1 00:00:16,311 --> 00:00:23,191 Speaker 1: Pushkin. Hey Leon here, Before we get to this episode, 2 00:00:23,431 --> 00:00:25,191 Speaker 1: I want to let you know that you can binge 3 00:00:25,231 --> 00:00:28,591 Speaker 1: the entire season of Fiasco Bush v goor right now 4 00:00:28,791 --> 00:00:33,071 Speaker 1: ad free by becoming a Pushkin Plus subscriber. Sign up 5 00:00:33,111 --> 00:00:37,031 Speaker 1: for Pushkin Plus on the Fiasco Apple podcast showpage, or 6 00:00:37,191 --> 00:00:44,470 Speaker 1: visit Pushkin dot fm slash Plus. Now onto the episode 7 00:00:44,790 --> 00:00:46,990 Speaker 1: previously on Fiasco. 8 00:00:48,071 --> 00:00:50,830 Speaker 2: Some strange, unusual things happening in Florida. 9 00:00:50,991 --> 00:00:53,831 Speaker 3: The Gore campaign is trying to lengthen out the timeline. 10 00:00:53,871 --> 00:00:58,071 Speaker 1: Florida Democratic officials will be requesting a handcount of ballots 11 00:00:58,071 --> 00:01:00,671 Speaker 1: of Palm Beach County as well as three other counties. 12 00:01:00,711 --> 00:01:03,911 Speaker 4: It was unsettling to me that a candidate would cherry 13 00:01:03,951 --> 00:01:08,431 Speaker 4: pick four counties out of sixty seven to recount fifty teams. 14 00:01:08,471 --> 00:01:11,390 Speaker 5: We'll start to handcount more than four hundred and sixty 15 00:01:11,471 --> 00:01:12,671 Speaker 5: thousand ballots. 16 00:01:12,751 --> 00:01:15,351 Speaker 6: There's been a lot of discussion about the Hanging Chad 17 00:01:15,391 --> 00:01:16,391 Speaker 6: and the dimple chat. 18 00:01:16,591 --> 00:01:20,231 Speaker 1: The fundamental framework was to slow walk the count. 19 00:01:20,551 --> 00:01:24,711 Speaker 2: Gore advisor accusing Florida's Republican Secretary of State just trying 20 00:01:24,711 --> 00:01:25,351 Speaker 2: to ensure. 21 00:01:25,151 --> 00:01:25,950 Speaker 7: A Bush victory. 22 00:01:26,111 --> 00:01:28,671 Speaker 4: I had no idea to who benefit it would accrue. 23 00:01:28,751 --> 00:01:30,871 Speaker 4: I just know I had had to follow the law. 24 00:01:30,951 --> 00:01:34,751 Speaker 8: Florida's highest state court has blocked the Secretary of State. 25 00:01:34,911 --> 00:01:37,391 Speaker 9: Voice wins one round, Gore wins the next. It is 26 00:01:37,431 --> 00:01:39,831 Speaker 9: a legal slug fest that won't end soon. 27 00:01:43,231 --> 00:01:46,031 Speaker 1: In the weeks after election day, an overwhelming majority of 28 00:01:46,071 --> 00:01:49,311 Speaker 1: Americans between seventy seven and eighty seven percent, said they 29 00:01:49,311 --> 00:01:52,711 Speaker 1: were closely following the Florida recount. But the Florida recount 30 00:01:52,831 --> 00:01:55,751 Speaker 1: was not easy to follow. Staying up on the latest 31 00:01:55,751 --> 00:01:58,831 Speaker 1: developments could feel a cramming for an exam the procedural 32 00:01:58,831 --> 00:02:01,591 Speaker 1: debates between the two parties and intricacies of Florida law 33 00:02:02,111 --> 00:02:03,471 Speaker 1: could be a bit much. 34 00:02:04,871 --> 00:02:04,991 Speaker 3: So. 35 00:02:05,031 --> 00:02:07,631 Speaker 1: The judge says, the five o'clock deadline stands. But it's 36 00:02:07,671 --> 00:02:10,191 Speaker 1: not that simple, because the judge also says. 37 00:02:10,431 --> 00:02:13,471 Speaker 10: Balance, Natalie, All of what John Zurella just explained was complicated, 38 00:02:13,471 --> 00:02:15,311 Speaker 10: but it did seem to be a little bit consistent. 39 00:02:15,431 --> 00:02:19,871 Speaker 1: But there was more, and it was murkier. There were 40 00:02:19,911 --> 00:02:22,191 Speaker 1: just so many names and subplots to keep track of. 41 00:02:22,711 --> 00:02:25,391 Speaker 5: There are so many claims and counter claims, so many 42 00:02:25,471 --> 00:02:26,791 Speaker 5: numbers flying through the air. 43 00:02:27,071 --> 00:02:28,991 Speaker 11: We hope you all have your scorecards out, because this 44 00:02:28,991 --> 00:02:30,710 Speaker 11: one's getting more complicated. 45 00:02:30,231 --> 00:02:32,391 Speaker 1: All the time, and no one knew how long it 46 00:02:32,431 --> 00:02:33,351 Speaker 1: was going to take to resolve. 47 00:02:33,471 --> 00:02:35,991 Speaker 12: Everybody is starting to lose patience with this election. 48 00:02:36,151 --> 00:02:39,591 Speaker 13: The process seems doomed to work its slow and painful 49 00:02:39,631 --> 00:02:41,671 Speaker 13: way through a series of court rooms. 50 00:02:41,751 --> 00:02:44,151 Speaker 2: No matter what happens, it certainly leaves Florida in a 51 00:02:44,191 --> 00:02:45,711 Speaker 2: sort of legal state of limbo. 52 00:02:48,511 --> 00:02:50,671 Speaker 1: The worst part might have been how impossible it was 53 00:02:50,711 --> 00:02:53,231 Speaker 1: to talk about the recount without using all these horrible 54 00:02:53,351 --> 00:02:58,871 Speaker 1: bureaucratic phrases like certification deadline and canvassing board and advisory opinion. 55 00:03:00,311 --> 00:03:03,071 Speaker 1: This deadening jargon was not just a problem for journalists 56 00:03:03,071 --> 00:03:05,791 Speaker 1: trying to make the recount story exciting or at least legible. 57 00:03:06,591 --> 00:03:09,751 Speaker 1: It was also a problem for the two campaigns. Both 58 00:03:09,751 --> 00:03:11,871 Speaker 1: of them needed to frame the churn of the recount 59 00:03:11,911 --> 00:03:14,151 Speaker 1: on their terms, and to do so in ways that 60 00:03:14,151 --> 00:03:18,511 Speaker 1: had at least some emotional residence. Democrats found that emotional 61 00:03:18,511 --> 00:03:21,831 Speaker 1: residence early with the butterfly ballots in Palm Beach. It 62 00:03:21,871 --> 00:03:24,191 Speaker 1: was easy to comprehend how terrible it might feel to 63 00:03:24,231 --> 00:03:26,311 Speaker 1: know that you wasted your vote in such a close race. 64 00:03:27,471 --> 00:03:30,550 Speaker 1: But about ten days after the election, the Republicans found 65 00:03:30,591 --> 00:03:33,551 Speaker 1: an emotional rallying point of their own, and they found 66 00:03:33,591 --> 00:03:38,591 Speaker 1: it in something exquisitely boring sounding called overseas absentee ballots. 67 00:03:38,991 --> 00:03:43,151 Speaker 8: The postmarks come from all over the world, votes usually overlooked. 68 00:03:43,471 --> 00:03:45,391 Speaker 14: This year, they could determine the election. 69 00:03:45,871 --> 00:03:48,431 Speaker 2: More than six million Americans live overseas, which is. 70 00:03:48,431 --> 00:03:51,951 Speaker 15: Roughly the size of the population of the Commonwealth of Virginia. 71 00:03:52,111 --> 00:03:54,271 Speaker 5: Just how many of those absentee ballots are author are 72 00:03:54,271 --> 00:03:54,831 Speaker 5: still to be. 73 00:03:54,751 --> 00:03:58,071 Speaker 1: Counted, and who will get how many of them? Overseas 74 00:03:58,111 --> 00:04:02,191 Speaker 1: absentee ballots were used by American citizens living abroad in 75 00:04:02,231 --> 00:04:05,471 Speaker 1: recent presidential elections. The state of Florida had received between 76 00:04:05,551 --> 00:04:08,991 Speaker 1: fifteen hundred and three thousand of them in a normal election. 77 00:04:09,191 --> 00:04:11,831 Speaker 1: That was not a lot of votes. But in two thousand, 78 00:04:12,151 --> 00:04:15,111 Speaker 1: when it became clear that overseas absentee ballots could determine 79 00:04:15,151 --> 00:04:17,590 Speaker 1: the outcome of the race, they were thrust into the 80 00:04:17,591 --> 00:04:20,471 Speaker 1: center of a bitter confrontation between the two campaigns. 81 00:04:20,871 --> 00:04:23,671 Speaker 16: There are battles going on in county offices all over 82 00:04:23,711 --> 00:04:26,431 Speaker 16: the state. We've heard reports of county officials screaming at 83 00:04:26,431 --> 00:04:29,431 Speaker 16: each other as Democrats and Republicans go to the map 84 00:04:29,471 --> 00:04:32,911 Speaker 16: for every overseas absentee vote. 85 00:04:32,991 --> 00:04:36,511 Speaker 1: The process for tabulating overseas absentee ballots in Florida followed 86 00:04:36,511 --> 00:04:39,831 Speaker 1: its own special timeline, one that was intended to compensate 87 00:04:39,871 --> 00:04:41,791 Speaker 1: for the fact that mail coming in from far away 88 00:04:42,311 --> 00:04:45,071 Speaker 1: takes a long time to get where it's going. Here's 89 00:04:45,071 --> 00:04:47,631 Speaker 1: Mark Herron, a lawyer who became an expert on overseas 90 00:04:47,671 --> 00:04:50,111 Speaker 1: absentee ballots while working with the Gore recount team. 91 00:04:50,511 --> 00:04:54,431 Speaker 8: In Florida. You could continue to receive and count overseas 92 00:04:54,471 --> 00:04:57,871 Speaker 8: absentee ballots until ten days after the election if they 93 00:04:57,871 --> 00:05:02,271 Speaker 8: had been postmarked prior to the close of election day. 94 00:05:02,591 --> 00:05:06,391 Speaker 1: The voters who used overseas absentee ballots tended to belong 95 00:05:06,431 --> 00:05:09,831 Speaker 1: to one of several distinct groups American diplomats working at 96 00:05:09,831 --> 00:05:14,311 Speaker 1: four or embassies, American Jews living in Israel, expats in general, 97 00:05:14,711 --> 00:05:19,111 Speaker 1: and US military personnel stationed abroad. The Gore team expected 98 00:05:19,111 --> 00:05:21,551 Speaker 1: many of the overseas ballots to come from this last group, 99 00:05:22,271 --> 00:05:24,231 Speaker 1: and that they would overwhelmingly favor Bush. 100 00:05:24,551 --> 00:05:27,911 Speaker 8: The military people were generally more conservative in terms of 101 00:05:27,951 --> 00:05:32,231 Speaker 8: their viewpoints on the world than Democrats, and I guess 102 00:05:32,231 --> 00:05:35,871 Speaker 8: the thinking would be that the military folks would vote 103 00:05:35,911 --> 00:05:37,551 Speaker 8: for Bush. As opposed to Gore. 104 00:05:38,071 --> 00:05:41,590 Speaker 1: As overseas absentee ballots poured into Florida's sixty seven county 105 00:05:41,631 --> 00:05:44,791 Speaker 1: canvassing boards, the Gore team worried that their opponents would 106 00:05:44,831 --> 00:05:46,231 Speaker 1: try to take advantage of the system. 