LV Congressman Charlie Dent gets a little nutty when it comes to ACORN. It describes itself as "the nation’s largest grassroots community organization of low- and moderate-income people with over 400,000 member families organized into more than 1,200 neighborhood chapters in 110 cities across the country." It's Project Vote added 1.3 million voters to the rolls in 2008, including 153,000 here in Pennsylvania. These were mostly Democrats. So it's no surprise that Dent, as blogger Pam Varkony notes, wants to turn off the federal faucet that has poured $53 million into this organization since 1994.

This is nothing new. Last October, Dent was one of the Pennsylvania Republican Congressman who asked the state AG to investigate allegations of what really amounts to voter registration fraud, in which canvassers register dead people or supply false registrations. Now, he's cosponsored legislation to deny federal funding to ACORN, and the language of that bill was incorporated into another piece of legislation that passed the House.

Congressman Dent has also co-signed a Congressional letter to the President, asking for the disclosure and termination of all federal funding to ACORN. The Census Bureau has already cut off its association.

Dent believes ACORN has become too tainted by all these allegations of impropriety. In a statement released yesterday he acknowledges "[t]here may be some well-intended, honest volunteers who are not involved in illegal activity at ACORN. I suggest they contribute their time to one of the many legitimate housing and anti-poverty organizations that provide help for vulnerable citizens without becoming embroiled in the fraud and corruption that has continually surrounded ACORN.”

Former LV Canvasser Claims ACORN & CWA Have Quotas

On Saturday, I told you that I told you state Republicans are getting a little nutty over ACORN. They seek a statewide investigation into voter fraud even though this grass roots organizer ended its registration efforts last May, at least in the Lehigh Valley.

Then I heard from a fellow, a left-leaning commenter who would rather stay below the radar. He spent a few days working for Allentown's Clean Water Action, an organization that by its own admission runs "muscular and effective grassroots campaigns to defeat anti-environment candidates, and support candidates who are committed to protecting our waters, our health, and our future."

Here's what he tells me. Remember, this is just one person's perspective.

We had a kid work one day with us who use to work for ACORN. Apparently ACORN in Allentown would pull people off the street and ask, 'Would you like to make $10 a hour?' Needless to say, this is not the most crafty way to get good canvassers. A ad in the Treasure Hunt would be better. Many ACORN canvassers/community organizers, may very well be poorly educated and desperate to make quotas.

I was cut loose from Clean Water Action after three days for not meeting fundraising quotas. Had I maybe made up names, I could have stayed. All these non-profits that go door to door have crazy quotas. These groups are rather shady and are definitely pro-Democrat.

Clean Water Action will be hired (I sat in the meeting my last day) by a still unknown but Democratic campaign to do the GOTV. CWA is a non-profit. This sounds like a for profit venture. They have really been stumping for Bennett and may most likely do her GOTV.

Clean Water has a PAC that is permitted to engage in political activity. My concern is that groups like Clean Water and ACORN are sloppy when they canvass. I don't buy the theory that there is some deep, dark conspiracy to steal the election. I do believe, however, that paying people to canvass for registrations, should probably be illegal.

Pa. Congressional Republicans Get Nutty over ACORN

ACORN, as most of you probably know, is "the nation’s largest grassroots community organization of low- and moderate-income people with over 400,000 member families organized into more than 1,200 neighborhood chapters in 110 cities across the country." It's Project Vote has added 1.3 million voters to the rolls, including 153,000 here in Pennsylvania.

Lehigh Valley Congressman Charlie Dent, however, is concerned that ACORN is engaging in "illegal political activity, including voter fraud." So he wants the state Attorney General to go after the ACORNs with his nutcracker. He's joined by Jim Gerlach, Phil English, Tim Murphy, John Peterson, Joe Pitts, Todd Platts, and Bill Shuster, all of whom just happen to be Republicans. Not a single Democratic House member has joined this request.

Hmmm.

Are these Republican Congressman really worried about voter fraud or are they instead concerned that the 153,000 new voters in Pennsylvania, mostly low-income and minority, are registered as Democrats? One thing is clear. Pennsylvania's Republican Congressman are just part of a larger GOP choir, which includes a “fact sheet” from the Republican National Committee and a McCain web ad.

Pennsylvania's Congressional Republicans claim there are three reasons why Corbett needs to become a nutcracker with ACORN.

Reason 1: In July 2008, Dauphin County election officials investigated over 100 suspicious applications submitted by ACORN. In July, a former ACORN worker was questioned by a Dauphin County detective after turning in between 100 and 150 questionable registration forms. He was finally arrested on Saturday, and is accused of submitting phonies to justify his paycheck. This is one person, not some deep conspiracy.

Reason 2: In June 2007, a Berks County woman employed by ACORN was arrested for alleged voter fraud, including falsifying registrations and registering dead people. Wendy Godfrey was charged with dozens of counts of repeat registrations, false registrations and deceased registrants. But here's the kicker. She never actually worked for ACORN. According to a Berks County official who asked to remain anonymous, she and a boyfriend pleaded guilty to some form of voter registration fraud, and the case is closed. That's two people, not a deep conspiracy.

Reason 3: In September 2006, nearly 100 fraudulent voter registration applications were filed in Delaware County, prompting the District Attorney’s Office to issue an identity theft alert. All 100 applications were filled out by four individuals working for ACORN. I don't know about two years ago, but have no reason to doubt the claim. I do know the Delaware County DA is currently investigating 290 questionable registrations.

Under Pennsylvania law, it is illegal to pay canvassers by the card. But it's apparent some poorly trained canvassers are just filling in some blank cards to get a quick buck. It scares the hell out of Republicans, but it's not really voter fraud. It's voter registration fraud, and ACORN is technically one of the victims. Canvassers are paid . . . well, acorns, and they tend to do sloppy work. As blogger Rick Hasen notes at Huffington Post, "ACORN needs to find a different business model for registering voters, even if it means that fewer voters will be registered and fewer low income people employed in the voter registration business."

But don't kid yourself. The entire Dallas Cowboys may be registered in thirteen different states, but they won't be voting.

No statewide investigation is necessary.

Update: Tne Morning Call reports today that ACORN ended its voter registration efforts in the Lehigh Valley at the end of May, and that as many as 20 out of 100 registrations were invalid in Lehigh County. The American Spectator reports that retired Justice Sandra Newman is concerned November's election will be fair. I don't think this concern is justified. It is one thing to submit a bogus form. It is quite another to engage in actual voter fraud. No one has made that connection.