John McCain targeted Barack Obama’s longstanding association with the left-wing activist group ACORN in last night’s presidential debate.

And with good reason: Obama’s links to ACORN are proving increasingly embarrassing as the community organizing group is under federal investigation over allegations it has engaged in voter registration fraud in a number of states.

But what wasn’t touched on in the presidential debate is another association — the strong links between ACORN and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

Insidecatholic.com reported last week that CCHD, the U.S. bishops’ social justice organization, funded ACORN affiliates to the tune of over $1.1 million last year, thereby maintaining its longstanding position as one of ACORN’s primary financial backers.

Today, Catholic News Service reports that CCHD suspended its support of ACORN last June because of the embezzlement of nearly $1 million of ACORN funds by Dale Rathke, the brother of ACORN founder Wade Rathke.

But according to Catholic journalist Stephanie Block in articles posted here and here, until now both Obama and CCHD have been happy to work closely with an extremist organization that, since its inception, has been openly dedicated to implementing the principles of radical “community organizer” Saul Alinsky.

Said Block, “A good percentage of these Catholic grants fund Alinsky-style, broad-based community organizations — including organizations Obama trained under and worked for — to restructure society along a socialist model. Alinskyian community organizations want to be the mediators of government, education, job training, job placement, healthcare, housing, and social services.”

Added Block, “And if that isn’t enough of a bitter pill, these organizations network with other progressives who fight against any limitation of abortion ‘rights’ or homosexual ‘rights.’ Like Obama.”

— Tom McFeely