MSNBC Teams Up with ACORN, La Raza

Amanda Carpenter | October 22, 2008 1:07 PM

MSNBC has launched a news project with a variety of left-wing special interest groups to boost their Election Day coverage and help viewers experiencing problems at the polls.

One of the groups involved in MSNBC's "Election Protection" project is the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now. ACORN has been involved in rampant voter registration fraud across the nation this election cycle and is actively supporting Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama for president.

"Our partnership with Election Protection will play a major role in NBC News' 'Making Your Vote Count’ coverage, said Phil Alongi, Executive Producer of NBC News' Election Coverage in an Oct. 22 press release. "Not only will we be able to direct voters who are experiencing problems with a hotline to call, we will also have our team of reporters and producers follow-up on the information Election Protection is gathering."

When asked for comment about ACORN's role in the project MSNBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines wrote Townhall in an email "this a question for them, not us."

Most of the groups MSNBC wants their viewers to contact and shape their news coverage on Election Day have extreme liberal agendas ranging that focus on variety of issues including housing, gay rights, amnesty, environmental policies and labor.

The National Council of La Raza, U.S. Pirg, NAACP, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Law Association, Sierra Club and the Service Employees International Union are among Election Protection's

many partners.

ACORN is not listed as a partner on the Election Protection's main website, but is listed as a partner on a promotional flyer that is available on the website.

These groups actively lobby Congress to support liberal policies. Most of them are openly supporting Barack Obama and other Democrats in the November elections.

Election Protection claims to be non-partisan. None of their listed partner groups, however, lean conservative.

Daytime anchor David Shuster promoted the effort Wednesday by telling viewers, "NBC is making your vote count. If you have a question about voting or problems at the polls, our partners at Election Protection can help. They have trained volunteers available to answer your questions. Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE if you have a question or if you run into or see any problems."

Anchor Contessa Brewer has similarly hyped the project. The Election Project features a snippet of her telling viewers about the project on their website. She described MSNBC's relationship with Election Protection as an "exclusive partnership."