among the 50 richest people in the country by ‘Forbes’.”

The Koch brothers control the three family foundations that have “lavished tens of millions of dollars in the past decade on ‘free market’ advocacy institutions in and around Washington.” –’The Nation’, “What Wouldn’t Bob Dole Do for Koch Oil?”

The foundations are financed via the oil and gas fortunes of Fred G. Koch, a founding member of the John Birch Society. David is a libertarian who “provides a significant amount of funding for the Cato Institute’s $4 million annual budget.”

Curtis Moore’s Rethinking the Think Tanks (subtitled How industry-funded ‘experts’ twist the environmental debate) appeared in the September/October 2002 issue of Sierra magazine. Moore states that, “The views will seem to be coming from an independent think tank — the Cato Institute or Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE), for example … behind these groups stands the [Koch] brother’s vast fortune.”

In fact, Charles Koch is a co-founder of Cato in 1977 and David helped to launch CSE in 1986. This, says Moore, is the brothers simply following in “dad’s footsteps: Fred Koch was a charter member of the ultraconservative John Birch Society in 1958.” –SourceWatch

The Philip M. McKenna Foundation focuses on public policy and educational affairs. Gave Vandumb and company $250,000.
The Society for Nonprofit Organizations says this about the foundation:

The Foundation is guided by the philosophical orientation and public life of its founder and works primarily in the fields of public policy and education. The Foundation’s purpose is to support the advancement of a free, prosperous, and well-ordered society based upon American civic principles, private enterprise, and the cultural heritage of Western civilization. The Foundation is committed to limited constitutional government, free market economics, and moral virtue. Support is directed toward research and educational programs with a long-term focus as well as public policy programs focused on more immediate concerns.

The good news is the funding for these creeps is dropping off quickly. Sadly (for Vandumb), in 2005 the Olin Foundation folded up the white robes.

Reflecting on its impact and the future of conservative philanthropy, John M. Olin Foundation executive director, James Pierson, wrote that the investment in conservative groups had paid substantial dividends:

“There exists today, in contrast to the 1970s, an impressive network of think tanks, journals and university programs supported by conservative foundations, which are engaged in different ways in promoting the cause of liberty and limited government,”–Sourcewatch

[...] of the Center for Independent Media’s Minnesota outfit, the Minnesota Independent, explains that CIM used to rent office space from Media Matters but no longer does so. Although there is an [...]

Killed any doctors lateley?

Where is James Pierson since he left the Olin Foundation you ask?

In recognition of the connection between religious values and a free society, and the fact that personal faith generally has a positive effect on the decision-making and life prospects of youth, the Foundation seeks to increase the ability of faith-based institutions to provide for the needs of youth and foster faith among them. This includes, but is not limited to, mentoring programs, tutoring and after-school programs, abstinence programs, and further research on the influence of faith in the lives of youth.–The William E. Simon Foundation

Bill Simon Possibly Tied to Anti Abortion Extremists

Despite assurances that he will continue to protect a womans right to choose if elected governor of California, Republican candidate Bill Simon has been a longtime supporter and adviser to a New Jersey-based organization with close ties to anti-abortion extremists, the San-Jose Mercury News reported Sunday. Good Counsel, which runs five homes for unwed mothers in New York state, is run by Christopher Bell and Joan Andrews Bell who has been arrested several times over the years for her part in anti-abortion protests. In 1999, Andrews-Bell told the Toronto Sun that killing abortion doctors might be defensible.

James Kopp, who is now facing charges for the murder of Dr. Bernand Slepian who performed abortions at a private clinic, worked at Good Counsel as a handyman. Andrews-Bell and Kopp have known each other since 1988; the two were arrested together in Burlington, Vt. in 1990 during protests at clinics. In addition, Rev. Benedict Groeschel, who is a founding member of Good Counsels board with Simon, also established the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, whose members have held prayer vigils at abortion blockades for more than 10 years.

In the late 1980s, Simon helped found Good Counsel and, until last month, served as head of the groups advisory committee. Since resigning from his formal position on the Good Counsel board in 1991 and moving to Los Angeles, Simon has focused his charitable work on groups such as Covenant House and Catholic Charities. However, the Simon family has continued to support Good Counsel financially with more than $200,000 in contributions to the group from 1997 to 1999 half of those donations came in the four months after Kopp was named to the FBIs 10 Most Wanted list. This year, Good Counsel received $50,000 from the William E. Simon Foundation, Bell told the Mercury-News.

Media Resources: San Jose Mercury News 6/30/02

Who’s president of the William E Simon Foundation? James Pierson.

[...] Bachmann renews ACORN attack with new bill, petition (Andy Birkey, Minnesota Independent, June 6, 2009) [...]