>From: <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: A washingtonpost.com article from [log in to unmask] >Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2000 00:39:01 -0500 (EST) > >You have been sent this message from [log in to unmask] as a courtesy of >the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com). >To stay on top of the latest political headlines, live discussions and >breaking news, register now for the OnPolitics email at >http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/onpolitics/email/email.htm. > >To view the entire article, go to >http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63291-2000Dec13.html > >Democrats Advising Gore on Decision An AP News Analysis >By Walter R. Mears >The Associated Press >December 13, 2000 > >WASHINGTON –– Democrats began advising Al Gore to take the gracious way >out of the overtime campaign for the White House and yield to George W. >Bush after the Supreme Court reversed the Florida recount order that held >the vice president's last hope Tuesday night. ><P> >For Bush, the mandate was as murky as his margin was minuscule in Florida >for the electoral votes to give him one more than a majority and make him >the 43rd president of the United States. And that promised a test like few >before as he tries to lead and to prove that, as promised, he can be a >uniter, not a divider. ><P> >Gore's acceptance of the apparent final blow of the 2000 presidential >campaign will be a factor in determining how difficult that may prove. The >vice president won the nationwide popular vote by less than 1 percent and >lost Florida by 537 votes without the hand recount the court blocked, >according to the certification of the Republican's challenged victory. ><P> >But one vote or one million, the verdict was against him in a struggle the >divided court settled with an extraordinary late-night ruling that the >recount ordered by the Florida court could not be constitutionally >conducted in keeping with the Electoral College timetable. ><P> >The court ruled only two hours before the first deadline involved, the end >of the day on Tuesday, Dec. 12, the date for selecting electors, to cast >the presidential votes in the electoral college on Dec. 18. The court >majority focused on the first date. Dissenters said there was time for >recounting of so-called undervotes, ballots which did register a >presidential choice, before the second one, which is firm because it is set >by the Constitution. ><P> >The Supreme Court did remand the case to the Florida court "for further >proceedings," in which some Democrats might see an opening for yet another >attempt to get hand recounts in the next five days. ><P> >Lawrence Tribe, the Harvard Law School professor who argued for Gore in an >earlier Supreme Court round, said it would be up to Gore to press such a >point, but "I can't believe that there will be an act three in the court." ><P> >Soon after the decision was announced, Ed Rendell, the blunt-spoken general >chairman of the Democratic Party, said it was frustrating but the end for >Gore. "He should act now and concede," Rendell, a former mayor of >Philadelphia, said on NBC. ><P> >But Joe Andrew, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, disputed >him, saying that what Rendell said was unauthorized and outrageous. ><P> >Democratic Sen. Robert Torricelli of New Jersey had said the same thing. >"Clearly, the race for the presidency has come to an end," Torricelli said. >"George Bush is going to be the next president of the United States. ><P> >"I'm certain that Al Gore will be gracious about it," he said. "He cares >deeply about the country. I'm sure he'll pay respects to the court." ><P> >Gore was said to be reviewing the court decision with nothing to say about >it before Wednesday. ><P> >After the court decided 5-4 to halt the partial recounts the Florida court >had ordered on Friday, there were Democratic complaints that the justice >had intruded on politics where they didn't belong, and that the decision >was one colored by politics, not founded on law. ><P> >But Tribe said after the Tuesday night ruling that the place of the high >court in American life "is such that we all should rally around, even if we >disagree with the results." ><P> >Torricelli earlier had said that when there was a winner, by court or by >recount, be it Bush or Gore, he should fly to the home base of the loser >and appear with him in a call for national unity. ><P> >As John F. Kennedy flew from Paul Beach, Fla., to meet with Richard M. >Nixon after Kennedy's 1960 victory, by two-tenths of a percentage point in >the popular vote but with a solid electoral college margin. They conferred >privately. ><P> >While Republicans said the Supreme Court ruling was it for Gore, the Bush >camp avoided instant victory claims. James A. Baker III, Bush's >representative in the Florida contest, said the Texas governor was pleased, >but went no farther. ><P> >"This has been a long and arduous process for everyone involved, on both >sides," was all he said, and no more. ><P> >Bush made no statement himself. Aides had said before the ruling that if it >went his way, he would not immediately start naming officials to a new >Republican administration, but first would act to heal the divisions of the >campaign and the disputed election five weeks ago. ><P> >They said Bush could be expected to deliver a unity speech and meet with >congressional leaders, Democrats as well as Republicans. ><P> >––– ><P> >EDITOR'S NOTE – Walter R. Mears has reported on Washington and national >politics for The Associated Press for more than 35 years. > _____________________________________________________________________________________ Get more from the Web. 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