Friday, October 17, 2008

more on the ACORN non-story

AP fact checks the raging GOP "vitriol" over ACORN as fired US Attorney calls the issue a "scare tactic"

The GOP is using every trick its in worn out book to win this election. One of their usual gambits is to accuse our side of stealing elections. That especially rich since the Republicans are masters at voter suppression. But as John always says, they accuse us of doing what they do.

The Associated Press notes in its fact check titled, "GOP vitriol rages over community group," that while McCain is leading the charge, "in alleging voter fraud, McCain goes too far." The GOP's vitriol is completely over-the-top. They're trying desperately to turn this into something bigger. This "scandal" is about problems with voter registrations, not actual votes. There are systems in place in each state to prevent fraudulent votes. But, yesterday, we learned the FBI is playing along.

That's why one of the most important voices in this debate did an interview with Talking Points Memo -- former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias. He's actually a former U.S. Attorney because he was fired in the scandal that engulfed the Department of Justice last year (a story broken by the crew at TPM.) Iglesias was fired after intervention by U.S. Senator Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson. The reason is that he wouldn't investigate bogus voter fraud charges.

Iglesias sees the GOP using the same playbook this year:

David Iglesias says he's shocked by the news, leaked today to the Associated Press, that the FBI is pursuing a voter-fraud investigation into ACORN just weeks before the election.

"I'm astounded that this issue is being trotted out again," Iglesias told TPMmuckraker. "Based on what I saw in 2004 and 2006, it's a scare tactic." In 2006, Iglesias was fired as U.S. attorney thanks partly to his reluctance to pursue voter-fraud cases as aggressively as DOJ wanted -- one of several U.S. attorneys fired for inappropriate political reasons, according to a recently released report by DOJ's Office of the Inspector General.

Iglesias, who has been the most outspoken of the fired U.S. attorneys, went on to say that the FBI's investigation seemed designed to inappropriately create a "boogeyman" out of voter fraud.

Strong words from someone who knows. Let's review: McCain's claims go to far. A former GOP U.S. Attorney calls this a "scare tactic."

Bogus voter fraud accusations are standard operating procedure from the Republican party because those Republicans know the traditional media types can be easily played. As if on cue, the FBI investigation of ACORN was the lead story in the news segment of the TODAY Show this morning.

The traditional media completely missed the story on the fired U.S. Attorneys last year. This year, they are falling for the GOP's bogus voter fraud accusations that precipitated much of that scandal. The GOP's misplaced "vitriol" should be one clue. But, if any of the crack reporters on this story took a second to do some research, they'd see they've been wrongly led down this path before. Ask David Iglesias. Talking Points Memo did. Iglesias lived it -- and lost his job because of it.


(Americablog)