Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate in the NY-23 election, is going further in revoking his election-night concession to Democrat Bill Owens -- who was sworn into office a few days later -- and alleging that ACORN has attempted to steal the election!
In a new letter to his supporters, Hoffman boasts of how the margin in the race has narrowed as the counties have corrected clerical errors in the totals -- which happen routinely in every election, as local officials have said -- and absentee ballots are counted. Hoffman says the situation is an obvious ACORN conspiracy:
I'm sure you are as dismayed as I am to learn of the mischief that took place in Oswego and neighboring counties. We know this would not be the first time for the ACORN faithful to tamper with democracy.
...
Oswego County elections officials blame the mistakes on "chaos" in their call-in center that included a phone system foul-up, and on inspectors who read numbers incorrectly when phoning in results. This sounds like a tactic right from the ACORN playbook.
As of yesterday evening's totals, Hoffman trailed by 2,832 votes, with 4,262 absentees left to be counted. It looks like no matter what the final result is, Hoffman and his allies will charge that this election was stolen by the ACORN bogeyman.
The full letter is available after the jump. It makes for interesting reading.
Stop Another Stolen Election!
Dear Fellow Conservative,
As evidence surfaces, we find out that reported results from election night were far from accurate. ACORN and the unions did their best to try and sway the results to Obamacare supporter Bill Owens.
I was forced to concede after receiving two pieces of grim news - - down 5,335 votes with 93 percent of the vote counted on election night - and barely won my stronghold in Oswego County.
On Election Night, the information we received was far different from what we received this week!
Rest assured, they will not succeed, and I am therefore revoking my statement of concession.
That is why I am writing you today. Recent developments leave me to wonder who is scheming behind closed doors, twisting arms and stealing elections from the voters of NY-23.
I'm sure you are as dismayed as I am to learn of the mischief that took place in Oswego and neighboring counties. We know this would not be the first time for the ACORN faithful to tamper with democracy.
Now it's time to actually count every legal ballot and I need your help to ensure the people of NY-23 get the Congressman THEY ELECTED. Please donate now to help me ensure every vote is counted!
A recanvassing in the 11-county district shows Owens' lead has narrowed to 3,026.In Oswego County, I was reported to lead by only 500 votes with 93 percent of the vote counted election night, but inspectors found I actually won by 1,748 votes
Let's force them keep this recanvassing active! Let's give this election a chance to end differently!
Oswego County elections officials blame the mistakes on "chaos" in their call-in center that included a phone system foul-up, and on inspectors who read numbers incorrectly when phoning in results. This sounds like a tactic right from the ACORN playbook.
The district's second biggest voter turnout was in Jefferson County, where I had also benefited from a turnaround since election night, gaining another 700 votes. Owens led by 300 votes on the final election night tally, but after recanvassing, I'm now leading by 424 votes.
Jerry Eaton, the Republican elections commissioner for Jefferson County, said inspectors found a problem in four districts where my vote total was mistakenly entered as zero.
The new vote totals mean the race will be decided by absentee ballots, of which the state Board of Elections distributed about 10,200.
The people of NY-23 deserve to have their ballots counted properly, but we can't let ACORN or the unions keep that from happening. They have more lawyers and more experience tampering with democracy.
State Board of Elections Communications Director John Conklin said the state sent a letter to the House Clerk last week explaining that no winner had been determined in the 23rd District.
Now it's time to actually count every legal ballot and I need your help to ensure the people of NY-23 get the Congressman THEY ELECTED. Please donate now to help me ensure every vote is counted!
We need to make sure that fair elections are a reality in NY-23, just like our Founding Fathers envisioned. So long as we remain the "land of the free," we MUST ensure every vote is counted.
Help us today so we may be the first of many conservative victories during the Obama Regime.
Yours in Freedom,
Doug Hoffman
P.S. I ran a different kind of campaign, one where Conservatives, Republicans, Libertarians, Tea Party and 9/12 activists rallied around. ACORN, the unions and Democratic Party were scared, and that's why they tampered with the ballots of voters in NY-23. Will you please contribute today so we can show them that fair elections are the Will of the People? Thank you.

