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Republicans: Obama tied to group accused in voter fraud

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

October 11, 2008

Accusations of voter fraud have hurled a giant mud ball into an already messy presidential campaign, with Republicans alleging that Democrat Barack Obama has close ties to an activist group accused of compiling fake registration forms, including ones for the starting lineup of the Dallas Cowboys - submitted in Nevada.

Rick Davis, the campaign manager for Republican candidate John McCain, told reporters in a telephone conference call Friday that Obama's connections to The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, known as ACORN, should be investigated. The group says it has signed up 1.3 million poor and working-class voters in a mass registration drive in 18 states this year.

Some registration cards have become the focus of fraud investigations in Nevada, Connecticut, Missouri and at least five other states. State investigators this week raided ACORN's Las Vegas headquarters, seizing documents and computer data as part of a probe into scores of fabricated registration forms, including those signed in the names of Dallas professional football players.

Suffolk County election officials say ACORN brought in 66 voter registration forms this week. Officials emphasized that the paperwork is carefully checked by Social Security numbers and other factors.

Nassau election officials didn't return calls.

Two hours after the McCain campaign teleconference Friday, ACORN held one of its own and accused Republicans of dirty politics and of trying to keep less fortunate voters, who tend to be Democrats, from polls.

"If you can't stop the 1.3 million people from getting on the rolls, at least shoot the messenger," said ACORN spokesman Brian Kettenring. "There is absolutely no doubt in our minds that the attention being paid by the right is tremendously disproportionate to the problem."

McCain, trailing Obama in recent polls, called Thursday for a federal investigation of ACORN during a campaign rally. The Republican National Committee has accused the organization of deliberately forging registration cards and called the community group "quasi-criminal."

In 1995, Obama and two other lawyers represented ACORN in a lawsuit against Illinois to make voter registration easier. During this year's primary, Obama hired a firm with ties to the group for a massive get-out-the-vote effort.