Dear L.A. Times...

Patrick Frey of Patterico‘s Pontifications dispatches a friendly letter to Nick Goldberg, the Los Angeles Times’ editorial page editor:

Nick,

A recent op-ed in your paper defending ACORN makes at least two factual misstatements: 1) that ACORN staff offered to help shield an underage prostitution ring at only two offices, and 2) that no voter fraudulently registered to vote by ACORN had ever actually cast a ballot. Furthermore, your paper failed to disclose that the author of the op-ed, Peter Dreier, has been a (presumably paid) consultant for ACORN in the past . . . something that might help explain how he botched the facts so badly.

I think the paper should issue corrections of the two false facts, and disclose Dreier’s past consulting work for ACORN.

This e-mail will be a little long, because I’m showing my work. While it might seem like an imposition to ask you to read such a long e-mail, I believe I’m doing you a favor, because I’m laying out the research necessary to show that corrections are warranted.

Read the whole thing.