GOP congressman goes nuts over White House acorn cookies

Were they acorn cookies, or ACORN cookies?

US House Rep. Steve King (R-IA) says it was the latter. The congressman known for being one of the most fierce opponents of the community organization ACORN was evidently shocked when he was served acorn-shaped chocolate cookies at the White House Christmas Ball Monday night.

"At the WH Christmas Ball Monday night, they served ACORN cookies," King announced on Twitter, in reference to the community organizing group with that acronym.

It's hard to say why the White House would have chosen cookies in that shape, given the recent connotations of the word "acorn" in political circles. Perhaps it was unintentional, or perhaps it was a bit of a jab at the Republicans in attendance.

But for Rep. King, the message was clear. "I didn't expect to see such stark symbolism," he wrote in an email to Fox News.

ACORN's activities have been an obsession of King's since well before this fall's controversy, when conservative activists posing as a pimp and prostitute captured on video ACORN employees advising them on how to hide evidence of a prostitution business and smuggle people into the country.

In May, King called for congressional hearings into ACORN's finances, and in September he described President Barack Obama as the "chief organizer" of ACORN.

Noting King's desire to link Obama to the controversy over ACORN, the ChattahBox blog opines that the White House acorn cookies may well be the smoking gun the House representative has been looking for.

"King may have found the link he has been seeking between Obama and ACORN," the blog quipped.