Liberal Group Defends Sending Ex-Cons Door to Door
By: Steve Sawyer | Source: CNSNews.com
June 25, 2004 7:41AM EST

By Melanie Hunter
CNSNews.com Deputy Managing Editor
June 25, 2004

(CNSNews.com) - The Republican National Committee was blamed Thursday for drawing attention to the criminal backgrounds of workers being hired by an anti-Bush group to register voters.

America Coming Together (ACT) hired convicted felons to conduct door-to-door voter registration drives in the so-called "battleground" states, where the November presidential election is expected to be close.

But by Thursday, ACT President Ellen Malcolm was in a defensive mode, emailing supporters to complain about the "gross misrepresentations of our work, our supporters and, most importantly, our canvassers."

"It's the same old tactic," Malcolm stated. "It's disgusting and so predictable,"

Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie had seized the issue earlier in the day.

"It is disturbing that the voter mobilization arm of the Democratic Party is proudly hiring felons convicted of sex offenses, assault and burglary to go house to house and handle sensitive personal information," Gillespie stated in a release.

"Democrat voters should be leery of opening their doors to political operatives until the Democrats can assure them that a convicted felon won't be on the other side," Gillespie added.

In a message on its website, ACT responded to the RNC's remarks, asserting that its canvassers are non-violent offenders who deserve a second chance.

"We believe strongly that those few of our employees who have in the past run afoul of the law, those who have paid their debt to society, deserve every fair opportunity to rejoin mainstream America, to become productive members of their communities," the ACT statement indicated.

"In fact," according to ACT, "it seems clear that any individual who seeks work in a civically-oriented grassroots organization like America Coming Together is demonstrating his or her desire to make a positive contribution to society.

ACT insisted that it has never knowingly employed any person who could possibly be considered a threat. "Further, none of our canvassers has ever been accused of any untoward behavior in the course of his or her work," the statement explained.

The group stated that it conducts background checks on all of its employees and will continue to do so in the future. "We have every expectation, of course, that the Bush campaign and other Republicans will do their best to distort and play politics with this situation, to attempt to disrupt ACT and our grassroots activities."

Malcolm's organization also indicated that it actually agrees with something President Bush said earlier in the week during his visit to Cincinnati, Ohio. The group posted on its website excerpts from Bush's speech, which centered on compassion.

"I know that many a good soul makes a mistake in their life and ends up in prison. And it seems to make sense to me to spend taxpayers' money to help these prisoners realize a better tomorrow when they get out of prison, give them a second chance," the president said.

However, America Coming Together did not print what came next in the president's speech, his reference to his Faith-Based Initiative, which liberal groups have opposed.

"I want that second chance to be done not only in kind of the traditional way, but also through faith-based and community-based programs," Bush said in Cincinnati. "I mean, I can't frankly, can't think of a better re-entry program for somebody to be there with open arms saying, 'I love you, no matter what you may have done in the past. I want you to succeed, and here -- and we're here to help.'""

ACT canvassers have reached over 2-million targeted households, Malcom noted. Canvassers come from all over and are of all ages and backgrounds. They are patriotic citizens, doing honest work and making a real difference every day," she stated.

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