December 1, 2000

Supreme Court Ends Hearing on Bush-Gore Election
By James Vicini / Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court vigorously questioned lawyers for Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore during historic arguments on Friday, appearing closely divided on the hand-counted Florida ballots that may decide who wins the presidency. With the courtroom packed with lawyers and spectators attending the legal showdown, the nation's nine-member high court struggled for the first time with a case that will directly affect an unresolved U.S. presidential election. During the arguments, the justices did not say how they would rule in Bush's appeal aimed at taking away hundreds of hand-counted votes that Gore needs to win Florida.

Court Questions Bush, Gore Lawyers
By Laurie Asseo / The Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Lawyers for George W. Bush and Al Gore pleaded their cases in the high-columned solemnity of the Supreme Court on Friday before justices openly questioning whether they should intervene in the nation's contested presidential election. "We're looking for a federal issue here," said Justice Anthony Kennedy, less than 10 minutes after Bush's attorney, Theodore Olson, began speaking in the historic legal clash. "Why should the federal judiciary be interfering in what seems to be a very carefully thought-out scheme" for settling elections in Florida, Justice David H. Souter prodded.

Gore Dealt Double Defeat in Florida
By Linda Deutsch / The Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Florida Supreme Court and a state court judge dealt Al Gore's lawyers a double defeat Friday in their bid to force an immediate hand recount of thousands of disputed ballots. In yet another ruling announced later in the day, the state high court unanimously refused to order a new election in Palm Beach County, rejecting a plea from voters who contested the design of the county's "butterfly ballot." "Courts have generally declined to void an election" unless defects in the ballot "clearly operate to prevent a free, fair and open choice," the court ruled in an opinion that court spokesman Craig Waters summarized from the courthouse steps.

Fla. Court Refuses Manual Recount
By Linda Deutsch / The Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Florida Supreme Court and a state court judge dealt Al Gore's lawyers a double defeat Friday in their bid to begin recounting of thousands of ballots immediately. In an emergency hearing, Circuit Judge N. Sanders Sauls refused for the third time in less than a week to order a manual recount of disputed ballots, at least until he hears arguments in an historic trial beginning Saturday. The Florida Supreme Court, which was implored to intervene, refused without comment. Spokesman Craig Waters said merely that the petititon was "dismissed without prejudice," meaning it could be filed again.

Florida Supreme Court Dismisses "Butterfly Ballot" Case
United Press International
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Florida Supreme Court Friday dismissed an appeal by Palm Beach County voters asking for a new vote in the Nov. 7 presidential election because they were confused by the so-called "butterfly ballot." "Even accepting appellant's allegation, we conclude as a matter of law that the Palm Beach county ballot does not constitute substantial noncompliance with the statutory requirement," the court ruled.

Supreme Court Protesters Faceoff
By John Heilprin / The Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Hundreds of noisy but peaceful backers of George W. Bush and Al Gore faced off in front of the Supreme Court as long lines waited for a glimpse of history in a carnival atmosphere that included bystanders ranging from a Darth Vader wannabe to the Falun Gong. It wasn't your usual scene at the Supreme Court. For the last two nights, people camped out in near-freezing temperatures as if waiting for tickets to a rock concert.

Bush Lawyers File Response to Gore
By Linda Deutsch / The Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- In a new legal filing, lawyers for Republican George W. Bush say they have more than a dozen reasons why a judge should toss out Democrat Al Gore's challenge to Florida's presidential vote. Lawyers for Gore on Friday asked for an emergency hearing in the court in charge of their election contest. Circuit Court Judge N. Sanders Sauls scheduled such a hearing for that afternoon at 3 p.m.

Democrats File Martin County Suit
By Jeffrey McMurray / The Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Democrat voters filed a lawsuit Friday against Martin County's canvassing board in an attempt to throw out 9,773 absentee ballots, most of which were cast for George W. Bush. If a judge rules to disqualify all of the ballots, Democrat Al Gore would gain 2,815 votes – more than enough to grab the lead and Florida's 25 electors from Bush. In a case similar to one filed earlier this week against Seminole County, the voters claim Republican Party officials were allowed to alter ballot request forms by adding voter identification numbers to applications that were left blank.