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Rich in NJ
November 19, 2009 10:41 AM
Invoking ACORN is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
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JEP07
November 19, 2009 11:24 AM in reply to Rich in NJ
"Please donate now to help me ensure every vote is counted!"
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AhTrini1
November 19, 2009 12:57 PM in reply to Rich in NJ
LMAO
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jenesq
November 19, 2009 10:43 AM
Good God, what is it with the teabagger fixation on ACORN? I had hardly even heard of the organization until the wingnut freakout started. They're like the all-purpose bogeyman. It's incredibly irrational even for teabaggers. Those folks are some special brand of crazy, for sure.
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RichM
November 19, 2009 10:51 AM in reply to jenesq
ACORN helps poor people and takes a few (very few) dollars from the Federal government to do so. It is therefore evil.
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CityGuy
November 19, 2009 11:00 AM in reply to RichM
Exactly. That also makes ACORN the perfect patsy when the Rethugs feel they need one.
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lyleleander
November 19, 2009 11:30 AM in reply to jenesq
"Good God, what is it with the teabagger fixation on ACORN?"
Well, you can't say 'The NIGGERS stole the election!' anymore and be politically viable, so 'ACORN stole the election!' suffices, and has since the start of Obama's presidential campaign.
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FelixCulpa
November 19, 2009 12:38 PM in reply to lyleleander
Bingo.
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jeaton
November 19, 2009 1:05 PM in reply to lyleleander
Iyleleander nails it!
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slb
November 19, 2009 6:33 PM in reply to lyleleander
You got it.
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barrelhse
November 19, 2009 4:28 PM in reply to jenesq
My thoughts, precisely.
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lousgirl84
November 19, 2009 10:44 AM
Oh my my! ACORN in thar district? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahhaahhahahahah
This guy is as crazy as those crazy looking eyes.
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GTFOOH
November 19, 2009 10:44 AM
Oh please...Why not just declare Owens wasn't born in this country?
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agio
November 19, 2009 10:45 AM
I don't think he really believes this for a minute. This is all about one thing:
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jsfox
November 19, 2009 10:46 AM
When all else fails go searching for magical ACORNS
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TBender
November 19, 2009 10:46 AM
Old slogan: Conservatism doesn't fail, it is failed.
New slogan: Conservatism doesn't fail, it is hijacked by ACORN.
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theWalrus
November 19, 2009 10:46 AM
I guess we'll be hearing from Ben Ginsburg next. Oh, joy!
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colbito
November 19, 2009 10:59 AM
The guy may be a nutjob, but really does ANYONE trust elections, those crappy machines and their horrible programming and design?
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FreeRider
November 19, 2009 11:07 AM in reply to colbito
ACORN controls the voting machines?
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jenesq
November 19, 2009 2:55 PM in reply to colbito
Yes, I do, at least where I live. The bipartisan election officials really bust their butts to make sure everything is accurate, and both types of machines leave a paper trail.
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Schmed- ley
November 19, 2009 11:05 AM
Oh no!!! Return of The Yellow Toothed Scumbagger!!!
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ericf
November 19, 2009 11:07 AM
"Oswego County elections officials blame the mistakes on "chaos" in their call-in center that included a phone system foul-up, and on inspectors who read numbers incorrectly when phoning in results. This sounds like a tactic right from the ACORN playbook."
No, it sounds like every election there has ever been. Tired officials at the end of election night always make tallying errors. Phone reports are always dodgy. That's why recanvassing happens immediately after every election. I suppose asking election officials, any election officials anywhere would be too much to ask before making baseless charges.
Every time conservatives sneeze, they claim ACORN is trying to give them a cold.
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Prefabfan
November 19, 2009 11:17 AM
Is there someone or some way to counter this ridiculous BS??
