ACORN: McCain And GOP Used To Be Supporters

On Monday, the Democratic-leaning group ACORN, which has been painted as a criminal enterprise by the GOP for its voter registration and housing policy efforts, pushed back against its critics by producing a photo of John McCain attending its March 2006 rally.

It was a reminder that, for all their electoral histrionics, Republicans have aligned themselves with ACORN in the past.

Indeed, in addition to the McCain photo, there is a host of examples of prominent McCain surrogates attending ACORN events, signing ACORN legislation, or complimenting the group's efforts.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, for example, partnered with ACORN in March 2008 for a "Homeownership Promotes The Economy" taskforce. More recently, Crist declared that -- contrary to GOP outrage -- he was not upset with the group's voter registration efforts in his state. The New York Times reported that ACORN supported a law signed by Governor Crist, which "changed the rules last year to restore the voting rights of about 112,000 former convicts."

In July 2005, meanwhile, another Republican governor, Rick Perry of Texas, signed ACORN's Lending Law Reform Bill that changed the state's homelending practices.

In July 2008, California Governor and McCain supporter Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill that ACORN helped draft aimed at California homeowners facing foreclosure.

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In June 2007, Minnesota Governor and McCain VP short-lister Tim Pawlenty signed a similar bill -- drafted by ACORN -- that helped homeowners get fairer deals on their mortgages.

"The legislation was drafted according to recommendations made by a predatory lending study group established by Swanson prior to the legislative session," wrote the Northwestern Financial Review. "The study group contained representatives from the banking industry and the mortgage brokers association, as well as consumer advocates from organizations such as Illegal Aid and ACORN."

As Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney signed an anti-predatory lending bill that ACORN supported. In February 2006, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman met with the ACORN Katrina Survivors Association. And back in July 2005, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg actually got a kiss from ACORN's state leader, according to the publication City Limits, during an announcement that the city would protect or create 65,000 affordable units in a new housing proposal. Bloomberg, it should be noted, has not endorsed a candidate.

It would be, in a normal political context, highly unremarkable that Republican and Independent officials would praise and work with a group as large and influential as ACORN. But in recent days, it seems, Republicans and the McCain campaign are keen on painting the community-organizing group as something inherently corrupt. The primary target of complaint has been the organization's voter registration efforts, which have led to numerous non-existent individuals being put on the rolls.

Recently the McCain campaign went farther, releasing a web advertisement that linked Barack Obama to ACORN, and blamed the group for helping instigate the crisis in the nation's housing market -- itself a contributor to the financial mess.

ACORN "bull[ied] banks" and engaged in "intimidation tactics," says the ad. "ACORN forced banks to issue risky home loans. The same types of loans that caused the financial crisis we're in today."

ACORN has insisted, in the wake of these and other attacks, that it has been firm in its advocacy for regulations to "protect homeowners from predatory lenders." And certainly, they have a handful of prominent Republican officials who, at one point in time, agreed.

Comments

[Hannahla]

When you try to register so many voters in a short period of time, you will have some problems. Let us not forget the 2000 election that was stolen from the American people by Bush and his cronies who now support McCain.

[mouselion]

A must-read by Greg Palast and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.:

"Block the Vote"

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/23638322/block_the_vote

[NJKeane]

I collected signatures and registered voters many years ago when I lived in SF. The organization that I worked for was not ACORN - it was a local grassroots org - but it operated in similar ways (employing many street people, engaging them and helping them out with other services while they were working on the petitions and registration drives). We had to turn in every registration form that we received, in the condition it was received. We were paid in different ways (per hour, per signature...) for the petitions we circulated - but I do remember that, when it came to registering voters, the only ones who paid were the republicans. It was sort of a joke - nobody particularly wanted to register republicans, but the money was good..... they paid $1 a signature.

[NoDrama]

McCain's in a glass house, throwing stones. But the fact is, if he can keep the focus off the economy and his ridiculous health care and tax proposals he's winning the spin game, and THAT is the point. http://zennie2005.blogspot.com/2008/10/john-mccain-was-for-acorn-before-he-was.html

[CA-Cthulhu]

Talking about hypocrisy!!!! I urge everyone to forward this story to everyone they know.

[TiaL27]

YEAH! The Obama campaign finally talks about voter suppression and ACORN:

CNN Link: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/14/obama-camp-gop-trying-to-intimidate-voters/

(click the audio portion)

[Ron1951]

Of course what they did was illegal, but when it comes to November 4, only those people who can present their ID will be given a ballot. So the ACORN idiot who wrote up a registration for "Elmer Fudd" did nothing to affect the outcome of the election. What he did is to defraud a non-profit organization by getting paid for turning in false registrations. And what he did was to give fodder to the hate mongers of the republican party who are looking for reasons to disenfranchise democratic voters--especially African American democratic voters, again.

[tazrocks]

I am glad to see that the democrats still believe in the old adage "vote early and vote often"

[Ramirez]

Only seven states are permitted to ask for photo ID at the polls. The official position of the Democratic Party is to oppose requiring ID to vote.

