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The better angels speak softly in the biter fights of passions and interests.
The voice of a more suitable wisdom comes from clam reflection on what really matters in the long run. While the swift and cleaver, the big and strong may dominate the battle they do not always win the war.
The long struggle for human dignity, honor and justice goes on.
The Revolution by the American people was such a battle - they were not the strongest or swiftest - but had a clearer vision and purpose which substandard the cause when all seemed lost and hopeless -
The balance is between the "law" and "liberty" , the rights of the individual and the demands of society, is a continuing history of civilization, the people of the colonies had a better idea about this balance than the British Empire at the time.
The sins and virtues of the fathers are not interned in their bones but their children bare the marks and carry the wisdom they have inherited.
The vision shared for the centuries is of a civic culture, a civilized society, educated in virtue and knowledge, free of the suppression of ideas, overcoming superstition and prejudice, becoming enlightened and wise, living freely by the rule of law and justice, fair to each others and their neighbors, peaceful and prosperous with a moral purpose beyond their own advantage. This we can share and work together if we see the whole and not just pieces - compromise of the small for the large, the petty for the whole, the local for the national, the temporary for the long term. This vision is what makes progress and success possible and why leaders have followers, a call to greater causes, images of a brighter future, a subtended hope, faith and charity which catches fire in the popular imagination.
The message can not be just through the press, speeches, programs and proposals but in actions. You must create the image of the reality before it exists.
The good schools where no child is left behind needs to be in sound and pictures - the bad school when lives are distorted needs to be visible and present as a hard reality. You can go to such places - you can personally work to turn the institutions around. Nothing can be more important that the message - the reality on the ground - let others carry the programs and proposals, argue about the details - but if you can sell the image - the big picture - the rest will come along in time.
The photo ops is the media and the message - schools, long term care, cost and benefits in retirement planning, taxes and costs, election reform - etc.
The King is popular sovereignty - not a religion or could it be.
The rebellion had to be justified by appeal to a higher authority.
They could not use the language Ashcroft and many conservative Christian have made an article of faith, that Jesus gave us freedom. Madison did not justify an armed citizenry as a protection from oppression. Only the civic doctrine of duty and honor would protect the republic. Christian doctrine at the time would have required them to be good subjects and loyal to existing institutions.
The rebellion was against Church and State - so you could not justify a rebellion against the King based on the Church by using religion as the reason.
The act of rebellion against an existing government makes you either a founding fathers or failed members of a rebellion of the American Colonies.
The British loyalist refugees ( in 100,000’s ) who went to Canada and the West Indies held the view that the political issues with a current administration did not justify such an extreme act.
The Loyalist were largely right about the current political issues but the underlining cause of the American Revolution was not English despotism but was a new passion based on a philosophy of Government, of Human Rights, and the social contract.
The ideas behind the Declaration of Independence were derived from humanist, rationalist, secular ( and Masonic ) ideas from Europe.
The Revolutionaries were not traditional Christian but Deist - the Church was often associated with an ancient superstition and a important and fundamental support for the divine right of kings, against which they were in revolt.
The King is popular sovereignty - not a religion or could it be.
The record demonstrates that Mr. Kennedy is right.
The most disturbing part of Mr. Ashcroft's testimony was his misrepresentation of his opposition to the voluntary school desegregation program in St. Louis. He said the courts had not found the state guilty of wrongdoing, that the state had not been a party to the case when it was ordered to pay for the plan and that he had never defied court orders. In fact, the federal courts found that the state was the primary constitutional wrongdoer and the state was a party to the case. And, in 1981 a federal court criticized the state for deliberately deciding to "defy the authority" of the court.
The first idea of not hurting or making things worse is a basic policy, medical, political and educational principle - but not so simple - With the best intention policy often does make the problem worse rather than better - ( rent control, deregulation in some cases, private vs. Public enterprises, public housing, the War on Drugs, highways, Arms race, over use of antibiotics, etc. ) Mills idea was that his freedom extends to the edge of your nose but - libertarian principle does not deal with the "hard" problems.
The way republican government is to have a fair fight among interests and compromise who wins and who pays. Since only a small proportion of the people are actively engaged in the struggle ( about 3 % ) - so only a few get to bargain about costs and benefits.
The fight over costs and benefits is therefore determined by active minorities - money and troops. In this sense it can rarely be the greatest good for the greatest number but the most goods go to those who work harder or pay more to get or defend their interests. In short democracy is not perfect but less bad than the alternatives.
The current problem in American Government is how the few battle for power - the use of modern marketing methods which require lots of money. Modern marketing is less convincing people that you are right and a good product and they are wrong and a bad product ( as Tony Blair does in GB ) but finding emotional connections between what people "feel" and the product. What Bush did was to make people feel that they were associated with your needs and desires and they are bad, undesirable or evil. Gore tried the same so it came out even.
The national voter ID card - issued along with driver licenses or tax returns or by application - a electronic credit card with photo - could contain a number like on your checks - an account number and a county, ward, and precinct number.
There would be no need to registrar for national elections but everyone could have a national card and could vote for national officers. At the time of election ( should be a holiday such as Nov 11th and maybe over two days ) polling places would electronically scan the cards and know who tried to vote.
There would be two ballots - the national one to anyone with a national card- a local one with local registration.
The national list could be cross checked for citizenship, felony convictions, residency, and be fairly clean which voter rolls are not now ( millions of double enrolled, American move a lot - more votes in Alaska than people ) - another quagmire when we get into registration and voter rolls. At some time the national vote then could be recorded at any ATM machine or home computer. Once a voter is recorded as voting they can not vote again. Greater participation should do more good than harm.
The issues of security and honesty is not hard in the same way ATM and credit cards are safe and secure even online.
The federal election commission needs to be more like a really independent commission such as the federal reserve and other forth branch "independent" agencies - FDA, FCC, SEC, etc with wide powers to set standards for election, machines, money, debates, other free air time, in this complex area ( not more difficult that drugs, securities, communications etc. ) and make other suggestions for improvements.
The best thing that happened in the last decade was the control of federal budget - the budget reform act needs to be maintained and reinforced -
The American electoral system is designed by lots of committees - in State Legislatures, Congress and the political party state and national committees. It is a reflection of much participation, many interests, and is a multi-headed beast that serves no one well.
The national day of election would begin on first Saturday in November at 9 AM EST and 6 AM PST and end on Sunday following at 9 PM PST ( 6 PM EST ) - giving everyone time to vote and correct registration errors, beginning and ending at the same time in the continental USA. ( Could be Friday and Saturday - or Sunday and Monday or even Monday and Tuesday )
The national election commission made up of retired judges, University Presidents, Major non-profits, foundations and other NGO’s Ambassadors, civil servants and other non-political not nonpartisan appointments would set standards for voting machine standard error at less than ½ of 1 % , registration - including a national federal election registration to correct errors, facilitate movers and overseas voters, resolve double registrations, ineligible votes, and providing regulation of money, public finance, campaign finance and the debates and free air time.
The electoral votes certified by the states and the District of Columbia in the election of the President and Vice-president; these votes will be counted in the same manner as the electors in the electoral college and the votes will be certified and counted in Congress as electoral votes for President and Vice-President under Art II and the XII admendment
The states shall determine the method of popular ELECTION by which Presidential and vice-presidential electoral votes are selected. States shall proportion their presidential and vice-presidential electoral votes and establish before the election how voting is conducted and how votes are contested.