107 00:05:46,711 --> 00:05:51,431 Speaker 8: There were reports and rumors that planes military planes were 108 00:05:51,431 --> 00:05:56,351 Speaker 8: flying into Panama City stuffed would oversee ballots that had 109 00:05:56,391 --> 00:05:58,751 Speaker 8: not been postmarked prior to election day. 110 00:05:59,351 --> 00:06:02,831 Speaker 1: No evidence of such organized ballots stuffing ever emerged, but 111 00:06:02,951 --> 00:06:06,271 Speaker 1: at the time anything seemed possible, so higher ups on 112 00:06:06,311 --> 00:06:08,710 Speaker 1: the Gore recount team asked Heron to do some research 113 00:06:08,791 --> 00:06:12,351 Speaker 1: and write up a detailed memo under what circumstances would 114 00:06:12,351 --> 00:06:14,951 Speaker 1: it be appropriate, according to Florida law, to challenge the 115 00:06:15,031 --> 00:06:19,271 Speaker 1: validity of an overseas absentee ballot. The intended audience for 116 00:06:19,311 --> 00:06:22,311 Speaker 1: Heron's memo was the network of Democratic lawyers helping the 117 00:06:22,311 --> 00:06:26,031 Speaker 1: Gore campaign around the state. When Florida's sixty seven counties 118 00:06:26,031 --> 00:06:29,510 Speaker 1: started going through their overseas absentee ballots, these lawyers would 119 00:06:29,511 --> 00:06:32,070 Speaker 1: be responsible for challenging incomplete or legal ones. 120 00:06:32,871 --> 00:06:36,871 Speaker 8: They could use it when they appeared before the canvassing 121 00:06:36,911 --> 00:06:39,351 Speaker 8: boards and say, hey, this one here can't be counted 122 00:06:39,391 --> 00:06:42,471 Speaker 8: because it isn't signed. This one here can't be counted 123 00:06:42,511 --> 00:06:45,551 Speaker 8: because there's no postmark on it. There's no postmark that 124 00:06:45,631 --> 00:06:50,551 Speaker 8: indicates that it was mailed or transmitted prior to the 125 00:06:50,591 --> 00:06:52,831 Speaker 8: close of election day, or it has a postmark that's 126 00:06:52,871 --> 00:06:55,711 Speaker 8: after election day, and therefore it can't be accepted. 127 00:06:56,591 --> 00:07:00,231 Speaker 1: In its first paragraph, Heron's memo specifically mentioned members of 128 00:07:00,231 --> 00:07:03,031 Speaker 1: the Armed forces, along with other citizens of the United 129 00:07:03,071 --> 00:07:06,871 Speaker 1: States who are temporarily residing outside the country. The memo 130 00:07:06,911 --> 00:07:08,871 Speaker 1: went out to a group of Democratic Party lawyers on 131 00:07:08,911 --> 00:07:12,151 Speaker 1: November fifteenth, with the expectation that it would stay among friends, 132 00:07:13,191 --> 00:07:15,991 Speaker 1: but less than forty eight hours later, a copy made 133 00:07:15,991 --> 00:07:21,151 Speaker 1: its way to Bush headquarters in Tallahassee. The Republicans instantly 134 00:07:21,151 --> 00:07:24,591 Speaker 1: recognized it as a major opportunity. Here was a Gore 135 00:07:24,671 --> 00:07:28,191 Speaker 1: lawyer providing instructions on how to disqualify votes sent in 136 00:07:28,231 --> 00:07:33,111 Speaker 1: by American soldiers. The indignant TV appearances practically booked themselves. 137 00:07:33,231 --> 00:07:37,191 Speaker 12: The Vice President's lawyers have gone to war in my judgment, 138 00:07:37,231 --> 00:07:39,751 Speaker 12: against the men and women who serve in our armed forces. 139 00:07:39,871 --> 00:07:43,191 Speaker 14: I'm tired of hearing Democrats saying, including out Gore account 140 00:07:43,311 --> 00:07:45,871 Speaker 14: every vote, and yet they're all over the state of Florida, 141 00:07:46,031 --> 00:07:48,791 Speaker 14: challenging thousands of our military votes. 142 00:07:49,071 --> 00:07:51,311 Speaker 1: The Bush team pushed the story to every news out 143 00:07:51,311 --> 00:07:54,431 Speaker 1: what they could, and organized press conferences to publicize the issue. 144 00:07:54,471 --> 00:07:57,551 Speaker 17: We are concerned that a targeted effort by the Democratic 145 00:07:57,671 --> 00:08:00,831 Speaker 17: Party sought to throw out as many as a third 146 00:08:01,191 --> 00:08:05,671 Speaker 17: of the overseas absentee ballots received since election day, many 147 00:08:05,711 --> 00:08:08,631 Speaker 17: of them the votes of the men and women of 148 00:08:08,671 --> 00:08:11,590 Speaker 17: our United States Armed Forces who are serving the cause 149 00:08:11,631 --> 00:08:13,391 Speaker 17: of freedom throughout the world. 150 00:08:14,071 --> 00:08:16,991 Speaker 1: The Heron memo, as it came to be known, instantly 151 00:08:17,031 --> 00:08:20,271 Speaker 1: broke through the static of recount coverage. And if you're 152 00:08:20,311 --> 00:08:22,911 Speaker 1: wondering how the Bush communications team turned to phrase as 153 00:08:22,911 --> 00:08:27,151 Speaker 1: cumbersome as oversees absentee ballots into a hot issue, the 154 00:08:27,191 --> 00:08:29,591 Speaker 1: answer is they didn't have to because they could call 155 00:08:29,631 --> 00:08:31,271 Speaker 1: them military ballots instead. 156 00:08:31,591 --> 00:08:35,471 Speaker 12: The Democrats have launched a statewide effort throughout as many 157 00:08:35,550 --> 00:08:37,070 Speaker 12: military ballots as they can. 158 00:08:37,191 --> 00:08:40,151 Speaker 16: Democratic lawyers had been given guidelines on how to challenge 159 00:08:40,191 --> 00:08:43,470 Speaker 16: military ballots, and the wife of one sailor spoke out. 160 00:08:43,511 --> 00:08:45,830 Speaker 18: It was the first that he had heard that his 161 00:08:46,231 --> 00:08:51,231 Speaker 18: ballot was one of the votes that did not count. 162 00:08:52,310 --> 00:08:54,631 Speaker 1: I don't think it's too cynical or unfair to wonder 163 00:08:54,670 --> 00:08:57,711 Speaker 1: how the Gore team didn't see this coming. But Heron 164 00:08:57,790 --> 00:09:00,351 Speaker 1: really thought that all he was doing was summarizing this 165 00:09:00,430 --> 00:09:03,191 Speaker 1: corner of Florida election law so that Gore's lawyers in 166 00:09:03,231 --> 00:09:05,670 Speaker 1: the ground would know what they were dealing with. Now 167 00:09:05,751 --> 00:09:08,550 Speaker 1: the campaign was being accused of trying to disenfranchise men 168 00:09:08,550 --> 00:09:09,670 Speaker 1: and women in uniform. 169 00:09:10,111 --> 00:09:14,431 Speaker 8: The military is a somewhat sacred thing, and these folks 170 00:09:14,430 --> 00:09:17,351 Speaker 8: are giving up their lives, their family life, you know, 171 00:09:17,391 --> 00:09:19,471 Speaker 8: to defend the country. And then to say that, hey, 172 00:09:19,830 --> 00:09:22,110 Speaker 8: these Democrats are trying to take away their vote. It 173 00:09:22,190 --> 00:09:25,350 Speaker 8: kind of all fits into the narrative of what democrats 174 00:09:25,351 --> 00:09:27,871 Speaker 8: are all about, and it was very, very powerful. They 175 00:09:27,991 --> 00:09:31,511 Speaker 8: do a great job with spin even when the reality 176 00:09:31,590 --> 00:09:34,151 Speaker 8: is completely to the contrary, and this was one of 177 00:09:34,190 --> 00:09:34,950 Speaker 8: those examples. 178 00:09:35,310 --> 00:09:37,950 Speaker 1: You may recall that in our previous episode you heard 179 00:09:37,991 --> 00:09:40,151 Speaker 1: a lot of people say repeatedly that all they did 180 00:09:40,271 --> 00:09:43,311 Speaker 1: during the recount was follow the law. But as Mark 181 00:09:43,351 --> 00:09:46,311 Speaker 1: Heron learned the hard way, the recount was about much 182 00:09:46,351 --> 00:09:49,391 Speaker 1: more than the law. It was also about politics as 183 00:09:49,391 --> 00:09:52,470 Speaker 1: a means of influencing how the law gets applied. By 184 00:09:52,550 --> 00:09:54,591 Speaker 1: using the Heron memo as the basis for a pr 185 00:09:54,670 --> 00:09:57,391 Speaker 1: onslaught against Gore. The Bush team wasn't just trying to 186 00:09:57,391 --> 00:10:00,310 Speaker 1: score points on cable news or win hearts and minds. 187 00:10:00,871 --> 00:10:03,190 Speaker 1: They were generating pressure that would make the law work 188 00:10:03,231 --> 00:10:08,271 Speaker 1: to their advantage. I'm Leon Nafok from Prologue Projects and 189 00:10:08,351 --> 00:10:11,950 Speaker 1: Pushkin Industries. This is Fiasco Bush v. 190 00:10:12,111 --> 00:10:12,351 Speaker 3: Gore. 191 00:10:13,430 --> 00:10:16,151 Speaker 19: Gore made a conscious decision that he would fight in 192 00:10:16,190 --> 00:10:18,151 Speaker 19: the courts, but not on the streets. 193 00:10:18,950 --> 00:10:21,271 Speaker 11: Republican demonstrators stormed the hallway. 194 00:10:21,391 --> 00:10:23,511 Speaker 17: It sounds like you're in the middle of a prison riot. 195 00:10:25,910 --> 00:10:30,830 Speaker 1: Episode four spinoff How the Bush campaign achieved crucial legal 196 00:10:30,910 --> 00:10:34,511 Speaker 1: victories by burying Al Gore in the court of public opinion, 197 00:10:44,790 --> 00:10:47,711 Speaker 1: Believe it or not. One of Al Gore's most effective 198 00:10:47,710 --> 00:10:50,751 Speaker 1: advocates in two thousand was his running mate Joe Lieberman. 