-Caveat Lector-
RadTimes # 94 November, 2000
An informally produced compendium of vital irregularities.
"We're living in rad times!"
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Contents:
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--Bush Or Gore: 'A New Era Dawns'
--The Election: Process and Results
--Nader and the Virtues of Gridlock
--No Surprise, Money Wins Big
--Florida official confirms 19,000 votes tossed out
Linked stories:
*Bush maintains razor-thin lead in Florida recount
*Arkansas governor defends 'banana republic' comments
*Judge: State police must turn over notes from GOP convention
*In praise of election chaos
*'Hackers-For-Nader' Deliver Surprise Victory [satire]
*Buchanan camp: Bush claims are "nonsense"
*County official knew about ballot confusion
*Can this election be saved?
*Ballots Need an Upgrade -- Duh!
*Dems Take Vote Campaign Online
*Lawyers Are Cheap at Vote Auction
*Dutch Biometrics A Go-Go
*Why Nader Is Not To Blame
*After Bush-Gore: Lawsuits, Conspiracies And Blame
*Election 2000: Big Money Was The Real Surprise
*Ralph Nader's Election Night Speech
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Begin stories:
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Bush Or Gore: 'A New Era Dawns'
<http://www.theonion.com/onion3640/bush_or_gore.html>
AUSTIN, TX, OR NASHVILLE, TN--In one of the narrowest presidential votes
in U.S. history, either George W. Bush or Al Gore was elected the 43rd
president of the United States Tuesday, proclaiming the win "a victory for
the American people and the dawn of a bold new era in this great nation."
Above: Bush and Gore, one of whom called the election "a victory for
America."
"My fellow Americans," a triumphant Bush or Gore told throngs of
jubilant, flag-waving supporters at his campaign headquarters, "tonight, we
as a nation stand on the brink of many exciting new challenges. And I stand
here before you to say that I am ready to meet those challenges."
"The people have spoken," Bush or Gore continued, "and with their vote
they have sent the message, loud and clear, that we are the true party of
the people."
With these words, the crowd of Republicans or Democrats erupted.
Bush or Gore attributed his victory to his commitment to the issues that
matter to ordinary, hardworking Americans. Throughout the campaign, the
Republican or Democrat spoke out in favor of improving educational
standards, protecting the environment, reducing crime, strengthening the
military, cutting taxes, and reforming Social Security. He also took a
strong pro-middle-class stand, praising America's working families as "the
backbone of this great nation."
"During this campaign, I had the good fortune to meet so many of you.
And I listened to your concerns," Bush or Gore said. "And do you know what
I found? That your concerns are the same as mine. Like 64-year-old Rosemary
Cullums of Wheeling, WV. She said to me, '[Mr. Bush or Mr. Gore], we need
to restore a sense of values and decency to this country. I have three
young grandchildren, and I worry about the filth they're exposed to on a
daily basis from TV and the movies. We need Hollywood to take
responsibility for its actions and stop peddling sex and violence to our
young people.' I told Rosemary I agreed wholeheartedly and gave her my word
that when I became president, I would demand accountability on the part of
the entertainment industry. Would my [Democratic or Republican] opponent
have said the same?"
"The greatest thing a president can do is set an example for the
people," Bush or Gore continued. "And as a devoted family man with a
wonderful wife and [two or four] wonderful children, I promise to make the
White House a place Americans can feel good about."
The crowd erupted again, with thousands of delirious Republicans or
Democrats waving signs reading, "America's Families For [Bush or Gore]" as
a blizzard of red, white, and blue confetti fell from the ceiling.
During his 30-minute victory speech, the president-elect also praised
his campaign manager, Joe Allbaugh or Donna Brazile, for refusing to resort
to the "negative smear tactics of my opponent."
