(CNN) - Embattled community organizing group ACORN is taking the offensive with a new ad targeting Sen. John McCain and the Republican Party, accusing the GOP presidential nominee and his party of attempting to intimidate voters.
The new ad, entitled “Not This Time,” is shot in black-and-white and features an African-American man who ages before viewers’ eyes. “It happened to him in 1960, 1965, and again in 2000. He was intimidated so he wouldn’t vote,” an announcer says as a traditional Southern hymn plays. “Tell John McCain: not this time,” the announcer says as the ad ends, and the phone number of McCain’s Capitol Hill Senate office appears on screen.
“Senator McCain needs to instruct his operatives and supporters to cease and desist. Nothing is more important to the fabric of our democracy than protecting the rights of American voters,” said Steve Kest, ACORN’s executive director, at a Wednesday press conference where the ad was released.
In a statement issued Wednesday about lawsuits recently filed in New Mexico, Sean Cairncross, the Republican National Committee’s Chief Counsel, said the only voter suppression has been that directed at false voter registrations.
The McCain campaign also swiftly responded to the allegations of suppression in the new ad. “I am not sure how any allegation relating to what might have happened 48 years ago has any relevance to the McCain campaign,” former GOP senator John Danforth, the co-chair of the McCain campaign’s Honest and Open Election Committee, said on a conference call with reporters. “Our response is that any kind of intimidation or suppression is illegal, it’s reprehensible, it is condemned by the McCain campaign, it has been condemned specifically by Sen. McCain himself.”
ACORN says the new ad will air 48 times on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News Channel in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. The group said it is hoping to raise enough money to continue to air the ad through Election Day.
From CNN Politics
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To Don:
Go read an article on harper maz. You will get the gist you want.
McCain camp says there's no relevance to what happened 48 years ago. Haven't they been living in the past all this time? All they have emphasized in this campaign has been about the past and nothing about the future. And now they are complaining about the past that they invented.
I truly believe the Republicans are going to try to steal this election. NOT THIS TIME!!!!!
McCain-Palin are running a shameful, dishonorable campaign..and to suppress or disenfranchise voters and voices is unpatriotic...especially for a decorated vet/POW with scars to prove it..WHAT HAPPENDED TO COUNTRY FIRST?? From the Ted Stevens to unethical fraud Palin to GOP clothing sprees, voters have a choice: continue the culture of corruption or fundamental change and hope....it's a no-brainer.
The Republicans are shown as being extreme in their views of America – a view that's segregationist like the 1950s.It seems to be a party of white people, not as diverse as the Dems.It somehow reminds me of some films of Germany of the 1930's where Jews were blamed for all that was not going well for the country after its world war 1 defeat in the hands of the U.S and its allies.
The world has changed since then, some segments of the american society seems to have slept through it al!, wake up I say! this is 21st century!
God bless Israel, God bless America!
Yes, we can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes the law "as is" clearly states VOTER FRAUD + REGISTRATION are felonies. These laws have been on the books for many years.
The only reason the GOP is so up in arms is due to the overwhelming number of NEW voter registrations that are raised in predominate poor and minority areas.
It is just a numbers game and staffers are trying to meet quotas. If they get caught obviously they will be punished regardless of political affiliation.
I think it is important to get the word out that ACORN did not attempt to perpetrate voter fraud.. They are required BY LAW to turn in any applications that they receive. Fraud was perpetrated against them by a few of their hired workers. ACORN brought this to the attention of law enforcement. Those workers are being punished by our legal system. The "voter fraud" of the Republican campaign is yet another scare tactic to keep people away from the polls because the RNC fears that "those" people might not share RNC views.
Hey bab check out minority neighbourhood polling and see how slow the lines are moving also see how frequently the voting machines are down compared to white affluent neighbourhood then you will get it
Why is McStupid wasting money on ads to contest another ad by ACORN? He is a complete idiot – that could have been an ad to get him more votes. OOPs, forgot – the majority has made up their minds. Sorry John, go ahead and spend your public funds on studid ads – LOSER!
Our tax dollars at work. ACORN gets money from our taxes, and this is the rubbish they put out. Go McCain
McCain accuses Obama with "palling around" with college professors.
Obama accuses McCain of "palling around" with Bush.
Hmmmm..... gotta go with Obama on this one.
This is for "Preco", Barb, and henriettap.
It has been proven that the first step to addressing a problem is acknowledging that the problem exist...
Do you find it interesting that those guilty of racism are the first to get defensive? It's like trying to help an alcoholic ... they first response is adamant denial....
Get some help people... A CHANGE IS COMING!!!
I'm not upset that mccain is so bitter. He has been treated like an outsider by his own party for years. In 2000 bush made him out to be a bitter old man living off his past military achievements....ooops
He group up as a navy brat, an admirals son. He had everything given to him. Then he was captured by the enemy and told all the US secrets so he could survive. Now he feels he needs to throw America under the bus again so he can win the presidency and 1 up his daddy and grandpa. Making up lies about Obama is nothing to this guy. Look what he did to his wife who waited by the window for his return from war.
I'm 100% behind ACORN's efforts to register voters and overall I think they've done an outstanding job, but for those few that screwed up and broke the law, there should be consequences. Just because the agency is doing a great job doesn't mean they shouldn't hold their staff accountable and accept the responsibility for the discrepancies to the degree that they exist.
Now, that said, I'm less concerned about registration fraud than I am about either potential voter fraud or pure out voter suppression. Those are much bigger issues and that's where the effort at analysis needs to be placed.
The GOP is sending out flyers to African American neighborhoods which state that there will be policemen arresting people with outstanding tracffic tickets at voting places.
This is another dirty attempt by the GOP to suppress people from voting.
Who are these people??
Don't get too cocky, Dems. We still have a lot of work to do. Remember Barack is fighting against Republicans and he's also fighting against ignorance and lies.
Obama/Biden 08
loved the add. NOT THIS TIME GOP, NOT THIS TIME.
GOP wants to divide us and rule. NOT THIS TIME.
WE ARE A UNITED NATION.
GOP, PLS GO EDUCATE YOUR PARTY's VICE PRESIDENT NOMINEE.
Under a week to go. tick tick tick .... kaboom! Goodbye John boy and Sarah! Your lies have been shot down again.
I think the fat lady should start singing and Malia and Sasha Obama should start picking out what dog they want for the White House. I suggest a beagle, but the choice is theirs.
Obama/Biden 08
I suppor this ad, but why is it being shown in those locations? Those are not the battleground locations. They need this ad in places like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, etc. That ad does no good in the locations they specified. This ad is useless unless the targeted audience sees it.
This is a great ad. Are you sure the Republicans didn't put it together? Acorn has been proven to be a joke. They are under investigation in 14 states and have registered hundreds of thousand fraudulant voter registration cards. Please run the ad, make people think about the fraud before they vote.
Pull the lever for McCain, it's the right thing to do for our country.
I am so glad someone finally had the guts to say it for real wheather in a political ad or what have you.
NOT THIS TIME GOP!!!!!
Pull all federal funding for these idiots now.
Went to early vote in Savannah, GA today.. huge turnout......... I guess the people are saying not this time..................... tell McCain to turn up his miracle ear....