ACORN Launches New Site to Fight Smears

From Friday, Oct. 10 through Monday, Oct. 13, Fox News Channel mentioned ACORN an astounding 342 times.  This is by far the most attention ACORN has ever gotten from Fox, or any news outlet for that matter, and it has been unrelentingly negative, full of smears and accusations of ACORN's involvement in everything from destroying the world's economy to undermining elections here at home.  And on Oct. 15th, during the last Presidential debate, Senator McCain claimed that "ACORN is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy.".  Wow!

Needless to say, none of it is true. Far from it. As you know, ACORN has been at the forefront of the fight to end the kind of financial practices, called "predatory lending," that contributed to the world financial crisis. ACORN has also just completed a record-setting voter registration drive that helped 1.3 million low-income people, people of color, and young people register to vote.

In fact, that's why these attacks keep coming.  Conservatives in the Republican Party and the John McCain Campaign and their allies in the right-wing bamboozlement chorus are desperately afraid that the new voters ACORN has brought into the system will hold them accountable for their economic failures.

We know they won't stop.

But neither will we.

We've launched a fight-back center as part of our flagship website, ACORN.org, called The Real ACORN.  The purpose of The Real ACORN is to showcase ACORN's historic voter registration effort as well as its consistent presence as a voice for working families for 38 years.  Designed to highlight the efforts of ACORN members, leaders and staff to fight for the issues that matter most to families working hard to make ends meet, the section's centerpiece is entitled "The Truth About ACORN" to set the record straight on such topics as voter registration, "voter fraud," the financial crisis, federal funding and Sen. Barack Obama.

The Real ACORN also gives ACORN members, friends, and allies an opportunity to fight back against the smears through the fight back center called "Don't Let The Right-Wing Noise Machine Get Away With It."

"With so many smears and lies being spread on mainstream and internet media about ACORN, we thought it was necessary to give the facts," said ACORN National President Maude Hurd.  "ACORN members are proud of the fact that we helped register 1.3 million new voters, the largest voter registration drive in history.  Because of our success, we are now the target of those threatened by the empowerment of low-income and moderate-income Americans."

Topics in "The Truth About ACORN" section include:

• The Truth About ACORN's Voter Registration Drive
• The Truth About ACORN and the Financial Crisis
  
• The Truth About ACORN and Federal Funding
  
• The Truth About ACORN and Sen. Barack Obama
  

"ACORN is dedicated to making everyone's voice count in the vital public policy debates in our country," Hurd said.  "Helping citizens become active voters is a crucial part of our work to help build a fairer and more inclusive democracy.  We will continue this important work by encouraging every eligible voter to go the polls this November."

ACORN is the nation's largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families, with over 400,000 member families organized into 850 neighborhood chapters in 110 cities across the country.  Since 1970, ACORN has taken action and won victories on issues of concern to our members, including better housing for first-time homebuyers and tenants, living wages for low-wage workers, more investment in our communities from banks and governments, and better public schools.