Posted on 10/10/2008 7:33:55 PM PDT by Libloather
McCain offers no proof to back voter-fraud charges
By Greg Gordon
McClatchy Newspapers
Posted: Friday, Oct. 10, 2008
WASHINGTON John McCain's campaign charged Friday that a liberal-leaning voter registration coalition is seeking to steal votes in next month's presidential election and alleged that Democrat Barack Obama has had a long and intimate relationship with the group.
Republicans have leveled similar allegations against the coalition known as Acorn in every election since at least 2000, but they have yet to produce proof that the group poses a threat to election integrity.
In its latest attack on Acorn, the McCain campaign provided no evidence that registration shenanigans by Acorn workers were more than an attempt by low-wage canvassers to meet daily quotas by filling out application forms with names from phone books or pro-football lineups.
McCain aides again sought to make a central issue of Acorn the Association for Community Organizations for Reform Now days after Nevada investigators raided the group's Las Vegas offices to pursue evidence that some of its registration workers had submitted fraudulent applications. However, Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller, a Democrat who ordered the seizure of Acorn records Tuesday, said he doubts that the phony forms will result in voter fraud. Although the Clark County, Nev., registrar has complained of similar problems for years, Miller said, no one has identified a single instance of someone posing as somebody else and casting an illegal ballot.
The Nevada investigation, however, is a source of embarrassment to Acorn.
Acorn officials said they fired a number of workers and turned over evidence to Nevada officials months ago after they discovered phony forms.
(Excerpt) Read more at charlotteobserver.com ...
The impeached *Squirt must be proud. "If you can't prove it, it never happened."
And to think - taxpayers fund ACORN.
(BTW, is there anything backing up the rumor that an ACORN big-wig was previously convicted of ID theft? I think I heard something like that this past week.)
I guess raids and investigations in 11 states isn’t enough proof?
Evidence of fraudulent registrations are being found all over the country. This reporter should read the news reports.
Is this guy a dumbass or what? He needs to pick up a paper or check some online news sites. Hopefully, he can read.
No proof my ass. Here in Seattle, there are 3 ACORN-holios sitting in jail from the 2004 election.
Under investigation in twelve states out of 50? Where there’s smoke, there’s fire; and according to news reports, there’s also marijuana.
Has Greg not noticed that ACORN offices from coast to coast are being Raided now?
Talk about having your head in the sand!
If you can reassure the voters that ACORN is a fine group that does nothing more than help poor families and tell them they have no reason whatsoever to fear ACORN, so much the better.
The Charlotte News and Observer is one of the most liberal rags you will ever read.
Yes, the reporter is an idiot. He quotes some guy as saying that no illegal registration has ever been known to result in an illegal vote.
In other words, illegal registration is perfectly OK.
That is about as smart as saying it is OK to shoot at someone as long as you have not hit him, forget it.
Or an attempted burglary is not a burglary, so forget it.
Idiot? Moron? Take your pick.
I hope the people in and around Charlotte get all over the editors for putting out such trash.
Well, if this is going on in several states, why are they doing it, then? Obviously, this is not just a case of some rogue ACORN outfits, given that it is widespread. Either they are looking to manufacture some votes should a close vote occur (a la Washington state), or they are simply laying the ground work for gumming up the works post-election (or a bit of both). Regardless, I rarely (or never) hear of any group associated with the GOP doing this sort of thing. You can be sure the media is trying to find a group like that, though.
Gordon advertises himself as an ‘investigative journalist.” Instead of getting Comic of the Year award, he won McClatchy ``Presidents Award and Scripps Howards Raymond Clapper Memorial Award for Washington reporting for exposing the Bush administrations politicization of the Justice Department.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/146/
A Pennsylvania judge said today they don’t even know if they can have a clean election because of all the fraudulent registrations. They’ve found about a quarter million so far.
Are these people (a)awake, and (b)paying attention?
It’s been all over the news. Why does McCain have to trot out proof of something that’s being reported all over the place?
“I didn’t do it, you didn’t see me, you can’t prove a thing.”
-Bart Simpson

So ACORN went to the risk & expense of registering a fake Tony Romo (& other Cowboys) for what? ...for fun?
“In its latest attack on Acorn, the McCain campaign provided no evidence that registration shenanigans by Acorn workers were more than an attempt by low-wage canvassers to meet daily quotas by filling out application forms with names from phone books or pro-football lineups.”
Please hand a clue to the writer the above is fraud.
IMHO the Clintons ratted ACORN out, they used them to win their elections but now the useful idiots aren’t useful anymore.
This is precisely why they are being raided! This reporter is an idiot.
Walt Monegan sent an e-mail to Governor Palin just days before he was fired that said: An inquiry from Monegan to the governor about whether she once failed to put her Trig, her infant, in a car seat while she was driving.
— The unavailability of a state trooper airplane for the governor’s use when traveling to the Alaska’s rural areas.
