Drinking the ACORN Kool-Aid: How Cries of Voter Fraud Cover Up GOP Elections Theft

Virtually the entire mainstream electronic media drank ACORN Kool-Aid this month brewed up by the Republican National Committee. Almost no one seriously challenged John McCain's comical assertions that ACORN, a grassroots voter registration group, "is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy."

While the Republicans had the distracted media searching for links between Obama and ACORN, RNC operatives were busily completing one of the most massive voter suppression and purging efforts in American history, stealing hundreds of thousands of Democratic votes across the embattled swing states and striving to arrange chaos and endless lines at the voting booths next week.

First the facts about ACORN. Months ago, we obtained, as part of our investigation for Rolling Stone magazine, the Republican's list the GOP alleged were the very worst cases of vote and registration fraud by ACORN and similar groups. We went through the names the GOP asserted were "obviously, undeniably and clearly fraudulent" voter registrations.

First, there was Melissa Tais, a dubious ACORN registrant. Her two voter registration forms show, admittedly, suspiciously different signatures. Republicans suggested Melissa was part of a massive fraud to allow Democrats to vote twice.

They were wrong. Ms. Tais, a Cerrillos, New Mexico, waitress, told us she had signed one form on a table and one form holding the paper in her hand. Hence, a second, wobbly signature.

Then there was Patricia White, who Republicans claimed was a fictitious voter. When we filmed her at home in Albuquerque, she seemed real enough.

And so on, through the entire GOP list -- not one fraud. And these were their best cases out of the five million "illegal voters" who Republican leaders claim have infiltrated America's voting rolls.

The overblown histrionics about ACORN do not surprise those of us who have been watching the RNC's election manipulation antics. For eight years White House operatives have been trying to gin up press stories about voter fraud. David Iglesias of New Mexico was one of seven U.S. Attorneys fired by the White House for their refusal to bring voter fraud prosecutions. "We took over 100 complaints," from the GOP, he told us, "We investigated for almost 2 years, I didn't find one prosecutable voter fraud case in the entire state of New Mexico."

Iglesias, a McCain supporter, has, for the first time, leveled a new and serious charge: Despite finding none of the 200 voters guilty, he says the White House nevertheless ordered him to illegally prosecute baseless cases against innocent citizens, just to gin up voter fraud publicity. His refusal, he says, cost him his job. "They were looking for politicized -- for improperly politicized US attorneys to file bogus voter fraud cases."

Certainly ACORN collected some bad signatures. But despite McCain's claims, now morphed into media theology, none of ACORN's actions will have any impact on any election. ACORN hired 13,000 canvassers to register new voters. A small number of these workers defrauded ACORN by handing in phony registration forms using names they had invented (e.g. Mickey Mouse), or copied from phone books. In one case ACORN canvassers used cigarettes to bribe a homeless man, now a Fox News regular, to register 17 times. None of these activities constituted voter fraud. It is no crime to register 17 times; only the final registration counts. His multiple registrations would not allow the tobacco lover to vote 17 times. Nor is there any evidence the phone book registrants will cast multiple ballots.

Finally, the removal by GOP officials of hundreds of thousands of legitimate voters from voting rolls over the past year provides ACORN with a sound rationale for obtaining new registrations, even from voters who believe they are already registered.

ACORN took pains to screen its registrations and cull out those it considered dubious. However, federal laws make it a felony for voter registration groups like ACORN to discard registrations even when it believes them fraudulent. So ACORN flagged the forms it considered doubtful and handed them in to the registry. Ironically, it was those flagged forms -- the fruits of ACORN's diligence -- that have been flogged by Republicans as their best evidence of widespread election fraud.

Voter fraud is a phantom according to Lorraine Minnite, an expert on voting crime at Columbia University. Only 24 cases of federal voter fraud have been uncovered between 2002 and 2005 despite massive government efforts devoted to uncovering evidence of a voter fraud crime wave.

The GOP is ginning up hysteria about non-existent vote fraud by Democrats in order to distract the press from its own campaign to disenfranchise millions of American voters.

The Republicans have created an obstacle course of barriers designed to suppress the vote, purge tens of thousands of Democratic voters from voting rolls, create mayhem and delay at voting venues on Election Day, and stop millions of votes from being counted this election cycle.

Jailed GOP activist Jack Abramoff and his fellow convict, Congressman Bob Ney, wrote the most sinister provisions of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) which Congress passed in 2002 creating a series of diabolically cunning new voting impediments. HAVA, for example, allows state voting officials to purge tens of thousands of voters from the polls using algorithms and voter ID requirements that disproportionately disenfranchise black, Hispanic and minority voters, and other Democratic demographics including senior citizens and young people.

