It looks like the Palm Beach County manual recount is favoring Gore by a 2:1 margin. Republican officials don't seem too pleased with the outcome. Democracy RULES! Over and out.

A pox on both camps! Both men got a free pass from the wimps in the press who really never asked them tough questions.

You doubt this? OK, try this one on for size: Mr. Gore and Mr. Bush, please tell us what you believe should be America's role in the future when it comes to fostering and preserving world peace when America is the world's largest maker and seller of arms?

Al:
You should know by now that the biggest deterent to war is a strong, strong, strong military defense. This is the best way to keep the peace!!!

God doth proclaim.

Yes, God, as an overseas veteran of two wars I can agree with you. But I am referring to the military-industrial complex (a phrase coined by Pres. Eisenhower) that sells whatever and whenever to every tinhorn tyrant in the world.

Al:
Glad you agree with the strong defense. We do let China steal our secrets, but we don't sell to Cuba, Iran, Iraq, China or North Korea. Which tinhorn tyrants in the world are you talking about?

First, I heard Bush signed a law in Texas permitting hand counts in disputed elections. If so, what is he doing challenging Florida's right to do the same thing? Do you think the lawyers knew this when they filed the suit?

Also, I heard Bush missed the deadline to demand his own hand counts in large Florida Republican counties like Duval County. So if the hand counts Gore demanded favor Gore, and Bush waived his right to ask for a hand count, Bush really blew it.

Also, I heard that in some counties, 70% of the overseas absentee ballots have already been returned, so there probably isn't a huge number of those votes for Bush he had been expecting. Uh oh.

All this bickering reminded me why I voted for Harry Browne, the Libertarian candidate.

The latest on bickering:

http://www.salon.com/politics/wire/2...unt/index.html

We'll see now if Americans can sort this out! To Does Anyone Know: I too am intererested in knowing if you can request a hand recount after the results of a county have been certified. After their rush to judgment, the Bush operatives are now speaking out of both sides of their mouth.

If this is an example of their juridical skills and diplomatic ability, it is a sad portent for a Bush administration, IMHO. Back to travel, soon.

MSNBC has been saying all day "BUSH CAMPAIGN GOES TO COURT
At a news conference Saturday morning former Secretary of State James Baker, who was sent to Florida to oversee Bush’s interests, said, “We feel we have no other choice” but to seek a federal injunction to stop the recount in Palm Beach and three other counties.
Baker stated that “The manual vote count sought by the Gore campaign would not be more accurate than an automated count." This underscored Bush supporters’ concerns that a widespread manual recount could erode Bush’s lead of only a few hundred votes in the bitter battle for Florida’s 25 electoral votes, which almost certainly will decide the national election." So
Bush filed a federal lawsuit to stop further recounts in Palm Beach and three other Florida counties, only a day after his campaign had implored Gore to keep the election out of the courtroom. Can you say hypocrite George?
Bet it would come out like another verbal gaffe of yours, even if you tried.

Speaking of the Texas Governor and his lawsuit he filed yesterday I saw on ABC news this morning here a report that says Bush Backed Hand Recounts in Texas
Contrary to his presidential campaign’s argument today, Gov. George W. Bush three years ago signed legislation into law in Texas that said a manual recount is preferred to an electronic machine recount in determining close elections.
James Baker III, representing the Bush campaign in the recount controversy in Florida, said Saturday that manual recounts—such as those being conducted in Palm Beach County—were less accurate than machine recounts and more subject to “potential mischief.”
Democrats quickly resurrected Bush’s decision in 1997 in Texas to sign House Bill 331 into law. It declares that in Texas “a manual recount shall be conducted in preference to an electronic recount.” The law went into effect on Sept. 1, 1997.

1. We need a president with the populism of Nader, the eloquence in fighting the cultural war of Buchanan and the stature, experience and broad appeal of McCain.

2. Everyone knew in advance that Hawai`i would go overwhelmingly to Gore so Kalena and others there could have voted for Nader without any worries.

3. Go Ralph Go! Ralph Nader has been greatly enobled by his enemies. It should tell you something that the Communist Party U.S.A., which usually runs its own candidate, endorsed Gore and jumped on the Nader-bashing bandwagon.

God, here is your list. For openers:
Mexico (particularly the state of Chiapas); Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru. Moving on, there is Myanmar, most of Africa, Indonesia, a lot of the Gulf States such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, etc. Egypt and Turkey win no prizes. India and Pakistan.

Noach: full of it, as usual. The Communist Party's usual candidate died recently, so they were without one. Would you expect them to support Bush? What I'm sick of is the necessity to vote for someone ONLY to keep someone else from being elected, not because you actually support that candidate.

IMHO, or at least, IMO, this is all so corrosive to the process and not good for the country: the person who concedes to end the contention is probably the one who should be President. Catch-22.

Al: God has spoken and He is not pleased. Henceforth I shall call myself God's helper.
I will address your comments about the countries you listed, later today or tommorow. Thank you for having this dialog with me.

GOD'S helper

Dear Dave & JonPicard. I know it is a right to bash lawyers. However, we are your main defense against anarchy. When Shakespeare wrote "First, let's kill all the lawyers", he had people who were trying to take over the country say it. If we don't protect individuals' rights, who will?

Kalena,

Geez, I hope you don't get all your information off Salon.com. What a liberal site! And to the rest of you. In the last election, there were about 27000 votes declared void because of screw ups by misinformed Florida voters. So many snowbirds, so little freezer space.

Guess Bush has the firm backing of the racists. Other traditional gop groups put off by his arrogance.

Noach dear. Of COURSE I know I could have voted for Nader. I have been a Nader admirer for 30 years, although I was not impressed with his appearance at the U. of Wisconsin forum. And for the person that worried about where I get my news, don't worry. I scan all kinds of publications. Check the latest in Khazakstan, where things have gone from bad to worse.

....oops. What I was trying to say before I inadvertently posted is that freedom of the press, along with protections against abuse of process, are at the core of what our nation's founders lived and died for. TOTALLY unlike the censorship of the press and abuse of process in communist countries. ....You were saying?

Hey Al Ruth, here's hoping for the possibility of some serious change in Mexico now that the PRI is finally out and Fox is in...god knows, it's about time!