Leading Democrats Tell Gore Not To Sue Over Election Results

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Leading Democrats Tell Gore Not To Sue Over Election Results
By Jim Burns
CNS Senior Staff Writer
November 10, 2000

(CNSNews.com) - Former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley, who challenged Vice President Al Gore for the Democratic Presidential nomination predicted Friday that Gore would win the election when the Florida ballots are counted. However, Bradley doesn't think his former opponent should mount a legal challenge if Bush is certified the winner in Florida.

Speaking at Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, Bradley said, "it wouldn't be wise for a candidate to mount a drawn-out legal challenge once the final votes are counted. If you appear as a sore loser and draw this thing out and out, you won't have a political future."

On Thursday, Senator Robert Torricelli (D-NJ), Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, urged Gore not to turn the Florida ballot dispute into a rancorous court battle because it could spark a court fight that could harm the American political system.

Torricelli told reporters at Princeton University in New Jersey that America would be best served by bringing the election to a timely and definitive close because Republican Presidential candidate George W. Bush seems poised for what Torricelli called a "retaliatory strike."

"I want Al Gore to win this election, but more than that, I want somebody to win this election. I would urge both Al Gore and George Bush to think of the country, the continuity of government, its stability and avoid any collateral attacks on the process," Torricelli said.

Torricelli continued, "There is going to have to be a very compelling case for anybody to take this into a court of law. It's a downward spiral. It may begin in Florida but it can go to other states and ultimately the presidency of the United States should not be decided by a judge."

Meanwhile, former Florida gubernatorial candidate and the current President of the Family Research Council, Ken Connor said Friday that the people should decide elections and not the courts.

"This presidential election should be decided by a recount, not by a re-vote. Voter error happens in every election, but mere error does not amount to fraud. The design of the ballot in Palm Beach, as elsewhere, was published in advance and approved by local authorities. Sample ballots were available to voters," Connor said.

Connor continued, "The absurd demand that Palm Beach voters alone be permitted to cast their votes in a new election would wreak havoc with justice. The recount of Tuesday's actual vote must rule."
 
It was perfectly appropriate for Gore to want to (1) wait until all ballots were in and counted, and (2) request a recount (even if not required by FL law). His mistake is to play these legal games in order to inflate his totals.

And, methinks that wiser Democrats realize their potential exposure. It is entirely possible that Gore could force FL. But, what of OR (7), NM (5), WI (11) and IA (7)? A total of 30 electoral votes. Perhaps not likely, but certainly not inconceivable that they could go to Bush. And, that's not even getting into discussion of some of the other shenanigans we've heard of ... late poll closings, alien 'voters', missing military ballots, cigarettes for votes ...

I'll bet this is a debate within the Democratic leadership ... do they lose more by risking the light of day upon some of their other, shall we say, creative campaigning? Or, are they willing to risk this exposure in order to elect a man who couldn't carry his own state, nor the state of his incumbent President?

Regards from AZ
 
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