Obama Wants DOJ to Silence McCain-Palin on ACORN

Amanda Carpenter | October 20, 2008 4:30 PM

Remember when Barack Obama used his campaign lawyers to petition the Department of Justice to shut down the American Issues Project when it created an ad about William Ayers?

Obama's complaint didn't go anywhere, but he's at it again. This time Obama's trying to use his influence as a presidential candidate and U.S. Senator to convince the DOJ to shut down those who are criticizing ACORN.

Obama for America General Counsel Bob Bauer wrote a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasy last Friday asking Mukasy to launch an investigation against John McCain, Sarah Palin and their campaign surrogates.

Why? Because Obama is upset the GOP is drawing attention to ACORN's fraudulent voter registration activities. Bauer said members of the GOP are "fomenting specious vote fraud allegations, and there are distorting indications of official involvement or collusion."

Bauer's 7-page letter specifically accuses McCain, Palin and Republican Sens. George Voinovich, John Cornyn and Reps. Michele Bachmann, Roy Blunt and Paul Ryan of engaging in “politically-motivated efforts to influence the Department's investigative and prosecutorial efforts.”

The Heritage Foundation's Conn Carroll says this gives a "good preview of what an Obama Department of Justice would look like." Scary.

Update: Obama's lawyer might have to expand his list of Republicans to target. A few more just jumped on the anti-ACORN train.

All nine Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, including Ranking Member Arlen Specter, demanded Democratic Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy investigate ACORN “widespread, systematic voter registration fraud” in a letter to the Chairman today.