Challenger West links ACORN and SEIU, says Klein should give back union money
by George Bennett | September 21st, 2009
Republican congressional challenger Allen West applauded U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, for voting last week to cut off federal money to scandal-tainted ACORN.
But West says Klein’s a hypocrite if he doesn’t return $20,000 in past campaign contributions from the Service Employees International Union, which conservatives say is joined at the hip with the left-leaning Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
U.S. Department of Labor filings show SEIU has paid about $4 million to ACORN since 2005 for political activities. And ACORN founder Wade Rathke also founded a major SEIU local in New Orleans.
Klein rejected West’s call to give back the $10,000 he got from SEIU in 2006 and $10,000 he received from the union in 2008. Klein “is proud to stand with the hard-working SEIU families of the 22nd District, who have nothing to do with ACORN,” spokeswoman Melissa Silverman said today.
Check out West’s campaign statement and Klein’s response after the jump…..
West
“While it was admirable that Congressman Ron Klein voted against taxpayer funding to ACORN last Thursday, Klein’s history of campaign contributions reveals some disturbing news. In the past two election cycles of 2006 and 2008 Ron Klein accepted $20K of campaign contributions from SEIU (Service Employee International Union).
SEIU is directly involved with ACORN. SEIU’s President sits on the ACORN Board of Directors. SEIU gave ACORN and its affiliates more than $4 million in 2006-7 according to ACORN’s own Department of Labor filings.
Ron Klein is nothing more than a hypocrite for his vote not to fund ACORN if he does not also break ties with ACORN’s largest union supporter. It is evident that SEIU is a large contributor to Klein.
I call upon Ron Klein to publicly explain his acceptance of these funds and if he wishes to restore any sense of integrity and character, return the $20K to SEIU.”
Klein
“If anything, the facts pointed out by Mr. West serve only to prove once again that Congressman Klein is fiercely independent and weighs every single vote he takes on its merits. Congressman Klein is proud to stand with the hard-working SEIU families of the 22nd District, who have nothing to do with ACORN. These families go to work every day trying to build a better life for their children and our community, and they are more concerned about how to fix health care than about the actions of a community group that they do not belong to.
If political opponents are trying to make some noise by asking the Congressman to turn his back on these families, the answer will be no. As quoted in The Palm Beach Post this morning, Congressman Klein has clearly stated that he will not support federal funding for ACORN until they respond to this ‘wake-up call’ and fix the problems that they are facing as an organization.”
Tags: ACORN, Allen West, SEIU
Where's the money? Use The Post's interactive database of who wants and who's getting federal dollars.
Use these interactive graphics to find and contact Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast legislators.
September 21st, 2009 at 3:12 pm
The Big Government-Hollywood-Media Complex…
NEA: Nefarious Expenditures on Agitprop
http://bigchase.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/obey.jpg
ACORN: Child “Services”, Financial “Services”, “Voter” Registration —Democrat Funded
http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/
September 21st, 2009 at 3:40 pm
No one is saying that Ron Klein should
not support families who are unionized.
However, it does look kind of shady when
this same Union support financially the
Acorn Organization and has given money
to his campaigns. It only goes to show
that Mr. Klein and other politicans better wake up that their campaign donations are tied up with these people
and they are being bought off. Now, what
does that say about Politicans in general.
September 21st, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Acorn is the new ruling class for all citizens of the new United Socialist America. Klein is just lke the jews during Hilter…
September 21st, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Of course, Ron Klein fails to mention how the SEIU used the membership dues of “hard-working SEIU families” to provide unprecedented political contributions to Obama and others just like Klein:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124243785248026055.html
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/05/13/big-labors-investment-in-obama-pays-off/
SEIU and ACORN are clearly associated. SEIU’s president sits on the ACORN board of directors. Just google SEIU ACORN.
Ron Klein must go. He is either open to working with corrupt organizations, or too stupid to understand the implications of how his decisions in Congress will affect the rest of us. Given his idiotic comments about the AIG bonus payment “exceptions” he signed off on, it sounds like the latter.
September 21st, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Of course, Ron Klein fails to mention how the SEIU used the membership dues of “hard-working SEIU families” to provide unprecedented political contributions to Obama and others just like Klein.
SEIU and ACORN are clearly associated. SEIU’s president sits on the ACORN board of directors. Just google SEIU ACORN.
Ron Klein must go. He is either open to working with corrupt organizations, or too stupid to understand the implications of how his decisions in Congress will affect the rest of us. Given his idiotic comments about the AIG bonus payment “exceptions” he signed off on, it sounds like the latter.
September 21st, 2009 at 7:30 pm
WOW. No wonder the public has an even worse view of the Republicans then the Democrats. I am a long time Clay Shaw supporter and was said to see him go. BUT I am able to recognize when our elected officials do something that they should be commended for. Klein voted AGAINST funding ACORN. So to “Fed Up with Ron Klein” in order for Klein to work with corrupt organizations he would need to support them. Which by voting to cut off funding clearly suggest Klein does not want to work with ACORN. Even West agrees that was the correct vote. We will never win if we continue to have extremist like West that just call people names with out suggesting any real solutions for are community. Bring back Clay Shaw
September 21st, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Mary,
Klein voted against ACORN when he felt he had no choice to do otherwise. Do you really not get it?
Complaints about ACORN’s illegal activities have been around for a very long time and it wasn’t until they were publicly exposed that he voted to cut off funding, which was going to pass with or without his vote. Only supreme morons / scumbags like Wexler continue to support ACORN at this point.
Klein’s failure to acknowledge the connection between SEIU and ACORN is ridiculous, given that the SEIU president (Andy Stern) is ON THE BOARD OF ACORN!!! How can Klein possibly conclude there is something wrong with ACORN, but nothing wrong with receiving support from SEIU when the president of SEIU is on the board of ACORN?!! That, Mary, is completely inconsistent.
… and for the record, I’m not a Republican. But I am sick of idiotic comments from this man, who also claims he didn’t know that AIG bonuses would be allowed in a bill he supported and said he read. He either didn’t read it or is too stupid to know what he was reading.
September 21st, 2009 at 9:25 pm
I am so thankful for the hard working people of ACORN. Without their Ho’s on the street program I would have never won in 2006 and 2008.
I owe everything to ACORN.
Thank guys.
September 22nd, 2009 at 8:56 am
Why should Ron Klein give back the SEIU money? He earned it. On the SEIU website, they rate Ron as having supported their positions 100% of the time.
September 22nd, 2009 at 11:00 pm
I recall that Klein boasted a campaign war chest in excess of $3.5 Million.
I would be curious as to many of the other sources of campaign contributions to RK. If he took $20,000 from one of the most corrupt unions in the country, who else is he in debt to?
West raised $600,000, mostly from the folks and came within 4 1/2% of defeating Klein.
I’m just saying….
B3
out
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:48 am
WWND – That is what is on a bracelet I wear on my arm. When contemplated with a difficult decision, such as whether to accept funds from the ACORN-affiliated, socialist activist group SEIU, I look down at my bracelet and ask myself, “What would Nancy do?” She would clearly keep the money from SEIU. So there is your answer.
I also think the CIA are liars.
I’ll be hiding in my office until November.
Regards,
RK
October 12th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Ron Klein is a weasel and a coward. Anyone who hides behind a teleconference call rather than meeting in person with his constituents is a coward.