Last of Fla. Ballots Sent on Road
By Rachel La Corte / The Associated Press
The last of a million south Florida ballots summoned by a state judge and packed into 82 boxes began a 468-mile trek for delivery to a courthouse vault in Tallahassee Friday. Two white rental vans – one full of ballots, the other empty and driving behind in case of an emergency – started their engines and left downtown Miami at about 6 a.m. EST. Within an hour, the caravan had reached the Ronald Reagan Turnpike and was headed north.

Bush Meeting With Key Republicans
By Tom Raum / The Associated Press
CRAWFORD, Texas -- Asserting victory even as court challenges continue, George W. Bush says "one of these days" he'll prevail. In the meantime he's meeting with top Republicans to plan for a new Bush administration. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott made plans to travel to Texas on Saturday to confer with the Texas governor for the first time since the election.

U.S. Newspapers Editorialize On Election
Compiled by United Press International

Earlier News Articles...

The Case Before The Supreme Court
The Washington Times
This morning, for the first time in American history, the U.S. Supreme Court will hold a hearing that will very likely play a pivotal role in resolving a bitterly contested presidential election. The conventional wisdom in much of the legal community was that the nation's highest court was unlikely to intervene in a dispute ostensibly involving the Florida Supreme Court's interpretation of state law. As it happened, at least four U.S. Supreme Court justices, the minimally necessary number, welcomed George W. Bush's petition, pointedly asking both sides to address a specific question: "What would be the consequences [if the U.S. Supreme Court found] that the decision of the Supreme Court of Florida does not comply with Title 3 United States Code Section 5?" Title 3 Section 5 stipulates that any disputes regarding the appointment of a state's electors can be judicially resolved in a conclusive way only if they are resolved in accordance with laws enacted prior to election day. In effect, the Florida Supreme Court took it upon itself to rewrite Florida's election law after the election.

U.S. Supreme Court Briefs
Washington Post
Following are key legal briefs filed as part of Texas Gov. George W. Bush's appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The documents are in the PDF file format.

High Court OKs Audio Taping Hearing
By Laurie Asseo / The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court's decision to let Americans hear Friday's historic Florida election argument on the same day is a huge first for a court so tradition-bound it still hands out quill pens as souvenirs to lawyers. The argument won't be broadcast live: the court is releasing its tape recording shortly after the argument ends. As always, there will be no television or still cameras.

Crowds Gather Outside Supreme Court
By John Heilprin / The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - It wasn't your usual order that blared from the police cruiser's loudspeaker in front of the Supreme Court: ``The person who ordered pizza from Pizza Boli's,'' the metallic voice announced, ``your pizza's here.'' But then, Thursday was not a usual night at the Supreme Court. People hunkered down against the chill November wind outside the floodlighted marble court. One man had brought a folding cot, and several had foam-rubber and air mattresses or sleeping bags. Two camping tents were pitched, one on a grass median between the sidewalk and the street, another on the sidewalk. People played chess, Trivial Pursuit. They ate pizza, ordered by cellphone. And everywhere, people talked of the hearing Friday, when the Supreme Court enters the legal impasse over the Florida presidential election.

Republicans Say Gore Team Continues To Misstate Facts
By Rowan Scarborough / The Washington Times
Gore attorney David Boies yesterday continued to tout an Illinois court case as proof that dimpled ballots must be counted, even though an affidavit he submitted to Florida officials on the case was retracted. Republicans say it is one of several incidents in which Vice President Al Gore's campaign, and the candidate himself, are misstating fundamental facts to get ballots counted their way and sway public opinion. The National Legal and Policy Center in Washington said yesterday it has filed a complaint with the Florida Bar Association asking it to investigate Mr. Boies and another Gore attorney, Mitchell W. Berger. "Using a false affidavit to influence events in and out of court is an outrage," NLPC Chairman Ken Boehm said. "If that is in fact what an investigation of Boies and Berger finds, then they should be severely disciplined."

