McCain Camp Accuses ACORN Of Stealing Election For Obama

With a fundraising email sent out under Sarah Palin's name Monday, the McCain campaign is now directly alleging that community organizer ACORN's recent efforts are part of a concerted strategy to steal the election on behalf of Barack Obama -- a startling and unsubstantiated claim.

The campaign and the Republican National Committee had been, until now, content to highlight Barack Obama's past ties to the group, which is suffering from bad press over fraudulent voter registration cards.

"The Obama Campaign even paid more than $800,000 to an ACORN affiliate for 'get out the vote activity.' And now we find out that ACORN is suspected of voter registration fraud," the email says. Obama's campaign did pay an ACORN affiliate, Citizens Services, for its work on his campaign during primary season.

"But, the Obama-Biden Democrats would rather sweep these facts under the rug and use their mainstream media allies to bury this story. But we can't let that happen. We can't allow leftist groups like ACORN to steal this election."

Recipients of the email are asked to donate anything from $25 to over $1,000 in order to support the campaign's work to "make sure the election is fair."

A "P.S." below Palin's signature hits the point once again.

"P.S. We've always known the Obama-Biden Democrats will do anything to win this November, but we didn't know how far their allies would go. The Obama-supported, far-left group, ACORN, has been accused of voter registration fraud in a number of battleground states. Our team, through McCain-Palin Victory 2008 is working to ensure that this election is conducted fairly. With your immediate financial support, we'll be successful. Please join our team for a fair election today. Thank you."

As The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder has noted, "none of the fraudulent cards will result in any fraudulent votes being cast." ACORN is required by law to turn in all completed forms collected by their canvassers, even those that are suspicious. For example, fake individuals registered by a rogue ACORN canvasser looking to goose his or her daily totals cannot magically show up to the polls on Nov. 4.

Full text of the email:

Dear Supporter,

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We're coming down to the final stretch of the campaign. Each day leading up to November 4th plays a critical role in securing a Victory for our team of reformers. And I'll get straight to my point - if we're going to win we need your immediate support.

Will you join the McCain-Palin Victory 2008 team today during these critical final days?

The Obama-Biden Democrats and their liberal, allied interest groups are spending more than $1 billion to defeat our ticket in critical races across the country. They're flooding the airwaves and stuffing mailboxes with misleading information, and in some cases flat out lies about us.

The truth is that far-left groups in this country will do anything to help the Obama-Biden Democrats win the White House and maintain their majorities in Congress. And last week, we found out they're going even further to win.

The left-wing activist group, ACORN, is now under investigation for voter registration fraud in a number of battleground states. ACORN's political action committee has endorsed Barack Obama and Senator Obama himself has said, "I have been fighting alongside ACORN on issues you care about my entire career." The Obama Campaign even paid more than $800,000 to an ACORN affiliate for "get out the vote activity." And now we find out that ACORN is suspected of voter registration fraud.

But, the Obama-Biden Democrats would rather sweep these facts under the rug and use their mainstream media allies to bury this story. But we can't let that happen. We can't allow leftist groups like ACORN to steal this election.

That's why McCain-Palin Victory 2008 has set out to ensure a fair election and I'm asking you to join us today. Will you follow this link immediately to give $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000 or more to our effort?

McCain-Palin Victory 2008 helps fund our get-out-the-vote efforts in states across the country. We're working day and night to ensure this election is fair and we're working to elect the ticket that has a record of reform leadership.

Our team of reformers is ready to lead. We're ready to tackle issues affecting your family. But we'll get never get there without your support. Will you join our team in the final stretch before Election Day? With your help, I know we'll ensure this election is conducted in a fair manner. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Governor Sarah Palin

P.S. We've always known the Obama-Biden Democrats will do anything to win this November, but we didn't know how far their allies would go. The Obama-supported, far-left group, ACORN, has been accused of voter registration fraud in a number of battleground states. Our team, through McCain-Palin Victory 2008 is working to ensure that this election is conducted fairly. With your immediate financial support, we'll be successful. Please join our team for a fair election today. Thank you.

Comments

[Kerra52]

Anyone who has encountered or worked for one of these grassroots organizations in their youth knows exactly what has happened here. ACORN hires hourly workers to collect registrations. It's difficult to hire a team 0f workers who will be infallible and trustworthy at any level--hence the shakeout on Wall Street--and is also true here. Therefore, of the millions of registrations collected, some of these are done by people who are trying to make their money quickly-m the so they create dubious registrations--e.g. Tony Romo--to get paid fast. This is the equivalent of 10 of 1000 people hired to flyer a neighborhood dumping the flyers in the trash--the motive here is easy money and the reason is that when you hire people, you get some people who do this.