199 00:10:51,631 --> 00:10:54,511 Speaker 1: During the recount, while Gore strategized with his lawyers behind 200 00:10:54,550 --> 00:10:57,551 Speaker 1: the scenes, Lieberman appeared on TV as something between an 201 00:10:57,590 --> 00:11:00,910 Speaker 1: attack dog and a cheerleader. Day after day he defended 202 00:11:00,910 --> 00:11:03,630 Speaker 1: the Democratic line and calmly predicted that when all the 203 00:11:03,710 --> 00:11:06,270 Speaker 1: votes were counted, he and Gore would be victorious. 204 00:11:06,670 --> 00:11:08,550 Speaker 20: We think we want if we think if all the 205 00:11:08,631 --> 00:11:11,271 Speaker 20: votes in Florida. Aret it not only will we have 206 00:11:11,391 --> 00:11:14,630 Speaker 20: won the popular vote in America, Al Gore and I 207 00:11:14,670 --> 00:11:17,671 Speaker 20: would have won the election. Maybe our opponents think that too, 208 00:11:17,710 --> 00:11:20,271 Speaker 20: and that's why they don't want those votes to be counted. 209 00:11:20,550 --> 00:11:24,071 Speaker 1: With Gore facing intense criticism over Mark Heron's memo, the 210 00:11:24,151 --> 00:11:26,871 Speaker 1: campaign looked to Liberman to come in and play the enforcer. 211 00:11:27,790 --> 00:11:31,070 Speaker 1: On Saturday, November eighteenth, Lieberman was briefed on the Haroan 212 00:11:31,111 --> 00:11:34,030 Speaker 1: memo over the phone, and the next morning he appeared 213 00:11:34,070 --> 00:11:35,471 Speaker 1: on Meet the Press with Tim Russard. 214 00:11:35,590 --> 00:11:38,511 Speaker 20: Senator Joseph Lieberman is with us, welcome back, warning Tim 215 00:11:38,550 --> 00:11:40,271 Speaker 20: still a senator, not Vice president. 216 00:11:40,391 --> 00:11:43,991 Speaker 1: Russert brought up the Heron memo almost immediately. 217 00:11:43,550 --> 00:11:45,271 Speaker 11: And people are very, very concerned. 218 00:11:45,271 --> 00:11:47,751 Speaker 20: They point to a memo written by. 219 00:11:47,590 --> 00:11:52,030 Speaker 9: Mark Herron, a lawyer who assists the Gore campaign, telling 220 00:11:52,310 --> 00:11:55,511 Speaker 9: Democratic lawyers, this is how you knock out balance from 221 00:11:55,590 --> 00:11:57,071 Speaker 9: military people overseas. 222 00:11:57,351 --> 00:12:00,391 Speaker 1: They don't have a postmark to the Gore operatives in Tallahassee. 223 00:12:00,511 --> 00:12:04,591 Speaker 1: Watching Lieberman's appearance on TV, it was obvious how he 224 00:12:04,631 --> 00:12:05,711 Speaker 1: should have responded. 225 00:12:06,151 --> 00:12:09,111 Speaker 21: He was getting pounded, and the answers should have been 226 00:12:09,631 --> 00:12:11,790 Speaker 21: we're for counting all votes that were cast on before 227 00:12:11,830 --> 00:12:12,511 Speaker 21: election day. 228 00:12:12,751 --> 00:12:16,030 Speaker 1: This is Nick Baldick, one of Gore's top lieutenants in Florida. 229 00:12:16,310 --> 00:12:18,791 Speaker 21: You know there are proceedures to make sure that illegal 230 00:12:18,871 --> 00:12:21,670 Speaker 21: votes don't come in after and those should be upheld. 231 00:12:22,070 --> 00:12:24,471 Speaker 21: That would have been roughly the response I would have given. 232 00:12:24,670 --> 00:12:25,871 Speaker 21: It was not the response he gave. 233 00:12:26,430 --> 00:12:30,471 Speaker 1: Instead, Lieberman took a trip to Waffle City. He didn't 234 00:12:30,471 --> 00:12:33,191 Speaker 1: even try to defend the campaign or make the argument 235 00:12:33,231 --> 00:12:36,030 Speaker 1: for enforcing election law in the way Heron's memo had suggested. 236 00:12:36,550 --> 00:12:38,631 Speaker 20: Again, Al Gore and I don't want to. I don't 237 00:12:38,670 --> 00:12:40,470 Speaker 20: want to ever be part of anything that would put 238 00:12:40,471 --> 00:12:43,391 Speaker 20: an extra burden on the military personnel abroad. 239 00:12:43,991 --> 00:12:46,030 Speaker 22: If Joe Lieberman said this morning, count those. 240 00:12:45,790 --> 00:12:49,191 Speaker 1: Baldick watched in disbelief as Lieberman threw Mark Herron and 241 00:12:49,231 --> 00:12:51,431 Speaker 1: the Gore campaign as a whole under the bus. 242 00:12:51,830 --> 00:12:53,511 Speaker 20: My own point of view, if I was there, I 243 00:12:53,511 --> 00:12:56,470 Speaker 20: would give the benefit of the doubt to Bellot's coming 244 00:12:56,511 --> 00:13:01,191 Speaker 20: in from a military personnel generally, but particularly in light 245 00:13:01,190 --> 00:13:03,070 Speaker 20: of the letter and the kind of statements we've heard 246 00:13:03,070 --> 00:13:03,431 Speaker 20: about it. 247 00:13:03,511 --> 00:13:06,070 Speaker 1: But the here's Baldick again. 248 00:13:06,830 --> 00:13:10,790 Speaker 21: I mean, I remember screaming at the television, being very 249 00:13:10,830 --> 00:13:16,310 Speaker 21: angry when lots of people working with me, young people volunteers, 250 00:13:17,111 --> 00:13:20,470 Speaker 21: had been across sixty seven counties trying to uphold the 251 00:13:20,550 --> 00:13:24,710 Speaker 21: law and make sure the ballots from Maryland and ones 252 00:13:24,710 --> 00:13:28,391 Speaker 21: that were sent obviously after election day were not counted illegally, 253 00:13:28,430 --> 00:13:32,550 Speaker 21: and they were screamed at and called unpatriotic and had 254 00:13:32,590 --> 00:13:36,030 Speaker 21: batteries thrown at them, and Senator Lieberman sold all those 255 00:13:36,030 --> 00:13:38,631 Speaker 21: people out by just caving on that morning. 256 00:13:39,471 --> 00:13:42,310 Speaker 1: Heron, who was also watching the interview from gore headquarters, 257 00:13:42,471 --> 00:13:43,631 Speaker 1: did not take it well. 258 00:13:43,751 --> 00:13:45,910 Speaker 8: It was like I'd been kicked in the stomach. I 259 00:13:46,030 --> 00:13:49,910 Speaker 8: was quite sick, so to speak, and at that point 260 00:13:49,950 --> 00:13:53,111 Speaker 8: in time I had to leave the building and walk 261 00:13:53,151 --> 00:13:56,711 Speaker 8: around Tallahassee for a while. I just couldn't believe what 262 00:13:56,751 --> 00:13:57,231 Speaker 8: he had done. 263 00:13:58,790 --> 00:14:01,071 Speaker 1: Lieberman told me in an interview that he still remembers 264 00:14:01,070 --> 00:14:03,430 Speaker 1: meeting with Gore after his TV appearance. 265 00:14:03,670 --> 00:14:06,990 Speaker 23: And it was actually, as I recall, the only time 266 00:14:07,070 --> 00:14:10,030 Speaker 23: during the whole campaign when now seemed to be disappoint 267 00:14:10,070 --> 00:14:11,310 Speaker 23: pointed in something I'd done. 268 00:14:11,910 --> 00:14:15,430 Speaker 1: But Lieberman maintains he did the right thing, the patriotic thing, 269 00:14:15,871 --> 00:14:19,031 Speaker 1: the morally defensible thing by distancing the campaign from the 270 00:14:19,071 --> 00:14:19,871 Speaker 1: Haroan memo. 271 00:14:19,911 --> 00:14:23,511 Speaker 23: We Democrats believe in the franchise, and in fact that 272 00:14:23,590 --> 00:14:27,551 Speaker 23: other parts of Florida were fighting because we were alleging 273 00:14:28,271 --> 00:14:32,591 Speaker 23: that the Republican officials prevented some people from voting. 274 00:14:33,231 --> 00:14:36,471 Speaker 1: Setting aside the legal merits of the Haroan memo, Lieberman 275 00:14:36,511 --> 00:14:38,711 Speaker 1: says that he was concerned about how the campaign would 276 00:14:38,751 --> 00:14:41,951 Speaker 1: look if he stood by it. What if Democrats ended 277 00:14:42,031 --> 00:14:44,511 Speaker 1: up winning the White House and American soldiers believed that 278 00:14:44,551 --> 00:14:47,591 Speaker 1: their own commander in chief had tried to disenfranchise them. 279 00:14:47,871 --> 00:14:50,631 Speaker 23: And I must say the other thing that swung into 280 00:14:50,710 --> 00:14:53,511 Speaker 23: action as Tim Ruster to meet to Posess with this 281 00:14:53,590 --> 00:14:56,631 Speaker 23: question was wait a second, I don't want al Gaar 282 00:14:56,951 --> 00:14:59,391 Speaker 23: and me to be seen as people who are gonna 283 00:14:59,871 --> 00:15:03,191 Speaker 23: do anything to stop We want so much to win 284 00:15:04,031 --> 00:15:07,751 Speaker 23: that we're going to block the vote of a soldier 285 00:15:07,830 --> 00:15:12,231 Speaker 23: who's overseas serving us because he made some technical mistake. 286 00:15:12,911 --> 00:15:15,631 Speaker 1: Lieberman wanted the campaign to commit to its count every 287 00:15:15,671 --> 00:15:19,351 Speaker 1: vote mantra, even if he saw Republicans making contradictory arguments 288 00:15:19,351 --> 00:15:19,671 Speaker 1: of their. 289 00:15:19,590 --> 00:15:24,711 Speaker 23: Own, because both sides were being inconsistent. The Republicans were 290 00:15:24,710 --> 00:15:28,110 Speaker 23: calling for technical adherence to the law in some parts 291 00:15:28,151 --> 00:15:30,391 Speaker 23: of the state about cutting ballots, but they were saying, oh, 292 00:15:30,431 --> 00:15:32,511 Speaker 23: you got to go a little easy on these soldiers. 