Clearly an act of desperation by the sore loser, learned from his CIA trained daddy... if you might not win by the true criteria, get control of the facts and manipulate the end result until you do win.

Bush campaign asks court to stop hand recount of Florida ballots

November 11, 2000 Web posted at: 1:01 p.m. EST (1801 GMT)

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (CNN) -- The Bush campaign has filed a federal injunction to stop Democratic-supported hand recounts of presidential votes cast in some counties in Florida, Republican election observer James Baker said today.

"This course of action is regrettable," Baker said at a news conference announcing that the GOP campaign will ask the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to bar any hand counts.

He said manual counting would be subject to "human error, individual subjectivity and decisions to determine the voters' intent" that would not occur if machines were used.

"Machines are neither Republicans nor Democrats and therefore can never be consciously or even unconsciously biased," he said.

Campaign officials for Democratic vice president Al Gore, however, claimed there was a hand count Friday in Seminole County, Florida, that was overseen by a Republican congressman. Americans would "reject Mr. Bush's arrogant stance," a Gore official said.

Baker's announcement comes on the day when hand counts were planned in three counties in which Democrats have challenged ballots.

The presidency hangs in the balance, Florida's vote -- remarkably close and fiercely contested -- is virtually certain to tip the electoral tally in favor of either Bush or Democratic Vice President Al Gore.

"Plaintiffs Bush and Cheney have a substantial constitutional interest in having the votes certified and released without further delay as defendants' decision to permit further recounts violate the due process right of Gov. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney," the lawsuit read.

Bush attorney Barry Richard, in Tallahassee, Florida, said the case had been assigned to Judge Donald Middlebrooks of Miami, Florida.

Gore campaign criticizes GOP move

Gore's campaign criticized on Saturday the Republican Party's attempt to prevent the manual recount.

"We believe the hand count should go forward," said campaign spokesman Doug Hattaway. "There is absolutely no reason why people's votes should not be counted by human beings."

Hattaway said the campaign's attorneys were ready to press the case legally. "These recounts are authorized by local officials," Hattaway said. "They're going to court to stop local officials from counting their citizens' votes. We support the decision to have a full, fair and accurate count."

Hattaway did not mention that Democrats requested the hand counts.

The Gore campaign, which was criticized Friday by the Bush camp for considering its own legal options, stressed Saturday that it is now the Bush campaign that is going to court. "Our campaign," Hattaway said, "has not brought any legal action here."

Bush campaign requests machine recount

At the same time, however, the Bush campaign has asked for another machine recount in Palm Beach County.

Ballot recounts by hand began Saturday morning in Volusia County and were set to begin in Palm Beach County.

In West Palm Beach, about 4,300 votes were being counted by hand at the request of the Democratic Party. On about 10,000 of the so-called punch style ballots, no presidential candidate was punched, county election officials said.

Democrats said those ballots suggest the machines in Palm Beach County may have been faulty. At the same time, a machine recount in Palm Beach County requested by Republicans was scheduled to begin Saturday.

Broward County was set to begin a hand recount Monday, while Miami-Dade County was expected to begin a hand recount early next week.

With 66 of Florida's 67 counties reporting, the Florida Secretary of State's office said Bush was leading Gore by 961 votes. Palm Beach County has not yet announced its recount numbers.

The tally does not include overseas absentee ballots, which will be counted until November 17, as long as they were postmarked by November 7, Election Day.

Both candidates in seclusion

While election observers for the Democratic and Republican camps were involved in the recount debate in Florida, the two candidates were in seclusion for the weekend.

Bush left Friday night for his ranch near Crawford, Texas, where he and running mate Dick Cheney were continuing to map out a possible Bush-Cheney administration.

"It's in our nation's best interest that I should assume the presidency, that this is an administration that is prepared well," Bush said.

Gore also was staying out of the spotlight, although he attending a football banquet for his son Friday night in Washington.

Members of the news media were not allowed to attend the event.

NAACP hearing

With feelings running high, hundreds of Floridians who complain that their votes may not have been counted Election Day gathered Saturday to tell their stories at a public hearing organized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Miami.

In his weekly radio address Saturday, Democratic President Clinton cautioned patience as the recount proceeds in Florida.

"The people have spoken," he said. "The important thing for all of us to remember now is that a process for resolving the discrepancies and challenges to the election is in motion. The rest of us need to be patient and wait for the results."

-- (manipulate@the.people), November 11, 2000

Answers

That's ridiculous. What is Bush afraid of? Besides, I thought state laws determined election prodedure, so why did they appeal to a federal court?

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), November 11, 2000.

Gilda:

It appears that the Republicans are digging a hole that they won't get out of anytime soon.

It really started with the leadership in House. Such anti-intellectual hatred. Did it make a difference? As a political independent it did to me and to many, many people that I know. Call it the Barr effect. For the first time, I didn't vote for any Republicans. I know an awful lot of people who did the same thing. It probably cost Ashcroft the election in a close vote.

If Bush goes into the office, he will have great problems in doing anything. He is presently increasing the polarization of the country. Not because his campaign is doing anything different, but because the action of the House Leadership over the last four years has "turned" about half of the population.

To govern, he will need to start a war. Just my opinion.

Best wishes,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), November 11, 2000.

This really ironic.

Bush took control of the New Mexico ballots, having them impounded, so they could be counted by hand because of a "computer glitch" in the counting machines. It worked to his advantage.

Now they are doing a 180 and trying to say that in Florida, computers are definitely more accurate than a hand count??

Bwaaahaaahaaaa!!

-- (it's.the@hypocrisy.stupid!), November 11, 2000.

Subject: More Facism from the Shrub team

I suppose it's asking too much, but let's all of us use a little intellectual discipline and stop throwing the word fascismabout.

