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Nov. 12

Bush Backed Hand Recounts in Texas

Contrary to his presidential campaignBs argument today, Gov. George W. Bush three years ago signed legislation into law in Texas that said a manual recount is preferred to an electronic machine recount in determining close elections.

James Baker III, representing the Bush campaign in the recount controversy in Florida, said Saturday that manual recountsBsuch as those being conducted in Palm Beach CountyBwere less accurate than machine recounts and more subject to Bpotential mischief.B

Democrats quickly resurrected BushBs decision in 1997 in Texas to sign House Bill 331 into law. It declares that in Texas Ba manual recount shall be conducted in preference to an electronic recount.B The law went into effect on Sept. 1, 1997.

State Rep. Debra Danburg, a Democrat from Houston, said she sponsored the bill because of concerns at the time about the use of punch cards in the polling booths. BParticularly, elderly voters are hesitant to ram that stylus throughB a punch card, she said.

BIt was a bipartisan bill. It was one of our fairly major bills,B recalled Danburg of the law, endorsing the use of manual recounts in Texas.

A Bush campaign spokesman rejected any comparison between the Texas and Florida situations.

BItBs completely invalid to compare recount procedures in Florida with recount procedures in Texas,B said Bush campaign spokesman Dan Bartlett.

He said that in Texas only one recount is allowed and punch cardsBlike those used in FloridaBare use in only 14 or 254 Texas counties. Also, unlike Florida, election law in Texas provides for statewide, uniform procedures for recounting punch card ballots, he said.

B Associated Press

-- The (election@of.2000), November 12, 2000

Answers

How do you spell hypocrite?

R-e-p-u-b-l-i-c-a-n

-- or B-U-S-H (ha@ha.ha), November 12, 2000.

The answer is quite simple if you watch TV. The chaos in the Florida election counting room over what procedures to follow clearly demonstrate that there are no adequate procedures in place, that procedures vary, that there is too much subjectivity trying to decide the voters "intent" by how many corners of a piece of chad may have been punched.

Going for yet a third count that can let Democrats "decide" who a voter voted for, but only in counties that highly favor Gore, doesn't make for a fair election.

-- David (David@bzn.com), November 12, 2000.

I agree David. If a hand count is to be fairly adminstered, let every vote in Florida be hand counted.

-- butt nugget (catsbutt@umailme.com), November 12, 2000.

>> If a hand count is to be fairly adminstered, let every vote in Florida be hand counted. <<

The Bush campaign could ask for this, AFAIK. Instead, they have chosen another course. Of course, if they were to ask for such a hand count now that they have already declared such a count to be less accurate, it would say something very unflattering about them.

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), November 12, 2000.

"Bush Backed Hand Recounts in Texas"

AND he just did it in New Mexico, and it appears this has changed the win from Gore's to his!

The hand count being done in Florida is not the 3rd time for a hand count, it will be the first. There is an approved Republican party representative at each table of 2 counters, so it will be completely fair, and morre accurate than machines.

The only reason Shrub don't like it is because he fears the truth, he would prefer to keep his win, even if it is highly corrupted, and even if it does not accurately reflect the vote of the people.

-- (it's.the@hypocrisy.stupid!), November 12, 2000.