293 00:15:33,071 --> 00:15:36,391 Speaker 23: We were saying, in some parts of the state, you 294 00:15:36,511 --> 00:15:40,591 Speaker 23: got to be a little easy on these voters, particularly 295 00:15:40,631 --> 00:15:44,951 Speaker 23: minority voters, and not exclude them from voting. But in 296 00:15:44,991 --> 00:15:47,391 Speaker 23: this case, we were saying, this is the letter of 297 00:15:47,431 --> 00:15:51,111 Speaker 23: the law, so that these absmptee ballots can't be count it. 298 00:15:52,111 --> 00:15:55,471 Speaker 1: After Liberman's appearance on Meet the Press, other Democrats joined 299 00:15:55,511 --> 00:15:58,111 Speaker 1: him in calling for lenient standard on military ballots. 300 00:15:58,351 --> 00:16:01,350 Speaker 24: That's the order from Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth. 301 00:16:02,071 --> 00:16:05,591 Speaker 1: Among them was Bob Butterworth, the Democratic Attorney General of Florida. 302 00:16:05,391 --> 00:16:08,191 Speaker 14: Saying no man or woman in military service to this 303 00:16:08,311 --> 00:16:12,271 Speaker 14: nation should have his or vote rejected solely due to 304 00:16:12,311 --> 00:16:13,591 Speaker 14: the absence of a post bar. 305 00:16:14,511 --> 00:16:17,231 Speaker 1: It was not exactly a legal victory for Republicans, since 306 00:16:17,271 --> 00:16:20,191 Speaker 1: neither Lieberman nor Butterworth had authority over any aspect of 307 00:16:20,191 --> 00:16:23,231 Speaker 1: the recount, but symbolically it was devastating. 308 00:16:23,671 --> 00:16:27,791 Speaker 14: The public relations fight over rejected overseas absentee ballots. 309 00:16:28,231 --> 00:16:29,231 Speaker 2: On NBC's Meet. 310 00:16:29,111 --> 00:16:32,631 Speaker 25: The Press, Joe Lieberman supports giving them quote the benefit 311 00:16:32,671 --> 00:16:33,111 Speaker 25: of the doubt. 312 00:16:36,871 --> 00:16:47,271 Speaker 1: More after the break. While the Gore campaign tried to 313 00:16:47,271 --> 00:16:50,791 Speaker 1: play defense on overseas absentee ballots, the hand recount of 314 00:16:50,830 --> 00:16:53,710 Speaker 1: regular old domestic ballots was continuing in fits and starts. 315 00:16:54,391 --> 00:16:56,830 Speaker 1: The four counties where Gore had requested recounts were all 316 00:16:56,871 --> 00:17:00,271 Speaker 1: at different stages of the process. Palm Beach and Broward 317 00:17:00,271 --> 00:17:03,870 Speaker 1: had been added for several days, Volusia was already done. 318 00:17:03,991 --> 00:17:08,511 Speaker 1: In Miami Dade, they hadn't even started yet. Now this 319 00:17:08,511 --> 00:17:11,071 Speaker 1: feels like a good moment to confess some thing, which 320 00:17:11,111 --> 00:17:13,991 Speaker 1: is that here at Fiasco, our journalistic bias towards the 321 00:17:14,031 --> 00:17:17,231 Speaker 1: dramatic and dysfunctional means that Volusia and Broward, where the 322 00:17:17,271 --> 00:17:20,590 Speaker 1: hand recounts went relatively smoothly, are getting short tripped on 323 00:17:20,630 --> 00:17:24,390 Speaker 1: this podcast. It's not exactly fair, but shout out to 324 00:17:24,431 --> 00:17:26,470 Speaker 1: them for doing such a good job counting votes. That 325 00:17:26,551 --> 00:17:29,871 Speaker 1: hearing about it is not all that interesting. In Miami Dada, 326 00:17:29,870 --> 00:17:33,191 Speaker 1: on the other hand, things were about to get turbulent. 327 00:17:35,350 --> 00:17:38,231 Speaker 1: To be fair, the task before the Miami Dade canvassing 328 00:17:38,231 --> 00:17:41,471 Speaker 1: board was enormous. It was the biggest county in Florida 329 00:17:41,471 --> 00:17:43,951 Speaker 1: by a huge margin, and they had about six hundred 330 00:17:43,951 --> 00:17:47,191 Speaker 1: and fifty thousand votes. To get through a recount would 331 00:17:47,191 --> 00:17:49,311 Speaker 1: require a lot of manpower and a lot of time, 332 00:17:50,150 --> 00:17:52,511 Speaker 1: and because of how many votes were at stake, both 333 00:17:52,551 --> 00:17:55,350 Speaker 1: the Bush campaign and the Gore campaign were watching the 334 00:17:55,390 --> 00:17:58,071 Speaker 1: process like hawks and fighting over it. 335 00:17:58,390 --> 00:18:01,671 Speaker 5: Also like hawks, Republicans in Miami tried one last time 336 00:18:01,711 --> 00:18:05,350 Speaker 5: this morning to prevent a handcount in Florida's most populist county. 337 00:18:05,471 --> 00:18:08,350 Speaker 5: The effort failed, opening the door to a recount that 338 00:18:08,431 --> 00:18:11,311 Speaker 5: could add hundreds, maybe thous of new votes to the 339 00:18:11,350 --> 00:18:12,031 Speaker 5: state's total. 340 00:18:12,951 --> 00:18:15,390 Speaker 1: The logistics of the recount in Miami Dade were pretty 341 00:18:15,431 --> 00:18:18,111 Speaker 1: much the same as in Palm Beach. After going through 342 00:18:18,110 --> 00:18:21,071 Speaker 1: a one percent sample of the overall vote, approximately six 343 00:18:21,110 --> 00:18:23,951 Speaker 1: thousand ballots, the Canvassing board debated whether or not to 344 00:18:23,991 --> 00:18:28,271 Speaker 1: conduct a full manual recount. After some hesitation, they decided 345 00:18:28,311 --> 00:18:28,710 Speaker 1: to proceed. 346 00:18:28,830 --> 00:18:32,551 Speaker 2: Miami Dade County, under pressure from the Gore campaign, decided 347 00:18:32,590 --> 00:18:35,870 Speaker 2: that it too, will recount ballots by hand, meaning that 348 00:18:35,911 --> 00:18:39,590 Speaker 2: heavily democratic Florida counties will be recounting more than one 349 00:18:39,630 --> 00:18:41,391 Speaker 2: point seven million ballots. 350 00:18:42,271 --> 00:18:44,751 Speaker 1: The eighteenth floor of the Stephen P. Clark Government Center 351 00:18:44,791 --> 00:18:48,870 Speaker 1: in downtown Miami was converted into a publicly accessible recount room. 352 00:18:49,590 --> 00:18:51,350 Speaker 1: Rows of tables and chairs were set up for the 353 00:18:51,350 --> 00:18:53,670 Speaker 1: people doing the counting and the partisan volunteers who had 354 00:18:53,671 --> 00:18:56,590 Speaker 1: been sent to watch over the proceedings. The three members 355 00:18:56,590 --> 00:18:58,590 Speaker 1: of the canvassing board sat at a special table up 356 00:18:58,590 --> 00:19:01,551 Speaker 1: front where they examined ballots that have been deemed ambiguous. 357 00:19:01,830 --> 00:19:04,551 Speaker 14: It all began at nine to oh two. If you're counting, 358 00:19:04,671 --> 00:19:07,830 Speaker 14: and these people certainly are to our Day County. 359 00:19:08,110 --> 00:19:11,231 Speaker 1: The recount began on Monday, November twentieth, two days after 360 00:19:11,271 --> 00:19:13,071 Speaker 1: the Big Florida Florida State football game. 361 00:19:13,471 --> 00:19:16,471 Speaker 14: Four at each table in the highest stakes card game 362 00:19:16,511 --> 00:19:17,551 Speaker 14: in the land, and. 363 00:19:18,071 --> 00:19:21,110 Speaker 1: At first it looked like they might actually get it done. 364 00:19:21,150 --> 00:19:24,151 Speaker 1: This was a very happy development for al Gore. As 365 00:19:24,191 --> 00:19:26,671 Speaker 1: long as ballots were being counted, it meant he still 366 00:19:26,711 --> 00:19:28,751 Speaker 1: had a chance of picking up new votes and eating 367 00:19:28,830 --> 00:19:29,671 Speaker 1: into Bush's lead. 368 00:19:30,231 --> 00:19:33,551 Speaker 14: Al Gore has picked up a net gain of eighteen votes, 369 00:19:33,590 --> 00:19:37,311 Speaker 14: but there are six hundred and fourteen precincts total that 370 00:19:37,471 --> 00:19:38,471 Speaker 14: must be recounted. 371 00:19:38,471 --> 00:19:41,671 Speaker 1: In the next night, just before ten o'clock, the Gore 372 00:19:41,711 --> 00:19:45,631 Speaker 1: team received even more good news, this time from Tallahassee, 373 00:19:45,791 --> 00:19:48,191 Speaker 1: where the Florida Supreme Court had just issued a ruling. 374 00:19:49,390 --> 00:19:50,031 Speaker 7: Good evening. 375 00:19:50,471 --> 00:19:52,390 Speaker 26: My name is Craig Waters. I'm the spokesman for the 376 00:19:52,431 --> 00:19:54,710 Speaker 26: Florida Supreme Court. I'm now going to read to you 377 00:19:54,711 --> 00:19:58,190 Speaker 26: a statement that was authorized by the entire Court, the 378 00:19:58,231 --> 00:20:01,551 Speaker 26: court halls that amended certifications from the county. 379 00:20:01,311 --> 00:20:04,190 Speaker 1: Camp Remember, at this point, the manual recountscore had requested 380 00:20:04,271 --> 00:20:06,911 Speaker 1: were being threatened by the Florida Secretary of State, who 381 00:20:06,991 --> 00:20:09,390 Speaker 1: was refusing to accept what she called late vote counts. 382 00:20:10,350 --> 00:20:13,190 Speaker 1: A few days earlier, the Florida Supreme Court had stepped 383 00:20:13,231 --> 00:20:15,791 Speaker 1: in and blocked Catherine Harris from certifying the election results 384 00:20:15,830 --> 00:20:18,951 Speaker 1: until they could weigh in. Oral arguments have been held 385 00:20:18,951 --> 00:20:22,711 Speaker 1: on Monday, November twentieth. The central question at hand was 386 00:20:22,751 --> 00:20:25,710 Speaker 1: whether Catherine Harris had acted improperly by refusing to accept 387 00:20:25,791 --> 00:20:28,870 Speaker 1: late vote totals from the three counties still conducting handcounts. 388 00:20:29,590 --> 00:20:31,951 Speaker 1: And now the seven justices of the Florida Supreme Court 389 00:20:32,071 --> 00:20:35,791 Speaker 1: had handed down a unanimous ruling they were siding with Gore. 390 00:20:35,991 --> 00:20:39,231 Speaker 27: The court saying hand counts in three Florida counties must 391 00:20:39,231 --> 00:20:41,791 Speaker 27: be included in the state vote totals. 392 00:20:41,830 --> 00:20:44,991 Speaker 1: This was a huge and potentially decisive victory for the 393 00:20:45,031 --> 00:20:45,631 Speaker 1: Gore campaign. 