The community organizing group ACORN, which attracted a lot of attention during the 2008 presidential elections, has agreed to give up its Ohio business liscense and not return under another name. The group has made similar settlements in other states after being sued by a libertarian center.

U.S. District Judge Herman Weber in Cincinnati signed off on the deal, which settles claims brought by the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law against ACORN's voter registration practices. Other terms of the deal are confidential and will not be revealed.

In a lawsuit, the center alleged that ACORN's voter registrationd drives amounted to organized crime because the group turned in a pattern of fradulent forms. Maurice Thompson, the attorney for the center, said that restricting ACORN's ability to support or enable other groups to "do what they do" was crucial to the deal, especially in a state like Ohio, which he characterized as "ground zero" to their voter advocacy efforts.

Thompson said:

GOP Base Believes ACORN Helped Him Steal the Election

According to a new national poll from Public Policy Polling, a majority of Republicans do not believe that Barack Obama actually won the 2008 election. Instead, they believe that ACORN stole it.

The poll posed the question, "Do you think that Barack Obama legitimately won the Presidential election last year, or do you think that ACORN stole it for him?" Overall, 62% of Americans believe he won legitimately and 26% believe ACORN stole it.

Amongst Republicans, however, a mere 27% believe that Obama actually won. A 52% majority of Republicans believe that ACORN stole it. 22% were undecided.

In comparision, Independents came in with 72% believing Obama won, 18% believing that ACORN stole the election, and 10% undecided. Democrats came in at 86%, 9% and 4% respectively.

One of the obvious comparisions that could be made here is that many Democrats felt that George W. Bush did not legitimately win the 2000 election. There are, however, some pretty big differences. The first being that Al Gore actually won the popular vote, but lost in a disputed recount process in Florida. In comparison, John McCain lost in 2008 by a 53% to 46% margin.

On Tuesday the Minnesota Supreme Court declared Al Franken, a Democrat, the winner of a U.S. Senate race over Republican Norm Colman. This victory should now give Democrats the coveted 60-seat majority that is needed to push through agenda as well as overcome procedural obstacles.

In published reports, Coleman had said that he would be unlikely to appeal the state court's decision to the federal courts. Under Minnesota law, the court's decision gives Franken the right to occupy the seat. The Senate seat in question has been up for grabs since last November's election, when the results were so tight that neither side would concede.

After the Nov. 4 election, Coleman was shown to have a slight lead. However such a slim margin triggered an automatic recount, which then put Franken ahead by 225 votes. Coleman contested the results of the recount, and a judicial panel agreed to add a few hundred previously rejected absentee ballots, which only expanded Franken's lead to 312 votes.

Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty has said that he will certify the election winner based on what the state court decides. In this case, he is expected to certify Franken the winner.

Three individuals who traveled to Ohio for a get-out-the-vote effort during the 2008 presidential campaign, have now been fined $1,000 each for voting in the state. In addition to that, they've each been given a year of probation and a 60-day suspended jail sentence.

On Tuesday, Daniel Hausman, 32, of New York City; Amy Little, 50, of New Paltz, NY; and Yolanda Hippensteele, 30, of California pleaded guilty to misdemeanor illegal voting charges.

Prosecutors say that all three cast early absentee ballots without meeting residency requirements. The county prosecutor had previously warned visiting campaigners that they could not vote in Ohio if they did not plan on staying beyond the election.

According to the National Enquirer, multiple sources are now confirming their report from one week ago that a federal grand jury is investigating possible misuse of presidential campaign funds by John Edwards, which were said to have been used to pay off his mistress, with whom he had a secret love child.

Multiple local reports confirm that a federal grand jury did in fact convene on Wednesday in Raleigh, North Carolina. U.S. attorney George Holding said this weekend that he "was not going to confirm of deny any investigation" regarding Edwards.

Grand jury proceedings are kept strictly secret, and attorneys caught discussing such investigations in the public or with the press are subject to criminal prosecution.

Edward's mentor, Wade Smith, a top NC lawyer, is believed to be representing Edwards before the grand jury investigation. Smith, however, declined to comment on whether he was representing the former NC Senator.

"I'm at a place where I cannot make any comment to confirm or deny. I can't say anything. It's possible, at some later point, I can," said Smith.

In a shocking new interview on the Tyra Banks Show, Levi Johnson, the baby daddy of Sarah Palin's grandson, revealed that the Alaska governor likely new that her daughter Bristol was having sex with him before she fell pregnant.

"I'm pretty sure she probably knew. Moms are pretty smart," said Johnston, 18, in an interview which will air Monday.

Johnston also commented that he and Bristol practiced safe sex "most of the time."

The news of Bristol's pregnancy age age 17 couldn't have come at a worse time for Sarah Palin, who was in the middle of a campaign with John McCain to win herself the position as Vice President of the United States. The news broke just days after McCain announced her as his new running mate.

Palin said at the time she was stunned by her daughter's news:

"When Bristol and Levi first told us the shocking news that she was pregnant, to be honest, we all at first looked at the situation with some fear and a bit of despair. Isn't it just like God to turn those circumstances into such an amazing, joyful blessing when you ask Him to help you through?"

Barack Obama became the first U.S. president to skip out on the Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball since its inception in 1953. The event recognizes recipients of the military's highest award - the Medal of Honor - and as The Cleveland Leader previously reported, over the past 56 years and 14 inaugurations, no President has failed to appear at this event until now. Following the breaking of this news, there have been some misconceptions and erroneous information floating around. The American Legion, one of the main sponsors of the Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball, issued a statement making it clear once and for all that Barack Obama did not in fact attend the event.

Craig Roberts, Media Relations Manager for the American Legion, issued the following statement:

The American Legion, as it has on every inauguration evening since 1953, hosted the Salute to Heroes Inaugural Banquet & Ball on January 20th. The quadrennial event is co-sponsored with fourteen veterans service and military service organizations and honors recipients of the Medal of Honor. Forty-seven of these heroes attended this year’s event which was held in the Renaissance Washington DC Hotel.

According to various sources, Caroline Kennedy has informed New York Governor David Paterson that she no longer wants to be considered as for the vacant Senate in the Senate left by Hillary Clinton. Many pundits thought Patterson was going to choose her in the coming days and now has a field of New York Atty. Gen. Andrew CuomoReps. Carolyn Maloney, Steve Israel, Kirsten Gillibrand and Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi all vying for the job.

The New York Post, who broke the story, cited "personal reasons" for Kennedy's last minute departure. Clinton, meanwhile, was confirmed to her new role as Secretary of State by the Senate by a vote of 94-92. Here is the AP Video of the confirmation of Mrs. Clinton:

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Barack Obama may have stumbled over his words briefly during his inauguration, but he made an even bigger blunder later Tuesday evening. The newly sworn-in President opted not to appear at what should have been one of the most important Balls on his agenda that evening - The Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball.

The Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball was begun in 1953 for President Dwight Eisenhower's inauguration. The event recognized recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award. There were 48 Medal of Honor recipients in attendance, who were undoubtedly disappointed by the Commander-in-Chief's failure to show. Over the past 56 years and 14 inaugurations, no President has skipped this event - until now.

The Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball is sponsored by the American Legion, and co-sponsored by 13 other veteran's service organizations, including those such as the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Military Order of the Purple Heart.