The state laws for the election for President and Vice President shall be consistent with elections for the most populous house in that state and as in the elections for U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators and subject to the same constitutional and other federal protections and regulations as other federal elections."
The hard issue is the role of the federal government as a protector and benefactor of poorer people or as a supporter of private business and individual enterprise at the state and local level ? In short the Republicans are traditional conservatives with a strong pro business basis but needing the religious right to get the numbers they need to win. Democrats are traditional welfare populist who have become centrist "new" democrats, more pro growth, supporting global trade - needing the money and support of the new economy to win.
The democrats use populist rhetoric to mobilize their base in the minorities, the working poor, and organized labor ( with teachers as a critical element ) but serve their business supporters, entertainment, financial services, trial lawyers, telecommunications, medical services, insurance etc. Many ( most ) big business support both sides and get what they really want from congressional committees.
The "right wing" Republicans keep talking about the scandals - real or imagined - and the "social " or cultural issues - which get tied together with the President Clinton’s bad personal behavior as a marker -
The left leaning liberals are looked at as less moral, less religious and more relativist, humanist, feminism, environmentalist, secular where Abortion has become the code word that "states rights" used to play for racism.
The traditional pro-business policy remains low taxes, smaller government, local control but with a strong defense - balanced budgets with a lower priority.
The Democrats seem less clear both on their partisan rhetoric and their hard policies.
Their symbolic issues are things like hate crimes ( black and gay communities ) the right of choice ( working women ) and replacement workers ( organized labor ).
Their environmental policy has waffled - but run into the western land management policies that invoke a strong response.
The issues become confused because of the need to collect enough voters and money to win. After winning the two coalitions do not have a substance base - Republicans with their "right" wing moral extremist - Democrats with their commercial ties to their sources of money.
Therefore, as John McCain has said unless there is a really new system of getting the 100’s of millions required to win, neither party, or even a collection of moderates in the center can govern.
They are both too tied to their money rather than their active political membership. We will not get a real choice, or real policies - either way - lower taxes and less government - or more benefits and health and retirement reform - or anything else without reforming the issue of money and politics.
The tie can not be cut but can be weakened. Republicans would then be free to be real conservatives and democrats would be liberals and deals would be made - politics would be restored over empty talk.
The commission would give out both the public funds and control private funds used directly in campaigns. Money will come out of the cracks and has a constitutional right to express it’s views BUT if the process is shorter, and better regulated it will be better.
The interesting phenomenon is the increase in the rate of change - not only is there a pattern of rapid changes but an acceleration of the rate of change.
The middle east, North Africa and Spain had about the same population as Europe with the High Civilization of the Moorish empire from Spain to India and the decline of the west.
The planet passed it’s first gigaperson after the end of the 18th Century with the introduction of the potato, and a slide into the age of reason, science, technology, industrial engineering, navigation, communications, scientific agriculture, liberal capitalist political democracy, founded on Newton’s physics, and rational organizations using systematic problem solving.
The 20th Century went from a less than two gigapersons to over six with the population mass shifting east and south while wealth grew in the North and West - and Japan.
The outbreak of ancient negative feedback systems, pestilence, famine, and war - are beginning to have demographic effects in the poorest parts of the world.
The great issue of this century is the connection between biotechnology and new patterns of life and death on the planet. Without policy rich nations trend toward an aged population with problems of supporting more and more old with fewer workers.
The answer is in emigration of the poor to the richer areas as both highly skilled and unskilled workers.
There needs to be global primary education and higher educational strategy, global health policy, global development policy, ( water, resources, energy, etc. ) global peace keeping policy, because global problems will not bend to national interest power policies.
The U.S. Supreme court ) C’est tres ennuyeux - ( It is very annoying ) When you have something taken and you say " I will go to the police " and they say we are the police ! You are told "Report that you were beaten up to the authorities" - and you say -
They were the authorities ! it is a coup d'état, usurpation, ARROGATION arbitrary rule, arbitrariness, negation of law, abolition of law by the highest court in the land !
The Supreme Court has defied the constitution ( which is only what they say it is ) they have defiled common sense - they have defied logic and consistency - they have defrauded tradition - and no longer can we say as a text book I used claimed "
The people shall Judge " or choice but don't worry your pretty little head about it, father knows best !
The only issue is that one side wanted to count votes because they believed there were legal votes, the votes could be counted under Florida Law, and counting would bring them victory. ( As will be proven in the next few weeks that there were more than enough such votes if they could have counted them )
The other side did everything it could to obstruct the counting. This pattern of objection and obstruction including using the Secretary of State to issue a legally false opinion and obstruct the counting as much as she could, the use of a rent a mob and direct death threats from the Cuban Mob in Miami, throwing sand and dust into the air about standards and chads at the counting tables, calling in the Florida Legislature, and the courts to STOP the counting of votes because they believed as well, if the votes were counted they would lose.
They won because of the delays, stalling, obstruction and finally because of the stay by the U.S. Supreme Court - finally stopped the counting of legal votes then saying it was too late to repair the damage done to the democratic process by a pattern of obstruction which included the federal court.
The federal courts had no role in this fight and the Supreme court never found a believable cause for even hearing the case. ( due process and equal protection are really far fetched, blue sky attachments without legal foundation to over turn a State Supreme court on state election law - such jurisdiction exists only in clear violation of federal voting rights where such a finding could be made - Voting rights violation was never even suggested in this case - Title II of the Constitution, the U.S. Code having to do with electoral college dates and how Congress shall deal with election disputes, and the Michigan Case about the powers of legislatures were more than a stretch they were a leap in legal logic. )
The court said " Because the process is messy, in the future if there is a close election the Supreme court will decide who wins. Never mind about federalism, judicial restraint, states rights, that state courts interpret state law, because democracy is messy and confused - Never worry your little heads about it - This most undemocratic of all institutions can make the choice for the country. We are not really concerned with due process, equal protection ( which we could hear as a civil rights voting case but refuse to do so ) but only in imposing our final judgment in place of a popular unruly democracy. " Mainly we like republicans better than we like democrats ( who have been very nasty to us for years ) and we think George W. Bush should be President, so THERE !
The conservatives going back to Madison, Mason and Hamilton never believed in equality or democracy.
There were the "better" class - richer, more responsible, wiser and they would rule through representatives of their own type and class.
The masses are only self centered, easily mislead by false passions, leaders and ideas and clearly need to be controlled and regulated. It was the popular upraising against taxes, foreclosure, and "their betters" in the courts and state houses that was the direct motivation for the federal constitution along with the desire to clear up land titles in the Northwest Territory so scripts used as payments during the war ( which were based on land grants ) could be redeemed at windfall profits.
The court served its ancient master which protected slavery, fought against unions, civil rights, social justice and equality over the bulk of its history. Only in the 1960’s and some of the 70’s did the court go modern, flexible, and support democracy and justice. It has returned to form as a center piece of anti-democratic forces.
There is no judicial constraint in shutting down the counting of votes and picking a President.
The constitution is not a democratic document.
The founders were not democrats. Democracy did not exist as we now know it.
There were limited representative republics but popular democracy grew with the 19th and 20th Century both in Great Britain and in the U.S. - the right to vote for President became clear in 1845, popular franchise with the growth of the frontier and Andy Jackson. First most white males, then Black males after the Civil War for awhile until the political system and the high court turned their backs on the 14th and 15th admendment.
