McCain was For ACORN Before He was Against Them

BY TAYLOR MARSH

It’s not unusual. Politicians utilizing what one group offers when it’s convenient,
but when the group doesn’t serve you attack them. See Ambinder’s
piece, which is where I got the video above that shows John McCain happy
to receive applause from the very groups he’s now attacking, even saying they
“are what makes America special.” But now McCain-Palin are losing
ground, so they need a new line of attack. Tomorrow it
begins at the National Press Club, 9:30 a.m. eastern.

Former Sens. John C. Danforth and Warren B. Rudman, will discuss “ACCUSATIONS OF FRAUDULENT VOTER REGISTRATION IN PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN” Danforth and Rudman, co-chairs of the McCain-Palin 2008 Honest and Open Election Committee, will argue that fradulent (sic) voter registrations are disrupting the political system. They will discuss the role of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now and Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama’s ties to the group.

Jack Danforth of Missouri represented Clarence Thomas in his confirmation
for the Supreme Court, and is considered above reproach by the traditional media
and the usual talking heads, which makes his entry on the side against
ACORN a very tough opponent for all involved. Grandson of the founder of Ralston Purina, as well as being an Episcopal minister, someone who also isn’t afraid to push back against the wingnut base, Danforth’s
credibility is perceived as golden. He’s not the only one involved in this latest
attack, but he’s the mightiest in my opinion, especially from a pr standpoint. Don’t be surprised if his very presence in this drama has the desired effect for McCain-Palin in the state of Missouri.

ACORN has a website,
with lots of links, that you can mine to get some answers to your questions.

But the crux of this whole push can be heard on right-wing radio, but also on Fox, as well as Lou Dobbs on CNN. Talk radio wants to delegitimize the election and is trying to set the stage for excuses before November.
Last night on “The Factor,” John Kasich began by talking about Ohio,
warning of bad things on election day.

What McCain-Palin intend is to rip apart the case for voter registration drives by independent groups, especially those who work with minorities and the poor, both of whom tend to vote Democratic. This year they want to do it by blaming Obama in the process, while wrapping the mortgage mess around ACORN as a twofer.

After the Danforth-Rudman press conference, voting rights experts will push back in a separate press conference at 10:30 a.m. eastern. Miles Rapoport, President of Demos; Bob Edgar, CEO of Common Cause; Reverend Gloria Swierenga, President, Maryland ACORN; Kevin Whelan, ACORN Spokesperson; Enrique Peralta, new American & new voter, will be the speakers. Here’s
part of their press release:

WASHINGTON DC – Voting rights experts will be hosting a press conference at the National Press Club Tuesday, immediately following a McCain-Palin campaign press conference. Miles Rappoport president of Demos and former Connecticut Secretary of State, and Bob Edgar, CEO of Common Cause, will be joined by ACORN spokesman Kevin Whelan and Maryland ACORN Board Chair Gloria Swierenga to discuss the role of voter registration efforts in engaging underrepresented low-income and minority voters in our representative democracy, and place historic attacks against these drives in a context of partisan assaults on participatory democracy. Advocates say that voter registration drives have come under recent partisan attack due to their success in helping to register new voters this year, including 1.3 million through ACORN’s joint effort with Project Vote. According to these experts, spreading fears of fraudulent voting – which happens less often in the U.S. than death by lightning – is done to discredit voter registration efforts and justify restrictive laws that place additional barriers to full participation for all Americans. Also joining the speakers will be a new voter, and new American, Enrique Peralta. “I don’t understand why people would keep me off the rolls. They don’t know which way I will vote, I’ve never voted before,” said Peralta, a former Bolivian who was sworn in as a U.S. citizen a few weeks ago and has recently registered to vote. “Having worked so hard to became an American, I understand more than many exactly what it means to be an American, and all of us have the right and responsibility to vote.”

The McCain-Palin camp want to sully the reputation and the importance of voter
registration drives, while also laying the ground work and giving the impression
that this election is in danger of not being free and fair. It’s the most cynical
tactic, but since Republicans think they’re going to lose, they’re going to
do everything they can to have an excuse as to why. That is, unless they can
steal the election outright by disqualifying voters, or at the very least plant questions of legitimacy if Obama were to win.

Again, from Ambinder:

McCain had no trouble fraternizing with ACORN in 2006 when their political interests coincided with his. Now, his campaign is writing e-mails in his name bashing ACORN as a tool of the Obama machine. “We need your help to ensure a fair and honest election. Already we have seen nationwide voter registration fraud by ACORN – a group closely linked to Barack Obama,” one e-mail from “The McCain Legal Team” says.

Think Florida on steroids, because the lasting chill on voter registration
groups and their drives could hurt our efforts for many elections to come. That’s
the goal.