How does he have the gall to take specualtion and turn it into a conspiracy theory? AND who will speak up in opposition? Where is owens?
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TBender
November 19, 2009 11:23 AM in reply to Prefabfan
There is, but no one pays such close attention to ultra-left or ultra-right voting districts.
If they did, they'd see the same issues. But there's no newsworthiness to watching a 65%-35% Election Night return get corrected to a 63%-37% return.
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JEP07
November 19, 2009 11:21 AM
So, what's it all about?
"Please donate now to help me ensure every vote is counted!"
Say the word "ACORN" with a sneer and the wingnuts will send you big bucks. Hoffman's cashing in on the acorn urban myth.
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JEP07
November 19, 2009 11:23 AM in reply to JEP07
The 'bagger fomenters and the Faux Newsboys will slobber all over this bone.
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VivaAmerica!
November 19, 2009 11:24 AM
Verb, noun, ACORN.
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rubyxyz
November 19, 2009 11:24 AM
Crazy, lying POS.
If he's looking for scapegoats to blame for his loss, he should check out the GOP machine in that district - the one whose candidate he forced out. Think they may have had the means and motives to screw with this interloper?
Crazy, lying, stupid POS.
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eratosthenes8
November 19, 2009 11:25 AM
I hate to borrow from Oliver Stone's JFK...but when I look at right wing politics today, it really does seem like we're through the looking glass. Am I the only one who feels this way?
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BillMcD
November 19, 2009 11:26 AM
That is why I am writing you today. Recent developments leave me to wonder who is scheming behind closed doors, twisting arms and stealing elections from the voters of NY-23.
Poor Doug, failed by his proofreader... he meant to "wonder who else is scheming behind closed doors"
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EdA
November 19, 2009 11:29 AM
How sadly amusing -- for a pseudo-conservative to talk about a purported stolen election and tampering with democracy.
Bluntly, with that many absentee ballots out, there was no real need for Hoffman to concede in the first place (although I'm glad he did so that Cong. Owens could move on with addressing the nation's and his district's needs).
I guess to a Republican or teabagger, ACORN has the mystical powers to disrupt voting machines controlled by Republican election commissioners similar to those that enable alleged terrorists to instantly escape supermax prisons on the U.S. mainland.
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WaitWut?
November 19, 2009 11:29 AM
Oh...come...on.
With all this crap going on about this “Psalm whatever” I’ve had it with the fear-mongering and paranoia. All of these freaks need to shut up. It’s irresponsible to be propagating this type of crap just for your own agenda. They’re either clueless to the damage they’re doing to their followers and this country or really don’t give a crap. I’m shocked at the misinformation that FRIENDS of mine believe because of what idiots like Hoffman, the FOX crew and others spew. Thankfully, people I call “friend” are normally intelligent and easy to talk to. A few have turned completely around, others have at least begun to fact check anything they hear. Two close friends are in a militia here in Arizona and are now semi-defenders of our President. These are the same two friends that were calling me “comrade” for the past year. They’re sick of being lied to and, despite their fear of socialism, know that our country is NOT seriously headed in that direction. Even better? They admit to being racist, but condemn those who use race as a reason for violence or to hate our President.
It’s all about listening to what someone has to say, doubting them and then checking their facts. It doesn’t mean you have to change parties, it just means you have to doubt everything you hear.
Sorry for the rant, everyone. I’m just disgusted. Told a friend of mine that I’m starting a “Liberal Militia”. Yep. Gonna take up our weapons (information) and protect our Constitution and our country from FRIGGIN MORONS! (See above where I say I live in Arizona. Yeah...)
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biged242
November 19, 2009 11:31 AM
Oh no!
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Andreams
November 19, 2009 12:00 PM
Let's see; he writes a letter about all the errors that the election officials are correcting and then he blames Acorn and wants donations. Does that mean he's going to give Acorn and the officials a bonus?