Then women with the 19th admendment, and blacks with the Voting Rights act and repeal of poll taxes, a long slow process of the right to vote. One man one vote was a lon g time coming and bitterly opposed.
The court has never ruled the sloppy voting systems, where some ( mostly poor and minorities ) have much higher rates of spoiled or machine unreadable ballots raises a equal protection issue.
They have always looked for intentional discrimination not variation in outcomes. Schools still fail to produce equal results, or does the death penalty, or does equal housing, or employment, or income, or anything else - we are still very unequal - it is almost impossible for courts to demand fair outcomes only minimal due process.
The Associated Press Thursday, Dec. 14, 2000; 12:34 p.m. EST
The "bourgeois riot" celebrated by Wall Street Journal columnist Paul Gigot helped stop the announced manual recount of the 10,750 undervote in Miami-Dade County. Instigated by an order from New York congressman John Sweeney to "shut it down," dozens of screaming GOP demonstrators pounded on doors and a picture window at elections headquarters.
The canvassing board, which had already found a net Al Gore gain of 168 votes, reversed a decision it had made a couple of hours earlier to begin a tally of the undervote.
The mob gang-rushed a local Democrat carrying a blank sample ballot.
They threatened that a thousand Cubans were on their way to the headquarters to stop the count. Several people were "trampled, punched or kicked," according to
The New York Times.
The canvassing board chair at first conceded that mob pressures played a role in the shutdown—which cost Gore the 168 votes as well—but later reversed his position.
The high success rate in the partial recount triggered a "mandatory" obligation under state law to count the rest of the ballots, but it also triggered a GOP mania to block it. Sweeney, who was coordinating the assault with a local Cuban congressman, branded Dade "ground zero" in the ballot battle and called the attempted count "theft," though his own representatives were in the room where it was scheduled to begin.
The only difference between the Democratic and Republican platforms, both of which support these policies, is that Democrats do not support continuing broadcasts via TV Martí, though both parties do support funding for Radio Martí. (TV Martí is seen by almost no one in Cuba because of jamming.)
The platforms do not reflect the changes in public attitude on Cuba policy or the debate in both parties over lifting trade and other sanctions. Ralph Nader, the Green Party presidential candidate, supports lifting the embargo.
The American Press and therefore the American People have no idea of the extent of murder, bombing, and other acts of terror carried out against political enemies in the United States, Mexico and in Cuba by Anti-Castro groups in Miami - this shows the effect of power to suppress both domestic opposition and even information. Being anti-Castro does not give license to go outside the law - or does it ? - how does this apply to recounting votes in Miami ?
The context of fear and violence is clear -
The Cuban Lobby delivers Florida to the GOP and the U.S. Government turns a blind eye to illegal activity and supports international terrorism or even an attempt to retake the island for the old guard ?
The 15 bombings have involved the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), mostly pipe bombs. Some bombing components have been positively linked through forensic analysis. Only one of the 15 bombings has been claimed - by the Organization Alliance of Cuban Intransigence (or Intransigent Cubans) (AIC) - and is listed as a terrorist incident by the FBI. Of the remaining 14 bombings, 12 have been designated as suspected terrorist incidents. http://cuban-exile.com/doc021.htm
The day a group of people ( including paid congressional staff ) organized by the National GOP invaded the Election commission the radio mobilized the local troops - the Miami police which have been political influenced stood aside and allowed the count to be shut down.
The canvassing board does not claim they were intimidated - how could they but they know the score with the Cuban Mob - more specifically armed groups that have carried out bombing and sabotage in Cuba and murder in Miami - they call themselves freedom fighters - but the Cuban Government calls them international terrorist, with the US government doing little to stop them.
The US would be dragged into the civil war such an effort would create - since the majority in Cuba are dark or black and socialist the Miami group are white - undemocratic ( because whites are a minority in Cuba ) with a military authoritarian history - a great choice the American has often faced between dictators and communist because of the lack of a middle way - support for a reasonable democratic middle class center. ( In Haiti, Philippines, Latin America - Chile - in the past, Middle East etc )
The Cuban mob does not put up with decent or alternative views.
The Cuban American Foundation was strong ties to the GOP and one of the strongest lobbies in Washington.
Their power is based on delivery of Florida to the GOP - a power they meant to exercise this year by any means necessary.
The lobby prevents any rational policy toward Cuba and puts the interests of winning Florida before the clear national interests of peaceful evolution of democracy in Cuba - via trade and contact - such as the China Lobby ( Luce and Madam Chang ) prevented rational exchanges with "Red" China for decades.
The question keeps coming up even as leaders, decades and political systems depart the scene. That's because the policy has been a monumental failure. Since March 13, 1960, when President Eisenhower began planning for the Bay of Pigs invasion, to today's Helms-Burton Act, the objective has been to remove Castro from power at an acceptable cost to the United States.
The Supreme Court has defied the constitution ( which is only what they say it is ) they have defiled common sense - they have defied logic and consistency - they have defrauded tradition -
The only issue is that one side wanted to count votes because they believed there were legal votes, the votes could be counted under Florida Law, and counting would bring them victory. ( As will be proven in the next few weeks that there were more than enough such votes if they could have counted them )
The other side did everything it could to obstruct the counting. This pattern of objection and obstruction including using the Secretary of State to issue a legally false opinion and obstruct the counting as much as she could, the use of a rent a mob and direct death threats from the Cuban Mob in Miami, throwing sand and dust into the air about standards and chads at the counting tables, calling in the Florida Legislature, and the courts to STOP the counting of votes because they believed as well, if the votes were counted they would lose.
They won because of the delays, stalling, obstruction and finally because of the stay by the U.S. Supreme Court - finally stopped the counting of legal votes then saying it was too late to repair the damage done to the democratic process by a pattern of obstruction which included the federal court.
The federal courts had no role in this fight and the Supreme court never found a believable cause for even hearing the case. ( due process and equal protection are really far fetched, blue sky attachments without legal foundation to over turn a State Supreme court on state election law - such jurisdiction exists only in clear violation of federal voting rights where such a finding could be made - Voting rights violation was never even suggested in this case - Title II of the Constitution, the U.S. Code having to do with electoral college dates and how Congress shall deal with election disputes, and the Michigan Case about the powers of legislatures were more than a stretch they were a leap in legal logic. )
The court said " Because the process is messy, in the future if there is a close election the Supreme court will decide who wins. Never mind about federalism, judicial restraint, states rights, that state courts interpret state law, because democracy is messy and confused - Never worry your little heads about it - This most undemocratic of all institutions can make the choice for the country. We are not really concerned with due process, equal protection ( which we could hear as a civil rights voting case but refuse to do so ) but only in imposing our final judgment in place of a popular unruly democracy. " Mainly we like republicans better than we like democrats ( who have been very nasty to us for years ) and we think George W. Bush should be President, so THERE !
The conservatives going back to Madison, Mason and Hamilton never believed in equality or democracy.
There were the "better" class - richer, more responsible, wiser and they would rule through representatives of their own type and class.
