ACORN won their court battle against the US government after Congress cut off funding from them back in October.  Now the court ruled that Congress violated the U.S. Constitution "by singling out ACORN and its affiliates for severe sweeping restrictions" and that such action constitutes illegal punishment or a "bill of attainder."  It seems that "bill of attainder" are pretty much legal vendettas by power brokers that attempt to wield them against their enemies.  However, the US Constitution prohibited such things since 1787.

Interesting except from the Institute of Southern Studies about the case and the silence of progressives:

Right wing members of Congress accused ACORN of being a "shell game" using millions of taxpayer dollars "to advertise for a political candidate" and which "helped President Obama get elected."

After a highly dubious right-wing sting operation in September, the conservative media machine overran Congress members, including, sadly, many democrats, and passed the bill of attainder cutting off all federal funds to ACORN and any affiliates, subsidiaries and allies.

Most Congress reps knew full well this was an illegal bill of attainder as it was pointed out in the debates and even by the Congressional Research Office, but voted to let it go through anyway. Representatives Nadler and Grayson and Senator Leahy, among others, repeatedly pointed out that this was unconstitutional. Democrats who voted for the bill of attainder included many who had sought and received help from ACORN members in the past. They have some explaining to do.

Progressives who remained silent while the nation's largest low income African American community organization was under attack also should re-think their lack of support. Did anyone think that if the right-wingers took down Van Jones and ACORN they would stop there?

What is ahead? Surely the conservative opponents of ACORN will continue to bloviate and continue to try to put ACORN out of business. There will likely be fights galore. But with this ruling the fights will be a little fairer.

ACORN won this case. The U.S. Supreme Court has called the prohibition of congressional bills of attainder a "bulwark against tyranny." Here the bulwark against tyranny worked to stop the right-wing smear machine.

But the rule of law won too. And all of us and Congress have again been taught a valuable lesson - there are no shortcuts when it comes to following the Constitution.

Oh goodie!  I shows that some Democrats and so-called progressives will do anything to cover their asses politically speaking.  Yeah, one of those so-called "progressive" Democrats including John Conyers of Michigan go a lot of explaining to do now.  It just shows that in politics alliances and allegiance to the "right thing" will be sacrificed for the some political expediency, huh US Rep. Conyers!   They will go after Obama for not pursuing political issues affecting blacks, but when you have a non-governmental organization that protects and lobbies on the behalf of people of color from voter, housing, and financial fraud you splaboos are as silent as church mice.  SMH, the CBC (Congressional Black Caucus) is much as a joke as they come. 

Another reason why I'm an independent politically, thinker, and voter because this type of garbage is just a remainder of the foolishness of Democrats along with the Neo-con aka Republican parties.