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ARLINGTON, VA, October 21 /Standard Newswire/ -- Today, McCain-Palin 2008 campaign spokesman Ben Porritt released the following statement:

"By the time Barack Obama ran for the U.S. Senate, he had grown so close to ACORN that they were characterized as 'old friends.' In fact, when Obama first ran for the Illinois state senate, the head of ACORN in Chicago said it was 'natural' for ACORN employees to work on his campaign. Given ACORN's unlawful involvement in the presidential election, the American people deserve an honest and forthright explanation from Obama about the true nature of his relationship with the group."

The Facts

· Obama Trained ACORN Staff

· Obama Was ACORN's Lawyer

· According To Chicago ACORN Leader, Toni Foulkes, Obama Worked With ACORN So Closely That, "By The Time He Ran For U.S. Senate, We Were Old Friends."

· Obama Taught "Classes For Future Leaders Identified By ACORN"

Obama Was ACORN'S Lawyer

Obama Represented ACORN In A Lawsuit. "The latest wave of ACORN investigations has provided Republicans with both an opening to assail an old foe, and a new line of criticism to use against the Democratic presidential nominee, who represented ACORN in a lawsuit in the 1990s." (Alexander Burns, "ACORN Gives GOP New Line Of Attack," Politico, 10/11/08)

· Obama Admits To Being ACORN's Lawyer. "Obama called the allegations 'a distraction' and said as a lawyer he had represented ACORN in a 1990s lawsuit." ("Obama: ACORN 'Not Advising' Campaign," United Press International, 10/15/08)

Obama Trained ACORN Staff. "At the time, Talbot worked at the social action group ACORN and initially considered Obama a competitor. But she became so impressed with his work that she invited him to help train her staff." (Letta Tayler and Keith Herbert, "Obama Forged Path As Chicago Community Organizer," Los Angeles Times, 3/2/08)

According To Chicago ACORN Leader, Toni Foulkes, Obama Worked With ACORN So Closely That, "By The Time He Ran For U.S. Senate, We Were Old Friends." "Since then, we have invited Obama to our leadership training sessions to run the session on power every year, and, as a result, many of our newly developing leaders got to know him before he ever ran for office. Thus it was natural for many of us to be active volunteers in his first campaign for STate [sic] Senate and then his failed bid for U.S. Congress in 1996. By the time he ran for U.S. Senate, we were old friends." ("Barack Obama's Involvement with ACORN Unearthed, Missing Articles Recovered," The Cleveland Leader, Accessed 10/10/08)

· Obama Taught "Classes For Future Leaders Identified By ACORN." "Obama continues his organizing work largely through classes for future leaders identified by ACORN and the Centers for New Horizons on the south side." (Hank De Zutter, "What Makes Obama Run?" Chicago Reader, 12/8/95)