The masses are only self centered, easily mislead by false passions, leaders and ideas and clearly need to be controlled and regulated. It was the popular upraising against taxes, foreclosure, and "their betters" in the courts and state houses that was the direct motivation for the federal constitution along with the desire to clear up land titles in the Northwest Territory so scripts used as payments during the war ( which were based on land grants ) could be redeemed at windfall profits.
The court served its ancient master which protected slavery, fought against unions, civil rights, social justice and equality over the bulk of its history. Only in the 1960’s and some of the 70’s did the court go modern, flexible, and support democracy and justice. It has returned to form as a center piece of anti-democratic forces.
There is no judicial constraint in shutting down the counting of votes and picking a President.
The constitution is not a democratic document.
The founders were not democrats. Democracy did not exist as we now know it.
There were limited representative republics but popular democracy grew with the 19th and 20th Century both in Great Britain and in the U.S. - the right to vote for President became clear in 1845, popular franchise with the growth of the frontier and Andy Jackson. First most white males, then Black males after the Civil War for awhile until the political system and the high court turned their backs on the 14th and 15th admendment.
Then women with the 19th admendment, and blacks with the Voting Rights act and repeal of poll taxes, a long slow process of the right to vote. One man one vote was a long time coming and bitterly opposed.
The court has never ruled the sloppy voting systems, where some ( mostly poor and minorities ) have much higher rates of spoiled or machine unreadable ballots raises a equal protection issue.
They have always looked for intentional discrimination not variation in outcomes. Schools still fail to produce equal results, or does the death penalty, or does equal housing, or employment, or income, or anything else - we are still very unequal - it is almost impossible for courts to demand fair outcomes only minimal due process.
The attack on institutions spread to Universities, the police, the military, the president, the Press, Congress, the Courts, and all of the " Power Structure " came under attack.
There was talk of undermining the democratic process itself - but mostly from the right with its own agenda, right to life, segregationist, for example - Impeach Earl Warren for another .
The politics of personal and institution destruction continued.. With confirmation hearing becoming an all out fight, congressional hearing and investigations, white water, the long attempt to destroy Clinton - et etc.
The college was to sort candidates for selection by congress and protect federalism, states rights, and the checks and balances.
The Florida Legislature is flying in the face of this history ) the political process has not corrected this land mine in the political system.
The electional machinery in Florida could not handle a close state wide election.
The Florida Courts tried but fail to handle the problem because of the terrible mix-up code the legislature has provided - and the U.S. Supreme court using a misuse of a 1890’s case and Title II of the constitution to make an impossible distinction between interpretations and changes in law.
The U.S. Supreme courts by getting into the dispute without knowing what they wanted to do - just clouding the waters and being the courts motives into question.
They have turned on themselves and turned federalism on it’s head - they have become another political body without higher motives.
The Florida Legislature is clearly being stupid and most likely acting illegally to tangle the water even further on the basis of very poor law and judgment.
The U.S. Congress may be the next institution that is failing to use good judgment.
The dept of elections in the secretary of states office has little independence or power.
The county canvassing boards are catch as catch can - This is all third world - and causes the problems we now have -
The 1892 case involved Michigan changing the win take all system to each congressional district and two zones for the senators -
The Michigan Legislature had the power to change the form of election to make it more democracy -
The primary power of the legislature does not apply in the current context because of the common election date and many other federal laws. If Florida votes on different date and after the other states it has more power - all the states must vote on the same date, Nov 7th . I don't see this in the Gore Brief -
The counting of votes that are of questionable legality does in my view threaten irreparable harm to [Bush], and to the country, by casting a cloud upon what he claims to be the legitimacy of his election," Scalia wrote. "Count first, and rule upon legality afterward, is not a recipe for producing election results that have the public acceptance democratic stability requires."
The federal questions that ultimately emerged in this case are not substantial. ...
The Florida statutory standard is consistent with the practice of the majority of States, which apply either an 'intent of the voter' standard or an "impossible to determine the elector' s choice" standard in ballot recounts." ...
The endorsement of that position by the majority of this Court can only lend credence to the most cynical appraisal of the work of judges throughout the land. It is confidence in the men and women who administer the judicial system that is the true backbone of the rule of law. Time will one day heal the wound to that confidence that will be inflicted by today' s decision."
The Court was wrong to take this case. It was wrong to grant a stay. It should now vacate that stay and permit the Florida Supreme Court to decide whether the recount should resume.
The political implications of this case for the country are momentous. But the federal legal questions presented, with one exception, are insubstantial.....
The majority justifies stopping the recount entirely on the ground that there is no more time. In particular, the majority relies on the lack of time for the Secretary to review and approve equipment needed to separate under-votes. But the majority reaches this conclusion in the absence of any (ital.) record evidence that the recount could not have been completed in the time allowed by the Florida Supreme Court..... Of course, it is too late for any such recount to take place by December 12, the date by which election disputes must be decided if a State is to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of 3 U.S.C. 5.
The manual recount would itself redress a problem of unequal treatment of ballots... I fear that in order to bring this agonizingly long election process to a definitive conclusion, we have not adequately attended to that necessary 'check upon our own exercise of power,' 'our own sense of self-restraint.' .... What it does today, the Court should have left undone. I would repair the damage done as best we now can, by permitting the Florida recount to continue under uniform standards. I respectfully dissent."
The case being before us, however, its resolution by the majority is another erroneous decision ....
The right of the Florida Legislature to select electors is absolute and final ( maybe ) as a report to congress, as the report of their special committee makes clear. Congress counts the votes therefore the final authority - may not be subject to judicial review.
The people vote for electors only by state legislative action not protected even by state constitutions ( a primary legislative power, even the courts act only with legislative approval, the legislature could deny judicial review of Presidential Elections ) and always have done so - when they shifted to elected senators ( which had been chosen by State Legislatures ) the states independently went to election of electors under the same rules.
The system of the electoral college never worked as the constitution prescribed but has never been fixed in law.
The electoral votes certified by the states and the D.C. in the election of the President and Vice-president are votes not persons.
These votes will be counted in the same manner as were the actual electors in the electoral college and the votes will be certified and counted in the same way by the states and congress as electoral votes for President and Vice-President under Art II.
The states shall determine the method of ELECTION by which Presidential and vice-presidential electoral votes are selected. States shall proportion its presidential and vice-presidential electoral votes and establish before any election how voting is conducted and how votes are contested.
The state laws for the election for President and Vice President shall be consistent with elections for the most populous house in that state and the same as in the elections for U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators and subject to the same constitutional and other federal protections and regulations."
The Herald of voting patterns in each of the state's 5,885 precincts suggests that Florida likely would have gone to Al Gore -- by a slim 23,000 votes -- rather than George W. Bush, the officially certified victor by the wispy margin of 537.
The issue raised that may decide the case ( and maybe the election ) is that the Florida Supreme Court can not base it's decision on the Florida Constitution because it's a federal issue.
The rich and the poor.
The man from No-where - men of talent with little family history - maybe another problem which is different - they can be less sure and comfortable with power and authority and fall pray to their "betters" and experts or their own insecurities .
The more black and Democratic a precinct, the more likely it was to suffer high rates of invalidated votes.
The Herald of voting patterns in each of the state's 5,885 precincts suggests that Florida likely would have gone to Al Gore -- by a slim 23,000 votes -- rather than George W. Bush, the officially certified victor by the wispy margin of 537.
The issue raised that may decide the case ( and maybe the election ) is that the Florida Supreme Court can not base it's decision on the Florida Constitution because it's a federal issue.
