Not only has U.S. Sen. John Ensign abandoned his Jack Abramoff-era mantra of “innocent until proven guilty,” but a couple of top Nevada Republicans have also gone apeshit over news that the offices of Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now were raided today in a search for evidence of voter registration fraud.

Gov. Jim Gibbons and Assembly Minority Leader Heidi Gansert cooperated on a news release in which they call for displaying photo ID at the polls before a person is allowed to vote. Here’s some quotage:

“Our voting system is very simply the greatest in the world and is the basis of what makes this country great. The allegation that an organization that’s main purpose is to register new voters was doing so fraudulently is very troubling. I believe that requiring a photo ID to vote is a very reasonable protection for our voting system and should be enacted as law by the 2009 Legislature.” – Governor Jim Gibbons

“The right to vote and the integrity of our voting system are the foundations of our democracy. There is nothing more important than ensuring our voting system is sound and protects the voting rights of citizens. The allegation that people were intentionally trying to undermine our voting system worries me greatly. Now, more than ever, we need to require a photo ID to vote in order to maintain the integrity of our democracy.” – Assemblywoman Heidi Gansert

Again, as we said before, we’re not defending ACORN. We simply have no idea if the group did anything wrong. If there was some kind of conspiracy to cast fradulent votes, it should be prosecuted, and the offenders sent to jail. But what Gibbons and Gansert are clearly trying to do is use the mere allegation to get an election reform they’ve sought for a long time.

We’re not even necessarily opposed to requiring photo IDs to vote. But why do the Republicans want to push for this so hard? Why do they want to erect barriers to voting whenever they can, it seems? And why do they dislike groups like ACORN so much?

Could it be the fact that ACORN works in poor communities and organizes people, including helping them register to vote? After all, both would-be president Rudy Giuliani and would-be vice president Sarah Palin sneered at community organizers during the GOP’s national convention. Why?

Could it be because poor and disenfranchised people tend to vote for Democrats more than Republicans? And that by registering more of these kinds of people, the chances of Republican victory fade? It’s worth considering.

In the meantime, let’s give Gansert’s bill to require a photo ID at the polls a full, fair hearing in the 2009 Legislature. Let’s fully and fairly investigate the allegations against ACORN, and either prosecute or acquit the group and its efforts. And let’s stop using mere allegations as if they were proof, especially when the ends in question appear to be the protection of one party’s political hegemony.

Besides: The registrar of voters in Nevada’s largest county said Monday that the problem of fraudulent voter registrations is less severe than it was four years ago, easily detected and investigated by state and local authorities and most probably an attempt by unscrupulous registration workers to rip off their bosses rather than a nefarious scheme to swing an election that seems to be going against the GOP without the need for fraud.

Take a deep breath, everybody. Especially you Republicans.

UPDATE: The affidavit in support of the secretary of state’s search warrant is interesting, and seems to track exactly with what Clark County voter registrar Larry Lomax told us yesterday. Check it out here:

acorn-affidavit