Al Frankin steals from poor kids
 

July 29, 2005 03:00 PM PST
CNN's "Inside Politics" blog reporters spent the entire second segment of today's show on Air America's woes. Since the show can often tip sleepy old media types to emerging stories, look for some follow-up digging by the dinosaurs over the weekend.

The Philly Inquirer did have this story on AA last month, and note that it does not distinguish between the Air America of spring 2004 and Air America of today. That's because it doesn't matter who "borrowed" the money from the kids and the Alzheimer's patients. It matters where the money went --which was into Al Franken's already well lined pockets, as well as the pockets of everyone else receiving Air America paychecks at the time of the diversion.

Now here's a shocker: There's no mention of the diversion on Al Franken's blog! But, but, but...I thought he was all about transparency!

Here is the web site for the Gloria Wise Community Center. Here's the link to the Center's Camp Air America. What do campers learn? Creative accounting.


Here's the budget info on the web site:


Staff:
181 full-time
548 part-time
Budget managed:
$17.2 million
Budget distribution:
Pre-school: 22%
Youth services: 48%
Camp: 3%
Older Adults services 12%
Administration: 13%
Development: 2%

Air America is fingered as looting public funds from kids' programs. Air America responds by saying the fingerees left a year ago.


But what did Al Franken know, and when did he know it? Is Al returning his salary that was paid at least in part from the basketball funds of a Boys and Girls Club?


A Congressional hearing into this "transfer" of funds would be quite interesting. Perhaps Franken would lunge over the table at his questioners.


Ed Morrissey has more. Space for Commerce urges us "to think of the children." DiscerningTexan translates the Air America response. Updates as they occur throughout the day.


Heh. Stuart Smalley was getting paid with funds that ought to have gone to seniors with Alzheimer's.


The Washington Post wrote about all the "unsolicited offers [Janeane] Garofalo has received" after the actress went very public with her opposition to the war. Maybe the Post will go back and categorize the tax dollars diverted from the poor to the on-air rich at AA. Was that an "unsolicited offer" as well? Invite Janeane to the hearings as well.


At last Bernie Ebbers looted his own company, not the Boys & Girls Club.


MichelleMalkin and Brian Maloney (who owns the story)have all the links that matter. It is going to be fun to see how CNN's Inside Politics --especially the blog segments-- treat this story. Looks like a blog swarm to me, because if there's one bit of looting going on, there's bound to be more. Perhaps John Campbell can get to D.C. in time to put his accounting background to use in this investigation.

Doesn't surprise me in the least.....the question is will this be covered by the NYT and Washington post and if it is will it make front page like every little crusade they have against Bush?

When there's a story done by real reporters, I think we should all read it.

The Liberals want to ignore it and if Fox covers they will blame them for being patisan.

BHD, my reliance on blogs and op-ed pieces for "news" must be somewhat less than yours. I got the gist that there's an investigation in NYC concerning the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club of New York, and speculation that improper loans or reporting of such loans to Air American. I'd be interested in the results of the investigation, just as you are. In fact, I'm sure NPR has some reporters investigating as we speak.

give it time....Dan Rather was proven to be a lieing lump of dog feces with what started as a blog.

Please define "Real Reporter" or do you mean a reporter who's political views are
more in line with your own?

I think he means someone main stream, ethical and reliable, like, like Dan Blather

Hannity has been having Charrity events where 100% of procedes go straight to aid the troops....for 2 years now.

First, I'd prefer someone with a journalism background and press credentials with a organization a few notches above "Talon News." I actually prefer my news to be chock full of facts rather than spin and venom, from either side of the political spectrum . . . . don't you?

I guess so. I like it better if these folks go and don't tell. Not to impugn Franken, his are probably the right reasons (who wouldn't want a comedian in a hospital?), but I could imagine that some people might show-up at the rehab hospital or at some soldier's funeral, just to make public political points by doing it. "See how compassionate he/she is?"

When they do it without fanfare or publicity, then I believe it unquestioningly.

B

Exactly right. Franken is not my ideal spokesman, but he hits the extreme right's bull$h!t hard and they're shooting back with any crap they can dig up or manufacture.

Hmmm...charity events which double as Hannity working the crowd with his usual BS events, no doubt.

Do you know if Franken brazenly blew his own horn about that or was he publicly lauded by others? I'm not certain either way but I know I've read articles about his USO work and it could very well be that those were written and published by people without any input from Franken.

OK, I found one article I read and Franken wrote it. Oh well. Maybe I'm full of it, but it was a good article and good information to get out, IMHO.

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2004/03/02_400.html

Besides, do you begrudge Bob Hope all the publicity he got for his USO tours? Did he do it with fanfare intentionally? I think the fanfare was unavoidable.

Franken is a blowhard............and an idiot.

Hillary makes more sense than he does.