ACORN's money

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, has been on the edge of critical scrutiny by conservatives for years. There is a view, for example, that ACORN's federal funding is used to promote a political advantage for liberal causes and the Democratic Party in particular. Now some of ACORN's unsavory tactics have come into full view, creating an uproar that has finally reached the ears of Congress.

This month, in the wake of disclosures of questionable advice given by some ACORN workers to a Fox News video crew posing as a prostitute and pimp, both the House and the Senate voted to cut off the millions of federal dollars ACORN receives for its so-called community organizing activities. Previously, the organization had been accused of voter-registration fraud.

ACORN officials maintain they don't condone these activities and are taking steps to prevent further problems. They said they plan to do an internal investigation. A good many Republicans, meanwhile, are asking the Justice Department to investigate ACORN.

ACORN's alleged misdeeds are a drop in the bucket. Congress doles out billions more dollars without accounting for how those funds are used. Now would be a good time to start.