"Unlike my [Democratic or Republican] counterpart, my staff and I
insisted that this election be about the issues," Bush or Gore said. "We
refused to take the low road and stoop to dirty tricks in order to get
elected. While [Mr. Gore or Mr. Bush] was busy with cheap innuendo and
unfounded accusations, we were out there taking our message to the American
people. And, judging from what happened today at the ballot box, you heard
that message loud and clear. And I thank you."
More confetti rained down from the ceiling, this time accompanied by
balloons.
Waving to acknowledge his supporters, the Ivy League graduate and scion
of a political dynasty called for "a time of renewal and rebirth in
America."
"America has always been the land of promise and possibility," Bush or
Gore said. "And never has that been more true than today. The opportunities
that stand before us are great. The challenges are many. But I am energized
by what lies ahead. Make no mistake, there is much work to be done. But we
are more than up to the task. Remember that I am here to work for you, the
people. Because you are the people who put me here. This is a fresh start.
Our children are the future. America is ready for change. And new ideas.
And a fresh start."
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The Election: Process and Results
Institute for Public Accuracy
915 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045
(202) 347-0020 * <http://www.accuracy.org> * <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
STEVEN HILL, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <http://www.fairvote.org>
Co-author of "Reflecting All of Us" and Western regional director of the
Center for Voting and Democracy, Hill said today: "This may be the push we
need to get rid of the Electoral College -- which was actually designed to
limit the popular will. But if we have a direct popular vote, we certainly
don't want a president winning with a 35 percent threshold. It should be a
majority threshold. There are two ways to make that happen. A two-round
runoff, like they do in many Southern states, is a solution, but it would
cost more to hold two elections. The best way may be instant runoff voting
which simulates a runoff by allowing voters to rank their first choice as
well as their runoff choice on the same ballot. Instant runoff voting would
also deal with the 'spoiler' dilemma which many people grapple with."
WILSON RILES, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Director for the Pacific Mountain Region of the American Friends Service
Committee, Riles said: "The Electoral College was established as a means to
get around the democratic process, as a way to have the white male property
class make the decision as to who should be president. We could replace it
with an election based on the plurality of votes, or a system that allows
for a winnowing away of those who get fewer votes until you get the one who
has the most support. Such a system would allow more diverse voices -- not
just political, but ethnic voices -- to be heard."
ROBERT NAIMAN, [EMAIL PROTECTED],
<http://www.egroups.com/message/naiman-columns/49>, <http://www.cepr.net>
Senior analyst with the Center for Economic and Policy Research, Naiman
said today: "Under the Electoral College, voters in small states have more
say than people in big states. In Wyoming one vote in the Electoral College
corresponds to 69,000 voters; in California, one electoral vote corresponds
to 180,000 voters. If each state had only as many electors as it had
members in the House of Representatives and Bush won Oregon and Florida,
Bush would have 216 and Gore would have 220 electoral votes."
JIM DeFEDE, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
A political columnist for the Miami New Times, DeFede said today: "There
has been a propensity toward electoral shenanigans in southern Florida. In
1998, there was voter fraud in Miami that led to a mayoral race being
overturned by a judge. There were numerous fraudulent absentee ballots..."
GREG ADAMS, <http://madison.hss.cmu.edu>
Professor at the Department of Social and Decision Sciences at Carnegie
Mellon University, Adams said today: "Many voters in Palm Beach, Florida,
have claimed that they were confused by the ballot structure and may have
inadvertently voted for Buchanan when in fact they intended to vote for
Gore. Some colleagues and I have analyzed the county-by-county returns in
Florida and found that there is a systematic relationship between the
number of votes for Bush and for Buchanan -- but that Palm Beach County was
so atypical as to literally be off the charts." [See above web page for
visual display of data.]
For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; David Zupan, (541) 484-9167
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Nader and the Virtues of Gridlock
November 9, 2000
Election 2000: The Best of All Possible Worlds
by Alexander Cockburn
So it all came out right in the end: gridlock on the Hill and Nader blamed
for sabotaging Al Gore.