In 2004, highly organized GOP tacticians helped disenfranchise no less than 2.7 million American voters. Almost a million of them were African Americans. The The Federal Elections Commission has found black voters were nine times more likely to have their votes discarded than white voters and that over one-third of the million provisional ballots cast in 2004 -- ballots handed disproportionately to African Americans -- were never counted but simply thrown into dumpsters.

In a technique known as "caging" RNC operatives send millions of first class letters to black voters across the country marked 'do not forward.' Republican operatives armed with lists then invade black precincts on Election Day to challenge those voters whose letters were returned to the RNC because the voter was not home when the mail arrived. That tactic deliberately targeted black students on vacation in August, homeless men and soldiers posted overseas. "Caging" is resurrecting Old Dixie's Jim Crow procedures designed to rid the lists of black voters and create long lines in black precincts.

In this election, new HAVA mandates permit voting officials to precisely match registration form information with the voter's driver's license and other government records. While it may sound reasonable, in practice, any change, even a dropped hyphen, is cause for eliminating the voter from the rolls. Since 2004, Colorado's Republican Secretaries of State have purged one out of every five voters from the rolls. The current Secretary of State, Mike Coffman, a Republican also running for office, recently purged an additional 37,000 voters and discarded 6,400 new voter registrations -- overwhelmingly Democratic -- based upon an obscure technical mistake that Coffman's office encouraged voters to make in the first place.

The GOP "anti-fraud" campaign resulted in one in nine New Mexico Democratic voters finding their names had disappeared from voter roles during this year's caucus.

Despite a recent Supreme Court decision upholding Ohio's refusal to disenfranchise 200,000 legitimate voters based on this absurd demand to "match" voter names to databases, White House operatives are still fighting to purge these names from the rolls. President George Bush last week personally asked his Attorney General Mike Mukasey to renew Republican efforts to disenfranchise these voters.

Contrary to Mr. McCain's assertions, the real threat to democracy is from the GOP itself. ACORN has served as a good distraction from Republican efforts to steal the vote from hundreds of thousands of legitimate voters, a genuine threat that has received almost no media attention.

They're stealing your vote, but you can steal it back. Here are some steps you should take to protect your vote. First, avoid the November 4th minefield. Voters, wherever possible, should vote early and in person. Where feasible, avoid mailing in your ballot, many are rejected for flimsy reasons, and first time voters in many states must include a photocopy of ID. However, if you have a mail-in ballot, don't throw it away. Follow directions, use the correct postage (that's an error that cost a hundred thousand votes last time) and, if possible, walk it in to your elections office.

At the polling station, should you find yourself one of the 2.7 million purged, or your ID rejected, then do your best to resist a "provisional" ballot--one third of which are not counted. Return with proper ID, or call 1-866-OUR VOTE for legal assistance. And never just walk away discouraged. That's just what they want you to do.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Greg Palast are authors of an investigation of vote suppression in the current Rolling Stone, and a comic book voter guide, "Steal Back Your Vote," both available for download at StealBackYourVote.org.

Comments

[BBGpower]

We live in a rural area of NW Arizona. We use a PO Box and not a physical address because the post office does not deliver to anyone in this area. When I suddenly realized I had not received a ballot for the primary I phoned the County Registrar of Voters. I was told they sent a letter to an address totally unknown to me - no place I had ever lived - and when it was returned to them - I was removed from the 'active voter' list. When pressed about the address - they told me at #2 XXX ranch - when pressed for why that address, I was told it is the registrar's designation for district #2 - and I reside in District #2. So they sent a letter -to an address totally undeliverable because it has no conceivable connection to me - and then changed my voting status. The phone call straightened it out. However, how does anyone know they've been removed because of a letter they never received.

[MasterOfPuppets]

The actions of the morally bankrupt RNC have long been a matter of public record but not public awareness. Jim Crow lives on in America thanks to them. This is a travesty of the American governing system and quite sickening.

If McCain wins despite all the evidence to the contrary, will America finally realize that the wheels of democracy have been unscrewed and America's 'governing vehicle' left on jacks, gutted by the political elites?

[whatsgoingon]

In the U.S. we all share one thing in common the right to vote. It's a shame that hear in this country there are peolpe that wave the flag sing our national anthem remember those who died with valor,have 4th of july parade's and are so unamerican. No wonder why our great country sinks deeper and deeper into despair. Bobby the people running the show couldn't fit into you Dad's or uncles shoe's, no not even their socks.

