ACORN

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
Only a red herring until legitimate voters try to exercise their rights at the polls only to find that their registration was not processed due to ACORN/fraudulent registration delays/backlogs.

It is disingenuous to say this is not a vote fraud issue. Maybe we need to use purple dye here in the states to make sure everyone only votes once.

Far more legitimate voters will try to exercise their rights and find that they have been illegally purged from the rolls.

The dishonest way in which this issue is being presented is apparent from your post. What exactly are you claiming:

a) ACORN is attempting to block legal registrations by causing backlogs consisting of fraudulent registrations (wouldn't registrations from both parties get blocked); or

b) ACORN is planning for actual vote fraud by expecting the Dallas Cowboys to show up in Nevada and vote for Obama?

Do you seriously believe either of these things?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Well, I think there's a bit more to the "tenuous ties" than that. I believe Obama provided leadership training to ACORN at one point, and that his campaign provided the organization with some funds to register voters. I'm not sure, though, because the MSM has embargoed this story for many months and no one writes openly about it except the right-wing bloggers (and perhaps some of their publications, though I'm not sure of that).

Its pretty funny to talk about media distortions when your post is full of distortions about which you are "not sure". Obama did not provide leadership training to ACORN. Obama's campaign did not provide funds to ACORN to register voters.

Here is what Obama has to say about his relationship with ACORN:

http://fightthesmears.com/articles/20/acornrumor

The mainstream media has never hesitated to cover negative information about Obama. I know that this is a fundamental belief of Hillary supporters, but the idea that the MSM is embargoing truthful stories about Obama is simply not true. The right wing has been working overtime to manufacturer stories. Starting with anonymous emails, leading to the right-wing blog echo chamber, then to Drudge, then to Fox News, and finally -- and most disappointingly -- repeated by supposed "Obama supporters".

It is really sad that you will accept the word of right-wing bloggers, but not spend a minute doing your own research about ACORN. Have you even been to ACORN's website to see what it has to say in its own defense? Do you know anything about their procedures? Would it surprise you that ACORN itself informed Nevada election officials about registrations its internal procedures found to be fraudulent?

More importantly, at a time when voters are being disenfranchised in record numbers, is a handful of fraudulent registrations (remember, these aren't even votes, just registrations) really the most important issue?

Your comment that "[t]he mainstream media has never hesitated to cover negative information about Obama" is the most absurd--and false-- thing I have heard on this blog.

Moreover, it's ironic that you find Acorn's attempts to carry out voter fraud not to be an important issue--last election Dems were all up in arms over the Florida recount and the so-called "stolen" election.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
Your comment that "[t]he mainstream media has never hesitated to cover negative information about Obama" is the most absurd--and false-- thing I have heard on this blog.

Yeah, well you just go on deluding yourself. Can you point out one example of negative information about Obama that hasn't been reported in the mainstream media? I mean real information. Not some right-wing fantasy.

Anonymous wrote:
Moreover, it's ironic that you find Acorn's attempts to carry out voter fraud not to be an important issue--last election Dems were all up in arms over the Florida recount and the so-called "stolen" election.

Here is the whole problem with this issue. ACORN has not been accused of voter fraud. The organization has been accused of voter registration fraud. There is a world of difference. The McCain campaign is hoping with all its heart that people are too stupid to tell the difference between the two. I always find it strange how much of the Republican strategy relies on peoples' ignorance. I'm not sure what it says that you apparently fall into their target audience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Moreover, it's ironic that you find Acorn's attempts to carry out voter fraud not to be an important issue--last election Dems were all up in arms over the Florida recount and the so-called "stolen" election.

When Mickey Mouse and 2000 people named fjdkdsfjk afklsdfj actually vote, that will be fraud. Until then, it looks to me like someone's idea of a joke. Or, if all those people yelling "Kill him" are democratic plants, could those fjdkdsfjk afklsdfj's be Republican plants?????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Moreover, it's ironic that you find Acorn's attempts to carry out voter fraud not to be an important issue--last election Dems were all up in arms over the Florida recount and the so-called "stolen" election.

When Mickey Mouse and 2000 people named fjdkdsfjk afklsdfj actually vote, that will be fraud. Until then, it looks to me like someone's idea of a joke. Or, if all those people yelling "Kill him" are democratic plants, could those fjdkdsfjk afklsdfj's be Republican plants?????