First a word about gridlock. We like it. No bold initiatives, like
privatizing Social Security or shoving through vouchers. No
ultra-right-wingers making it onto the Supreme Court. Ah, you protest, but
what about the bold plans that a Democratic-controlled Congress and Gore
would have pushed through? Relax. There were no such plans. These days
gridlock is the best we can hope for.
Now for blaming Nader. Fine by us if all that people look at are those
97,000 Green votes for Ralph in Florida. That's good news in itself. Who
would have thought the Sunshine State had that many progressives in it,
with steel in their spine and the spunk to throw Eric Alterman's columns
for The Nation into the trashcan?
And they had plenty of reason to dump Gore. What were the big issues for
Greens in Florida? The Everglades. Back in 1993 the hope was that
Clinton/Gore would push through a cleanup bill to prevent toxic runoff from
the sugar plantations south of Lake Okeechobee from destroying the swamp
that covers much of south-central Florida. Such hopes foundered on a
"win-win" solution brokered by sugar barons and the real estate industry.
Clinton signed off on it, in a conversation with Alfonso Fanjul overheard
by Monica Lewinsky as her the commander in chief deferentially accepted his
marching orders.
Another issue prompted some of those 97,000 to defiantly vote for Nader:
the Homestead Air Force Base, which sits between Biscayne National Park and
the Everglades. The old Air Force base had been scheduled for shutdown, but
then Cuban-American real estate interests concocted a scheme to turn the
base into a commercial airport. Despite repeated pleas from biologists
inside the Interior Department as well as from Florida's Greens, Gore
refused to intervene, cowed by the Canosa family, which represented the big
money behind the airport's boosters.
Just to make sure there would be no significant Green defections back to
the Democratic standard, Joe Lieberman made a last-minute pilgrimage to the
grave of Jorge Mas Canosa, once the godfather of the sinister
Cuban-American National Foundation.
You want one final reason for the Nader voter in Florida? Try the death
penalty, for which Gore issued strident support in that final debate.
Florida runs third, after Texas and Virginia as a killing machine,
and for many progressives in the state it's an issue of principle.
Incidentally, about half a million ex-felons, sentences and probation fully
served, are disenfranchised permanently in Florida. A crucial number of
these would have voted for Gore the crime fighter and supporter of the War
on Drugs.
Other reasons many Greens nationally refused to knuckle under and sneak
back to the Gore column? You want an explanation of why he lost Ohio by
four points and New Hampshire by one? Try the WTI hazardous-waste
incinerator (world's largest) in East Liverpool, Ohio. Gore promised voters
in 1992 that a Democratic administration would kill it. It was a double
lie. First,
Carol Browner's EPA almost immediately gave the incinerator a permit. When
confronted on his broken pledge, Gore said the decision had been pre-empted
by the outgoing Bush crowd. This too was a lie, as voters in Ohio
discovered a week before Election 2000.
William Reilly, Bush's EPA chief, finally testified this fall that Gore's
environmental aide Katie McGinty told him in the 1992 transition period
that "it was the wishes of the new incoming administration to get the
trial-burn permit granted. The Vice President?elect would be grateful if I
simply made that decision before leaving office."
Don't think this was a picayune issue with no larger consequences. Citizens
of East Liverpool, notably Terry Swearingen, have been campaigning across
the country on this scandal for years, haunting Gore. So too, to its
credit, has Greenpeace. They were particularly active in the Northeast,
during Gore's primary battles with Bill Bradley. You can certainly argue
that the last-minute disclosure of Gore's WTI lies prompted enough Greens
to stay firm and cost him New Hampshire, a state which, with Oregon, would
have given Gore the necessary 270 votes.
