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WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The following was issued by the Republican National Committee:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080519/RNCLOGO)

Obama Said That His Relationship To ACORN Is Limited To When Obama Represented ACORN In A Lawsuit Against The State Of Illinois. “’First of all, my relationship to ACORN is pretty straightforward,’ he said, according to a pool report from outside the resort where he is holding his final debate camp inOregon, Ohio. ‘It’s probably 13 years ago, when I was still practicing law, I represented ACORN and my partner in that representation was the U.S. Justice Department in havingIllinois implement what was called the ‘Motor Voter’ law, to make sure that people could go to DMV’s and driver’s license facilities to get registered,’ Obama said. ‘It wasn’t being implemented. That was my relationship and is my relationship to ACORN.’” (John McCormick, “Barack Obama Talks About ACORN,” Chicago Tribune’s “The Swamp” Blog, www.swamppolitics.com, 10/14/08)

Obama: “As an elected official, I’ve had interactions with them... But they are not advising our campaign.” (John McCormick, “Barack Obama Talks About ACORN,” Chicago Tribune’s “The Swamp” Blog, www.swamppolitics.com, 10/14/08)

But Obama Had Previously Said That He’d Been “Fighting Alongside ACORN” On Issues “My Entire Career.” Obama: “I’ve been fighting alongside ACORN on issues you care about my entire career...” (Steven Malanga, “Organizer In Chief,” [New York] City Journal, Summer 2008)

But Beyond Representing ACORN, Obama Also Taught Classes For Future Leaders Of ACORN, And They Endorsed His 2008 Presidential Campaign:

Obama Directed Project Vote And Later Taught Classes For “Future Leaders Identified By ACORN And The Centers For New Horizons.” “He [Obama] says he is drawn to politics, despite its superficialities, as a means to advance his real passion and calling: community organization. ... In 1992 Obama took time off to direct Project Vote, the most successful grass-roots voter-registration campaign in recent city history. Credited with helping elect Carol Moseley-Braun to the U.S. Senate, the registration drive, aimed primarily at African-Americans, added an estimated 125,000 voters to the voter rolls — even more than were registered during Harold Washington’s mayoral campaigns. ‘It’s a power thing,’ said the brochures and radio commercials. ... Obama continues his organizing work largely through classes for future leaders identified by ACORN and the Centers for New Horizons on the south side.” (Hank De Zutter, Op-Ed, “What Makes Obama Run?” Chicago Reader, 12/8/95)

ACORN’s Political Action Committee Endorsed Obama. “[A]CORN’s political action committee endorsed Barack Obama for President. ... The endorsement reflects a belief that Obama — who worked as a community organizer on the South Side ofChicago — understands that change must come from the ground-up, as part of a working coalition, rather than from position papers.” (Katrina Vanden Heuvel, Op-Ed, “ACORN: Obama Gets It,” The Nation, 2/23/08)

Obama’s Campaign Paid Over $800,000 To ACORN Subsidiary For Get-Out-The-Vote Efforts, But “Mistakenly Misrepresented” Their Work To The FEC:

Obama’s Campaign “Paid More Than $800,000” To ACORN For Get-Out-The Vote Efforts; The Campaign Originally “Misrepresented” The Group’s Work To The FEC. “U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign paid more than $800,000 to an offshoot of the liberal Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now for services the Democrat’s campaign says it mistakenly misrepresented in federal reports. An Obama spokesman said Federal Election Commission reports would be amended to show Citizens Services Inc. — a subsidiary of ACORN — worked in ‘get-out-the-vote’ projects, instead of activities such as polling, advance work and staging major events as stated in FEC finance reports filed during the primary.” (David M. Brown, “Obama To Amend Report On $800,000 In Spending,” Pittsburgh Tribune Review, 8/22/08)

While Serving On The Board Of Directors Of The Woods Fund, ACORN Received Thousands Of Dollars Of Grants From The Organization:

The Chicago ACORN Received Grants Of $45,000 (2000), $30,000 (2001), $45,000 (2001), $30,000 (2002), And $40,000 (2002) From The Woods Fund. (Donors Forum Website, ifs.donorsforum.org, Accessed 6/10/08)

NOTE: From 1993 To 2002, Barack Obama Served On The Board Of Directors For The Woods Fund. (Tim Novak and Fran Spielman, “Obama Helped Ex-Boss Get $1 Mil. From Charity,” Chicago Sun-Times, 11/29/07)

To Learn More About Obama And ACORN, Visit Barack Obama’s ACORN Tree

A Product Of The RNC Research Department

Paid for by the Republican National Committee. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

SOURCE Republican National Committee