# What do you make of this Obama request for investigation?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-make-of-this-obama-request-for-investigation/468810>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [October 20, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-make-of-this-obama-request-for-investigation/468810 "2008-10-20T23:12:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-make-of-this-obama-request-for-investigation/468810/1 "2008-10-20T23:12:20Z")

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[Obama camp has sent a letter to the DOJ to investigate leaks in the ACORN investigation.](http://crooksandliars.com/logan-murphy/breaking-obama-campaign-calls-investi)

An investigation of an investigation?

Is this Obama trying to quell any fraud or a smear against McCain? Or both? Does anyone know what has become of this request? This looks like it happened on the 17th of October. Has anyone heard any more about this? Inquiring minds want to know.

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**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-make-of-this-obama-request-for-investigation/468810/2 "2008-10-20T23:47:01Z")

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I think Obama thinks that someone who shouldn’t have leaked to the McCain campaign information that should not have been publicly available so that the campaign could use it to political advantage. I think that he has this impression based on information in Palin’s speeches that was not publicly available. One reason it was not publicly available may be that all they have is a string of allegations that may or may not be founded.

I believe that the firing of the US Attorneys that has come under fire were allegedly fired because they refused to pursue allegations into voting fraud that they felt lacked basis in evidence. In other words, all they had were accusations, and nothing to back them up to make the accusations credible.

My feeling is that they wanted these allegations publicly investigations in order to intimidate potential voters and make later accusations seem more credible. They want to cast doubt and fear. Fear so fewer people will register and vote against them, and doubt about the legitimacy of the new administration so that making changes will be more difficult, as will be finding out what has gone on during this administration that ought not to have.

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**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2008, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-make-of-this-obama-request-for-investigation/468810/3 "2008-10-21T00:12:21Z")

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Leaking news of the investigation can’t help but legitimize it for now, whatever the eventual outcome might be. There are rules against leaking information regarding election-related investigations in the period leading up to an election for good reasons. [Rep. John Conyers’s letter](http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/conyers_on_fbiacorn_probe.php) to Attorney General Michael Mukasey and FBI director Robert Mueller can’t help but be of relevance to this discussion.