This is ugly, common, and unavoidable in all work--ask the pampered AIG executives who, after the bailout, accepted their magnificent dinners and massages. Both are execrable. Neither is voter fraud.

It's simple

ACORN is registering people. These are not votes.

These registrations are simply being filled out so these hourly workers can get done fast. It is unlikely that they will also have engaged in a secret cabal to have Mr. Squarepants show up to vote. If he were, Bob would be cast away from the polls as all such registrants would be. Abraham Lincoln will not be allowed to vote when he shows up in Tallahassee. No vote. Not voter fraud.

[Kerra52]

Anyone who has encountered or worked for one of these grassroots organizations in their youth knows exactly what has happened here. ACORN hires hourly workers to collect registrations. It's difficult to hire a team 0f workers who will be infallible and trustworthy at any level--hence the shakeout on Wall Street--and is also true here. Therefore, of the millions of registrations collected, some of these are done by people who are trying to make their money quickly-m the so they create dubious registrations--e.g. Tony Romo--to get paid fast. This is the equivalent of 10 of 1000 people hired to flyer a neighborhood dumping the flyers in the trash--the motive here is easy money and the reason is that when you hire people, you get some people who do this.

ACORN is required by law to turn in all completed forms--even if filled out by an imaginary figure like Spongebob Squarepants or Mitt Romney

These registrations are simply being filled out so these hourly workers can get done fast. It is unlikely that they will also have engaged in a secret cabal to have Mr. Squarepants show up to vote. If he were, Bob would be cast away from the polls as all such registrants would be. Abraham Lincoln will not be allowed to vote when he shows up in Tallahassee. No vote. Not voter fraud.

[Veratruth]

SO.... we have had two stolen elections in the last eight years. Did Republicans bother to check ACORN? Democrats have a ways to go if they want to get even, but we just want the lying, cheating and PALIN/mccain hateful remarks to stop before all the votes are counted. Republican chickens may be coming home to roost.

[hortonhearsawho]

Palin accuses Peanuts gang and asks in what context charlie brown....

[ImpalaSuperSport]

Voter registration fraud is what this is about, prosecute the guilty parties and be done with it.

[Veratruth]

Yes, I'm sure the Republican backup, US Supreme Court, is "ready and waiting without any hesitation."

[CheshireCat2]

Wonder what this page would look like if there were sub groups and organizations for the RNC doing this?

There will be no outrage here at all.

[Nyla785]

It's TOTALLY to distract from Repub voting suppression stories...WITH the added benefit of whipping up feeling against the poor and minorities. The Repubs know NOTHING if not how to divide. Also, a good distraction from the fact that McCain has nothing to offer the public but more Bush policies!
But watch how this ACORN thing is on EVERY republicans' lips. From Giuliani on cable news to blogs to talk radio to every Fox news segment. THIS is their hope for winning. When the vote challenges start flying, Repubs have already justified doing it.

[Fightnmad]

I agree. The repubs have been using clever voting suppression, challenge, intimidation, purging, caging, diversion, machine rigging, and outright fraud since the '00 elections. These have all been well documented.

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=6393

No vote = No freedom. Whoever supports these techniques is actually committing the most heinous crime one can commit in a free society, which is to destroy democracy.

[desertbloom]

This is to distract from Republican's voter suppression tactics and their practice of purging voter lists. Where is THAT story?

[kmac23va]

As a note, the McCain campaign are having a press conference on C-SPAN 2 right now about ACORN, and I think afterwards ACORN is holding a presser of their own.

[vincealy]

The thugs over at McCain central are getting ready to purge legal registered voter s in record numbers .Bush McCain Palin Rove politics at it's lowest. Johnny must be getting forgetful ... He was for Acron before he was against it. http://www.bradblog.com/?p=6508

[PJBroughton]

Kinda sucks spitting into the wind sometimes.
Bush and his cronies tossed ethics and credibility into the crapper.
McCain/Palin have flushed it away.

[mikelartist]

When I think of the McCain Campaign it reminds me of the fat kid in class with chocolate smeared all over his jowls pointing his fat finger and screeching "EVERYONE ELSE STOLE A BROWNIE AND ATE IT BUT ME!"

[WorkingClass]

Who even cares about stolen elections? Certainly not elected Democrats and Republicans who continue to DO NOTHING TO FIX OUR BROKEN VOTING SYSTEM.

[allwrite]

The Dems, assuming they accede to power with substantial working majorities, better address the lack of confidence in the voting process quickly. Standardization, uniform procedures, safeguards against manipulation of vote totals and voter registration, penalties for abuse, etc.

[Whinger]

Bill Kristol got a tongue lashing now ACORN are being devoured, old friends are dropping like flies!

[NicoleW]

McCain is setting himself up for after the election when he loses. We might be seeing another count of such grand proportions that it will make a hanging chad look like tinkerbell.