394 00:20:45,751 --> 00:20:49,350 Speaker 26: The court halls that amended certifications from the county canvassing 395 00:20:49,350 --> 00:20:53,071 Speaker 26: boards must be accepted by the Election Canvassing Commission. 396 00:20:53,390 --> 00:20:55,871 Speaker 1: As part of their ruling, the court set a new 397 00:20:55,951 --> 00:20:59,670 Speaker 1: certification deadline of Sunday, November twenty sixth, at five pm, 398 00:21:00,271 --> 00:21:03,471 Speaker 1: thereby giving the canvassing boards in Miami Dade, Palm Beach, 399 00:21:03,590 --> 00:21:07,791 Speaker 1: and Broward five more days to count ballots. The ruling 400 00:21:07,830 --> 00:21:10,350 Speaker 1: further specified that if the Secretary of State's officer was 401 00:21:10,390 --> 00:21:13,350 Speaker 1: not open on that Sunday, the counties could turn in 402 00:21:13,350 --> 00:21:16,551 Speaker 1: their vote totals on the following Monday morning at nine am. 403 00:21:16,311 --> 00:21:20,071 Speaker 26: Until nine am on November twenty seven. The opinion of 404 00:21:20,110 --> 00:21:20,671 Speaker 26: the Court is. 405 00:21:20,671 --> 00:21:23,910 Speaker 1: But that wasn't all. In addition to granting the deadline extension, 406 00:21:24,311 --> 00:21:27,511 Speaker 1: the justices also ruled that hyper technical adherence to voting 407 00:21:27,551 --> 00:21:30,471 Speaker 1: instructions was less important than the intent of the voter. 408 00:21:31,671 --> 00:21:34,150 Speaker 1: The fundamental purpose of election laws, the court wrote in 409 00:21:34,191 --> 00:21:37,110 Speaker 1: its opinion, was to facilitate and safeguard the right of 410 00:21:37,150 --> 00:21:40,991 Speaker 1: each voter to express his or her will. Gore celebrated 411 00:21:41,031 --> 00:21:42,470 Speaker 1: the ruling as a major victory. 412 00:21:43,071 --> 00:21:46,231 Speaker 10: The Florida Supreme Court has now spoken, and we will 413 00:21:46,271 --> 00:21:50,511 Speaker 10: move forward now with a full, fair and accurate count 414 00:21:50,590 --> 00:21:54,791 Speaker 10: of the ballots in question. Our democracy is the winner. 415 00:21:54,830 --> 00:21:59,071 Speaker 1: Tonight, the Bush side was apoplectic. As they saw it, 416 00:21:59,271 --> 00:22:02,471 Speaker 1: the Florida Supreme Court had just retroactively changed Florida election 417 00:22:02,590 --> 00:22:06,871 Speaker 1: law by pushing back the certification deadline. To the Republicans, 418 00:22:07,150 --> 00:22:10,191 Speaker 1: that looked like a violation of the US Constitution, which 419 00:22:10,191 --> 00:22:12,350 Speaker 1: said that election laws had to be in place before 420 00:22:12,390 --> 00:22:15,031 Speaker 1: the voters went to the polls, and they were to 421 00:22:15,031 --> 00:22:19,630 Speaker 1: be drafted by state legislatures, not state courts. Just before 422 00:22:19,630 --> 00:22:21,991 Speaker 1: midnight on the night of the ruling, James Baker, the 423 00:22:22,071 --> 00:22:24,751 Speaker 1: head of the Bush recount effort, offered some pointed thoughts 424 00:22:24,751 --> 00:22:26,951 Speaker 1: at a press conference in Tallahassee. 425 00:22:27,071 --> 00:22:29,630 Speaker 9: It is not fair to change the election laws of 426 00:22:29,671 --> 00:22:34,670 Speaker 9: Florida by a judicial fiat after the election has been held. 427 00:22:35,551 --> 00:22:38,830 Speaker 9: It is simply not fair, ladies and gentlemen, to change 428 00:22:38,870 --> 00:22:43,390 Speaker 9: the rules, either in the middle of the game or 429 00:22:43,791 --> 00:22:45,431 Speaker 9: after the game has been played. 430 00:22:46,071 --> 00:22:48,991 Speaker 1: Bush's supporters and media surrogates moved swiftly to paint the 431 00:22:49,031 --> 00:22:52,191 Speaker 1: Florida Supreme Court as a biased institution run by Democrats 432 00:22:52,191 --> 00:22:56,351 Speaker 1: who were trying to swing the election toward Gore. Charles Wells, 433 00:22:56,671 --> 00:22:58,670 Speaker 1: the chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court at the 434 00:22:58,711 --> 00:23:01,151 Speaker 1: time remembers one remark especially vividly. 435 00:23:01,671 --> 00:23:06,991 Speaker 27: I had read a comment by Congressman at the time, 436 00:23:07,511 --> 00:23:13,150 Speaker 27: Joe Scarborough from Pitscola, and his comment was, Tonight the 437 00:23:13,150 --> 00:23:16,471 Speaker 27: Florida Supreme Court declared war on the rule of law 438 00:23:16,471 --> 00:23:21,511 Speaker 27: in Florida. Seven radical Democratic lawyers have chosen to ignore 439 00:23:21,671 --> 00:23:26,670 Speaker 27: the clear intent of Florida's legislature and executive branches. Is 440 00:23:26,751 --> 00:23:30,071 Speaker 27: a political war they want. It's a political war. They 441 00:23:30,110 --> 00:23:31,910 Speaker 27: should get lost. 442 00:23:31,911 --> 00:23:34,511 Speaker 1: Amid all this heated rhetoric was that the Florida Supreme 443 00:23:34,551 --> 00:23:37,350 Speaker 1: Court ruling actually came with a major silver lining for 444 00:23:37,390 --> 00:23:41,390 Speaker 1: the Bush campaign. Specifically, the part about how voter intent 445 00:23:41,471 --> 00:23:45,190 Speaker 1: matters more than strict adherence to the technical requirements provided Republicans 446 00:23:45,191 --> 00:23:47,670 Speaker 1: with a perfect weapon with which to attack the Democrats 447 00:23:47,671 --> 00:23:51,710 Speaker 1: on the issue of overseas absentee ballots. Prior to the ruling, 448 00:23:52,191 --> 00:23:55,350 Speaker 1: Bush's lawyers have been having trouble persuading canvassing boards around 449 00:23:55,350 --> 00:23:58,551 Speaker 1: the state to accept overseas absentee ballots that lacked signatures, 450 00:23:58,751 --> 00:24:02,830 Speaker 1: proper postmarks, and so on. A total of four hundred 451 00:24:02,830 --> 00:24:05,751 Speaker 1: and twenty ballots have been thrown out as of November seventeenth. 452 00:24:06,471 --> 00:24:08,871 Speaker 1: Now it seemed possible that hundreds of those ballots would 453 00:24:08,870 --> 00:24:11,470 Speaker 1: be back on the table, and the deadline extension for 454 00:24:11,511 --> 00:24:14,430 Speaker 1: certifying the election results gave the Bush lawyer's time to 455 00:24:14,431 --> 00:24:21,150 Speaker 1: make their case. To the Gore campaign's chagrin, there was 456 00:24:21,191 --> 00:24:23,590 Speaker 1: another way the Florida Supreme Court ruling turned out to 457 00:24:23,590 --> 00:24:26,630 Speaker 1: benefit Bush, one that had nothing to do with overseas 458 00:24:26,630 --> 00:24:29,870 Speaker 1: absentee ballots and everything to do with the ongoing recount 459 00:24:29,911 --> 00:24:32,911 Speaker 1: in Miami. Because while the intention of the Supreme Court 460 00:24:32,911 --> 00:24:36,031 Speaker 1: had been to give the counties more time, the Miami 461 00:24:36,071 --> 00:24:38,910 Speaker 1: Dade Canvassing Board had been banking on getting even more. 462 00:24:40,271 --> 00:24:42,870 Speaker 1: In their initial estimate, the board had figured that the 463 00:24:42,870 --> 00:24:45,590 Speaker 1: work of reviewing all six hundred and fifty thousand ballots 464 00:24:45,630 --> 00:24:48,350 Speaker 1: in the county was going to take them until December first. 465 00:24:49,191 --> 00:24:51,991 Speaker 1: The new deadline of November twenty sixth meant they had 466 00:24:52,031 --> 00:24:55,230 Speaker 1: five fewer days than they'd budgeted for, and so the 467 00:24:55,271 --> 00:24:58,230 Speaker 1: morning after the Florida Supreme Court ruling came down, the 468 00:24:58,271 --> 00:25:00,830 Speaker 1: Canvassing Board held a public meeting to review their options. 469 00:25:01,390 --> 00:25:03,951 Speaker 1: The Supervisor of Elections was audibly anxious about how the 470 00:25:03,991 --> 00:25:05,511 Speaker 1: recount process could be sped up. 471 00:25:05,911 --> 00:25:09,231 Speaker 28: We could not, given our best efforts of this board, 472 00:25:09,390 --> 00:25:11,390 Speaker 28: the best effort to the county, the best efforts of 473 00:25:11,431 --> 00:25:17,150 Speaker 28: all these people sitting here, complete the manual recount the 474 00:25:17,191 --> 00:25:20,670 Speaker 28: way we've been doing it, even adding more tables, adding 475 00:25:20,711 --> 00:25:21,271 Speaker 28: more staff. 476 00:25:21,791 --> 00:25:25,230 Speaker 1: After some discussion, one of the board members proposed an idea. 477 00:25:26,150 --> 00:25:28,430 Speaker 1: What if instead of counting all the ballots by hand, 478 00:25:28,751 --> 00:25:31,271 Speaker 1: the board did a recount of just the ambiguous ballots 479 00:25:31,271 --> 00:25:34,951 Speaker 1: that the machines couldn't read. By separating out the roughly 480 00:25:34,991 --> 00:25:37,511 Speaker 1: ten thousand ballots that had not officially recorded a vote 481 00:25:37,551 --> 00:25:40,991 Speaker 1: for president, the so called undervotes, the board could focus 482 00:25:40,991 --> 00:25:44,271 Speaker 1: their energies and their time on ballots that required human attention. 483 00:25:44,711 --> 00:25:47,631 Speaker 29: And so the board voted unanimously a ditch the results 484 00:25:47,630 --> 00:25:50,430 Speaker 29: of their two day county wide recount and focus on 485 00:25:50,590 --> 00:25:52,230 Speaker 29: ten thousand under votes and. 486 00:25:52,431 --> 00:25:57,670 Speaker 28: Count the undercounted ballots approximately ten thousand, seven hundred and 487 00:25:57,791 --> 00:25:59,071 Speaker 28: fifty public. 