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TechnoratiACORN Fights Back
In the midst of the predictable partisan exaggerations, distortions and occasional lies that close election races generate, ACORN has become the focus of an extraordinary amount of attention over our voter-registration program. We submitted nearly 40,000 voter registration applications in San Diego and throughout California, and 1.3 million nationwide. In communities across the country, anxiety about the direction of our country, and more specifically our economy, is driving much of the interest in this year's presidential election. Voter turnout is expected to be of historic proportions. What is surprising is that these attacks, issued from partisan sources, have become relentless, and wildly exaggerated. We've even been accused by some Republicans of causing the global economic crisis.
The truth, plain and simple, is that no illegal votes will be cast as a consequence of ACORN's voter-registration program. In fact, illegal votes constitute fewer than 1 out of a million votes cast, and no illegal vote has ever been tied to ACORN, in spite of the almost 2 million registrations we submitted in 2004 and 2006. The small percentage of problematic cards that we have submitted to local election boards in 2008 -- and that we are required by law to submit, even cards that we can plainly see are invalid -- will not result in any illegal voting, contrary to over-the-top partisan claims. The irony in these attacks is that our registration drive and get-out-the-vote program is nonpartisan.
Why has ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now ) become such a prominent talking point, sound bite and rallying cry? The answer, of course, is to win the upcoming election. What's troubling here is that a strategy to win can also include a strategy to suppress votes through tactics such as illegal purges of voter rolls, intimidation of voters at polling places and voter caging (a form of vote suppression that involves direct mail and challenging voter status).
Sen. John McCain (who as recently as 2006 attended ACORN events and supported some of ACORN's activities) suggested in the final presidential debate that ACORN poses a threat to "the fabric of our democracy," as if problems with some registration cards -- almost all of which ACORN pointed out to election boards - rise to the same level of danger to our way of life as do the economic crisis or threats from sworn enemies abroad. Eighteen months ago, when our voter-registration drive began, his claim would be laughable, but in the context of a close election and a shameful history in our country of disenfranchising poor people and people of color, including dirty partisan tricks aimed directly at impoverished communities of color in the past two presidential elections, there is nothing funny about it.
The history and hypocrisy is coming to light. On Monday, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Republican Party hired a firm (for $12 per voter registered as Republican). Their "Republican" program resorted to despicable tactics, such as getting people to register as Republicans by telling them they were signing a petition for tougher penalties against child molesters.
We all need to watch out that overblown charges against ACORN don't divert attention from or serve as a justification for unethical and illegal conduct in this election by those who are attacking ACORN. As for the impact on ACORN itself, exaggerated and false claims are not without consequence, as evidenced by a torrent of hate mail and phone calls to our offices, including death threats against our staff, and breaks-ins last week at our Boston and Seattle offices.
Enough is enough.
ACORN will keep working to reduce the incidence of voter-registration cards with problems. For those who make much of the fact that one of our canvassers registered "Mickey Mouse," we have great confidence in the ability of our election boards to ensure that neither "Mickey Mouse" nor any other illegal voter casts a ballot in this election.
The real issue is the 64 million Americans who will not be eligible to vote this November -- the worst citizen-participation rate of any Western democracy. Our work to reduce barriers to voting and to encourage participation in democracy is essential to reweaving "the fabric of our democracy." Ugly, cynical and partisan attempts to cast a shadow on this historic opportunity to reverse the disparities in the American electorate only create further divisions in our communities.
The citizens ACORN has helped register this year are very real. Many of them will be coming out to vote next month. McCain should welcome these voters to our democracy and campaign for their support.
We at ACORN intend to be vigilant in our efforts to ensure that every single American who should vote gets to vote. ACORN will be out in our communities on election day, walking people to the polls, and helping to make sure that everyone's vote -- and voice -- is heard.
20 Comments so far
Show AllZachP: "Because Republicans control the Justice Department. Are you an idiot?"
truthaddict: "The Republicans requested the FBI investigation."
Oh well I must have missed the story where the Democrats and/or ACORN requested an FBI investigation into McCain's flagrant attempt to perpetrate one of the greatest frauds in voter history, only to be turned down flat by the Republican's FBI. The media turned a blind eye, presumably. Perhaps they dont understand the investigation process or electoral politics, either.