The 1892 court held that the new plan was constitutional, because the Constitution gives state legislatures full authority to dictate the method of selecting electors--a power that the court suggested cannot even be "modified" by state constitutions.
The Florida court's opinion includes references to the "preeminent" right of suffrage granted by the Florida Constitution, and suggests that the Legislature's election laws "are valid only if they impose no 'unreasonable or unnecessary' restraints on the right of suffrage."
The Washington Post shows.
The job of lawyers is to win for their clients by any means under the law including the misuse of the law and process to delay and even prevent justice if that benefits one side or the other.
An election Commission: vs. Trench Warfare
As Florida and the Nation heads down the track to a train wreck, some grown ups should consider the alternatives. In other places and other times there are independent election commissions that conduct affairs in a professional neutral manner.
If both sides would agree and the Florida Supreme Court could even now order a panel of "Special Masters" ( as in desegregation cases ) One Democrat - Sen. Mitchell for example One Republican - Maybe Bob Dole or whoever, and one retired judge agree to by both sides - could count the uncounted and come up with a winner in a few weeks, without the legal delays and wrangling now in process.
What now is happening is what I was afraid of -
The Florida Legislature is ready to overturn the Florida Supreme Court, and Congress is ready to trump them both.
Legislature is expected to name electors who support Texas Gov. George W. Bush if litigation continues to cloud the outcome of the race for the White House.
Democrats decried the move as a sign that Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is trying to lock up the election for his brother, the Republican nominee, should Vice President Gore prevail in court.
Who’s Fault:
If 2 % of all letters went undelivered there could be no postal service - people would not mail bills or payments. If 2 % of items scanned at the supermarket, or credit or debit charges, or ATM transaction, or checks, or social security payments, were unrecorded or done wrong these systems could not be used - but voting is not as important as getting a item from the drug store. Who allowed such a system to run for years in virtual secrecy of the old broken equipment and high error rate and why ? Ask the good old boys at the Florida Legislature -
The Florida legislature is the root cause of the current national problem. Now they are blaming everyone else including the voters, and looking to make the problem worse.
The system is clearly broken - not just individuals or some problem here or there but a broken down old style electoral system, run by elected political hacks, without rules or clear written procedures. This system was created by the legislature who did not consider the special needs of the electoral college and the limited time allowed. This is the core of the problem in Florida. Now the same body is critical of the system it created by commission or omission.
They created the powers of the Secretary of States review of elections. It created the protest and contest systems. It created judicial review. Elections need to be conducted in a professional, non-partisan material manner not of politicians, for politicians and by politicians. That is the core of the problem.
But if the two Houses shall disagree in respect of the counting of such votes, then, and in that case, the votes of the electors whose appointment shall have been certified by the executive of the State, under the seal thereof, shall be counted.
Jeb Bush picks his big brother
The House picks Bush but the senate is tied - Gore picks himself -
Constitutional Crisis:
The Forrest and the trees -
( See below for why - Bush wanted the process closed and shut down and bog the process down to preserve a tiny lead - the Democrats wanted to count enough votes to win - thus the knock down and drag out and nasty fights )
While the law is complex - the issue is a complex political problem as well as a legal one.
There are potential electors the Governor is ready to certify on Dec 12th - the outcome for Gore is a Fl. Supreme Court Order for the Governor to certify the Gore electors. Jeb Bush can argue that all "contests" are not completed and settled so he can not certify any electors - bang the legislature does it for him and it's all legal but unwise.
The chance of a real constitutional crisis is now quite high, over 70 % .
There is almost no way to avoid a crisis because there is a small chance that the dispute can be settled by the courts before Dec. 12th and will be accepted by both sides. Even if Gore does get a clear win in the contest then it is still not over. If Bush wins in court then Gore may quit.
But if Gore wins:
The issue then arises because the U.S. Constitution gives the power to State Legislatures as to how select presidential electors as they used to select Senators.
The law is unique in that this is the only national election for the only national office but run by the federal states as a constitutional function.
The state legislatures setup the electoral process with the winner of an election being certified and the electors picked.
The states must do this by Dec. 12th and all the contests must be settled by Dec 12th so the electors are sent in by Dec 18th . by a US law written after the last crisis 120 years ago and never tested since. As long as any contest or litigation is not settled by Dec 12th then the legislature could, or should or must select the electors or they may not be counted or the US Congress could or might think that the contest is not settled and pick electors or it goes into the house with each state having one vote.
The fact is that since it is mainly a political process and there is little or no case law.
The electors could be selected or changed after a first selection, the congress can accept electors under contest or not, the only real "drop dead" deadline is Jan 20th when someone is to become president - Congress has enough foolishness to try to impose a solution - ( see list of errors below )
The democrats may want a real fight like impeachment rather than a weakened President - a poor and likely to fail George Bush - so they regain control of the house in a few years - Since congress is the real power in American Government the congressional government and party doesn't mind a weak President.
Remember in your polls 50 % of the people didn't vote - they follow politics rather weakly - so their ideas have to be take with a lot of salt:
It is harder playing defense than offense ?
The GOP wanted to shut down the process before Gore could count more votes -
The Dem had to play defense in trying and failing to count enough votes. Now their are on the offence in that the court can count the votes for them and order the result they want.
The Bush people can not delay the process because the Supreme Court will not allow it - Gore should be able to find 550 votes quickly with as few legal issues as possible - 215 from Palm Beach, 160 from Miami Dade - possible 400 more - 50 from Nassau - = 425 + 100 from somewhere ?
Andrew H. Card Jr., Chief of Staff:
Sect. of Transport then VP for Government Affairs for GM - who blocked fuel standards, safety and other environmental issues.
Although Mr. Bush campaigned as a Washington outsider independent of his father's strings, Mr. Card is very much a Washington insider, a corporate lobbyist for the automobile industry and General Motors who served in both the Reagan and Bush administrations and enjoys the ultimate trust not only of Mr. Bush but also of his father and mother
Mr. Card stayed on in Washington, turning himself into the top lobbyist in Washington for the automotive industry. In 1993 he became president and chief executive of the American Automobile Manufacturers Association, where he oversaw the lobbying against tighter fuel-economy and air pollution regulations for automobiles and in coming up with technical arguments for why industrializing nations should proceed slowly in addressing global warming. When that organization was dissolved in 1998, he became General Motors' vice president for government relations in Washington
The U.S. Supreme Court, which will hear Bush's challenge Friday to the Florida recounts, has never ruled on a case that could determine the outcome of a presidential race, said Harvard law professor Heather Gerken, an expert on election law.
The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature is seriously considering appointing its own pro-Bush slate to the electoral college if the state courts authorize further recounts that give the lead to Gore; no state legislature apparently has ever taken such an action, said Columbia University historian Eric Foner.
And if such an action results in two sets of electors from Florida -- a pro-Bush slate named by the state Legislature and a pro-Gore slate produced in the recount process authorized by the state courts -- that would force Congress to choose between rival electors for the first time since the disputed election of 1876 between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden.
"If you think we've been in uncharted waters, I am becoming a believer in the Flat Earth Society: We're actually about to fall off the edge," said David Cardwell, the former Florida election commissioner.
To extend his metaphor, the waters ahead are not only uncharted but enormously turbulent.
