On Thu, 23 Nov 2000, Nathan Newman wrote:
> The media will try to declare the procedure over on Sunday night, so
> we will see if Gore has the will to file for a recount in Miami-Dada
> on Monday. But whether Gore gets the Presidency will depend on Gore
> and whether the votes show up in the recounts, not on the state
> legislature or Congress.
Are you sure the Dec 12th deadline for electors to report their votes will play no role? The Florida Supreme court seemed to accept that deadline as iron clad, which seems to make sense -- if they and the Supreme Court agree that everything has to be decided at state level, that's federal law and they can't change it. The presence of this deadline was why the the Florida Supreme Court set the 5-day (Sunday) limit for accomplishing the hand count. Now granted, the whole reason of setting this limit was so that they would be room for contesting the results before Dec. 12th came. So Gore could contest, and get those votes counted within the 10 days alloted, and Bush could contest, having 5 days to do so, and we'd still have one day left over. But still, doesn't it seem plausible that the Bush camp could manufacture enough new legal delays to keep the Palm Beach hand count from getting accomplished? (Assuming Gore doesn't manage to win on the basis of Broward and Palm Beach.) And that at that point, the Florida Supreme Court, which seemed, in the person of Wells, to hold getting in the votes as a paramount interest, would be forced to certify the un-handcounted results? Or do you think the Bushies are out of legal bullets once the Supremes deny cert?
Secondly, I seem to remember you as being on the side of those who say that a Democratic congress is more important for progressives than a Democratic president. At this point, what do you think of the argument that that a Bush presidency is a surer way to get one? Since the normal mid-election swing would be enough to give both houses to the Democrats, and this time the odds are better than average of that happening? And Vice versa, that if Gore won, the odds are that the Republicans would have both houses in two years?
Michael
__________________________________________________________________________ Michael Pollak................New York City..............mpollak at panix.com