No, actually, it is attempted voter fraud, a federal crime.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Your comment that "[t]he mainstream media has never hesitated to cover negative information about Obama" is the most absurd--and false-- thing I have heard on this blog.

Yeah, well you just go on deluding yourself. Can you point out one example of negative information about Obama that hasn't been reported in the mainstream media? I mean real information. Not some right-wing fantasy.

When you say reported, do you mean buried in a 250-word blurb, below the fold, on page 9 of the Post, or actually reported, in an above the fold, front page, investigative piece. If you mean actually reported, then I would say that the MSM has not appropriately investigated Obama re: Ayers/Annenberg foundation; Reverend Wright, Rezko, Auchi, to name a few. Yes, the MSM has mentioned them, and then dismissed them without any further investigation. Meanwhile they are digging through dumpsters in Anchorage and rehashing Cindy McCain's drug problem. Spare me your sanctimonious liberal crap.

Anonymous wrote:
Moreover, it's ironic that you find Acorn's attempts to carry out voter fraud not to be an important issue--last election Dems were all up in arms over the Florida recount and the so-called "stolen" election.

Here is the whole problem with this issue. ACORN has not been accused of voter fraud. The organization has been accused of voter registration fraud. There is a world of difference. The McCain campaign is hoping with all its heart that people are too stupid to tell the difference between the two. I always find it strange how much of the Republican strategy relies on peoples' ignorance. I'm not sure what it says that you apparently fall into their target audience.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
When you say reported, do you mean buried in a 250-word blurb, below the fold, on page 9 of the Post, or actually reported, in an above the fold, front page, investigative piece. If you mean actually reported, then I would say that the MSM has not appropriately investigated Obama re: Ayers/Annenberg foundation; Reverend Wright, Rezko, Auchi, to name a few. Yes, the MSM has mentioned them, and then dismissed them without any further investigation. Meanwhile they are digging through dumpsters in Anchorage and rehashing Cindy McCain's drug problem. Spare me your sanctimonious liberal crap.

Just to prove how disconnected from reality you are:

Ayers - front page NYT - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/04/us/politics/04ayers.html

Ayers again - NYT - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/us/politics/17truth.html

Wright - NYT - http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/us/politics/30obama.html This article is over 2,500 words long.

Rezko - NYT - http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/14/us/politics/14rezko.html

Rezko - NYT - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/us/politics/02rezko.html

Auchi is connected to Rezko and normally comes up in those articles.

These are only a subset of the available articles. None of these are mere mentions buried some place.

I'm sure that you would find a similar record in the Washington Post, but I don't have time to do the research for you. But, I think its plain to see that you are wrong in your understanding of the coverage of Obama.

[Anonymous]

I think "wonkette.com" put this best:
"One of the weirdest things to watch in American politics is how the wingnuts do these lockstep moves to some “what the hell are they even talking about?” fake outrage, and within hours there are millions of inane illiterate blog comments and chain emails and C-SPAN callers all prattling on about something nobody had any problem with and had never even heard of, say, last week."

[Anonymous]

Check out this great summation of the whole acorn silliness:
http://gawker.com/5063157/wait-whats-up-with-acorn

[Anonymous]

A court decision on new Ohio registrations appears to place more importance on stopping illegitimate registrations than on assuring universal suffrage: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27188603/" target="_new" rel="nofollow"> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27188603/

[Anonymous]

Oh please...this is litigation strategy and the latest in ugly politics.

No one believes that the Dallas cowboys or donald duck is going to show up to vote. Floating this non-issue is a way to prep the way for a very aggressive litigation strategy on the part of the Republicans. The latest hope is that the Bradley effect (white voters telling pollsters they will vote for a candidate and then not being able to pull the level for a black candidate) will narrow the margins and then leave an opening to challenge a close loss in court. The fear is that the Bradley effect will be overshadiwed by the record number of new voters who are eligible but normally do not turn out for elections. Anything the Republicans can do to scare or harass these voters into thinking they will stand in lines and not get to vote will help McCain. Fantastic strategy.. not exactly Country First eh?

Still Republicans aren't evil just desperate. Dems might be doing the same if the polls were reversed.