And why didn't Gore easily sweep Oregon? A good chunk of the people on the
streets of Seattle last November come from Oregon. They care about NAFTA,
the WTO and the ancient forests that Gore has been pledging to save since
1992. The spotted owl is now scheduled to go extinct on the Olympic
Peninsula within the next decade. Another huge environmental issue in
Oregon has been the fate of the salmon runs, wrecked by the Snake River
dams. Gore thought he'd finessed that one by pretending that unlike Bush,
he would leave the decision to the scientists. Then, a week before the
election, Gore's team of scientists released a report saying they thought
the salmon could be saved without breaching the four dams. Nader got 5
percent in Oregon, an amazing result given the intensive carpet-bombing by
flacks for Gore like Gloria Steinem.
Yes, Nader didn't break 5 percent nationally, but he should feel great, and
so should the Greens who voted for him. Their message to the Democrats is
clear. Address our issues, or you'll pay the same penalty next time around.
Nader should draw up a short list of Green non-negotiable issues and nail
it to the doors of the Democratic National Committee.
By all means credit Nader, but of course Gore has only himself to blame.
He's a product of the Democratic Leadership Council, whose pro-business
stance was designed to regain the South for the Democrats. Look at the map.
Bush swept the entire South, with the possible exception of Florida. Gore's
electoral votes came from the two coasts and the old industrial Midwest.
The states Gore did win mostly came courtesy of labor and blacks.
Take Tennessee, where voters know Gore best. He would have won the election
if he'd carried his home state. Gore is good with liberals earning
$100,000-$200,000. He can barely talk to rural people, and he made another
fatal somersault, reversing his position on handguns after telling
Tennessee voters for years that he was solid on the gun issue. Guns were a
big factor in Ohio and West Virginia too. You can't blame Nader for that,
but it's OK with us if you do.
As for Nader holding the country to ransom, what's wrong with a hostage
taker with a national backing of 2.7 million people? The election came
alive because of Nader. Let's hope he and the Greens keep it up through the
next four years. Not one vote for Nader, Mr. Alterman? He got them where it
counted, and now the Democrats are going to have to deal with it.
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No Surprise, Money Wins Big
CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS
NEWS ADVISORY NOVEMBER 8, 2000
202-857-0044; 202-857-7809, fax
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <www.opensecrets.org>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact Steve Weiss or Larry Makinson
202-857-0044
Money Wins Big in 2000 Elections,
Top-Spenders Capture 9 out of 10 Races
In a cliffhanger election where the winner in the presidential
sweepstakes is still uncertain, the power of money was evident
in race after race across the country for U.S. Congress, an analysis
of election returns and campaign spending by the non-partisan
Center for Responsive Politics reveals. In the overwhelming majority
of U.S. House and Senate races, the candidate with the biggest
war chest walked home with the victory on Election Day.
In Senate races, 85 percent of the candidates who spent the most
money were successful at the polls. In all, 28 Senate winners
outspent their opponents. Five won despite being outspent. One
race, the match-up between Democrat Maria Cantwell and incumbent
Republican Slade Gorton in Washington state, was still undecided
as of noon Wednesday. The biggest financial upsets were won by
Democrats who beat Republican incumbents, a list that includes
Debbie Stabenow in Michigan and Thomas Carper in Delaware. Both
victors were outspent roughly 1.7-to-1.
The success ratio for big spenders was even higher in the race
for U.S. House. Of the 431 races that were clearly decided by
noon Wednesday, 406 were won by the top-spending candidate --
a 94 percent success rate for the candidate with the most money.
Twenty-five financial underdogs were successful, but many of
them were relatively close to their opponents in overall spending.
Only eight House winners were outspent by 2-to-1 or more. The
biggest financial underdog to win was Republican Shelley Moore
Capito in the open seat race in West Virginia's 2nd congressional
district. Capito was outspent roughly 5.6-to-1 by Democrat James
F. Humphreys, whose self-financed campaign cost him more than
$5.5 million.
Overall, most House races were won easily by incumbents. In open
seat races where no incumbent was running, 76 percent of the
candidates who spent the most money were successful.
