'Independent' ACORN Apologist Applauds 'Independent' Investigation Conclusion

Professor Peter Dreier, an ACORN apologist who portrays himself as an independent analyst, is really anything but.

As Andrew Breitbart articulated on BigGovernment November 25th, regarding a “study” Dreier produced critical of media coverage of ACORN:

At the end of the piece Professor Dreier offers the following biography: Peter Dreier, E.P Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics and director of the Urban & Environmental Policy Program at Occidental College.

Why did Professor Dreier choose to leave out the critical information regarding his advisory relationship to ACORN? Isn’t sitting on an advisory committee of ACORN the definition of a conflict of interest in writing a fair and balanced piece on the organization? In fact, Dreier has been shilling for ACORN at least since 2003.

So when Dreier proclaimed ACORN “Not Guilty” in one of his recent columns on TalkingPointsMemo, I must admit I threw up a bit in my mouth. Some of Dreier’s most pathetic conclusions:

ACORN is getting a bum rap — in the news media, among politicians, and even by some foundations. That’s the conclusion of an independent report released Monday, which acknowledged that ACORN needs to improve its management structure, but that it did not engage in illegal activities. . .Since last year, ACORN has been under attack by conservative media outlets like Fox News, Republican Party operatives, and business groups.

That’s a tenuous conclusion, considering the fact that ACORN’s Las Vegas office was raided by Nevada’s Democratic Secretary of State and was put on trial by the state’s Democratic Attorney General. Additionally, ACORN’s New Orleans office was raided by Louisana’s Democratic Attorney General. But those inconvenient truths probably slipped Dreier’s mind.

ACORN is now well known, but what most Americans know about it is wrong, based on controversies manufactured by the group’s long-time enemies, Drier wrote.

Does he mean the pesky Democratic state officeholders who keep hauling ACORN into court?

According to Dreier, the Harshbarger report is having the intended effect, providing a thin cover for ACORN’s radically liberal allies to welcome it back into the fold.

After Harshbarger released his report, various progressive groups — including SEIU, People for the American Way, the Alliance for Justice, the Campaign for America’s Future, NAACP, U.S. Action, and others — expressed support for ACORN and for the recommendations in the Harshbarger report.

In fact, SEIU president Andy Stern said, “What Mr. Harshbarger did find is something the media should have caught: the freelance ‘sting’ operation that did so much damage to ACORN’s reputation last fall is deeply suspicious and deserving of increased scrutiny.”

For those on the left, ACORN is too big and important to fail. And with the stubborn support of Andy Stern and others, ACORN isn’t going away any time soon.

“The media and Congress, which made an ill-informed rush to judgment based on incomplete or suspect evidence, should take their time to assess this report and give ACORN the impartial assessment it deserves,” Stern said.

Impartial assessment? Based on what? The work of Drier and Harshbarger, two unapologetic ACORN cheerleaders?

ACORN critics will only pay attention when a truly independent source, who isn’t being paid by ACORN, does a thorough investigation of the situation.