On the car seat matter, Monegan sent an e-mail to the governor on June 30, 12 days before he lost his job, that said: “Via a soon-to-be-retiring legislator, we received a complaint that had you driving with Trig not in an approved car seat; if this is so that would be awkward in many ways.” from the mcclatchy news.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/309/story/53678.html
Somebody needs to tell this esteemed member of the MSM that the authorities raiding the offices have the evidence/proof. Not Senator McCain.
The authorities seizing computers and the names of dead people and fictional addresses on their lists is damning enough.
The woman could be the Virgin Mary personified and they'd still find fault.
We don’t even buy the “Observer” to line the snake’s cage any more.
“Republicans have leveled similar allegations against the coalition known as Acorn in every election since at least 2000, but they have yet to produce proof that the group poses a threat to election integrity.”
I thought it was the seriousness of the charge these folks are always so concerned about.
Anyway, there was a lot of proof and it came out after the fact. Not sure, but I believe it was Franklin County in 2004 that had thousands more “vote” than there were citizens over the age of 18. And only a few thousand votes separated Bush and Kerry. Just a little more fraud in Ohio, and the election was Kerry’s.
Massive voter fraud has been going on for decades..
OH!... and the RNC could CARE LESS..
McCain can’t read?
In my book, even such fraud in a single county would prove negligence or worse on ACORN's part. Having it occur in so many places indicates an ACORN tradition rather than a coincidence.
Evidence of fraudulent registrations are being found all over the country.
Turning in fraudulent registrations may not be a crime. Now, before you flame me, read my entire post.
In many states, organizations that collection voters registrations are required by law to turn in all of the registrations they get, even if the organization believes them to be fraudulent. So, if you're doing a voter registration drive and some smart-alec turns in a form filled out for "Daffy Duck," you may be required under state law to submit that the the registrar.
Here in Texas, organizations doing a voter registration drive must be granted a "deputy voter registrar number." So, while you are required to submit Mr. Duck's registration form to the Tax Office, you would be wise not to put your registrar number on it. That says, "Here's a registration, but I don't vouch for it." Registrations without the registrar number must be double-checked by the Tax Office, so it becomes their problem to accept or reject a particular form.
I don't know how things work in other states, but I do know that many other states have similar laws requiring all registrations to be turned in. This protects legitimate registrations from being thrown away. "Oh, you're a Republican? Well, your form goes in the trash because I decided it was invalid!" That's what the law is trying to prevent.
That's not to say that ACORN isn't doing anything wrong. They claim that they are flagging suspicious registrations, but would you expect them to say otherwise? What I'm trying to say is that this isn't as simple as people want it to be and these investigations may turn up nothing actionable.
It certainly couldn't hurt to be more informed on your state's voter registration laws. Also, if you're concerned, you may be able to help monitor polling places on election day. Contact your local Republican precinct captain. I do not know which states
State laws may not have just punishment for ACORN leaders, but congress damn sure does not have to fund ACORN.
Apparently in Ohio, for the past few weeks, anyone could register, vote and disappear on the same day.
(I've run into you before - no?)
State laws may not have just punishment for ACORN leaders, but congress damn sure does not have to fund ACORN.Well, hopefully some ACORN leaders will be busted and they'll lose their funding.
Hurry Sen. McCain. Get out there and apologize QUICKLY!!
______________________________________________________
You must do this fast Sen. McCain, WE NEED OBAMA DAMAGE CONTROL NOW!! THE COUNTRY IS AT STAKE! :-B
So what I dont understand is how far along do these investigations need to be before definitive action is taken - ACORN not allowed to register voters, the registrations in place made null & void, etc? Lets be clear - if all the fraudulent registrations in place today are allowed to stand, it could mean The One wins. That would be nothing less then a travesty!
Apparently in Ohio, for the past few weeks, anyone could register, vote and disappear on the same day.
Yeah, I heard about that. I was hoping that there was more to it than that because it sounds like the "Voter Fraud Enabling Act of 2008." I suspect that the votes are provisional until the registrations are accepted. Maybe someone in Ohio can provide more detail.
(I've run into you before - no?)
Maybe. If not recently, it might have been after I first joined. I really got hooked on the vigorous debates here at FR and posted quite a bit. Then, I missed a deadline at work and made myself go cold turkey for a while. Now I have my posting under control. I can quit any time. Really!
close down ACORN
Since Greg Gordon is talking out of his @$$ it's pretty evident his head is in something a bit nastier than sand....
C'mon-- A Dimocrat Congress isn't going to fund ACORN????? Bawney Fwank will look squarely into the camera and deny that any problem exists with ACORN....
I moved to Alice, Texas as a small child, and what I discovered a decade or so later about the "graveyard" votes for LBJ in 1948 curled my hair.
Obviously, neither the reporter nor the referenced "some guy" has ever read anything about that scam. Had it not been for typical democRat behavior in Jim Wells county in that election, LBJ would never have gotten into the Senate.
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