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| FLORIDA RECOUNT | |
 November 22, 2000  |
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Betty Ann Bowser reports on today's election news from Florida.
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JIM LEHRER: There were several major developments today
in the Presidential recount in Florida. In Miami-Dade County, election
officials halted their hand counting. They said they could not finish
by Sunday. Vice President Gore's campaign appealed that decision. Last
night, the Florida Supreme Court ruled hand counts must be included in
the state's final tally, if completed by Sunday. Governor Bush said today
the high court had overreached. In Palm Beach County, a state judge ruled
that county officials must consider ballots with indentations, or dimples,
on the punch-holes. Also today, Republican Vice Presidential Candidate
Dick Cheney was hospitalized with chest pains in Washington. They performed
a procedure called angioplasty on an artery, and inserted a stent, a small
piece of wire mesh. He was expected to be released in a few days. We'll
have more on the Cheney story later. But first, the drama of the Florida
recount. Betty Ann Bowser reports the day.
BETTY ANN BOWSER: Governor Bush delivered his response to the Supreme Court decision shortly after noon from his office in Austin. GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH: I am disappointed with last night's ruling by the Florida Supreme Court. We believe the Justices have used the bench to change Florida's election laws and usurp the authority of Florida's election officials. We believe the court overreached. Writing laws is the duty of the legislature. Administering laws is the duty of the executive branch. If Vice President Gore is seeking some common ground, I propose a good place to start. He should join me in calling upon all appropriate authorities in Florida to make sure that overseas military ballots that were signed and received on time count in this election. Our men and women in uniform overseas should not lose their right to vote. I hope the Vice President will personally support me in this call. I believe Secretary Cheney and I won the vote in Florida. I believe some are determined to keep counting in an effort to change the legitimate result. It is important that votes are counted accurately, and it's equally important that votes be counted fairly and in a process that is seen to be fair. REPORTER: Governor, do you plan to appeal the Florida Supreme Court decision? GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH: We will... I'd refer you to my lawyers in Florida. Jim Baker's doing a good job. REPORTER: What options are you considering? GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH: I'd refer you to our folks in Florida. They're... Jim Baker's in charge of the team in Florida, and he's doing a really good job down there. BETTY ANN BOWSER: This afternoon, Gore campaign manager William Daley disagreed with the Governor's assessment of Supreme Court decision. WILLIAM DALEY: It is important that we listen to the Florida Supreme Court, that we listen to the clear rule of law and not turn our back on it. This morning, Governor Bush said that under our system of government the legislative branch passes the laws, the executive branch administers the law. Unfortunately, he left out one important branch of our government, the judicial branch, which has the responsibility of interpreting our laws and reconciling conflicts between statutes. All we are asking for is that the rule of law be respected and upheld, and that all the votes be counted in a way that is consistent with Florida law. We don't know what the final count will show, but we are strongly committed to seeing that all the votes are fully and fairly counted within the law, and that of course includes all military ballots that are legally cast as well. BETTY ANN BOWSER: Late this afternoon, attorneys for Governor Bush went to court in Florida asking that all military overseas ballots be counted, even if they did not have a postmark. The Florida Supreme Court ruling that triggered the reaction from both sides came shortly before 10 o'clock last night. CRAIG WATERS: The court holds that amended certifications from the county canvassing boards must be accepted by the election canvassing commission through 5:00 PM on November 26, if the secretary of state's office is open for the special purpose of receiving amended certifications. If that office is not open for this purpose on that date, then the election canvassing commission must accept amended certifications until 9:00 AM on November 27. BETTY ANN BOWSER: The high court also rebuked Republican Secretary of State Katherine Harris for her decision not to include hand- counted ballots, saying "to allow the secretary to summarily disenfranchise innocent electors... misses the constitutional mark." About an hour after the Supreme Court ruling, Vice President Gore went on live television from his residence in Washington. VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: The Florida Supreme Court has now spoken, and we will move forward now with a full, fair and accurate count of the ballots in question. I don't know what those ballots will show. I don't know whether Governor Bush or I will prevail. But we do know that our democracy is the winner tonight. I once again urge that Governor Bush and I meet to demonstrate