By John M. Rogitz

Answer: Acorn.

Halliburton was splashed all over the news for years. Acorn has only been splashed over FoxNews, and only for a matter of months. But I fail to see how the two are not on par with each other, except for the fact that the MSM give overwhelmingly disproportionate negative news coverage to issues concerning conservative connections such as those to Halliburton.

In case you missed it, Federally-funded Acorn was caught on tape teaching who they thought were a young prostitute and her friend how to skirt Federal tax laws, launder money, claim underage, illegal immigrant prostitutes as dependents, and even advised them on how to successfully run a prostitution ring. Who says pimpin’ aint easy?

Dick Cheney and Halliburton! Conspiracy! Bush lied, people died!

I want to be the first to coin a ridiculous phrase for our current President. At the next tea party I attend, I’m going to hold up signs that say things like: “Obama worked for Acorn so they could abuse newborns!” and “Obama worked for Acorn so they could sponsor kiddie porn!”

Oh that’s right, only liberals can shout out absurd conspiracy theories (while pissing on the graves of 3,000 dead Americans, mind you) and then be labeled “courageous.” Us conservatives are just ugly, fear-mongering racists.

Still, the only major news outlets to report the newest Acorn scandal were the Wall Street Journal and Fox News. When the story broke yesterday, I checked all the MSM websites almost every hour to see if they had begun covering the story. Needless to say, MSNBC and CNN were completely MIA. Yahoo news, the #1 internet news source for many months running, was also remarkably silent on the topic. AOL news? The New York Times? Nope and nope.

So some one, please tell me how this is not exactly like Halliburton? Let’s see…defrauding the Federal government of millions of taxpayer dollars (still only allegedly in Halliburton’s case, though not so much for Acorn if you’ve actually seen the Baltimore video). What’s more, Cheney worked for Halliburton and Obama worked for Acorn. See the similarities?

But I’m sure there’s some one out there who could make a distinction, and I think I know what that distinction would be. So then you tell me, if ardent human rights activists make such a distinction, explain how “war crimes” (once again…allegedly) are more egregious than child sex trafficking.

On the plus side, at least we’re starting to form a definition of what “community organizing” actually is – helping set up a brothel full of underage, illegal immigrants. And to that I say: ABSOLUTELY qualified to be President!

How about this: “Obama worked for Acorn, and a community organizer was born!” Or this: “Obama worked for Acorn but that still makes him a leadership greenhorn!” I have to admit, the fact that “lie” and “die” rhyme is pretty convenient, but hey at least I’m trying.

As I write this a day after the story broke, CNN has finally covered the story and MSNBC is still refusing to do so. Can you imagine if this had happened to President Bush, John Sidney McCain, Sarah Palin or even some no-name state congressman from Alabama? Even though the story only broke yesterday, third world Africa would have heard by now.

In response yesterday’s story, Acorn’s attorney issued a statement saying that this was an isolated incident, that the two undercover journos tried other Acorn offices and failed, and that this was a weak attempt at “gotcha journalism.” Acorn’s attorney has apparently not seen the Baltimore video.

First, a new video has surfaced this morning showing a similar incident the journos videotaped at a Washington, DC area office. So this wasn’t an isolated incident. It’s at least two incidents, and they didn’t fail in either case. Could it be that this is just the tip of the iceberg?

Second, “gotcha journalism” is taking something out of context or popping a leading question to a surprised interviewee. “Gotcha journalism” is not posting a continuous 20 minute video of Acorn employees talking about money laundering, tax evasion and child sex trafficking with the most cavalier of attitudes. That’s called “Gotcha defrauding U.S. taxpayers.”

Then, to top it all off, Acorn employee “Sonja,” shown in the Baltimore video, was on late local news station WBAL in Baltimore last night. She said that, “Things can be put together totally different than what they are.” She then rambled on in a rather illiterate manner about how the tapes were dubbed over with some one else’s voice. Yeah, and it’s also possible that Drew Peterson didn’t kill any of his four wives. But if some one can advise in the child sex trade and then sleep at night, they probably won’t be bothered by lying to the public after getting caught (and fired).

I think this one might just be ridiculous enough to rank up there with Bush lied, people died: “Obama’s dogma was to associate with the modern Jane Fonda genre!”

COPYRIGHT 2009 JOHN M. ROGITZ