“Is such a bill specifically targeting one organization indeed a Bill of Attainder? Are we setting up a situation where a judge could, perhaps rightfully, throw this out? If not, could this establish precedent to be used against us at some point? I could easily envision a scenario where a liberal activist catches some purported screw-up in a sting on a conservative organization and a dem congress uses the acorn precedent to defund them - or worse.”
I have similar concerns: not just the “sauce for the goose” argument, but the more general issue of giving congress this kind of power over a private organization. But I’m no lawyer. To any who are, a couple questions: Are there any laws on the books authorizing government cooperation with a specific private entity? I’m thinking here of no-bid contracts and such. Also, is there any way to craft a law that avoids this problem, but still denies funds to ACORN?
“but the more general issue of giving congress this kind of power over a private organization”
What are you talking about? All Congress would be asserting with this bill is their power over our money. They’re not taking anything away from ACORN, and though they may be publicly humiliating the organization, I guess, it’s ACORN’s fault for being a barnacle on the side of the Big Ship Government, and putting themselves in this position.