Candidates who plowed their personal fortunes into their election
bids found mixed results on election day, with Senate millionaires
generally faring better than their counterparts seeking seats
in the House. Democrat Jon Corzine of New Jersey will come to
the Senate after spending an estimated $60 million of his personal
fortune to get there - twice as much as anyone had spent previously
to win election to the Senate. Corzine's personal spending was
higher than any other candidate for public office in American
history except Ross Perot in his 1992 presidential bid. In fact,
Corzine spent more money running for that New Jersey Senate seat
than John McCain spent in his entire bid to capture the Republican
presidential nomination earlier this year.
In other races, Democrat Mark Dayton in Minnesota spent $8.6
million of his own money to successfully unseat Republican incumbent
Rod Grams while Maria Cantwell's $7.5 million arguably has taken
her race against Slade Gorton down to the wire in Washington
state. Incumbent Democrat Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, meanwhile,
spent just over $4 million of his own money to win re-election
to the Senate - a statistical rarity since incumbents generally
use other people's money to win re-election, not their own. Kohl
has self-financed both his Senate campaigns, refusing to take
campaign contributions as a way of preserving his independence
from special interests.
Of the five House candidates who spent $1 million or more of
their personal funds, four lost at the polls on Tuesday and only
one - Republican Darrell Issa in California's 48th district,
who spent $1.8 million of his own money - was victorious. The
deep-pocketed losers included Democrat James F. Humphreys of
West Virginia ($5.5 million of his personal funds), Republican
Philip P. Sudan Jr. in the 25th District of Texas ($2.6 million)
and Democrats Roger F. Kahn ($2.9 million) in Georgia's 7th District
and Terry Lierman ($1.7 million) in Maryland's 8th District.
Finally, the least expensive winning campaign of the year was
run by incumbent Republican Ralph Regula in Ohio's 16th congressional
district. Regula had spent just $82,765 through October 18 -
the only winning campaign to have spent less than $100,000 by
that time. He spent just 52 cents per vote to win, though that
figure will rise when final spending numbers are known. The award
for most efficient use of campaign resources for a winning candidate
goes to Joel Hefley, the GOP incumbent in Colorado's 5th District.
He spent just 43 cents for every vote he received.
On the other end of the scale, James Rogan, the Republican incumbent
who was unseated in California's super-expensive 27th District,
spent $68.82 for every vote he received. Again, that figure will
rise when final spending totals are reported later this year.
The winner in that race, Adam Schiff, spent $33.28 for each of
his votes.
In the Senate, Jon Corzine paid $37.15 for each of the votes
that brought him a victory in the New Jersey Senate race - the
overall most expensive figure in the country among House and
Senate winners. On the other side of the coin, Kay Bailey Hutchison's
re-election campaign in Texas cost only 63 cents per vote for
the GOP incumbent, cheapest among all Senate winners.
But the overall bargain basement award in the Senate goes to
Democrat Daniel Akaka in Hawaii. His entire campaign cost only
$290,000 - less than half the average cost of a winning House
campaign.
All told, the average winning House campaign cost $636,000 through
October 18, or $4.90 per vote. Winning Senate campaigns averaged
$5.6 million ($6.07 per vote), though that figure was skewed
by the free-spending Corzine race in New Jersey.
All spending figures are based on the latest available reports,
which in most cases were filed by the candidates Oct. 18. Total
spending will no doubt increase when the final numbers are in,
but the ratio of top spenders winning should be very consistent
with the numbers reported today.
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Florida official confirms 19,000 votes tossed out
<http://europe.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/11/10/election.president/index.html>
Would-be presidents wait as Florida
recounts votes; county official
confirms 19,000 votes tossed out
November 10, 2000
PALM BEACH, Florida (CNN) -- The top elections official for Palm Beach
County has confirmed reports that more than 19,000 votes cast in the county
on Tuesday were thrown out without being counted.