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Jesse Livermore
November 19, 2009 12:07 PM
Remember when Franken gained in the Minnesota recount and that was Acorn's fault too?
http://www.wiserthanthecrowd.com/2009/11/more-acorn-paranoia.html
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km
November 19, 2009 12:10 PM
They are going to try to win this election through the courts. This is just the early spadwork for a court case.
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lets vote already
November 19, 2009 12:14 PM
This man is about to ensure that he will never win any election, ever, anywhere.
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candideyam
November 19, 2009 12:22 PM
When will America realize that Acorn is History's Greatest Monster?
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Dilirius
November 19, 2009 1:05 PM
But Owens WON ON ELECTION NIGHT!!!!!!!
Now Hoffman is trying to steal an election that Owens WON ON ELECTION NIGHT!
It is absolute corruption to try to use a recount process to overturn an election that Owens WON ON ELECTION NIGHT!
How could vote totals change so radically from ELECTION NIGHT WHEN OWENS WON!!!!!!!
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Peter Principle
November 19, 2009 1:05 PM
What I don't understand is the fact that these guys believe God is on their side, but their God isn't even powerful enough to rig an upstate NY congressional race, while ACORN is?
Seems to me they need to reconsider their theology -- or at least which side they're on.
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Dilirius
November 19, 2009 1:10 PM
How is it possible that Hoffman gained votes in a county controlled by his own party AFTER OWENS WON ON FAIR AND SQUARE ON ELECTION NIGHT if there is no corruption going on with GOP-controlled vote counters in Oswego!!!
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Dilirius
November 19, 2009 1:11 PM
Didn't you know that ACORN is really code for CORAN (aka, KORAN)!!!!!!
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TBender
November 19, 2009 2:01 PM in reply to Dilirius
This needs to be handed to Beck. Stat.
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mmanion
November 19, 2009 1:41 PM
Shouldn't there be some obligation to prove these allegations? I cannot understand why right-wingers are allowed to undermine the entire electoral process with baseless claims swallowed whole by their gullible base. It's not just individual elections they compromise--it is the whole notion of democratic elections period, as demonstrated by the poll that showed majority of Republicans believe ACORN stole the 2008 election for Obama. This is serious stuff--in fact, the stuff of anarchy.
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LarryMo
November 19, 2009 2:46 PM
It would seem to me that defaming local officials and claiming that they are "stealing" an election would be slander.
Lawsuit stuff, ya know?
And since the folks behind the scenes with the election are most likely from accross the political spectrum, calling ALL of them crooks might not be the smartest way to gain momentum or donations.
Just sayin.
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tomsawyer2
November 19, 2009 5:05 PM
The sad reality is that ACORN registered nearly 2 million new voters for the 2008 election. Probably 90% of those voted and 90% of those who voted voted Democrat. Yet the Congress, including most Democrats, has voted to put ACORN out of business. They have passed a funding bill that cuts ACORN and all "allied organizations" out of ALL Federal funding. Since Acorn's main source of funding is various federal grants and contracts, this funding cutoff may drive it into bankruptcy. Any organnization that has dealings with Acorn may be named as an "allied organization." Obama signed the bill without any protest, even though a similar bill that cut off funding for some "subversive" bureaucrats back during WWII drew a strong signing statement from FDR condemning it as unconstitutional. Amazingly, the "liberal media" has done and said nothing about this travesty, nor do I see anything about it on TPM, DailyKos, etc. ACORN has filed a lawsuit in the Eastern District of NY attacking the constitutionality of the legislation, but Holder's DOJ is in court opposing that suit. So, once again, the spineless Democrats are unwilling to stand up for their allies. In fact, they helped the Republicans shove in the dagger.
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Nancy Irving
November 20, 2009 2:13 AM
"...margin in the race has narrowed as...absentee ballots are counted..."
Hm, the last I heard, GOPers were complaining that ACORN was stealing the absentee vote. If that's so, how could more absentee votes' being counted result in MORE votes for Hoffman?
If I didn't know better, I'd say that what the GOPers are saying just doesn't make sense, ROTF...
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