• Campaign aides say Gore won the election by nine votes, based on votes counted but not certified by the state. As the Democrats see it, Gore should have picked up 157 votes from Miami-Dade County and another 215 votes from Palm Beach County. On top of that, Democrats argue that 174 overseas absentee ballots that went to Bush should have been disqualified. When the 372 uncounted Gore votes are added to his certified total and the 174 Bush votes are subtracted from his final count, Gore comes out ahead by nine votes ( plus 50 from Nassau )
Democratic extremes:
Bush's ruthless and deceitful effort to torpedo the Florida vote count is now itself an issue which should engage the energy, attention and activism of anyone who cares about American democracy.
Bush is out to win the election not through politics and law but through a democracy-subverting concatenation of through-the-looking-glass logic, conspiracy theories and outright bullying. Bush's singular goal: to keep legally cast ballots--whether fully or partially punched--from being counted. Curiously, the Republicans and Democrats actually seem to share the same central premise, which is that if enough votes get counted Gore will win. Hence, a GOP strategy based on impeding and intimidating recounts at any cost.
Richer vs. Poorer -
Rural and small town vs. Urban
White vs. Brown
Native vs. Immigrants
Men & women who work at home vs. Working women
Coastal - East and West - Industrial Midwest vs South and Mountain West
Bush - middle aged richer, white men in rural, heart land small town, suburb, traditional women, = more ideological core of Protestant conservative = less government, lower taxes ( silent majority and southern strategy ) states rights
Gore - older, Urban, poorer, brown, working women ( 70 % ) = non-ideological liberal labor = more help from Government ( traditional new deal coalition ) civil rights
1887 Law
Section 5. Determination of controversy as to appointment of electors
If any State shall have provided, by laws enacted prior to the
day fixed for the appointment of the electors, for its final
determination of any controversy or contest concerning the
appointment of all or any of the electors of such State, by
judicial or other methods or procedures, and such determination
shall have been made at least six days before the time fixed for
the meeting of the electors, such determination made pursuant to
such law so existing on said day, ( by laws enacted prior to the
day fixed for the appointment of the electors ) and made at least six days prior to said time of meeting of the electors, shall be conclusive, and
shall govern in the counting of the electoral votes as provided in
the Constitution, and as hereinafter regulated, so far as the
ascertainment of the electors appointed by such State is concerned
This section has no history so is open to a number of options - In 1800's Ohio was the Florida of it's time and a few counties in southern Ohio were critical to winning, therefore the power of Mark Hanna. In the Garfield election of 1880 the Republicans changed the rules and stole the electors - a plan they now are kicking around in Florida - It is not the court that changed the rules but the legislature can't change the rules and pick the winner - maybe - we could all be sorry in guessing how cases turn out - so far it Gore 5 and Bush 1 in court.
There is scarcely a political question in America, Tocqueville observed, that doesn't turn sooner or later into a judicial one. Nowhere has that been truer than in Florida over the past two weeks. Going into the election, it looked like the presidency would be determined by the candidates' positions on issues such as prescription drugs and tax cuts. Now it seems likely to turn on how courts interpret obscure state election laws and arcane questions of administrative discretion.
This method creates immense potential for abuse--and Florida, in particular, has been a showcase for it.
The most spectacular instance was the Miami mayoral election of 1997. Many absentee ballots were shown to be forged, coerced, stolen from mailboxes or fraudulently obtained.
The Florida courts overturned the election in March 1998, removing Xavier Suarez from office and installing Joe Carollo instead. And absentee ballot irregularities in the 1993 Hialeah mayoral contest led a Florida judge to order a new election.
Cases like these prompted Florida to pass the stringent requirements for absentee votes--clear postmarks, signatures, dates, voter identification numbers, witnesses--that have tripped up so many absentee ballots in the current brouhaha. Not only are some of the military ballots at issue; in Seminole County, Republican Party workers are accused of inappropriately adding voter identification numbers to thousands of absentee ballot applications that had been set aside for failing to meet the state's requirements.
SANFORD, Fla., (Reuters) - A Florida judge agreed Monday to hear a lawsuit seeking to throw out all 15,000 absentee ballots cast from Florida's Seminole County in the presidential election, a move that could give the race to Democrat Al Gore.
Circuit Court Judge Debra Nelson set a hearing on the case for Nov. 27, saying she wanted to allow a week for the parties to gather evidence.
Republican George W. Bush won the east central Florida county, in part because he won 10,006 absentee votes to Gore's 5,209. Throwing out Seminole's absentee ballots would overturn Bush's lead of 930 votes out of 6 million cast in Florida, a state either man needs to win the presidency
A Seminole County man, Democrat Harry Jacobs, sued to disqualify the absentee ballots. He alleged that the county's election supervisor, a Republican, broke the law by allowing Republican party volunteers to fill in missing data on about 4,700 absentee ballot requests that might otherwise would have been rejected as incomplete.
Applicants were supposed to list their voter identification numbers on the absentee ballot request forms, but many did not and the party workers filled them in at the election supervisor's office, Jacobs' lawsuit alleged.
Many of the requests resulted from a mass mailing by the Florida Republican Party, urging voters to use absentee ballots.
The parties' enthusiasm, however, points toward a darker prospect: a return to the corruption that permeated 19th-century American politics. In those days, ballots were not standardized locally. Voters could--and usually did--use color-keyed or specially shaped straight tickets printed up by party bosses. Huge numbers of votes were cast fraudulently, with people voting two or three times, and otherwise padding the rolls and counts.
First stop Monday morning was the Leon County Circuit Court in Tallahassee, where Vice President Al Gore's lawyers planned to file legal contests challenging the accuracy of figures that led Secretary of State Katherine Harris to certify Republican George W. Bush's 537-vote lead in Florida's presidential election.
Bush's lawyers have 10 days to respond but probably would file papers much sooner than that.
The law allows for an "immediate hearing" on all election contests. That would be a full-blown court proceeding with witnesses and evidence.
Whether the Electoral College, which is of course the one that counts, ends up this way remains to be seen." he said.
But even if the nation's highest court decides to let stand the hand recounts as completed on Sunday, Mr. Gore will still need a legal victory in his formal contest of the election results. His main hope appears to be a legal review of the decision by Miami-Dade county to abandon its count on Wednesday.
At that stage, with 20 per cent of its recount complete, the county had already given Mr. Gore a net gain of 157 votes and, if it had completed the recount, looked certain to produce enough extra votes for the vice-president to give him the overall lead in the state.
There's been a general sense that Bush has been "out-lawyered."
The implication is that out-lawyering is downright un-American. Issues shouldn't be decided by the craftiest lawyers but on their merits. Hip hip hooray. But I've found that people who lose cases on their merits often complain that they've been "out-lawyered." I'm growing a little weary of the Bush campaign's constant cry that Gore's lawyers changed the rules in the middle of the game. Fine, but if the rules are wrong or don't reflect the will of the voter, don't you want to change them? A foolish consistency remains the hobgoblin of little minds. Especially those on television.
There's a perception out there that lawyers and courts work to subvert the "will of the people." And, of course, sometimes they do. But did lawyers and courts work to thwart the "will of the people" during the elimination of the poll tax or in allowing the integration of Little Rock High School?
Lose lips sink ships - Such radical talk caused the Civil War, the crisis of 1876, the Impeachment. without substance or civic duty a raw fight about power. Stop it and stop it now ! At the moment, Armey added, "It’s a mess."
Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) said nearly 100 House GOP members were united in expressing their "disgust" and "outrage" at Gore’s tactics during a conference call yesterday with Karl Rove, Texas Gov. George W. Bush’s chief political strategist.
"I will use every ounce of energy I have to deny the electors being seated if I believe the political will of the people was thwarted by the son of Mayor Daley of Chicago," Weldon said, referring to Gore campaign chairman William Daley.
Conventional Wisdom:
Conventional wisdom, conventional politics, centralist parties, extreme rhetoric.
The tradition is that candidates play to their base before the conventions and then move to the center to win.
The Republicans started out more toward the center and held that position. Gore had a harder time firming up the base and stayed a little to the left. But despite the attempt to draw great difference between the parties they both held to the radical center. Both would support modest reforms in Medicare and social security, prescription drugs, taxes, defense upgrades, they are possible within a legislature split evenly, less ideological, and the people are content - demand few changes, and really want things to continue as they are without much passion on either side.
While the people are calm and in the center the talk is somewhat extreme - the activist and the media love a fight.
They don’t care what the fight is about if anything. It is the nature of passion and fighting that the cause or issues are often loss.
Great - I love it - I watch Blair all the time and will vote for him any day. No telling what better intelligence, education and judgement would do for us.
They want to be king - they deserve it because of who they are - not policy, not party, but just because of who they are from birth and education and background.
The Duke of Lancaster ( Red and Republican ) - the Duke of York by the corruption at court. York was appointed protector during the king's insanity ( White or Blue and democratic ) , Bush or Gore - the driven, spoiled brats who both want their own way.
They really don’t care about us - maybe some of them - but mainly about themselves because they deserve it - they have to show their over successful fathers and their social class, they are better than the rest of us - and are quite aware of our limitations, passions, and foolishness but not their own.
The wars, however, continued. In 1460 the Yorkists captured the king at Northampton and struck a compromise whereby Henry remained king and York was named his successor. Queen Margaret, whose son was thus disinherited, raised an army and defeated the Yorkists at Wakefield in 1460. Here York was killed, and his son Edward assumed his claim. Margaret's army rescued the king at the second battle of St. Albans (1461), but Edward meanwhile was victorious at Mortimer's Cross and assumed the throne as EDWARD IV. Henry was recaptured (1465) and the Yorkists seemed to be in command. A quarrel then developed over the king's marriage, and Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, and the king's brother George, duke of Clarence, deserted Edward.
They allied (1470) with Queen Margaret, drove Edward into exile, and restored Henry VI. Edward soon returned and triumphed at Barnet and Tewkesbury in 1471. Margaret was imprisoned and Henry VI died, probably slain on Edward's orders. After 12 years of peace, Edward was succeeded (1483) by his 12-year-old son EDWARD V, but the boy's uncle Richard, duke of Gloucester, usurped the throne as RICHARD III. Opposition to Richard advanced the fortunes of Henry Tudor, now the Lancastrian claimant, and he defeated and killed Richard at Bosworth Field in 1485. Henry seized the throne as HENRY VII, and his marriage to Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth united the houses of Lancaster and York. It is generally said that the wars ended feudalism in England, because the nobles who participated in them suffered a great loss of life and property, and were, as a class, unable to contest the strong Tudor monarchy.
The system sucks !
The popular vote should mean something - how difficult should it be to run an election - even a close one.
The two sides have to make a deal - not easy but better than the alternatives. 1877 law that says choosing electors is a state function but Because Congress has the ultimate authority to accept or reject an electors vote, the issue of whether an elector has been appointed is a matter of federal constitutional law
They agreed that a president's efforts to deliver on promises were inevitably hamstrung by the whims and desires of Congress and special interest groups. Only 2 in 10 voters said they thought it was possible for presidents to fulfill their promises.
The lack of party discipline is a fundamental fault. If anyone can run on anything then there is NO or little relationship between what is said and what is done. People know this and are turned off. This issue is more fundamental that money and campaign reform. Most of the world has a parliamentary system with party discipline - not a free for all with 535 independent small business people ( winning elections is a small business - raise money - hire professionals and win ) or as Lott says herding 535 cats. It is a disaster or the democratic Republic and liberty for the people to choice.
The Executive ) and their manner of election. I ask the several states to form select committees for the study of our electoral process - to hold hearing in the several states - to examine and employ experts in Constitutional law, comparative Government and Political Science - and develop proposals on making a more perfect union - a better balance between incumbents and challengers - to tighten the connection between elections and policy - to make the Republic more functional and restore the public faith in the democratic system.
They shall only consider the role and rules for political parties, the timing and form of federal elections, the control of contributions and money, the responsibilities to follow a contract between the parties and the votes as to the platform and other such issues.
Their proposal for laws shall go to the congress - their proposals for constitutional change shall go to the states for ratification. Surely after a few centuries we have learned something about making the system better. Our democracy is in clear and present danger from dysfunctional electoral politics and we need to pool our collective wisdom, examine 100's of other democratic systems around the world that have developed since the 18th century, and make our democracy again a model for the world rather than a mystery to ourselves and certainly to others and a sham in that after several years and billions of dollars what has happens ? How have the people chain a path for themselves and their future ? No one knows !
They both seemed like centrist and nothing big was going to happen either way. I thought Bush had some master plan or schema behind the Florida strategy. I thought the PR was just to keep the radicals and talk show ( Rush ) happy but Bush is a phony thinker just as their talk show friends - and have lost touch with reality and the law. If you listen to the Bush argument or strategy it is hard to believe they are as ignorant of electional law as they sound. He really is an upper class twit who should not get near any complex issue or situation. He is not listening to legal advice but ideological clap trap.
The methods are fairly uniform and accepted by courts everywhere. A counter holds up a ballot and two judges makes a judgement, and put it in the pile for Bush or Gore, if there is not agreement it is set aside for further review by more judges.
There is nothing unusual in this process or are any real legal issues involved.
The issue of lack of standards is full of holes
The counts are being conducted according to Florida standards -- the attack on the human factor ( we like machines they like people ) is a complete non-starter, no court has said machines are better than judges even election judges.
The deadline issue, the federal case and appeal, the public relations statements, are all useless. If there is a real case it has to do with the counties being recounted.
The reason for this is the Democrats made the request and the Republicans did not.
The use of "discretion" will get them no where, the rejection of ballots is a difficult task once they have been counted.
They don’t know election law.
Their lawyers are bad, their facts are bad, their case is bad, their strategy is bad - I can’t believe it ! If the laws against you, argue the facts, if the facts are against you argue the law, if both are against you attack the other side.
The rt. hon. Tony Blair, MP for the 97.85% of you who have until now been unaware that there is a world outside your borders) will appoint a minister for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
Then look up "aluminium". Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up "vocabulary". Using the same twenty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up "interspersed".
There is no such thing as "US English". We will let Microsoft know on your behalf.
The Queen", but only after fully carrying out task 1. We would not want you to get confused and give up half way through.
There is only one kind of football. What you refer to as American "football" is not a very good game.
The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside your borders may have noticed that no one else plays "American" football. You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper football. Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It is a difficult game. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which is similar to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like nancies). We are hoping to get together at least a US rugby sevens side by 2005.
The 98.85% of you who were not aware that there is a world outside your borders should count yourselves lucky.