[dphilip]

What about their sinking cars?

[clearsense]

We need voting machines that print a back-up record on paper. How hard can it be to make a voting machine that works. The voting machines need to be off-line (can't hack into a machine that is not hooked up to the internet, and require a key to access the memory chip and paper record. If there is a requirement that witnesses be present to remove the record, and to load it into a computer to tabulate, it would make it hard to corrupt (cheat) the vote. With regards to ID being required to vote, I need an ID to rent a movie! I don't see where a misplaced hyphen would prevent a vote, if it looks real, accept it! If the ID address doesn't match (maybe an old address on a driver's license), bring an old bill or bank statement. If the name is the same, it probably is the right guy anyway. I just don't want some creep walking up to the poll worker, with the open precinct book open in front of him and tell him he is some guy whose name isn't crossed off yet. The ID will prevent that creep from voting several times. Finally, there is no excuse for not counting all the votes, and that includes Americans living overseas and military personnel .

[JulieSA]

So I guess you wouldn't have a problem if a conservative group, like for example the NRA, went out and signed up several hundred thousand Republican voter registrations that didn't match a real person, which is what ACORN did. And you wouldn't have a problem if this group received your tax dollars.

[dphilip]

Hold on there JulieSA...­Don't go and start using logical arguments on these folks! They don't deal well with facts and logic...
The democrats will take a story from unimpeachable sources that refelcts poorly on them and just wipe it away and say "it didn't happen" and the story goes away. But a story with the weakest documentation against a republican is gospel and they start asking for people ti resign or go to jail and media runs with it....

[isis]

The auditor determines who votes. Not ACORN or the NRA. But we'd be stupid to help you now wouldn't we? Stop trying to heap shame on people in order to get them to go against their best interest.

[nutmegger]

This isn't much of an argument. First of all, McCain himself has been involved with ACORN - or didn't you get that memo? Secondly, McCain actually has paid money to a KNOWN voter fraud criminal who has indeed altered thousands of votes and affected the ACTUAL outcome of of the 2004 election. The ACORN mass hysteria won't lead to ANY voter fraud, contrary to your misinformed bleats.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/20/mccain-employing-gop-oper_n_136254.html

[joekerr]

Well first off, ACORN is not a "liberal" group. Nor is it a "conservative" institution. ACORN is purely non-partisan, meaning that they are trying to help you, your family and your friends have the right to vote, regardless of party affliation. If the NRA was to go out and only sign up republicans, that would consitute voter fraud. You CANNOT discriminate or refuse an application to someone based on their political preference, race, creed, etc. So yes, I would have a huge problem with that. Your comparision is one couched in the double speak of someone trying to be a devil's advocate. Not all things can be argued this way, though many people try. If you can prove in some sort of deliberate way that ACORN was involved in the same scenario you present above, then you've got a leg to stand on. Minus that...you are just trying to be difficult and divisive, which serves no one.

[Ironfox]

You really need to educate yourself on Rovian tactics in past elections. Your ignorance is breathtaking, and frightening.

[JustMyWords]

You DO know that all sorts of groups - partisan & non-partisan alike - perform voter drives every election season, right? And that the percentage of registrations that are found to be actually fraudulent (as opposed to a duplicate, which isn't illegal - as is pointed out, only the final registration counts) is pretty steady from group to group and year to year?

And of course, you're every bit as outraged by the fact that the California GOP felt forced to suspend their voter registration efforts this year because of improper & invalid registrations being turned in by private contractors - just like the problem that ACORN had. In fact, the issue in California came to light in part because of numerous complaints from Democratic voters who found out that their registrations had been changed to show them as Republicans.

The "voter fraud" issue as has been raised so far is a non-issue, and a gross exaggeration (not to mention it's not voter fraud, even the approximately 1% of instances that are actual fraud would be registration fraud). Show me actual proof of a fraudulent vote and then I'll worry.

[skeletnwmn]

How do you go from "suspending your campaign" and voting for a 700 zillion dollar bailout of the richest people in the world, to making such cruel and downright mean accusations at one of the FEW organizations working to see that low-income people were given a chance to buy a home -- and that the homes they purchased were homes they could afford (despite the bank's qualification of usually much much more), had a history of paying their rent and their bills and actually were employed?????

