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Obama lawyer wants Justice to investigate ACORN leak

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor October 20, 2008 05:13 PM

The chief lawyer for Barack Obama's campaign urged Attorney General Michael Mukasey today to have the Justice Department's inspector general investigate whether Bush administration officials are coordinating with Republican John McCain's campaign over voter registration fraud allegations.

The lawyer, Robert Bauer, also asked Mukasey to "personally take steps" to make sure the department "is not misused for partisan purposes."

At issue is a leak last week that the FBI has joined several states in looking into ACORN, a community activist group that claims to have registered 1.3 million new voters. Some voter registration cards, however, were submitted with names of dead people or fictitious characters.

Bauer asked Mukasey on Friday to expand a special prosecutor's purview to include the ACORN matter. The prosecutor is investigating whether partisan politics influenced the firings of nine US attorneys, including at least one dismissed after Republican complaints he didn't aggressively pursue complaints against ACORN.

In the letter to Mukasey today, Bauer said that isn't enough because the prosecutor doesn't have jurisdiction over violations of department policy.

McCain spokesman Ben Porritt responded to Bauer, "The actions and letters by Barack Obama's attorney are a silly stunt that undercuts the validity of their own argument. Their bizarre efforts to criminalize political differences have been highlighted by Barack Obama’s efforts to build an intimidation brigade of Missouri prosecutors and sheriffs to 'target' people who criticize Sen. Obama and his troubling relationship with ACORN who is now under federal investigation. Our campaign will continue to raise serious issues of election fraud to guarantee that every American is ensured and honest and open election.”


Meanwhile, Republicans are continuing to warn against fraud by ACORN.

One outfitted in a big orange squirrel costume showed up today at a press conference on the steps of the Ohio State House where Governor Ted Strickland, Senator Sherrod Brown, and Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman complained that Ohio Republicans are trying to scare newly registered voters by filing numerous lawsuits that question their eligibility.

The squirrel, before being chased away by security, held up a sign that read, “Don’t Let Obama + Acorn Steal Ohio.”

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Next thing you know, OJ will have the Vegas PD investigated.

Posted by Greg Anderstein October 20, 08 03:37 PM
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Which leak? The one where Barack Obama's campaign donated over 85,000 to Acorn for "lighting and set-up) when it was actually for voter registration. Unfortunately, this makes Obama and the Obama Campaign part of the voter registration fraud going on nationwide, with Acorn.

Posted by Lindy October 20, 08 04:13 PM
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How hard is it to understand that when you have broke people and college students going out to register people, some of the cards they return with are going to be falsified. Hell - could have been some Republicans putting down names of their dearly departed just to mess with ACORN. That wouldn't surprise me at all.

The point is that those names didn't make the roles. If they did then we'd have a problem but if they were simply turned in and rejected then please, someone tell me, what the hell is the big deal?

Posted by anonymoose October 20, 08 04:19 PM
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Barack Obama’s connection to Bill Ayers is important, not because Ayers once bombed U.S. buildings, but because the relationship demonstrates Obama’s personal involvement in events that led directly to the current financial crisis. The Obama-Ayers-ACORN relationship also supported and advanced other activities that many people might describe as anti-American.

The root cause of the current financial crisis is, unquestionably, the result of Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s purchase of too many mortgages issued to people who could not afford them. The default rate among these mortgages is the precise reason why nearly a trillion (with a T) dollars has been taken from taxpayers to bail out the institutions that bought the bad mortgages.

Bill Ayers played a key role in putting Barack Obama in a position to directly contribute to the explosion of bad mortgages issued to people who could not afford them. A little background is necessary, to put the current situation in context.

Posted by acorn October 20, 08 04:21 PM
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Welcome to a telling insight about an Obama presidency. One that will squash any dissenting voice against Obama. One that will tear your reputation apart if you DARE axk THE ONE a question about his economic policies. One that will muzzle any conservative talk show host.

Obama will rank right up there with Castro, Chavez and Kim Jong-IL in their tactics to silence American's right to vote (see Employee Free Choice Act) and right to voice their opinion.

Mark my words.

Posted by barbara October 20, 08 04:35 PM
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Good God, Lindy. You do know that REGISTERING to vote does not mean you sign your vote away to one party, right?

That whole paragraph is ignorance at it's worst. The dumbing down of America indeed!

Posted by MsAmerica October 20, 08 04:37 PM
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All entities that do voter registration drives must turn in all registration cards, BY LAW! Acorn has committed no fraud and it will turn out they did the job they were asked to do and did themselves. This is a GOP attempt to obstruct our rights again. The GOP will always attempt to make themselves stay in power by any means possible. Just go ask the terroist G. Gordon Libby, who is a friend of McCain. McCain supports terrorists, racist evangilicals and Wall Street crooks

Posted by IndependentsforObama08 October 20, 08 04:46 PM
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barbara is right on target.

Your life will be a living hellll if Obama is elected. You will see the end of our freedom as Americans. You will not be able to voice one word against prez Obama as you will be called a RACIST. Look at what has happened so far in this campaign. ANYONE with a different opinion or who challenged Obama has been called a RACIST.

This is DISGUSTING. You FAR LEFT LIBERALS of the Democratic party should be ashamed of yourselves for pushing this inexperienced self-serving candidate on the rest of us. Shame on you.


Posted by PUMA October 20, 08 04:56 PM
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yea yea yea PUMA, you just wanted Hillary and are sad she lost, go cry me a river. The only people called a racist were the ones who made racist remarks. Sucker please give it a rest. When Obama is elected, We the American people will work hard to make sure the vision of a united America comes true. There will be no socialist regime, no dictatorship and no black supremacy. It will not come over night and it will take time, but we will get there. The economy will turn around and Obama will be a two term president, the best president since FDR.

Posted by IndependentsforObama08 October 20, 08 05:22 PM
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The only one trying to silence America's right to vote is the Republican Party.

Posted by Big AL October 20, 08 07:06 PM
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In running for President, Obama has had to leave his radical, social, and racist friends in Chicago. He has lurched from the far left into the center to pander votes.. He is even giving up cigarettes to improve his image. If Obama is elected, working Americans will become taxpayers to the world with the United Nations directing our funds( see his Global Poverty Act) Unions will dominate companies and workers' votes will be pointless(see his employee Free choice act). Most damning of all is his link to ACORN-an Alinskyan-group with a Socialism platform of perpetual revolution and class warfare. ACORN has destroyed our housing mkt thru CRA&GSEs. Healthcare is next on their agenda after they vote early&often.

Posted by Squirrels October 20, 08 11:22 PM
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"socialist regime, no dictatorship"

IndependentsforObama08 - just remember that FDR planted the seed for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with much of his stuff getting shot down by the judicial branch . History is repeating its self; An economic issue is afoot, people acting on fear, and are willing to give away freedoms and power to authority. Ohh ya and the economy did not return to normal until WWII. FDR was like Obama - never have read an econ book! You might like Obama now, but irrationally give away power, and who knows what the next guy might do with it!?

Posted by Paul October 21, 08 10:04 AM
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The only one trying to silence Americas right to vote are the idiot liberals who are trying to negate any votes for McCain by stuffing the ballot box with votes for their Socialist Messiah, Hussein Obama.

Posted by Fred October 21, 08 10:30 AM
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You Repudlitards know that you have to produce ID when you vote right? So if someone fills out a form for a dead person for example, they have to produce valid photo ID for the name... along with several other layers of security.

Don't think just because Bush got away with cheating on the votes in 2000 that we're going to let it happen again.

Posted by Republitards need a hug October 21, 08 07:40 PM
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