McCain to Obama: Cooperate with ACORN Probe

I have to admit, I've been paying little attention to this whole ACORN issue, mainly because on the surface, it seems like just another tangential issue in the presidential campaign, nearing the mud-slinging level.

But then today I get an unsolicited e-mail from a friend I met in New York who is now living in California, and is a former ACORN volunteer, who is downright angry at the bad press ACORN is getting. So that piqued my interest a little bit more. That e-mail after the jump....

Today, news came that the FBI is investigating whether the community activist group helped foster voter registration fraud. A second senior law enforcement official told the AP that the FBI was looking at results of recent raids on ACORN offices in several states for any evidence of a coordinated national scam. The group was brought up in last night's presidential debate, as well.

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), says it has registered 1.3 million young people, minorities and poor and working-class voters - most of whom are Democrats. Some ACORN employees have been accused of submitting false voter registration forms - including some signed 'Mickey Mouse' or other fake characters.

John McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, said this today:

"Given the fact the FBI has launched a nationwide investigation into the questionable voter registration practices of ACORN, it is imperative that Barack Obama's campaign cooperate fully with this important investigation. To date, in public announcements including last night's debate, Barack Obama has attempted to conceal and distort his and his campaign's relationship with a group that is currently engaging in systematic voter fraud. Barack Obama's campaign must fully disclose the true nature of his association with ACORN."

Republican accusations about ACORN were raised during Wednesday night's debate between Obama and McCain, with the GOP contender even suggested the group is "on the verge of committing one of the greatest voter frauds" ever.

Obama's ties to the group have come under scrutiny, particularly by the McCain-Palin campaign. Obama has had to explain the work he has done with ACORN in the past and why his campaign paid one of its subsidiaries $800,000 for get-out-the-vote efforts in the primaries. ACORN has had some problems in the past, as well, The Detroit Free Press, MSNBC and a host of other media outlets report. Obama argues his his relationship with ACORN was limited and for is Republican rival to suggest otherwise, he said Wednesday night, "says more about your campaign than it says about me."

On top of the FBI investigation, The Washington Post reports today that as many as 200,000 votes in the key state of Ohio - which has already seen its share of voter eligibility lawsuits - could be at stake in a legal dispute between Republicans and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat. Some Ohio officials want the Supreme Court to block efforts to turn aside a lower court order to alter procedures to check new voter registrations. But Brunner says that lower court decision would create chaos on Election Day and cause many voters to cast "provisional" ballots that may not be tallied depending on local elections boards. ACORN was also involved in voter registration drives there.

Here's the e-mail from my friend, the ACORN volunteer. For your consideration:

I'm sending this out because there have been some things said in this election campaign about an organization, ACORN, I worked for/partnered with several times when I was volunteering in New Orleans over the past few years. This is not about who you should vote for, I simply want the truth to be told about a community org that is doing great things across the nation in a wide variety of communities. I just think it sucks when an organization gets dragged through the mud with half-truths and accusations instead of the reality actually being told. This one was a bit personal as well because I have seen firsthand the good that this organization does in helping communities, families and individuals. To see some of what they do visit, http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=12341.

Now for getting the truth out: (Tidbits complements of MoveOn.org)

* ACORN hired 13,000 workers to register a remarkable 1.3 million new voters. And a few of them turned in registration forms with inaccurate and even made-up names to get credit for work they didn't do. ACORN fired them and turned them over to the authorities.

* ACORN reported the fraudulent registration forms. In most states, ACORN is required by law to submit all forms collected whether they appear to be bogus or not-that way election officials, not partisan groups, can make the call. ACORN flags cards that may not be legitimate. And in many places, the charges of fraud only came up because ACORN themselves were the ones who flagged the cards!

* This won't have any impact on the election. No one is allowed to vote unless they are properly registered. And there is no evidence of false registrations actually leading to organized voting fraud.