It sheds more heat than light.

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), November 11, 2000.

I'd rather they just go ahead and let this hand count happen. I was assuming all those ballots coming in from overseas were going to put Bush over the top anyhow. I think it's a given..so I'm not sure if the Republicans are just hedging for time? I mean..I do have a problem with someone deciding what a voters intent was..if it's not terribly clear it can't be left up to someone else's opinion...but I thought with the Republican and Democrate reps watching over the process closely...that kind of choice would be made fairly.

I think the problem is..if this changes the outcome of the election, then Bush first has to go to all those other places where the outcome was close and start doing this tedious process in all those places, and the outcome could very well change again...and it's something they're hoping to avoid...so.....I don't know..rambling..heh.

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), November 11, 2000.

Italics mine: >> "It's in our nation's best interest that I should assume the presidency, that this is an administration that is prepared well," Bush said. <<

Says it all. But not exactly as Bush intended.

Bush should be saying it is in the nation's best interest that the people's voice be determined, according to the rule of law, and then heeded, however it speaks.

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), November 11, 2000.

I read that same line, but I have to believe it was a typo by the original reporter. Just switch two words and you get:

It's in our nation's best interest that should I assume the presidency, that this is an administration that is prepared well,

That seems more plausable. At least I hope that's what he really said.

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), November 11, 2000.

Actually, to try to block the accurate counting of all the votes in a fair manner does seem fascistic to me. The GOP is trying to stop the democratic process.

Why is Bush so alarmed? Let him manually recount Republican counties if he wants.

-- Democracy blocked (by@gop.com), November 11, 2000.

I am not pleased at all by this. Those voters who did not fill out their ballot correctly should not get another chance to vote now. But for Bush to try to block another recount of the ballots is nearly as bad as the Dems asking to vote again.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), November 11, 2000.

Unrestricted, the so-called Gore team will find a way to make the numbers work for their benefit. I must agree that the Republican Party should no longer let this situation get out of hand. Fuck counting again. Wait until the legal deadline for absentee votes, count them up, and release the new and final totals. No more recounting or revoting. Seal the deal and move forward.

-- I (h@ve.spoken), November 11, 2000.

Brian:

As we speak, BP-Amoco is beginning to load barges for the "thaw'". You know, for exploration in the Artic Wildlife Ref. As a joke, I suggested that it should be called the Ralph Nader field. They said that they would consider that suggestion.

Once it is drillled, it can't be undrilled. But then I'm sure that you knew that.

Best wishes,,,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), November 11, 2000.

What's all this talk about hand jobs and presidential erections? Don't you people realize that children read this board? And what business is it of yours about either? What? Hand counts and presidental elections? Oh. Never mind.

-- Rosanne Rosannadanna (Gone But@Not.Forgotten), November 12, 2000.

People, people, people,

Calm down and take another look at this thread's title.

"More Facism from the Shrub team"

Haven't you yet noticed the bandage that showed up on Shrubya's _face_? It got radio/TV commentary for a while. Shrubya knows that appearances are important, and he's out for the "battered fighter" sympathy vote. We're talking cosmetics here, not ideology.

-- No Spam Please (nos_pam_please@hotmail.com), November 12, 2000.

Spam,

Comments like those above are exposing you for the fucking idiot that you are.

-- I (h@ve.spoken), November 12, 2000.

LOL, I think No Spam has got something there. When I saw Shrub on TV with the bandaid on his mellon, he seemed to be pouting while he tried to talk.

It was kinda sad, like.. "we're getting ready to, boo-hoo, assume the presidency, sniff-sniff, and do what is, boo-hoo-hoo, gore is beating me up, best for the country, boo-waaa-waaa!"

During the whole thing, of course he had his trademark pouting frown on his face, like he was ready to start sucking his thumb.

-- LMAO (shrubby@needs.his.mommy), November 12, 2000.

LMAO, you appear to be a very young and immature individual. Are you aware that this forum caters to an adult crowd? Like the West Palm Beach ballots IBm sure this is very confusing to someone of your underdeveloped intellect so please allow me to get you back to your normal venue.

http://www.vicky-web.com/bbs/barbie/wwwboard.html

-- Wizard (onedirector@email.msn.com), November 12, 2000.

Wizard = I (h@ve.farted)

-- LOL (what@dumbass.troll), November 12, 2000.

This is too funny. Mr. Wizard, you have managed to butt heads with our #1 forum butt head. Known for some time as Hawk, this guy will now show up with a different handle for each post. Occasionally, he has offered some thoughtful and mature observations but those are few and far between. For the most part he seems to regress into the mind of a 12-year-old with a stunted mentality. Never could figure him out other than to assume he has little control over his mind swings and might actually BE an adolescent. He has always had some sort of problem with the Bush family which I find incredible when you realize his primary concern is focused on his next potty session.

-- I (h@ve.spoken), November 12, 2000.

LOL, too funny! Talking to yourself again "Wizard.h@s.farted"?

I particularly enjoyed this thread, where you spend a good deal of time kissing uponeth thine own ass.

Bwaahaahaa! Thanks for the laughs!

-- (wizard.farted@split.personality), November 12, 2000.

Farted,

I am who I am and do not hide behind a false email address. If you have the courage of your convictions I would invite you to contact me in person. Should I fail to hear from you I will understand.

-- Wizard (onedirector@email.msn.com), November 12, 2000.

I (h@ve.spoken),

My apologies. Next time I'll try to remember to include a little happy-face to clue you into the joke.

Meanwhile, here's a couple just for you: :-) ;-)

-- No Spam Please (nos_pam_please@hotmail.com), November 13, 2000.