488 00:25:59,150 --> 00:26:01,031 Speaker 1: It was a little before nine am when the board 489 00:26:01,031 --> 00:26:04,031 Speaker 1: members decided to give the plan a world franchise. After 490 00:26:04,031 --> 00:26:06,150 Speaker 1: explaining to everyone gathered in the counting room what they 491 00:26:06,150 --> 00:26:08,791 Speaker 1: were doing, the three of them headed upstairs to a 492 00:26:08,791 --> 00:26:11,630 Speaker 1: private area on the nineteenth floor to separate out the 493 00:26:11,711 --> 00:26:15,511 Speaker 1: undervotes and start examining them. The Republican observers who had 494 00:26:15,511 --> 00:26:18,271 Speaker 1: been helping with the count reacted to the board's announcement 495 00:26:18,311 --> 00:26:19,551 Speaker 1: with profound suspicion. 496 00:26:19,870 --> 00:26:23,231 Speaker 22: There were slow grumblings that, you know, wait, what they're doing. 497 00:26:23,271 --> 00:26:26,870 Speaker 1: What this is Lena m Conky pelt here In two thousand, 498 00:26:26,991 --> 00:26:29,950 Speaker 1: she was a young lobbyist based in Washington, DC, and 499 00:26:29,991 --> 00:26:32,830 Speaker 1: like many of her Republican colleagues on Capitol Hill, she 500 00:26:32,911 --> 00:26:34,590 Speaker 1: flew down to Florida to lend a hand with the 501 00:26:34,630 --> 00:26:36,991 Speaker 1: recount after the Bush campaign put out a call for 502 00:26:37,071 --> 00:26:38,231 Speaker 1: volunteers to. 503 00:26:38,231 --> 00:26:41,271 Speaker 22: Take it behind closed doors and say they're going to 504 00:26:41,271 --> 00:26:46,191 Speaker 22: finish the count. Just it's stunk. It didn't look good, 505 00:26:46,271 --> 00:26:49,031 Speaker 22: didn't sound good, and we couldn't believe they were doing 506 00:26:49,071 --> 00:26:50,031 Speaker 22: it with a straight face. 507 00:26:50,870 --> 00:26:53,031 Speaker 1: Not wanting to let the Canvassing Board members out of 508 00:26:53,071 --> 00:26:55,551 Speaker 1: their site, ma Conki pelt Here and a group of 509 00:26:55,590 --> 00:26:57,870 Speaker 1: other Republicans followed them up to the nineteenth floor. 510 00:26:58,390 --> 00:27:01,031 Speaker 22: We had been good, dutiful volunteers, and they were taking 511 00:27:01,071 --> 00:27:03,791 Speaker 22: it out of our hands and shutting down the process, 512 00:27:04,431 --> 00:27:06,271 Speaker 22: and that really didn't go overwell. 513 00:27:07,590 --> 00:27:10,230 Speaker 1: Words spread quickly that the Canvassing Board was throwing some 514 00:27:10,350 --> 00:27:11,470 Speaker 1: kind of curve ball a. 515 00:27:11,551 --> 00:27:14,630 Speaker 29: Decision, eliciting an angry response by Republicans. 516 00:27:14,911 --> 00:27:17,551 Speaker 19: This is the most brazen attempt by the Gore people 517 00:27:17,951 --> 00:27:20,831 Speaker 19: and the Democrat machine and the thugs in that building 518 00:27:21,311 --> 00:27:23,231 Speaker 19: to hijack the American presidency. 519 00:27:23,471 --> 00:27:26,431 Speaker 1: Outside the Clark Government Center, a crowd of Bush supporters 520 00:27:26,471 --> 00:27:29,511 Speaker 1: had been protesting the recount for several days. They led 521 00:27:29,630 --> 00:27:32,791 Speaker 1: Chance of No More Gore, weaved American flags and held 522 00:27:32,870 --> 00:27:38,470 Speaker 1: up signs that said Sore losermen. Overseeing the protest was 523 00:27:38,471 --> 00:27:41,870 Speaker 1: a Republican operative named Brad Blakeman. He was huddled inside 524 00:27:41,911 --> 00:27:45,791 Speaker 1: a parked RV in the plaza outside the Clark Center. Previously, 525 00:27:45,830 --> 00:27:48,151 Speaker 1: Blakeman had worked for the Bush campaign as an advanced man, 526 00:27:48,711 --> 00:27:50,830 Speaker 1: basically a high level event planner. 527 00:27:50,830 --> 00:27:54,151 Speaker 19: Generally speaking for W's presidential campaign. I was in charge 528 00:27:54,150 --> 00:27:56,430 Speaker 19: of major media events. So I was in charge of 529 00:27:56,431 --> 00:27:58,511 Speaker 19: the convention. I was in charge of the debates. I 530 00:27:58,551 --> 00:28:00,110 Speaker 19: was in charge of major rallies. 531 00:28:01,191 --> 00:28:04,710 Speaker 1: Once the recount started, Blakeman knew how to make himself useful. 532 00:28:05,511 --> 00:28:08,751 Speaker 19: We saw a three legged stool, and we knew that 533 00:28:08,870 --> 00:28:11,231 Speaker 19: this battle would be fought in the courts. We knew 534 00:28:11,231 --> 00:28:13,991 Speaker 19: that this battle would be fought in the recount centers. 535 00:28:14,551 --> 00:28:17,390 Speaker 19: But the leg that was missing was the public relations. 536 00:28:18,110 --> 00:28:20,630 Speaker 19: Although the voting had ended, the campaign had not. 537 00:28:21,511 --> 00:28:23,791 Speaker 1: When Blakeman caught wind of what the canvassing board was 538 00:28:23,870 --> 00:28:26,991 Speaker 1: up to on the nineteenth floor, he got worried. The 539 00:28:27,031 --> 00:28:29,590 Speaker 1: recount in Miami had already cut Bush's lead by about 540 00:28:29,590 --> 00:28:32,511 Speaker 1: one hundred and fifty votes. Who knew how many more 541 00:28:32,511 --> 00:28:35,071 Speaker 1: Gore votes the board might find among the remaining undervotes. 542 00:28:35,911 --> 00:28:37,350 Speaker 1: Blakeman decided to make a move. 543 00:28:38,151 --> 00:28:40,190 Speaker 19: When we found out that they were going to go 544 00:28:40,191 --> 00:28:44,151 Speaker 19: to an expedited system and that we could very possibly 545 00:28:44,511 --> 00:28:48,190 Speaker 19: lose the momentum and Gore would be ahead, we had 546 00:28:48,231 --> 00:28:49,911 Speaker 19: to figure out what are we going to do? What 547 00:28:49,951 --> 00:28:53,471 Speaker 19: are options? And one of the options I thought of 548 00:28:53,751 --> 00:28:56,271 Speaker 19: was why don't we do what democrats do? I said, 549 00:28:56,311 --> 00:28:59,510 Speaker 19: let's do some civil disobedience, Let's have a sit in, 550 00:28:59,791 --> 00:29:01,271 Speaker 19: let's create a ruckus. 551 00:29:01,791 --> 00:29:03,510 Speaker 1: I should say here that there is someone else who 552 00:29:03,591 --> 00:29:06,031 Speaker 1: takes credit for instigating the ruckus from inside the RV, 553 00:29:06,871 --> 00:29:10,551 Speaker 1: and that is self styled dirty trickster Roger stone. Stone 554 00:29:10,711 --> 00:29:13,391 Speaker 1: was not available for an interview, but for what it's worth, 555 00:29:13,591 --> 00:29:15,431 Speaker 1: Blakeman insists that he had nothing to do with it. 556 00:29:15,831 --> 00:29:16,631 Speaker 19: He wasn't there. 557 00:29:16,991 --> 00:29:17,791 Speaker 1: He wasn't there at all. 558 00:29:17,871 --> 00:29:20,951 Speaker 19: That was my RV. I rented it, and I could 559 00:29:21,031 --> 00:29:23,071 Speaker 19: assure you if he was in there, I would have 560 00:29:23,111 --> 00:29:24,751 Speaker 19: known about it, and he wouldn't have been there for. 561 00:29:24,751 --> 00:29:28,391 Speaker 1: Long in any event, When the canvassing board went up 562 00:29:28,391 --> 00:29:31,831 Speaker 1: to the nineteenth floor, a procession of Republican protesters, mostly 563 00:29:31,831 --> 00:29:34,791 Speaker 1: young men, streamed into the Clark Center and piled onto 564 00:29:34,831 --> 00:29:35,950 Speaker 1: the elevators. 565 00:29:36,871 --> 00:29:38,671 Speaker 17: All right, just to add a little more drama to 566 00:29:38,671 --> 00:29:40,791 Speaker 17: this situation, Republican recount. 567 00:29:40,391 --> 00:29:43,671 Speaker 14: Observers, I had a little scuffle with police this morning. 568 00:29:44,751 --> 00:29:48,791 Speaker 11: Republican demonstrators stormed the hallways and demanded access to the 569 00:29:48,871 --> 00:29:49,631 Speaker 11: recount room. 570 00:29:50,431 --> 00:29:53,471 Speaker 19: And you know, first we had to get permission. Spoke 571 00:29:53,511 --> 00:29:55,151 Speaker 19: to the sheriff and the people that you know, what 572 00:29:55,191 --> 00:29:56,911 Speaker 19: we're going to do, why we're going to do it, 573 00:29:57,671 --> 00:30:00,111 Speaker 19: That we're not dangerous, a lot of us are lawyers. 574 00:30:00,151 --> 00:30:02,031 Speaker 19: We're not going to be arrested. We're not there to 575 00:30:02,071 --> 00:30:06,551 Speaker 19: be disrespectful. But we feel like we're being taken advantage 576 00:30:06,551 --> 00:30:10,470 Speaker 19: of and that the system is not working and that 577 00:30:10,751 --> 00:30:13,391 Speaker 19: this is something that we need to do to send 578 00:30:13,391 --> 00:30:19,710 Speaker 19: a message upstairs. 579 00:30:19,951 --> 00:30:22,871 Speaker 1: The protesters joined Maconkey pelt here and the other Republican 580 00:30:22,911 --> 00:30:25,831 Speaker 1: observers and demanding to be let into the counting room. 581 00:30:26,111 --> 00:30:28,151 Speaker 1: We're joined now by our Frank Buckley. 582 00:30:28,191 --> 00:30:29,351 Speaker 17: He's on the phone with us. 583 00:30:29,591 --> 00:30:31,631 Speaker 30: Frank, it sounds like you're in the middle of a 584 00:30:31,831 --> 00:30:34,190 Speaker 30: prison riot. I mean, are you getting the feeling that 585 00:30:34,271 --> 00:30:35,551 Speaker 30: this is out of control? 586 00:30:36,071 --> 00:30:39,951 Speaker 31: Clearly, this is a raucous crowd. It was a raucous 587 00:30:40,071 --> 00:30:44,311 Speaker 31: and confined crowd on the nineteenth floor with people trying 588 00:30:44,351 --> 00:30:47,631 Speaker 31: to get into the room where the canvassing board was 589 00:30:47,671 --> 00:30:48,911 Speaker 31: going to commence operations. 