Yes, that's McCain attending an ACORN event. The very same ACORN his campaign now rails against and is accusing of trying to "steal" the election for Obama:
Miami Dade College press release:
Miami, Florida – February 20, 2006 ― Leaders from a diverse array of sectors will hold a rally in Miami on Thursday, February 23, 2006, in support of comprehensive immigration reform in an effort to keep immigration reform at the forefront of the public debate. Leaders from both political parties, immigrant communities, labor, business, and religious organizations will gather to call on Washington to enact workable reform.
The rally will feature Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) as the headline speaker along with elected officials, immigrants and key local and national leaders. Sen. McCain is one of the chief sponsors of the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act; bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform legislation introduced last Congress and scheduled for consideration by the Senate in the coming weeks. A similar rally with Sen. McCain is planned for New York City on February 27
h/t Kos, who adds:
This campaign is one of a kind. Every time it settles on a line of attack, it always undermines it days later.
Republicans are trying to pretend ACORN is part of some grand Democratic conspiracy. What are they actually doing? Registering new voters - the horror, the horror.
Most hypocritically Republicans have been working with ACORN for years. Earlier today I posted a picture of John McCain at an ACORN rally. (Here is another one on the left.) According to a Miami-Dade Community College press release,
The rally will feature sponsors of the bill, prominent leaders representing various constituencies, and immigrants themselves. Sen. John McCain, chief co-sponsor of the legislation, will be the main speaker.” The release notes the event “is being sponsored by the New American Opportunity Campaign (NAOC), a coalition of local and national advocacy organizations, in partnership with ACORN.
And according to the Sun-Sentinel, McCain was the “principal speaker” at the “immigration reform town hall rally” organized by “the Archdiocese of Miami, the Florida Immigrant Coalition, ACORN, People for the American Way, and the Service Employees International.”
Why would McCain speak at such an event? Maybe because ACORN was backing his immigration bill. The ACORN website states,
"Fortunately, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) have introduced a good immigration reform bill, the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act (S. 1033).” ACORN “strongly supports this bill and will work hard to make it become law.”
John McCain Wasn't alone among Republicans who have worked with ACORN. Texas Governor Rick Perry worked closely with the group.
According to the Houston Chronicle,
the Houston chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, has raised its profile and earned the respect of local officials.” The article notes, “the group's proudest moment came last week when Gov. Rick Perry signed a bill that makes important changes in the use of contracts-for-deed, a form of home lending that withholds a title from buyers until they have fully paid their loan.
Florida Governor Charlie Crist? He wasn't "bothered’ by ACORN FL registration efforts and even signed a voting rights bill promoted by ACORN. According to the Orlando Sentinel,
Both Gov. Charlie Crist and Secretary of State Kurt Browning have said they don’t mind ACORN being active in Florida’s election process. When reporters asked Crist if there was a problem with ACORN here, he said, ‘No.’
The New York Times reported, ACORN supported a law signed by Governor Crist which,
changed the rules last year to restore the voting rights of about 112,000 former convicts.
And according to Governor Crist's own website, Laura Goodhue, ACORN’s Florida policy director, and Travis Munnerlyn, an ACORN member, contributed to the agenda and presented for the Governor’s “H.O.P.E.” task force.
Chris Shays? He supports ACORN too. Shays put out a press release stating,
Congressman Christopher Shays (R-CT) today announced the availability of free tax assistance for low- and moderate-income residents of Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford.
ACORN is among the centers recommended by Shays.
Michael Bloomberg? He kissed ACORN’s New York leader while announcing an affordable housing plan. The scandalous moment was caught on film.
What was all the excitement about? According to the July 1, 2005 edition of City Limits,
Bloomberg finally made good on a decades-old promise to include affordable housing in the development--though, as Alyssa Katz reports, it took an army of organizers to get there. The real prize for the mayor graces our cover: a warm smooch from ACORN's Bertha Lewis for his modest plan to protect or create 65,000 affordable units.
And when Bloomberg visited New Orleans, the Times-Picayune notes the
only time on his schedule when the public can see him will be at the 10:30 a.m. dedication of the ACORN Community Center at 1024 Elysian Fields Ave.
Arnold Schwarzenegger? According to the San Francisco Chronicle on 7/9/08, Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB1137,
a bill designed to help California homeowners avoid foreclosure.” He was joined by “members of community group ACORN, which helped draft the measure.
And the Mercury News reported the
governor signed three copies of SB 1137, giving one to Perata, one to Dellums and one to a beaming Dorothy Hicks, an east Oakland resident and Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) activist.
Senator Mel Martinez even awarded a grant to ACORN:
According to the Times-Picayune on 10/3/03 the,
U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez recently announced that his agency has awarded grants to Xavier and Tulane universities as well as ACORN and the city of New Orleans. The money will be spent to remove lead, educate the public about the dangers of lead-based paint and support research.
Tim Pawlenty sign into law a bill partially drafted by ACORN. According to the Northwestern Financial Review,
The legislature passed two bills designed to help home-buyers get a fair deal on their mortgages. Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed the first bill April 20 and was set to sign the second bill as this issue goes to press.” The article notes, “The legislation was drafted according to recommendations made by a predatory lending study group established by Swanson prior to the legislative session. The study group contained representatives from the banking industry and the mortgage brokers association, as well as consumer advocates from organizations such as Illegal Aid and ACORN.
Even Mitt signed into law a bill supported by ACORN. According to the South Coast Today, Governor Mitt Romney signed a law that “cracked down on the practice of ‘loan flipping.’” The article notes state legislator John Quinn, who authored the bill, held “nearly two-years-plus of hearings and meetings” with ACORN and that ACORN supported the final bill.
And of course Joe Lieberman has met with ACORN. According to the Washington Daybook on 02/09/06, Joe Lieberman met with members of the ACORN Katrina Survivors Association.
McCain Hearts ACORN — Before He Hated ACORNBy: Jane Hamsher Monday October 13, 2008 10:54 am |
Ben Smith has a photo of McCain at an ACORN event he headlined in 2006, smiling like the "I'll say anything to anyone for a vote" suckup he is.
Meanwhile, the anti-ACORN juggernaut that seeks to delegitimize the election and/or drive John McCain into the White House is operating at full speed. Replete with fact-free wingnutiness such as this:
All across America reports are coming in of obvious voter fraud. While election offices have been flooded with new registrants, even a cursory review is finding rampant fraud.
There is not one example of voter fraud in the ACORN case. Not. One. Single. Example. It isn't voter fraud until someone votes. That is a pretty simple distinction, but one that many seem incapable of grasping. In an election that will largely be determined by votes cast by people of color, the wingnuts just can't wrap their heads around the fact that this could legitimately happen in the United States of America. Thus inconvenient facts must be shoehorned to fit into an extremely emotional narrative.
Likewise on Lou Dobbs, which has largely become disinformation central in the matter, Tim Griffin appeared to push more ridiculous claims about ACORN. And during the show, Dobbs had "election fraud" running across the chyron.
Neither Griffin, Dobbs or any of the other dithering idiots on the right have bothered to explain how, if some drunken frat boy shows up and registers to vote as Clark Kent, it's going to result in a "stolen election."
A handful of people could feasibly submit 2100 non-legitimate registration forms out of a desire to get paid an hourly wage without actually doing the work. On the other hand, finding and mobilizing 2100 people to vote fraudulently would be a massive organizational task requiring the work of many.
Occam's razor, people.
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