the essential unity that keeps America strong and free. Together, let us testify to the truth that our country is more important than victory. Both Governor Bush and I should urge all our supporters to refrain from any comments, including comments on this evening's decision by the Florida Supreme Court, that could make it harder for us to come together as one nation when the process is completed. PROTESTERS: Let us see the vote! BETTY ANN BOWSER: But today in south Florida, partisan fighting escalated after the Miami-Dade canvassing board said it didn't have time to recount of all its 650,000 ballots. Instead, the Democratically controlled board decided to hand count just those ballots not counted by the machines, a move denounced by Republican leaders. REP. JOHN SWEENEY: It's inequitable and unfair to those people who actually voted in the presidential race. Ladies and gentlemen, this is such an outrage. This is the most brazen attempt by the Gore people and the Democrat machine, and the thugs in that building, to hijack the American presidency. And we, you ought to be, the media ought to be outraged because they want to take it out of your eyes. BETTY ANN BOWSER: Democratic attorney Kendall Coffey accused the Republicans unfairly attacking the canvassing board. KENDALL COFFEY: What has been a spin machine up until recent days is now becoming a smear factory as the Republicans do everything they can not only to chastise their adversaries, to attack our judiciary system in Florida, but now to attempt to cast disparaging and baseless accusations on the dedicated people of the elections committees and canvassing boards. That has got to stop. Our community is not going to gain from division and unfounded innuendo and allegation. All of us know that we have a system of laws in our community that we can have faith in; we need to believe in ourselves as a community. We need to know that we are going to follow the law and can have faith in the process and the public servants and the public officials that are going through this manual recount. BETTY ANN BOWSER: Then, after repeated protests, came the complete reversal, the decision not to recount any votes, a decision Gore campaign manager Daley said they'd appeal in court. WILLIAM DALEY: We were disappointed by the decision of the Miami-Dade Board of Canvassers who had previously found that there was an error in the vote count that did require a manual recount. Under Florida law, once the finding is made, the recount is mandatory. We will immediately be seeking an order directing the Dade County Board of Canvassers to resume the manual recount. BETTY ANN BOWSER: Meanwhile in neighboring Palm Beach County, a circuit court judge was trying to determine whether the local canvassing board there should be allowed to count the so-called dimpled ballots. Those are voting cards which have indentation marks on them but were not perforated when the votes were cast. Board Chairman Charles Burton, who wants to include dimpled ballots in the count, told the court it's not an easy process. JUDGE CHARLES BURTON: There are such a variety of indentations. There are some that barely don't even crease the paper. I mean, it's just so remote. And the lawyer for either side is like, you know, I object, there's something there. I don't know if that's a vote. I don't know what the person did. It's a ballot card. And unless we see consistently throughout that ballot card some pattern that that's how this person voted, I don't know how else we could determine that's an intent. And my concern is if the law is any indication should be done in favor of the voter, that's fine. But I don't know where that law is. And does it result in excluding? Perhaps. BETTY ANN BOWSER: Governor Bush, who opposes the counting of dimpled ballots, addressed the issue this morning. GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH: Voters who cast their ballots in accordance with the rules, in accordance with law, have rights, and voters who choose not to cast a vote for President have that right, and no one else has the right to make their choice for them. Voters who clearly punched preferences in other races on the ballot, but did not do so in the presidential race, should not have their vote interpreted by local officials in a process that invites human error and mischief. BETTY ANN BOWSER: Late today, the judge allowed dimpled ballots to be counted in Palm Beach County. A court spokesman read a summary of the decision. RICK HUSSEY: Since the will of the people is the paramount consideration and the purpose of our election laws is to obtain a correct expression of the intent of the voters, where the intention of the voter can be fairly and satisfactorily ascertained, that intention should be given effect. Conversely, the canvassing board must reject any vote in which it cannot discern the intent of the voter. Accordingly, given the aforesaid ruling, it is here by ordered and adjudged that the plaintiff's motion for clarification is granted. BETTY ANN BOWSER: In Broward County, as many as 2,000 ballots have been set aside for review. Up to now, dimpled ballots have not been counted. Workers there have agreed to work on Thanksgiving Day to go over the questionable ballots. JIM LEHRER: Late today the Bush campaign confirmed it would appeal the Florida Supreme Court decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. |
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