Keep in mind all the negative ads aimed to get at racial bias and religious fears are not just aimed at the conservative base. The zealot yelling kill him and terrorist would probably never vote for a democrat anyway nor did he probably need the ads to change his mind. The negative ads are aimed at racist democrats and independents. There is a frightening generational divide still a play and there are dems who grew up in a different time who with a little nudging simply will not vote for an African American. Now it seems to be backfiring big time for McCain so maybe there is hope after all.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
When you say reported, do you mean buried in a 250-word blurb, below the fold, on page 9 of the Post, or actually reported, in an above the fold, front page, investigative piece. If you mean actually reported, then I would say that the MSM has not appropriately investigated Obama re: Ayers/Annenberg foundation; Reverend Wright, Rezko, Auchi, to name a few. Yes, the MSM has mentioned them, and then dismissed them without any further investigation. Meanwhile they are digging through dumpsters in Anchorage and rehashing Cindy McCain's drug problem. Spare me your sanctimonious liberal crap.

Just to prove how disconnected from reality you are:

Ayers - front page NYT - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/04/us/politics/04ayers.html

Ayers again - NYT - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/us/politics/17truth.html

Wright - NYT - http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/us/politics/30obama.html This article is over 2,500 words long.

Rezko - NYT - http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/14/us/politics/14rezko.html

Rezko - NYT - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/us/politics/02rezko.html

Auchi is connected to Rezko and normally comes up in those articles.

These are only a subset of the available articles. None of these are mere mentions buried some place.

I'm sure that you would find a similar record in the Washington Post, but I don't have time to do the research for you. But, I think its plain to see that you are wrong in your understanding of the coverage of Obama.


Are you seriously trying to say that the NYT has done real investigative, hard-hitting, critical or probing pieces on Obama's connections? The NYT is so in the bag for Obama it is ridiculous. Those pieces were a joke. Moreover, only two of the articles you cite are from the election year. The only recent ones you cite largely cover Rezko's conviction and the McCain campaign's use of the Ayers issue.

Try reading a real paper like the Wall Street Journal, rather than elitist liberal rags like the Post or the NYT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[
Try reading a real paper like the Wall Street Journal, rather than elitist liberal rags like the Post or the NYT.

Oh, excuse me. Have you *seen* the WSJ lately? Murdochization is all the rage over there. Go on click on a video. Read the Journal Women section, and then tell me this is a publication beyond all reproach.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obama's "fact-checking" website on Thursday: "Barack was never an ACORN trainer and never worked for ACORN in any other capacity." On Monday: "Ok, fine, he was, but they didn't pay him"

Yeah, Obama basically attended a meeting four years ago. They decided to call it "training". A community organizer meets with all kinds of people and groups. That's their job. Sitting in on another group's leadership meeting and offering a few words of advice is hardly what most people consider being a trainer. You have to get into some pretty deep semantics and hair-splitting to turn attending a meeting into being a trainer. But, if its all you got for this campaign, go for it.

Editing to add: It turns out that McCain has also attended ACORN events. So, maybe McCain was an ACORN trainer as well.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/Acorn_pushes_back_hugs_McCain.html

Here's the deal with ACORN. They are really annoying. And not very effective. They are not some wacko group trying to overthrow the government or get us all to wear tin foil hats so the government can't read our minds. But they are really annoying. And not very effective. So we don't have to fear for our safety if McCain or Obama has met them, shook hands with them, or even sat in one of their office chairs.

Did I mention annoying?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[
Try reading a real paper like the Wall Street Journal, rather than elitist liberal rags like the Post or the NYT.

First of all, I am not sure of your personal interpretation of elitist. But the educational and income demographics of the WSJ are not exactly Joe six pack.

Second, the WSJ has never done the real work that the Post or NYT have done to protect us by exposing corruption that could have undermined our freedoms. Generally all they expose is the latest merger. And they do a horrible disservice to the nation by cheerleading through each successive bubble, while equivalent publications such as the Economist have not.

Finally, WSJ has taken a horrible turn post-Murdoch. I have been a subscriber for nearly 20 years, and their editorial slant is showing up in everything and Waaay beyond the editorial page itself. Frankly, it is getting to be absurd. It's no wonder that the leadership there has bailed. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/22/business/media/22dow.html