590 00:30:52,111 --> 00:30:54,431 Speaker 32: The people who came out to protest were wearing, you know, 591 00:30:54,511 --> 00:30:59,791 Speaker 32: button down shirts, tucked into khaki pants and got probably 592 00:30:59,791 --> 00:31:02,831 Speaker 32: in those days, braided belts. If we consume in enough 593 00:31:02,871 --> 00:31:03,831 Speaker 32: on the photos. 594 00:31:04,311 --> 00:31:07,391 Speaker 1: This is Nicholas Cololish. He was covering the Miami Dade 595 00:31:07,431 --> 00:31:09,311 Speaker 1: recount as a twenty five year old reporter for the 596 00:31:09,311 --> 00:31:11,831 Speaker 1: Wall Street Journal, and he was on the nineteenth floor 597 00:31:11,831 --> 00:31:13,710 Speaker 1: of the Clark Center when the protesters arrived. 598 00:31:14,271 --> 00:31:16,710 Speaker 32: You definitely have the impression that these were the people 599 00:31:16,751 --> 00:31:20,470 Speaker 32: who did not protest in college, and that they didn't 600 00:31:20,551 --> 00:31:25,230 Speaker 32: really necessarily know how to protest, that they're sort of 601 00:31:25,471 --> 00:31:28,911 Speaker 32: sort of winging it. For the very first time. 602 00:31:34,031 --> 00:31:36,190 Speaker 1: That the protesters pounded on the window leading to the 603 00:31:36,191 --> 00:31:39,711 Speaker 1: tabulation room, Coolish felt the atmosphere change. 604 00:31:39,351 --> 00:31:43,791 Speaker 32: And what I remember very vividly was they were pounding 605 00:31:43,831 --> 00:31:48,271 Speaker 32: on the glass and on the other side of the 606 00:31:48,271 --> 00:31:53,431 Speaker 32: glass there were municipal workers and some deputies. I mean, 607 00:31:53,471 --> 00:31:56,671 Speaker 32: people were really fired up. The rhetoric that they were 608 00:31:56,751 --> 00:32:00,791 Speaker 32: using was very much of a stolen election, of democracy 609 00:32:00,911 --> 00:32:04,551 Speaker 32: being undone, and I couldn't judge to what extent it is 610 00:32:04,551 --> 00:32:07,591 Speaker 32: sincere or cynical, but there is something that can happen 611 00:32:07,631 --> 00:32:11,511 Speaker 32: where people can start to under the spell of their 612 00:32:11,511 --> 00:32:12,191 Speaker 32: own rhetoric. 613 00:32:14,991 --> 00:32:17,631 Speaker 1: The demonstration reached a climax when one of the Republicans 614 00:32:17,671 --> 00:32:20,351 Speaker 1: on the nineteenth floor accused the Democratic Party official of 615 00:32:20,351 --> 00:32:21,551 Speaker 1: trying to steal a ballot. 616 00:32:21,831 --> 00:32:25,311 Speaker 11: At one point, they charged the Democratic attorney. It turned 617 00:32:25,351 --> 00:32:29,351 Speaker 11: out to be a sample or practice ballot. 618 00:32:32,751 --> 00:32:35,431 Speaker 1: The three members of the canvassing board moved back downstairs 619 00:32:35,511 --> 00:32:39,431 Speaker 1: to get away from the chaos. Eventually the nineteenth floor 620 00:32:39,511 --> 00:32:43,111 Speaker 1: quieted down. Later, the incident at the Stephen P. Clark 621 00:32:43,111 --> 00:32:46,391 Speaker 1: Government Center was nicknamed the Brooks Brothers Riot, and in 622 00:32:46,391 --> 00:32:48,591 Speaker 1: its aftermath there was a lot of debate about how 623 00:32:48,671 --> 00:32:52,351 Speaker 1: volatile and dangerous it had actually been. One Bush lawyer 624 00:32:52,351 --> 00:32:54,071 Speaker 1: claimed that a press conference that there had been little 625 00:32:54,151 --> 00:32:55,951 Speaker 1: kids and babies in the crowd and that there was 626 00:32:56,071 --> 00:33:00,151 Speaker 1: quote in some ways a holiday atmosphere. Leida McConkey pelt 627 00:33:00,151 --> 00:33:01,871 Speaker 1: here didn't go quite that far when I asked her 628 00:33:01,911 --> 00:33:05,271 Speaker 1: about it, but she still finds the allegations of violence absurd. 629 00:33:05,991 --> 00:33:09,751 Speaker 22: I don't think it would have ever turned violent. I 630 00:33:10,071 --> 00:33:14,231 Speaker 22: think the anger was palpable. I mean, everybody who was 631 00:33:14,231 --> 00:33:18,031 Speaker 22: standing there was feeling it, and I'm sure they felt 632 00:33:18,031 --> 00:33:19,231 Speaker 22: it on the other side of the door. 633 00:33:20,031 --> 00:33:23,831 Speaker 1: After the demonstration, Macnkie Peltier became a minor icon thanks 634 00:33:23,871 --> 00:33:25,871 Speaker 1: to a widely circulated photo in which you could be 635 00:33:25,871 --> 00:33:28,831 Speaker 1: seen wearing a red dress and brandishing her fist alongside 636 00:33:28,831 --> 00:33:30,431 Speaker 1: a group of guys and white button downs. 637 00:33:30,751 --> 00:33:33,031 Speaker 22: So I would say that there was an element of anger, 638 00:33:33,031 --> 00:33:35,950 Speaker 22: but not violence. I mean, come on, I'm standing there 639 00:33:35,951 --> 00:33:38,271 Speaker 22: in the Liz Claiborne dress. I'm not going to be 640 00:33:38,311 --> 00:33:39,551 Speaker 22: taking anybody out. 641 00:33:41,511 --> 00:33:44,511 Speaker 1: Regardless. The three members of the canvassing board seemed rattled 642 00:33:44,551 --> 00:33:47,031 Speaker 1: by what happened, and they halted the undervote plan in 643 00:33:47,151 --> 00:33:47,871 Speaker 1: order to regroup. 644 00:33:48,351 --> 00:33:50,751 Speaker 8: We've been listening to a hearing down in Miami Dade 645 00:33:50,831 --> 00:33:51,671 Speaker 8: Canvassing Board. 646 00:33:51,671 --> 00:33:54,911 Speaker 6: There's ongoing dispute about the hand count, exactly what they 647 00:33:54,951 --> 00:33:56,470 Speaker 6: will count and what they will not. 648 00:33:56,671 --> 00:33:59,671 Speaker 1: But the few hours later they reconvened for another public 649 00:33:59,711 --> 00:34:01,631 Speaker 1: meeting to make an important announcement. 650 00:34:01,991 --> 00:34:05,911 Speaker 13: I do not believe that there is time to carry 651 00:34:05,951 --> 00:34:12,071 Speaker 13: out a complete, full manual recount that is accurate and 652 00:34:12,151 --> 00:34:15,151 Speaker 13: that will count every vote because of the limitations put 653 00:34:15,231 --> 00:34:16,951 Speaker 13: on this board in terms of time. 654 00:34:17,431 --> 00:34:19,991 Speaker 30: I do agree with Judge King and mister Lahy that 655 00:34:20,190 --> 00:34:23,551 Speaker 30: it is not physically possible to continue with this task. 656 00:34:24,031 --> 00:34:26,350 Speaker 1: We do want to the Miami Dade recount was over, 657 00:34:27,431 --> 00:34:29,271 Speaker 1: none of the new gore votes that have been discovered 658 00:34:29,311 --> 00:34:32,190 Speaker 1: would be counted in the final vote tally. 659 00:34:32,351 --> 00:34:35,350 Speaker 3: That is the unanimous decision of this Canvassing Board that 660 00:34:35,431 --> 00:34:38,471 Speaker 3: we will not be proceeding further with a manual recount, 661 00:34:38,791 --> 00:34:43,391 Speaker 3: and that the certification of November eighth, two thousand be 662 00:34:43,791 --> 00:34:47,551 Speaker 3: accepted by the Secretary of State for the valid cast 663 00:34:47,710 --> 00:34:52,951 Speaker 3: votes of Miami Dade County. 664 00:34:53,710 --> 00:34:57,270 Speaker 30: All right, the Miami Dade County Canvassing Board taking a 665 00:34:57,391 --> 00:35:00,830 Speaker 30: vote to end the recount. There there will be no 666 00:35:00,951 --> 00:35:05,711 Speaker 30: more counting of votes in Miami Dade County, the largest county. 667 00:35:06,031 --> 00:35:08,551 Speaker 1: The Gore team watched in horror as the canvassing Board 668 00:35:08,551 --> 00:35:12,071 Speaker 1: announced their decision on live tele division. The main reason 669 00:35:12,111 --> 00:35:14,390 Speaker 1: they gave for stopping was that there just wasn't enough 670 00:35:14,431 --> 00:35:17,311 Speaker 1: time to finish before the deadline. But what was different 671 00:35:17,311 --> 00:35:19,910 Speaker 1: at one thirty pm compared to eight that morning, when 672 00:35:19,951 --> 00:35:23,471 Speaker 1: completing the count had still seemed feasible. Common sense seemed 673 00:35:23,471 --> 00:35:26,071 Speaker 1: to suggest that the protesters had intimidated the canvassing board 674 00:35:26,111 --> 00:35:27,351 Speaker 1: into abandoning the recount. 675 00:35:27,671 --> 00:35:30,991 Speaker 32: The whole tone of things had changed, and it was 676 00:35:31,151 --> 00:35:33,591 Speaker 32: certainly the biggest thing that happened between when they were 677 00:35:33,631 --> 00:35:35,871 Speaker 32: counting the ballots and when they suddenly decided not to 678 00:35:35,871 --> 00:35:39,231 Speaker 32: count the ballots. You know, you're you're on an election board, 679 00:35:39,311 --> 00:35:43,231 Speaker 32: and like your job is to ensure like a free, fair, 680 00:35:43,631 --> 00:35:47,310 Speaker 32: you know, and impartial election, and the idea that sort 681 00:35:47,351 --> 00:35:51,750 Speaker 32: of that sort of people chanting and chasing partisans from 682 00:35:51,871 --> 00:35:54,991 Speaker 32: of the other side, you know, around and threatening people 683 00:35:56,671 --> 00:36:01,671 Speaker 32: causes you to stop counting votes. It seems like almost 684 00:36:01,710 --> 00:36:04,111 Speaker 32: as undemocratic a thing as you could imagine. 