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| GOVERNOR MARC RACICOT | |
 November 27, 2000  |
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Republican Governor and Bush adviser Marc Racicot of Montana discusses the Democratic challenge to the certified Florida election results.
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MARGARET
WARNER: Joining us from Tallahassee is one of Governor Bush's advisers,
Montana Governor Marc Racicot. Thanks for joining us, governor. You
just heard Senator Lieberman say that if the 10,000 votes in Miami-Dade
that were spit out by the machine and registered no votes, if they aren't
counted that a cloud will be over the next president. Do you think that's
true?
GOV. MARC RACICOT: I don't think that's true at all. To tell you the truth, I find it very disappointing. I think it's very unfortunate and it's inaccurate to reflect that there are 10,000 ballots in Miami-Dade County that weren't counted. There simply were no votes that were cast for the president in that particular election, and as a consequence of that, they can't in fact count. So this is a real disappointment for the Gore- Lieberman campaign to reflect to the American people that what ought to occur is that every ballot ought to be counted -- as a matter of fact particularly so when they have fought so hard to keep out thousands of absentee ballots in Seminole County and more than 200 votes that were cast, they've tried to have excluded in Nassau County. So the notion that they want every vote to count is just simply not the case. What Senator Lieberman is trying to reflect, I think, is just simply not what I understand, what I saw with my own eyes through three-and-a-half days to be the accurate situation as we've described it from here. MARGARET WARNER: Just so I understand, you and Governor Bush believe, in other words, that all the votes were counted? GOV. MARC RACICOT: Well, they clearly were counted. These are ballots that do not have one of the punches for president poked out of the ballot. So, there may be a mark or a scratch on the ballot from which the Gore-Lieberman campaign alleges you ought to try and discern whether or not that's a pause mark or that somebody intended to vote. And these are people they don't know -- they've never spoken with -- they have no connection to. How in the name of God could you ever claim to be able to do that with a reasonable certainty, which is required by Florida law? |
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| Counting ballots | |||||||||||
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MARGARET WARNER: Now, they would say that these same ballots they're talking about have never been hand-counted at all and that many of the -- they're more than marks, that they are punched through perhaps and that these are the kinds of votes that were counted in other counties such as Broward or Palm Beach. I don't want to mention the word chad, but I guess I have to. These are ones where it was punched through but maybe it was hanging or whatever. You're saying that those shouldn't be counted anyway.
MARGARET WARNER: Let me go back to his larger point which had to do with whether there are doubts about whoever wins. I noticed in the Washington Post/ABC News poll today which did say that 60 percent of Americans now thought it was time for Gore to concede, nonetheless only about a quarter said they were very confident that the Florida count was accurate. Does that trouble you or Governor Bush at all? Do you think there's any danger that, in fact, there could be a kind of cloud over him? GOV. MARC RACICOT: Well, we know, of course, what the facts of the situation are. And we know that this was a very difficult election as was reflected last night by Governor Bush, but we also know that the American people expect that the law will be observed. It's been very unfortunate that the Florida Supreme Court decided that they would rewrite the law and change the rules, not only in the middle of the stream but after the game was completed. They know that there have been ample opportunities for the votes to be counted, recounted and in some instances three and four times, and I believe that the American people understand plainly that even though there have been challenges associated with this election, clearly when Governor Bush has been certified with the highest number of votes in the state of Florida, thereby achieving the highest number of electoral votes in this country, that he will set about to gain, I think, the opportunity for them to invest their confidence in him as he serves them ably into the future. So, no, I don't think that that's going to be a challenge or a difficulty for him as he assumes the presidency. MARGARET WARNER: Let me ask you about one other thing Senator Lieberman said. He noted, of course, that Governor Bush has an appeal in the courts also at the U.S. Supreme Court. He said given that, he thought it was both premature and unrealistic for Governor Bush last night to have essentially -- I don't want to put words in his mouth, I don't remember his exact words -- but to declare himself as having won the presidency. How do you react to that? |
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| A difficult contest | |||||||||||
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MARGARET WARNER: Last week before the Florida Supreme Court, Governor Bush's lawyer, Michael Carvin, began by saying, look, the time to be contesting, challenging, any of these results are after certification, during the contest phase. Is the Bush camp now suggesting that nonetheless, it is inappropriate or unseemly for Vice President Gore to be challenging these three counties or several counties during this contest phase? GOV. MARC RACICOT: Well, the reality is everything that the vice president has requested in reference to this particular situation has been granted. He has received the opportunity to count and to recount and count again and in some instances again. And the fact of the matter is we know many more facts and circumstances now than we knew when those particular arguments were made. And as a result of that what the vice president is seeking is an opportunity to repeat the same arguments that he presented over a week ago. We know what the evidence is now, and there's no reason to continue on with long, lengthy, difficult, complex legal battles that will achieve no more finality than what we already have. MARGARET WARNER: The issues before the U.S. Supreme Court on the governor's appeal on Friday aren't directly on point on the issues that now Vice President Gore is raising in these challenges. What do you expect the U.S. Supreme Court to really settle here? GOV. MARC RACICOT: Well, we expect the United States Supreme Court to vindicate the principles of law that were embodied as a part of Florida law prior to the time, enacted by the legislature, prior to the time that the Florida Supreme Court chose to legislatively, assume a legislative function not properly reserved to that branch of government, and to declare that to be inappropriate and in violation of the Constitution in federal law. That's what we expect the United States Supreme Court will do when they consider this particular case.
GOV. MARC RACICOT: Well, that will depend upon what the United States Supreme Court says precisely. It's our expectation that that principle I just articulated is what, in fact, the court will do. But whether or not we can predict with any degree of certainty exactly what will happen I think is a matter of great speculation. MARGARET WARNER: All right, well Governor Marc Racicot, thanks for being with us. GOV. MARC RACICOT: Thank you. |
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GOV.
MARC RACICOT: No. I think what you heard Senator Lieberman say is that
there are 10,000 ballots that have never been counted even once. I believe
that's a direct quote. And the fact of the matter is they were counted
and then they were recounted. And, as a consequence of that, you just
simply cannot truthfully make that allegation. 
GOV.
MARC RACICOT: Well, I think what Governor Bush did last evening, and
I believe the American people understand this precisely, is to reflect
to the American people that it's been a difficult contest, that it has
been healthy, that the American people expect some finality, that we
need to draw to a close, and there are some very grave and very serious
responsibilities here that the next president has to assume. And he
was declared the victor on election night. He had the most number of
votes at least. He had the most number of votes after the recount. He
had the most number of votes after the first certification and again
after the last certification, and now it's time to move on. He has to
face these responsibilities of forming a government. So that's what
he was trying to reflect even though it's been difficult, we have to
bring about those processes that will allow for us to serve the American
people as they have a right to expect. 
MARGARET
WARNER: But I mean, do you expect that somehow that will put an end
to the challenges? I mean, in other words, do you think it will end
this thing?