The development comes as state officials counted, for the second time, every
presidential election ballot cast in Florida. Texas Gov. George W. Bush has
a thin lead over Democrat Al Gore in the state's popular vote. But another
recount this weekend and uncounted overseas ballots make the race still
uncertain.
The Associated Press, reporting results unofficially for 66 of Florida's 67
counties, put Bush's advantage over Gore at only 229 votes.
Both candidates are short of the 270 electoral votes required to become the
next president of the United States. Whoever wins Florida's 25 electoral
votes wins the White House.
Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris said state elections officials
had received unofficial results from 53 of the state's 67 counties. The
remaining 14, she said, would be given until next Tuesday to get their
totals in. The final statewide vote before the recount gave Bush a lead of
1,781 votes.
Another recount, conducted by machine, and manually on a small sample of
votes, is scheduled for Saturday in Palm Beach County. Voters there have
complained that the county's ballot design was confusing and netted Reform
Party candidate Pat Buchanan hundreds, perhaps thousands, of votes intended
for Gore.
After the statewide recount is completed, state officials must wait until at
least November 17 to certify those results. That is the deadline for the
estimated 2,000 ballots cast by Floridians living overseas -- mostly
military personnel and their families -- to arrive in the state. Those
ballots must have been postmarked by Election Day.
'Every election has over-votes'
Theresa LePore, the supervisor of elections in Palm Beach County, confirmed
to CNN Thursday night that 19,120 votes in the county had been disqualified,
but she did not explain why. Earlier, Charmaine Kelly, a spokeswoman for
LePore's office, said, "Every election has over-votes."
The issue was raised by state Rep. Robert Wexler, a Democrat whose district
includes Palm Beach County. Those votes were thrown out, Wexler said,
because they had been marked for more than one presidential candidate by
voters who were confused by the layout of a "butterfly ballot" that put
punch holes down the middle of the ballot between the names of candidates.
Some voters contend they may have voted for Reform Party candidate Pat
Buchanan when they intended to vote for Gore, the Democratic candidate.
Wexler said the greatest concentration of the disqualified ballots came from
African-American communities, which traditionally vote Democratic. As a
result, black voters were "substantially disenfranchised with respect to
this presidential race," Wexler said.
Bush campaign staff countered by citing figures showing that 14,872 ballots
were disqualified in Palm Beach County in the 1996 elections for the same
reason. They argue that this shows the number of ballots thrown out in the
same county in the 2000 election is not unusual.
Wexler referred to a memo on Thursday that he said came from LePore on
Election Day telling poll workers to remind voters "to vote only for one (1)
presidential candidate and that they are to punch a hole next to the arrow
next to the number next to the candidate they wish to vote for."
Appearing on CNN's "The Spin Room" program, Wexler called it "the smoking
memorandum," saying it was a response to complaints from voters about the
ballot.
Several lawsuits filed; one withdrawn
Several lawsuits have been filed in Florida state court by Palm Beach
voters, challenging the election.
And protesters in front of the county's elections supervisor's office on
Thursday demanded a "re-vote" because of what one described as "crossword
puzzle" ballots.
"I had no idea that in this country you have to read zig-zag and diagonal to
know who you're voting for," Andre Fladell, a plaintiff in an elections
suit, said on CNN's "Larry King Live."
A planned federal court suit seeking an emergency injunction to void the
county's presidential vote was voluntarily withdrawn by plaintiff Milton
Miller, described by his attorneys as a "loyal Democrat" who felt it would
be better to support legal action at the state level that has the party's
backing.
One of Miller's lawyers, Wendy Wallberg, said he may become a party to
another lawsuit already pending in state court or possibly join another, if
one is filed, for example, by the state Democratic Party.
Another of his attorneys, Lawrence Navaro, withdrew the suit during a brief
appearance in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Kenneth Ryskamp, who had
agreed to hold an emergency hearing in the case.
