ACORN

ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) is a non-profit organization that basically provides many people to cast their vote in the election, these people are people who do not have the resources to vote such as poor people, low income people, etc. In an article I read from the New York Times, Acorn states, " that it has paid more than 8,000 canvassers who have registered about 1.3 million new voters, many of them poor people and members of racial minorities."

ACORN is also known for there scandal. The Obama campaign gave ACORN 800,000 dollars and had told them to use the money to get more votes for Obama. Even though ACORN well supports Obama they didn't get the vote out, it was a waste of money. The votes that came back to them were pulled off as a joke from the voters and ACORN was put at blame.

In an article that read it talks about how republican voters can be at risk for identity theft. This was told to voters after only a few hours when a poll showed that Obama was in the lead. During the call it was highlighted from an Assosiated Press Report by the Republican National Committee Chief Counsel Sean Cairncross and Communications Director Danny Diaz, "That the nonprofit engaged in voter registration efforts, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now ("ACORN"), had hired seven former felons as employees." But why would ACORN hire former felons, criminals? They respond saying,

"ACORN employs a dedicated staff of hard working citizens from the communities which we serve.... As a rule, ACORN doesn't discriminate against former felons who have completed their sentence and served their debt to society. ACORN believes in second chances when earned."

During an Interview Diaz was asked if he can name or describe any cases were Identity Theft happened and he responded no that he cant name any.

Reid: "Can you cite any actual instances, because this is something we've heard in multiple cycles, can you cite any instances of people who were working for ACORN being convicted of identity theft?"
Diaz: "No, I can't tell you an instance of identity theft."

So is the ACORN scandal as big as it seems? Is it even a scandal?

I read that ACORN is not allowed to trash any fake voting forums that is left to the government to decide. Eventhough they are not allowed to do anything about the fake voting forums they still point out to the ones they think are fake.
Sources

1. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/opinion/17fri1.html?_r=2&scp=5&sq=acorn&st=cse&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
2. http://www.monkeywhale.com/blog/acorn-scandel/
3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/m.s.-bellows/gop-fear-tactic-register_b_131383.html
4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/acorn-voter-registration
5. http://www.newshoggers.com/blog/2008/10/the-acorn-scand.html