After seeing undercover video of ACORN employees promoting prostitution, even underage prostitution, the Senate voted 83 to 7 to stop giving ACORN federal money. But seven senators opposed that: Leahy and Sanders of Vermont, Durbin and Burris of Illinois, Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Gillibrand of New York and Casey of Pennsylvania.
Simply put: How could they do that? Scores of ACORN people have been arrested, 30 convicted of crimes, and now this scandal. And seven senators want to continue giving the organization taxpayer money? Come on.
So FOX News producer Griff Jenkins went in search of the misguided senators:
Click here to watch Bill's "Talking Points."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, D-R.I.: I think if we cut off funding to every single organization that had junior members that embarrassed the organization, we'd lose a lot of very good organizations.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, I-VT.: Now, if you open the can of worms and you start arguing about which particular organizations are going to get federal funding, you know what? That's all we're going to be doing. So I kind of think it's more important to focus on why the middle class is collapsing and how we address that problem.
SEN. PAT LEAHY, D-VT.: If somebody's done something stupid, they should be fired. If they've done something illegal, they should be prosecuted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
That just doesn't cut it. This is taxpayer money. Why would you give that to any dubious organization? We are talking to you, Sen. Burris:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFF JENKINS, FOX PRODUCER: I'm just wondering, your vote, I mean, ACORN is on tape helping to set up houses of prostitution with underage girls from Central America, and I'm wondering if the taxpayers of Illinois really want to support an organization like that?
SEN. ROLAND BURRIS, D-ILL.: I thought had you a question, not a statement.
JENKINS: Well, my question is, why did you vote against…
BURRIS: Because I want to support ACORN. I supported ACORN. It's that simple.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
But it isn't that simple. Sen. Burris has an obligation to protect taxpayer money from corruption, but since he may have secured his Senate seat in a corrupt manner, maybe we're hoping for too much here.
ACORN itself is now in complete disarray:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERTHA LEWIS, ACORN CEO: We are not going to take this lying down. We believe that, and in fact we know that, this was a form of entrapment. And yes, we're going to go after this videographer and FOX.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
But Wednesday afternoon ACORN announced it will hire an independent investigator to look into its problems. But the FBI should be doing the investigation, not some guy they hire.
By the way, "The Factor" has learned that Louisiana authorities have issued a subpoena to former ACORN boss Wade Rathke. Not good news for him.
Even liberals like Jon Stewart are outraged over the situation. Stewart is asking where the media was?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": Where were the real reporters on this story? You know what investigative media? Give me camera three. Where the hell were you? You know who broke this story? These two. You're telling me that two kids from the cast of "High School Musical 3" can break this story with a video camera and their grandmother's chinchilla coat and you got nothing? I'm a fake journalist and I'm embarrassed these guys scooped me. Let's get to work, people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Forget it. The establishment media in America has little interest in exposing left-wing corruption.
"Talking Points" believes the most important question here is how much damage has the ACORN scandal done to the Obama administration, if any. The president accepted ACORN's support in the campaign, but why wouldn't he? They were all out for him.
However, this story is now so big it is far beyond a community activist situation. It is now a full-blown political scandal.
And that's "The Memo."
Pinheads & Patriots
Tuesday night at the Phillies-Nationals game, a foul ball went into the stands:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He just missed that ball as he fouls that ball.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Caught by that fan right there. Nice grab.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oops, there it goes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is only doing what she sees them do all the time, and that is to throw the ball back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
For being a good dad — and securing the foul ball — that man is a patriot.
On the pinhead front, at Yankee Stadium there was a nasty brawl Tuesday night. After Yankees pitchers hit two Toronto Blue Jays, catcher Jorge Posada got some payback at the plate, which led to this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Posada had something to say to Carlson and now they are going to come together. Now they're going at it. Both benches clear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Now baseball players usually don't like this kind of stuff — this isn't hockey. And even though the fans find it interesting, it really doesn't promote the game very well. So they're all pinheads.
— You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Pinheads & Patriots" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com
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