Absentee Ballot Suit Worries Republicans
By George Lardner Jr. and James V. Grimaldi / Washington Post
TALLAHASSEE -- Republican officials are worried that a sleeper lawsuit from Seminole County could cost Texas Gov. George W. Bush the presidency, and they are moving aggressively to ward off that danger. The lawsuit involves an effort by a Democrat activist to throw out thousands of absentee ballots cast in the suburban GOP stronghold north of Orlando. The legal issues are relatively obscure, and Vice President Gore's campaign has not pursued the case because it would seem to contradict its efforts to count more ballots in other jurisdictions.

Florida Lawmakers Prepare To Step In
By Bill Sammon And Steve Miller / The Washington Times
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida lawmakers yesterday voted to convene a special session of the state Legislature in order to be poised to restore Florida's 25 electors to George W. Bush in the event that Al Gore succeeds in overturning the election. Voting 8-5 along party lines, the committee recommended that both houses of the Republican-dominated Legislature convene Monday or Tuesday to prepare to assert their constitutional prerogative — the direct appointment of electors.

Fla. Fight Reaches High Court
By David S. Broder / Washington Post
Florida's Republican-controlled legislature moved into position yesterday to bolster George W. Bush's claim to the state's critical electoral votes, as attorneys for Vice President Gore urged the supreme courts in Tallahassee and Washington to allow more ballot-counting to proceed.

Military Personnel Warned on Politics
By Thomas E. Ricks / Washington Post
Two major U.S. military commands, one in the Air Force and the other in the Army, recently warned their personnel that it is a crime for officers to express contempt for the nation's political leaders, either in speech or in e-mail correspondence. Brig. Gen. Jack Rives, the top lawyer for the Air Force's Air Combat Command, said he acted on Nov. 21 after reading in news stories comments from military officers who were upset by Democrat Party challenges to military absentee ballots cast in Florida.

Ridge Has No Interest in Possible Bush Cabinet Job
Reuters
HARRISBURG, Pa (Reuters) - Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge has no interest in joining a possible Bush cabinet, despite published reports that he is being considered for the post of defense secretary, a Ridge spokesman said on Thursday.

Economic Woes Hurt Stock Markets
By Julie Hyman / The Washington Times
The stock markets dived yesterday, driven by worries about the slowing economy and weak corporate profits.

U.S. Supreme Court Could End The Long Count
By Robert D. Novak / The Union Leader
WASHINGTON -- “We’re screwed,” bemoaned one of Al Gore’s political lieutenants when he learned last week that the United States Supreme Court had accepted the Florida recount case (though he used stronger language than that). The prospects for counting Vice President Gore into the White House dropped precipitously. The last Democrat hope now may rest on very tenuous grounds: Justice Anthony Kennedy once again betraying conservatives. Gore’s lawyers never expected the Supreme Court to enter the case. Since it did, they have doggedly pursued election contests in a Tallahassee courtroom and publicly expressed confidence in the Supreme Court’s ultimate decision. Privately, however, Gore’s politicians doubt that the court would accept George W. Bush’s appeal only to rule against him in behalf of the Florida Supreme Court.

High Court Hides Behind Its Robes
By Michelle Malkin / Creators Syndicate
Washington -- When will the high and mighty hermits on the U.S. Supreme Court get over themselves and get with the 21st century? Unlike the judiciaries in 47 states, the highest court in the land still refuses to allow its hearings to be televised. Thanks to snooty traditions, unbridled egos and specious fears, the Supreme Court's nine crusty justices remain secluded members of the nation's most inaccessible branch of government.

Gore's Rule of Lawyers
By Tony Snow / NewsMax.com
WASHINGTON -- This just in: Vice President Albert Gore Jr. has surged ahead of George W. Bush in the Florida presidential contest. He now leads Bush by a margin of 500 lawyers, and his lead is growing by the minute. That's right, folks, the presidential canvass officially has become the most grotesque, prolonged, expensive and annoying lawyer joke ever. It also is our future, should Gore prevail.

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