As I said before, the onus is surely on ACORN to stop saying things like "no illegal votes will be cast as a consequence of ACORN's voter-registration program", an assertion for which they have no supporting evidence whatsoever, and instead set about disproving what John McCain has revealed to the general public. And yet ACORN's defence appears to be to say "The onus is not on us." Don't they see that the investigation is an election tactic to throw mud on their opponents? It doesn't matter that the mud will wash right off, because in the meantime all some people see is that someone is dirty. They don't get that the mud isnt going to stick.
ZachP: "Dude, [Soeharto is] just setting up the public to blame poor people for voter fraud when his Republican buddies try to steal another election with election fraud."
I am just an ordinary housewife. I have never ever set up the public.
getreal: "Are you joking in a weird way, or are you simply a right-wing moron?"
I can hardly think which is the worse thing to be accused of. 'Otherness' seems to get you all pumped up and bristling, not inconsiderably unlike your freeper equivalents.
"ZachP: "Dude, [Soeharto is] just setting up the public to blame poor people for voter fraud when his Republican buddies try to steal another election with election fraud."
I am just an ordinary housewife. I have never ever set up the public. "
Umm I was talking about McCain, not you. please get some common sense or stop posting.
BellingtonTheCat: "...the public record has disproved the wildly inaccurate and irresponsible claim by McCain..."
Well then, isn't McCain saying "[ACORN] are on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history", when it is palpably not true, maybe an attempt to perpetrate one of the greatest frauds in voter history? If ACORN is under investigation, why isn't McCain?
Wow, not only do you not understand the registration and voting process but you dont understand the investigation process or electoral politics either.
The Republicans requested the FBI investigation. This doesnt mean ACORN is guilty. And keep in close contact for when the investigation is finished. I cannot wait to serve you piping hot dish of crow to eat.
The accusers requested the investigation as an election tactic to throw mud on their opponents. It doesnt matter that the mud will wash right off, because in the meantime all some people see is that someone is dirty. They dont get that the mud isnt going to stick. You're one of those who REALLY just doesnt get it.
Because Republicans control the Justice Department. Are you an idiot?
gnken: "Soeharto, If what you say about John McCain is true where is the "Hard evidence" you claim that he has?"
Surely it is inconceivable that someone standing for President in the USA could make such a momentous claim ("[ACORN] are on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy") without hard evidence - or without being investigated by the police for making it (if there is, indeed, no hard evidence to support it)? Otherwise McCain's words would be no different from those of frothing Freeps at www.freerepublic.com in which case how could he possibly be a credible candidate for high office? I can only assume that McCain does have hard evidence and that he is honour bound to keep it secret for reasons which are themselves secret. ACORN, meanwhile, have enabled Mickey Mouse to turn up at a polling station next month and cast his vote for The Kenyan One, and in so doing, maybe destroy the fabric of democracy.
Dude, he's just setting up the public to blame poor people for voter fraud when his Republican buddies try to steal another election with election fraud. Wake up.
Are you joking in a weird way, or are you simply a right-wing moron? So Mickey Mouse is going to show up to vote!?? "The Kenyan One", what racist idiocy. Obama was born in the US, like most of us, and like plenty of us, one of his parents came from another country. So?
Actually, Soeharto, McCain is not a credible candidate for high office - at least not in the opinion of those of us who are not right-wing hardliners or brainwashed idiots. And neither is what's-her-face from Alaska.
As a non- partisan show of support( and a little unscientific poll) for the voting process; may l suggest those who think Obama has the courage, vision, wisdom and intelligence to be our President drive during the day with their headlights on and all those who support McCain drive with their headlights off at night.
gnken
Soeharto, If what you say about John McCain is true where is the "Hard evidence" you claim that he has? If the Judges in Pittsburgh rule against ACORN which they probably will, then we have completed another one of the 10 steps to closing down a Democracy for sure. Right now John McCain and Sarah Palin will lie and say anything to get the election by hook or by crook.