[Mikeylikesit2]

Barack should have a little flip out photo album in his wallet when McCant metions ACORN on debate this Wednesday with all these gop pics supporting them and let if flip out to the floor to give the "people a clear visual of the Repulicans support of "bad community organizers".

give me a break.... face it GOP you guys had 8 years and ****** it up, move over fat cats, let a true peoples rep. take over

Obama/Biden '08

[jestfam]

Dont forget miss huffington once swung the bat for the other team but we have welcomed her on our team. I think there are some genuine concerns against both candidates. Barack has had some real dicey characters that he has hung out with and the one that concerns me the most is His "FORMER" minister. Some people say get past it. I say "HOW" when he went to that church that hated whites for so many years. I think that Barack truly can make a change I just hope he does not prove to be something else later in his administration. I am a lifelong Republican but I would find it hard to vote for MCcAIN only because I dont think he is a strong and confident leader. Something I saw early in Barack. We shall see.

[pandaemonia]

Not sure what this all means - almost every special interest group is wooed by politicians as they donate to campaigns vias their PACs and usually to both sides (just not necessarily evenly, but most all hedge their bets). Obviously the members of ACORN favor Democrats for sheer ideological alignment reasons but since McCain has traditionally "crossed the aisles" and upset the Republican base for many of his past positions, why is it so surprising to see evidence of his assertions? The fact remains that members of this group have been involved in fraudulent voter registration, and have a history of similar charges and convictions and are the subject of numerous investigations and any politician would support their purpose but not their methods. Problem here is that there's so little objectivity - seriously, if it was reported that one candidate punched the other in the nose it would depend which one did the punching as to whether or not most people would condone or condemn it - on this site... it's scary to see how partisanship not only affects judgment on extreme right and left sites, but morals and values are perverted - simple right and wrong. All Obama has to do is condemn the questionable practices and move on. This rampant justification is demeaning.

[BuzzingAlong]

Oh, please.

Pandaemonia, you obviously have been watching Faux Noise.

You need to develop your critical thinking skills or at least learn to use the google for sources other than Faux Noise, which is doing you a disservice which you are clearly incapable of understanding.

ACORN hires workers for voter registration drives and pays them a small amount per form. Some workers have completed false forms and were truned over to the authorities by ACORN. These workers have been/are being prosecuted.

A few contract workers filling out fake forms does not mean that Obama paid them to do so.
Figuring this out is where critical thinking skills come in handy.

[ArmyCentrist]

Figures...this is the digital age McCain, you're not Big Brother, you have no Records Dept. to erase everything you and your buddies used to stand for! So...do you trolls still hate ACORN now?

[America08]

ACORN is another distraction and non-issue some Republicans want to interject into this race. I am not defending any wrong doing by ACORN, but apparently they have been around for a long time and I think the good of the organization outweighs the bad.

[Zapp384]

Did we leave anyone out!!!!

[Sparty1]

OOOPS!

[mooses4obama]

John McCain's racism and his hawkish attitude toward war. Racism and bellicosity overlap in the racial slur serving as the title of the new book. "Gook: John McCain's Racism and Why It Matters" will be released on July 4, and makes sense of McCain's history of racism and warmongering.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-ENOLkXa8o

[jestfam]

You say something about McCain and his racism but you fail to mention that Obama went to a racist church spewing hatred type sermon's for over 20 years. It is funny how easy it is to forget that maybe both sides have problems with race issues. If I went to Triple k meeting for over 20 years but denounced them and said that I was going to distance my self from them after 20 yrs would you think me a racist. I think you would find it hard to forget. I like Obama and the idea that he attended that church has made it hard for me to make a vote for him. I really am not to keen on McCain because I dont think he is the right person for the job. I think he is not really in touch with America today. It will be a hard choice on Nov4.

[rowzeer]

ACORN like many other organizations pay volunteers for each registration form they return. Many are tempted to complete the forms themselves to collect the fee. ACORN, like other orgs, have had problems in this regard. But by LAW they are required to turn in ALL forms whether they suspect they are fraudulent or not.

My sons had the same problem with a Repub volunteer who kept pushing and pushing to register although they're both already registered because he got paid by the form.

[kgb999]

That is incorrect. ACORN pays hourly regardless of the number of registrations returned.

[stanjz]

It's not enough that the Republican Party and their buddies on Wall Street have taken away the one home many middle class and poor people own, they then tried to blame them for it. They are a horror. Reality is stranger than fiction and the Republican Party/Wall Street/Corporate America makes vampires look like blood donors.

Hey guys look, there is a country that has people who will work for .31 cents an hour under slave like conditions. Their eye balls are immediately replaced by dollar signs. Greed is ghoulish. I'm dressing as a Wall Street exec this Halloween.

[jestfam]

It is not just the republican party that has people that work on wall street so before you single anyone out check your facts. All politicians work for the all mighty dollar. In your haste to blame and your hatred toward the republican party you have blinded yourself to the fact that all parties are greedy. Dont think that just because someone votes the way you do they are any less greedy. maybe you could go as an donkephant!