Danforth on ACORN: MSNBC 10/14/08

Sen. John Danforth on ACORN
"MSNBC Live" 1:06pm
Interview

TOPIC: Republican ties to ACORN

TRANSCRIPT: ANDREA MITCHELL: Let's talk about ACORN and the mixed record, the allegations that you have brought to light about ACORN and the Republican attempts to pigeonhole ACORN as a somewhat radical group. ACORN has had a long history of activism and is Chicago based, one of the things that has come to light is that John McCain and other Republicans have appeared at ACORN events as recently as 2006, so ACORN had bipartisan support at various stages.

SEN. JOHN DANFORTH: Andrea, we're talking about this election, the 2008 election, and what can we do going forward, to make this election honest and what can we do to make it open and fair? And ACORN has been engaged in activities which really are reprehensible they include, for example, registering to vote, or attempting to register the Dallas Cowboys football team in Nevada, or registering somebody called Jimmy Johns which is a Sandwich store, in Indiana, or the same person being registered 73 different times in Ohio, so there are real problems in the election o what Senator Rudman and I and our committee tried to do, is to reach out to the Obama campaign and say to them, "Look, both sides have or should have an interest in having a fair election, and if it comes Election Night and there's no clear winner, just a host of lawsuits and charges back and forth and one side feels that it's been cheated, or the ballot box has been stuffed, that is really a bad thing for our country. We think that in the next three weeks, that both campaigns can work together in a constructive way. We can do a lot to assure that American people that this campaign, this election is going to be fair.

[...]

ANDREA MITCHELL: [...]This is registration, this is not voting fraud, there are, in place procedures at every level to prevent people who have improperly registered from actually voting,

JOHN DANFORTH: I think that the distinction is more blurred than that, because when you overload the system with thousands, tens of thousands of names that are bogus, it makes it very difficult for the system to function on election day. Also, there's a particular problem with absentee voting, because absentee voters don't have to show a drivers' license or a card with their picture on it in order to vote, in some states, that kind of voter identification is not done. So it really is a real problem, already we've had at least one case in Ohio of somebody who has voted absentee who was not properly registered.

ANDREA MITCHELL: Now, I have a copy here of a letter, that the Obama campaign sent to you all back on September 23 [...] saying that, this is from David Plouffe, and what he says is that this is an attempt on your part, a political maneuver he claims to deflect attention from what they claim are Republican voter suppression strategies in various states. Are you aware of that? Are you going to take any action on that? Are you in communication with the Obama campaign [...]

JOHN DANFORTH: We are, I would say, desparately trying to be in communication with the Obama campaign, not with charges and counter charges, but we believe that constructive measures can be taken, by both campaigns on a cooperative basis to have a fair election. If the Obama campaign believes that there are problems, let's deal with those problems, I think there are ways to do it. We certainly believe, with ACORN, that there are very, very serious problems, and that they extend all over this country. And we've got to deal with them. There's still three weeks to go, we can operate constructively and I think we can operate in good faith, if the Obama people will come to the table with us.

LABEL: JD JM MSNBC 10-14-08 13.06 (LAD#10) Bb

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Danforth
• McCain
• Obama
• Republicans
• ACORN
• Voter
• suppression

[OregonPerspective]

This is registration fraud not voter fraud.

Even if Mickey Mouse is registered, Mickey won't show up to vote.

Even if someone submits 73 self-registrations, they still only get to vote once. To try to vote twice is a felony. It doesn't happen.

It's ACORN who has been defrauded in these cases, due to their sloppy practices. They've paid someone who has delivered bogus registrations.

It wastes the time and resources of ACORN and the government to remove these, but it's not voter fraud.

[iSAW7]

if you want some evidence take a look at the videos, they are all over youtube.

[infinit888]

Yes, yes there is also plenty of 'evidence' of aliens, ufo's, reptilian shape shifters and other conspiracies on youtube so I hope you'll understand that my standards are pretty 'high' compared to the average person that is willing to believe in just about anything.

But since there is so much on here care to pick out the most compelling?

[telekev1]

Let's get some balls and investigate Acorn top to bottom. This organization is currupt and clearly bent on dissmantling, if not overturning our government. And to think that Acorn was the training ground for the President of the United States. Our freedoms are in peril.

[Sigolet]

ACORN is trying to do to our electoral system what the Delta Force did to Waco.

You don't see a problem with that, filmjoyce?

[filmjoyce]

LOL, you're right!!!!!

[filmjoyce]

Danforth is a prick. He is talking about ACORN and Obama; yet even with evidence that a blind retard could understand as fact and truth regarding the fbi and Delta Force torching innocent men, women, and children in Waco douchebag Danforth saw nothing wrong. Burn in Hell Danforth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hanassi]

Close your eyes, listen to danforth and tell me its not lieberman!

[infinit888]

"We believe that with ACORN there are very, very serious problems"

You believe?! If you want to believe something go to your next church. I want evidence not your stupid talking point.

Man the MSM sure has a low standard.

[kucrush]

Andrea is a tool!

[UGOTDAJACK]

lol...Obama's gonna win, Obama's gonna win!