Although I am sympathetic to the aims of ACORN, John McCain has stated that they are on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy. McCain clearly would not have said something like this without hard evidence. The onus is surely on ACORN to stop saying things like "no illegal votes will be cast as a consequence of ACORN's voter-registration program", an assertion for which they have no supporting evidence whatsoever, and instead set about disproving what John McCain has revealed to the general public.
You don't seem to understand that if a dishonest ACORN worker turns in 10 phony 'registrations', for Mickey Mouse, and 9 others like Joe Blow...there cannot be any "voter fraud"...!??? Duh!
Mickey Mouse and those 9 other made up people (Joe Blow, etc.)...DON'T EXIST!! How are THEY(!???) going to vote?? The only fraud is that some worker has been paid a few bucks for supposedly registering real Americans, while in reality, he turned in pieces of paper that represent fictitious people...NOBODY.
Where can there possibly be VOTER fraud. The whole point of this worker's dishonesty is exactly that NOBODY can vote as a result of that part of his 'work' because these 'people' don't exist.
The onus is on ACORN...????? You know a lot about the law, and frankly, reality! McCain makes a wild accusation and the onus is on them to disprove it and not on McCain to prove it.
So I could accuse you of having murdered 10 people and there is no onus on me to prove it. The onus is on you to disprove it!!!????
I hope you're not in law school with moronic grade school ideas like that.
"McCain clearly would not have said something like this without hard evidence."
Wow, how naive and I suspect intentionally ignorant.
First, someone already pointed out that it is the accuser who bares the burden of proof, but that aside. If you had an iota of understanding how the registration and voting process works you would see how ACORN's "assertion" has the supporting evidence inside it.
The bogus forms that ACORN flagged does not stand a chance at being processed. Mickey Mouse will not be registered to vote. If they were trying to perpetrate fraud on the scale that McCain implies then a number of things would need to happen.
First, ACORN would need not to have flagged the bogus forms they mischeviously were going to use for fraud. Let's pound this fact into your brain: ACORN discovered and flagged the bogus forms. How in the world are they trying to perpetrate fraud by outing these forms before handing them over????
Second, they would need to create accompanying ID for fictional names so that when their co-conspirators - the fraudulent voters - went to the voting booths, they would have the proper ID to show. Because you can't vote unless you have ID.
Third, for those who were double-registered, like the Dallas Cowboys, ACORN will need to construct a way to allow the same person to vote multiple times. In other words, my single-brain celled friend, it doesn't matter how many times someone is registered, they can only vote ONCE!!!!
Now if you truly think politicians dont spout hyperbole and only say things that they have "hard evidence" to back them up with then I will assume you are a visitor from Mars and would like to an extend a formal offer to educate you on how politics works in the US: Politicians lie and "will say anything to get elected" (McCain).
Welcome to Earth...
Look, the burden of proof is on the accuser, not the accused. Secondly, the public record has disproved the wildly inaccurate and irresponsible claim by McCain that you mentioned. The real danger is election fraud perpetrated on behalf of the Republican party, of which there is ample evidence.
The problem cards were flagged as suspicious by Acorn . It's not hard to imagine some underpaid Temp writing "Mickey Mouse" on a voter registration form. It's also not hard to imagine a Republican dirty trickster doing it. It's amazing we haven't all died of Lie Fatigue.
Of course.
So if ACORN is demonized and attacked by the Republican smear machine for their efforts to make the voting function, what is the purpose of these attacks? Why do the particular people at the top of the Republican campaign think it is so important to subvert the vote?
Many posters here at CD persistently and endlessly assert and repeat that there is effectively no difference between the duopoly parties. But the Republican neocon thugs clearly see differences that are very important to them, important enough to throw vast resources and a vicious campaign strategy into undermining the Democratic campaign.
And as we approach the end-game of this neocon Rovian strategy, and we enter into raw fascism, is it truly possible to assert that the special threats posed by this team are "no different" from the threats posed by the Democratic campaign?
Of course, you're right. But lots of people on this site are trolling for Nader votes because they're naive Naderites. Others are Rove scum.
Well the answer lies impregnated in your own comment when you said "effecitvely."
There are differences that matter in the realms of power plays between parties, but those don't necessarily translate into societal or economic changes, especially of a radical or progressive type.
This move against ACORN and Obama is more of a powerplay, not a policy play.