Officials at a Democratic telephone bank set up in a Palm Beach law office
told CNN it had taken 5,000 calls since Wednesday from voters complaining
about the presidential ballot.
Recounts requested by both sides
The manual recount in Palm Beach County, sought by Democrats, will be
conducted on 1 percent of the votes cast, or roughly 4,000 ballots.
Officials said they would broaden the manual recount if significant
discrepancies are found. The machine recount, requested by Republicans, will
cover all ballots in the county. Officials said they might announce the
results Monday.
The Gore campaign has expressed concern, and in some quarters outrage, that
it may have lost at least 10,000 votes -- more than enough to overtake Bush
in Florida's contested popular vote. Gore campaign chairman Bill Daley on
Thursday called for votes to be recounted by hand in three other counties
with reports of irregularities -- including Dade, heavily Democratic Broward
and Volusia counties.
Democrats set up a toll-free number (1-800-579-8871) where Florida voters
could report irregularities.
Gore captured 62 per cent of Palm Beach County's vote, which is
traditionally Democratic. Buchanan got a total of 3,407 -- a number even he
acknowledged seemed "outsized." County voters cast nearly 450,000 ballots
for president.
"I don't doubt a number of those ballots, of those votes that were cast for
me, probably were intended for Vice President Gore," Buchanan said on CNN's
"Larry King Live."
Bush campaign keeping 'watchful eye' on other close states
However, Bush campaign aides suggested that those votes may have been
intended for Buchanan after all. They noted that the Florida Board of
Elections shows 16,695 voters in Palm Beach County are registered
independents, as compared to 476 registered independents in Broward County
where the Buchanan vote was much lower.
"We believe it's important to put all this information in perspective and to
do so in a thoughtful fashion ... not a fashion that misrepresents numbers
to suit a political agenda," a Bush campaign staffer said.
However, elections officials said of the 16,695 independent voters, only 359
were specifically registered with either the Reform or American Reform
parties.
Bush aides also emphasized that samples of the Palm Beach County ballot,
described by some as confusing, were sent out to voters and published in the
newspapers ahead of time and were approved by Democratic as well as
Republican election officials in Florida.
"This is not as susceptible to confusion as Chairman Daley indicated," said
Karl Rove, a chief campaign strategist for Bush, referring to the Democratic
campaign chairman.
The Bush campaign was keeping a "watchful eye" on the final count in other
close states, including Wisconsin and Iowa. Bush officials demurred when
asked if the Bush campaign would consider calling for a recount in close
states that went for Gore. "We think the vote counts bear watching," one
aide said.
The atmosphere at the Bush camp was described "businesslike" by aides, who
added the governor's spirits are good. Bush spent Thursday morning
conducting state business with various staffers and officials.
He also met with foreign policy adviser Condoleeza Rice, his campaign staff
and vice-presidential nominee Dick Cheney in what aides say are preliminary
discussions about transition.
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Linked stories:
********************
Bush maintains razor-thin lead in Florida recount
<http://www.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/11/10/election.president.02/index.html>
With Florida ballots recounted for a second time, the Republican
candidate maintained a lead of 327 votes over his Democratic
rival in the battle for the state's electoral votes. Now the
lawyers get into the mess. (11/10/00)
********************
Arkansas governor defends 'banana republic' comments
<http://www.dallasnews.com/texas_southwest/211372_banana_10tex.A.html>
Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee refused to back down from a remark
earlier this week that Arkansas is a voter-fraud-prone "banana
republic" in the hands of Democrats who want to fix the outcome
of elections. (11/10/00)
********************
Judge: State police must turn over notes from GOP convention
<http://www.cnn.com/2000/LAW/11/09/gopconvention.protest.pol.ap/index.html>
Pennsylvania state police have been ordered to surrender notes,
memos and other investigation information regarding state
troopers who infiltrated protest groups during the Republican
National Convention and allegedly encouraged illegal activity.