If not for Acorn, I'd still be contributing to the "5-year plan" of my former landlord. Instead, I'll have a house to sell in a few years (and not be totally dependent on Social Security and my 401K). THANK YOU ACORN. And right after this election, I'll be volunteering in YOUR office. I owe you.
p.s. I'm a 52 year old white woman.

[dphilip]

I guess democrats should be allowed to use voter fraud because they can't win on ideas. They have to rely on a totally bias media just to be competitive with Republicans. We Republicans can rely on our own abilites and resources to promote our views.
So let them cheat, we'll just consider it another form of Affirmative Action..
One day when they grow up they might be able to stand on their own. Well, after we Republicans have given them a significant chunk of our income under Obama that is..

[Shieldmaiden]

You're one of the Kool-aid drinkers we've been referring to.

[dphilip]

Yeah, how delusional huh?.....I guess the FBI that's investigating Acorn for voter fraud in 13 states is drinking it too?

[TexasDem0]

How much of your Republican income have you had to forfeit under Sen. Obama?

[dphilip]

Non TexasDemo.­......and if he is willing to stay "Senator Obama" I've got no problem with him...My problem is that he wants to PRESIDENT Obama.

[FOXYLADY]

GUESS DPHILIP IS ONE OF THE 'WEALTHY THAT HAD IT MADE WITH THE TAX BREAKS UNDER BUSH! JUST BITTER....­..........­.....I PRAY THAT OBAMA WINS AND THESE TYPES LEARN HOW TO SHARE.....­.......

[Ssebo]

This country was build on violence. Violence is still the name of the game, be it more institutionalized these days.

[film]

What is happening to our democracy? Where is our free media? We should be making it easier for everyone to vote not harder. Isn't that what so many of our brave citizens served and died for?

Attorneys around the country should be suing on the voters behalf. This has been happening for too long and is getting worse. What can an individual do to protest the RNC actions?

[M00PS]

Voter registration drives conducted by third parties should be illegal regardless of party affiliation. If a person wants to vote than he or she should be required to go the Circuit Court Clerk's Office with some form of identification and address verification (i.e. phone or electric bill). This takes the accusation of voter registration fraud away from both parties.

[Indieguy]

The GOP would really like your suggestion since it would benefit their party. People at the bottom of the economic ladder often do not have the resources to register directly. Making it difficult for these people to vote is part of the GOP Play Book since they more often than not vote Democrat.

[FOXYLADY]

Well, MooPS.....­I have to agree with you on that point.....­but then, too many would not get off their duffs to register..­..........­as too darn many just sit back and take by 'not taking responsibi­lity"....

[ellocoliberal]

So voter suppression works! Good call.
Workers, old folks, handicapped, etc remain underepresented in the voting process.

The gop appreciates your help in suppressing the vote of people you don't agree with. Sleep well.

[Trinovante39]

Once again the US promises to provide the rest of the world with a good chuckle. More electile dysfunction. It's high time that national elections should have national standards instead of state-by-state and county-by-county variations.

[ijgibson]

UN observers - the voting is more crooked than in most banana republics.

[Ironfox]

Elections Canada; independent, simple , honest, accountable, and verifiable.

[michaely]

I agree with Boston1775. This is a major story requiring the best of journalism. The "dirty tricks" squad of the Republican party is still with us, despite Gordon Liddy's conviction. Oh yes, isn't he McCain's friend? It isn' t surprising they continue to resort to sleazeball tactics. Or, should that be "slimey"? Never mind, America should step on the rock they crawled out from under.

[johnie2xs]

Bobby, I have a couple of questions, and hopefully not too stupid.

Does the Republican Party (Or any party) have a charter of some sort that may be subject to revocation?

If the answer to the first Q is yes, Can that "party" be legislated, and/or prosecuted, out of existence if it had been found to have, in a collusive manor, suppressed or in some other way tampered with the voting process.

I'll take my answer of the air. lol

[ijgibson]

Unfortunately if you suppress their Party - where you can see them and watch what they do - they'll carry on with their normal subversive activities - out of sight, and under a diverse range of banners. What they won't do is stop their nefarious activities. Leopards don't change their spots !! And they remain very dangerous.

[BioLiberty]

He is in my opinion a PTSD sufferer that is on Anti Psychotic drugs to reduce the potential of violence! HE SHOULD NOT BE ANYWHERE NEAR A 3 AM PHONE CALL.

[NoNotAgain]

If Mcsame is in Excellent Health tell me why does he take Aspirin every day ???????

[Boston1775]

Journalists:
Do your jobs; cover the damn story.

You exist to cover events of this magnitude.