The Russians have never been the bad guys.
They are crap and it is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean.
The Grovsners of England are the Dukes of Westminster who own the most substantial properties in the City of London --- the banker's capital. Of over 100,000 acres of Grovsner property, most is in the financial district of London! In America, the Grovsners ( Married Graham Bell's daughter ) founded Nation Geographic. National Geographic is known for sweeping down on the archeological treasures of the world, especially those of a religious significance, and spiriting them away to the Smithsonian Institute, controlled by their cousins the Smithsons, also descended from the Percys. Imposing false interpretations on religious finds is very important to the House of Sion. As interesting as these family affiliations are, it is the Taft family which turns out to be the most politically interesting
There is a book that was recently on the New York Times bestsellers list about Pamela Harriman, entitled LIFE OF THE PARTY. This book, written by the diplomatic correspondent for TIME MAGAZINE, minces no words about the fact that Pamela Harriman "put the Clinton Administration together". In fact it notes that an ancestor of Pamela's conspired with the Percys in the Gun Powder Plot.
The man Harriman sought to create such an institution for him was Bert Walker, a Missouri stock broker and corporate wheeler- dealer.
The British connection had paid for Walker summer houses in Santa Barbara, California, and in Maine-- "Walker's Point" at Kennebunkport. Bert Walker had been sent to England for his prep school and college education.
These Wall Street concerns represented all the important owners of American railroads: the Morgan partners and their associates or cousins in the intermarried Rockefeller, Whitney, Harriman and Vanderbilt families who in Greenwich, Conn., all went to the Country Day School, Yale and worship an Anglican Episcopal God.
The First World War elevated Prescott Bush and his father, Samuel P. Bush, into the lower ranks of the Eastern Establishment.
The U.S entered World War I in 1917. In the spring of 1918, Prescott's father, Samuel P. Bush, became chief of the Ordnance, Small Arms and Ammunition Section of the War Industries Board.
The senior Bush took national responsibility for government assistance to and relations with Remington and other weapons companies.
The War Industries Board was run by Bernard Baruch, a Wall Street speculator with close personal and business ties to old E.H. Harriman. Baruch's brokerage firm had handled Harriman speculations of all kinds.
The constitution provides that the states select electors. Elections for these electors are held according to state laws and local county administration as agents of the states.
The votes are taken and counted by local election boards using a variety of rules, equipment, and systems.
The general law and tradition in the courts has been for a long time that the boards and or observers representing the main parties and providing judges at the polling stations and during recounts are responsible for the results from their districts.
The other side has the right to contest and object.
The adversary method is the legal way of settling disputes.
The state sets deadlines and a process to review the recounts and certify the results.
The states do not count votes but only announce the results from the local boards.
The federal courts do not intervene except under the voting rights act.
The state can not change it’s rules or use it’s power to certify results to change local boards counts except by court orders.
The Gore people are smarter and faster while Bush is playing president in an election he is not going to win. Not smart or fast - so may the best man win.
There is a problem of coming to any clear decision.
The country split geographically, and by attitude and temperament not so much on policy - so that one group won in parts of the country ( Bush - West and South - of people who are pissed for one reason or another ) and the other in other parts where people like the government, diversity and are more indifferent to cultural conflicts.
The Florida split is too close to call and the team that is faster and smarter will pull it out. BUT they should have seen to it that their party had good voting machines in their counties - Gore was faster on his feet is getting hand counts where they help him and Bush is too late - the Federal court is very unlikely to enter the fray now on such weak grounds ( only civil rights, poll taxes, and hatch act fraud etc. are federal issues - none of which are relevant ) - the law makes it a state matter in the selection of electors - the law should be changed, but the law is sometimes the law.
The Republicans like complaining and bitching - anti is their first cause - anti-communist, anti-progressive or humanist, and can start the mythology of the stolen election of 2000. This will make the talking heads lots of money over the next few years. A little messing around in the White House, A little cleaner footwork in Florida - all around consenting adults and not illegal is more smoke that mirrors, and par for the course.
There will be the myth of the "stolen" election because Gore will lose with a majority of the popular vote or Bush with a minority of the popular vote but a few hundred votes in Florida.
The return of the Vietnam heroes - faith = faithfulness = stewards = trustees = real responsibility for generations rather than the next short term returns. Tell the truth even if unpleasant mean Reality rather than a field of dreams.
They did not attack an unpopular Republican congress - Gingrich and Friends who the republicans hid at the convent ion.
They did not show a compelling reason for "moderation" and prudence ( As New Labor is doing and Clinton has in his speeches ) vs. risky change ?
The state election canvassing commission, in a manner consistent with its usual and normal practice, will certify statewide results reported to this office (on Tuesday)."
These voters are not being treated equally.
There maybe an issue - equal protection of the laws - Punch holes create cards that are taken to a central location and run through a machine to be counted. Mark sense forms are put into a scanner and will be kicked out on the spot if there is an error.
They trust people but all machines are not created equal. Some machines are more responsive than others.
The difference between ballots cast and votes recorded would probably have gone unnoticed in a normal year -- it’s close to Florida’s 2.5 percent shortfall in 1996 and 2.3 percent shortfall in 1992. But it comes as another bitter spoonful of electoral reality in a state where the mantra for the past eight days has been "every vote counts."
The Saturday is not firm but most likely will be tried - If they count the "right" votes they only need 301 plus make up for the Bush advantage in absentee votes ( around 1000 ) - the estimate is 1900 Gore voters in Palm Beach -
The deadline was a bad case.
The failure to count their counties than claim hand counts are strange or bad - WE trust machines - they trust people.
The core of the case is that they get to count their votes but Bush does not get to count all his votes - but he didn't ask and then painted himself into a corner by attacking hand counts. It's getting too late to ask for a state wide recount.
The founder of Riscorp, Bill Griffin, pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge and was sentenced to a five-month prison term. "In hindsight, I wish I had been more aware of how much money they were giving me," Harris told the Herald-Tribune in 1997.
The Los Angeles Times said Gore aides have already sounded out the Republican"s team, which is apparently divided over the idea. One Bush aide said some people in the campaign have been discussing such a deal themselves, and that it could be a real option, the Times said. But another aide said the Texan"s campaign was unlikely to accept a statewide hand count because it would conflict with Bush"s current position that manual counts are unreliable. Still, Bush aides left the door open, presumably in case their attempts to stop the manual recounts should fail. NEXT FEW DAYS WILL BE KEY Gore has not yet made such an offer to the Bush campaign, but a Gore adviser said the idea might become attractive to both sides if they reach a legal stalemate in the next few days, according to the Times http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/reuters20001114_1038.html
The Florida Democratic Party sued the Palm Beach County Canvassing Board on Monday evening, challenging the board's method of reading the ballots.
The party wants "pregnant chads" - dimpled fragments not detached from the card - counted as votes.
The statistical sample in Palm Beach gives 1,900 more Gore votes - enough to overcome the 400 Bush lead - and any absentees coming in - This gives Gore the state and the election. Legal action or letting the congress pick electors is too hot to handle and will be dropped - Landslide Gore wins by 1,000 votes -
The deadline discussed today is not a "drop dead" date but a permissive NOT mandatory as stated by the Secretary of State. It is too late to recount republican county -
The federal case is nonsense -
The end is in sight - Daa - give up -