(11/10/00)
********************
In praise of election chaos
<http://civilliberty.about.com/library/weekly/aa109000a.htm>
by J.D. Tuccille
Shocked by the election mess? Don't be. Gridlock is the best
possible outcome for a nation so divided that busybodies don't
even agree on where to meddle. (11/9/00)
********************
'Hackers-For-Nader' Deliver Surprise Victory
<http://www.satirewire.com/news/0011/nader_wins.shtml>
Washington, D.C. -- The Oval Office was snatched away from Al Gore and
George W. Bush Wednesday when the International Brotherhood of Computer
Hackers, urging its members to "Get Out and Change the Vote," endorsed
Ralph Nader for president, leading the Green Party candidate to a
post-election landslide victory.
********************
Buchanan camp: Bush claims are "nonsense"
<http://www.salon.com/politics/feature/2000/11/10/buchanan/index.html?CP=SAL&DN=664>
The governor's camp calls Palm Beach a Buchanan "stronghold"
while Buchanan forces insist it's not. By Jake Tapper
********************
County official knew about ballot confusion
<http://www.salon.com/politics/feature/2000/11/09/lapore/index.html?CP=SAL&DN=664>
Palm Beach County's elections supervisor distributed a memo
to workers about voter confusion -- hours after the polls opened.
********************
Can this election be saved?
<http://www.salon.com/politics/feature/2000/11/09/florida_legal/index.html?CP=SAL&DN=664>
As lawyers swarm to Palm Beach, the legal questions surrounding
Florida's vote only multiply. By Bruce Shapiro
********************
Ballots Need an Upgrade -- Duh!
<http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,40078,00.html?tw=wn20001110>
Talk about a glitch. How can a country that embraces the information
age trust its democracy to a mistake-ridden balloting system that
hasn't been updated since the 1960s?
********************
Dems Take Vote Campaign Online
<http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,40079,00.html?tw=wn20001110>
Democratic Party activists have created a website and are collecting
affidavits online from voters who say a controversial ballot duped them
into voting for Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan.
********************
Lawyers Are Cheap at Vote Auction
<http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,40092,00.html?tw=wn20001110>
It's barely a ripple in the pond of presidential election dramatics,
but the Vote-auction saga is deteriorating into a morass of lawsuits
and threatened lawsuits.
********************
Dutch Biometrics A Go-Go
<http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,39812,00.html?tw=wn20001108>
Fifteen nightclubs in the Netherlands are going to use face scanners,
fingerprint scanners and smartcards to identify and keep out
troublemakers. Yes, the privacy people are up in arms.
********************
Why Nader Is Not To Blame
<http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=10065>
A state-by-state analysis shows that Nader did not siphon
off enough Gore votes to matter -- and that even if he
had, Gore should never have let it get so close.
********************
After Bush-Gore: Lawsuits, Conspiracies And Blame
<http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=10064>
James Ridgeway, Village Voice
The recounting of votes in Florida may end up feeding
lawsuits in the next few weeks and conspiracy theories
for years to come. The only decisive blow was made to
the Green party, which was drubbed across the country.
********************
Election 2000: Big Money Was The Real Surprise
<http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=10047>
The real shocker in the '00 presidential election was the
ungodly amount of money that poured into the campaign
coffers of George W. Bush and Al Gore.
********************
Ralph Nader's Election Night Speech
<http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=10063>
Nader gave the following address on election night. Final
results had not been counted, but it was clear that the
Green Party would not get 5 percent of the popular vote.
********************
=====================================================
"Anarchy doesn't mean out of control. It means out of 'their' control."
-Jim Dodge
======================================================
"Communications without intelligence is noise;
intelligence without communications is irrelevant."
-Gen. Alfred. M. Gray, USMC
======================================================
"It is not a sign of good health to be well adjusted to a sick society."
-J. Krishnamurti
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