685 00:36:04,190 --> 00:36:09,951 Speaker 1: Right after the vote, one canvassing board member told reporter 686 00:36:10,111 --> 00:36:12,831 Speaker 1: that the protesters' concerns were a factor in the decision 687 00:36:13,551 --> 00:36:15,591 Speaker 1: that when it became clear that the board's work around 688 00:36:15,671 --> 00:36:18,430 Speaker 1: the deadline problem wasn't going to fly, they were left 689 00:36:18,471 --> 00:36:21,631 Speaker 1: with no other options. This was perceived as not being 690 00:36:21,631 --> 00:36:24,270 Speaker 1: an open and fair process, the canvassing board members said, 691 00:36:24,831 --> 00:36:28,911 Speaker 1: and that weighed heavily in our minds. Once again, the 692 00:36:28,911 --> 00:36:31,750 Speaker 1: Republicans appeared to have outmatched the Gore team through raw 693 00:36:31,791 --> 00:36:35,870 Speaker 1: political strength. Brad Blakeman told me that he was astonished 694 00:36:35,991 --> 00:36:37,071 Speaker 1: that it had been so easy. 695 00:36:37,831 --> 00:36:41,310 Speaker 19: Gore made a conscious decision that he would fight in 696 00:36:41,351 --> 00:36:44,951 Speaker 19: the courts and the recount centers, but not publicly on 697 00:36:45,031 --> 00:36:48,311 Speaker 19: the streets, and it was if it was a total 698 00:36:48,431 --> 00:36:51,551 Speaker 19: sterile environment, and that we were the only ones there 699 00:36:52,391 --> 00:36:55,830 Speaker 19: who seemed to, you know, fight for what we believed in. 700 00:36:55,951 --> 00:37:00,310 Speaker 19: We fully expected to be overrun, quite frankly, because we 701 00:37:00,710 --> 00:37:03,151 Speaker 19: said that Democrats are going to be out in force, 702 00:37:04,270 --> 00:37:05,710 Speaker 19: and they never showed up anywhere. 703 00:37:07,551 --> 00:37:11,431 Speaker 1: In fact, early in the recount, there were organized protests 704 00:37:11,431 --> 00:37:15,710 Speaker 1: in Gore's favor, particularly in Palm Beach, where Jesse Jackson 705 00:37:15,791 --> 00:37:19,391 Speaker 1: led rallies criticizing the butterfly ballot and calling attention to 706 00:37:19,431 --> 00:37:24,351 Speaker 1: the alleged disenfranchisement of Haitian American voters. But al Gore 707 00:37:24,511 --> 00:37:28,391 Speaker 1: worried about the spectacle coming across as unseemly, and he 708 00:37:28,471 --> 00:37:30,790 Speaker 1: put out word to Jackson that he would prefer it 709 00:37:30,871 --> 00:37:42,991 Speaker 1: if he left town. We'll be right back. While the 710 00:37:43,031 --> 00:37:46,991 Speaker 1: battle overhand recounts raged in South Florida, the Bush campaign 711 00:37:46,991 --> 00:37:49,151 Speaker 1: and their allies tried to gain an advantage in other 712 00:37:49,190 --> 00:37:51,710 Speaker 1: parts of the state by continuing to hammer Gore on 713 00:37:51,750 --> 00:37:53,190 Speaker 1: the issue of military ballots. 714 00:37:53,391 --> 00:37:58,031 Speaker 25: Those rejected absentee military ballots. Hundreds of servicemen's ballots were 715 00:37:58,031 --> 00:38:01,351 Speaker 25: initially tossed out statewide for, among other things, missing or 716 00:38:01,431 --> 00:38:02,431 Speaker 25: late postmarks. 717 00:38:02,471 --> 00:38:02,791 Speaker 8: Ballots. 718 00:38:02,871 --> 00:38:04,750 Speaker 25: Republicans have been beating the drum. 719 00:38:04,511 --> 00:38:05,271 Speaker 2: To have counted. 720 00:38:05,871 --> 00:38:09,551 Speaker 1: As you recall, the controversy around military ballots initially played 721 00:38:09,551 --> 00:38:12,270 Speaker 1: out at the lefvel of public relations. For the first 722 00:38:12,270 --> 00:38:15,191 Speaker 1: few days after Mark Heron's memo got leaked, Bush's people 723 00:38:15,230 --> 00:38:17,551 Speaker 1: seem to be mostly focused on making Gore look bad. 724 00:38:17,631 --> 00:38:22,151 Speaker 25: They're having people like Senator Bob Dole, military heroes speak out, they. 725 00:38:22,111 --> 00:38:24,111 Speaker 1: Went on TV, they gave press conferences. 726 00:38:24,511 --> 00:38:27,111 Speaker 27: If they're going to count a dimple, then they need 727 00:38:27,111 --> 00:38:28,351 Speaker 27: to count a vet's vote. 728 00:38:28,671 --> 00:38:31,991 Speaker 1: They even got retired General Norman Schwartzkoff to issue a statement, 729 00:38:32,230 --> 00:38:32,790 Speaker 1: just not fair. 730 00:38:32,831 --> 00:38:36,151 Speaker 15: It's a sad day for this country when our military 731 00:38:36,151 --> 00:38:38,551 Speaker 15: people on the front lines don't get their ballot counted 732 00:38:38,551 --> 00:38:40,271 Speaker 15: when the selection of the Commander in chief. 733 00:38:41,511 --> 00:38:44,710 Speaker 1: But then on November twenty second, the same day as 734 00:38:44,710 --> 00:38:48,031 Speaker 1: the Brooks Brothers riot in Miami, the Bush campaign raised 735 00:38:48,031 --> 00:38:50,391 Speaker 1: the stakes by bringing the issue into the legal realm. 736 00:38:50,591 --> 00:38:54,790 Speaker 2: Bush's lawyers file suits in thirteen Florida counties seeking to 737 00:38:54,831 --> 00:38:59,350 Speaker 2: have hundreds of rejected overseas absentee ballots counted, many of 738 00:38:59,351 --> 00:39:01,351 Speaker 2: them from sailors and soldiers serving abroad. 739 00:39:02,151 --> 00:39:04,751 Speaker 1: Bush filed suit against more than a dozen Florida counties 740 00:39:04,791 --> 00:39:09,270 Speaker 1: where overseas absentee ballots have been disqualified because they lacked postmarks, signatures, 741 00:39:09,351 --> 00:39:13,190 Speaker 1: or other elements required by law. The lawsuit accused the 742 00:39:13,190 --> 00:39:16,191 Speaker 1: Gore campaign of pressuring the canvassing boards into rejecting ballots 743 00:39:16,190 --> 00:39:17,111 Speaker 1: that should have been counted. 744 00:39:17,270 --> 00:39:20,390 Speaker 2: Republicans sensing that Gore is vulnerable on the issue of 745 00:39:20,391 --> 00:39:21,311 Speaker 2: military ballots. 746 00:39:21,391 --> 00:39:24,351 Speaker 1: The lawsuit didn't end up having legs, but it didn't 747 00:39:24,391 --> 00:39:27,111 Speaker 1: need to. Before a judge had even made a ruling, 748 00:39:27,631 --> 00:39:29,750 Speaker 1: six of the counties named as plaintiffs in the suit 749 00:39:30,111 --> 00:39:33,471 Speaker 1: agreed to their own volition to reevaluate the overseas ballots 750 00:39:33,591 --> 00:39:34,831 Speaker 1: that they had earlier rejected. 751 00:39:35,551 --> 00:39:37,591 Speaker 14: It was postparked from the United States, but I see 752 00:39:37,591 --> 00:39:38,151 Speaker 14: no reason not. 753 00:39:38,270 --> 00:39:41,431 Speaker 1: To include this here again is Mark Herron. 754 00:39:42,071 --> 00:39:44,951 Speaker 8: And so all these canvassing boards decide they're going to 755 00:39:44,991 --> 00:39:48,551 Speaker 8: meet again and review what they had done previously. Okay, 756 00:39:49,351 --> 00:39:52,870 Speaker 8: and so they started accepting ballots that do not have 757 00:39:52,911 --> 00:39:55,591 Speaker 8: any postmarks on them. To me, those ballots from a 758 00:39:55,671 --> 00:39:58,071 Speaker 8: legal point of view should not have been accepted. But again, 759 00:39:58,991 --> 00:40:03,031 Speaker 8: this furor over the issue led some people not to 760 00:40:03,471 --> 00:40:06,111 Speaker 8: show that they had backbone to follow the law. 761 00:40:06,631 --> 00:40:09,031 Speaker 1: It was a case of perfect synergy between legal and 762 00:40:09,071 --> 00:40:12,270 Speaker 1: political warfare. By creating public pressure around the issue of 763 00:40:12,270 --> 00:40:15,351 Speaker 1: military ballots, the Republicans were able to shape how the 764 00:40:15,471 --> 00:40:18,430 Speaker 1: law was interpreted and applied. By the end of the week, 765 00:40:18,791 --> 00:40:21,270 Speaker 1: canvassing boards around the state had agreed to accept two 766 00:40:21,391 --> 00:40:24,191 Speaker 1: hundred and eighty eight ballots that had previously been rejected 767 00:40:24,190 --> 00:40:24,711 Speaker 1: as illegal. 768 00:40:25,111 --> 00:40:28,951 Speaker 25: Those absentee ballots inched upward all afternoon for Governor Bush, 769 00:40:28,991 --> 00:40:32,471 Speaker 25: finally handling him one hundred and eight more overseas votes 770 00:40:32,791 --> 00:40:35,591 Speaker 25: at a time when Peter every vote matter precisely. 771 00:40:35,671 --> 00:40:38,551 Speaker 1: Thanks much with that, a pr misstep by the Gore 772 00:40:38,591 --> 00:40:41,991 Speaker 1: team had been converted into real gains for Bush. It 773 00:40:42,031 --> 00:40:44,270 Speaker 1: didn't matter that in order to make that happen, the 774 00:40:44,311 --> 00:40:47,391 Speaker 1: Republicans had been forced to stake out two mutually inconsistent 775 00:40:47,391 --> 00:40:50,430 Speaker 1: positions on ballot standards. So what if they were calling 776 00:40:50,431 --> 00:40:52,151 Speaker 1: for a looser approach to ballots that were likely to 777 00:40:52,151 --> 00:40:55,230 Speaker 1: benefit Bush while calling for precise adherence to the law 778 00:40:55,551 --> 00:40:58,911 Speaker 1: in counties that went for Gore. Unlike the Democrats, the 779 00:40:58,911 --> 00:41:02,271 Speaker 1: Republicans weren't afraid of looking like hypocrites. They were afraid 780 00:41:02,270 --> 00:41:02,631 Speaker 1: of losing. 781 00:41:07,750 --> 00:41:09,871 Speaker 7: Let's turned out a Palm Beach county where the canvassing 782 00:41:10,111 --> 00:41:12,231 Speaker 7: ord is trying to be the deadline of five pm 783 00:41:12,270 --> 00:41:14,991 Speaker 7: today for completing it's hand raycot see it. 784 00:41:15,151 --> 00:41:18,671 Speaker 1: On Sunday, November twenty sixth, both campaigns were bracing themselves 785 00:41:18,671 --> 00:41:22,631 Speaker 1: for the arrival of the new certification deadline for vote totals. Remember, 786 00:41:22,631 --> 00:41:25,591 Speaker 1: according to the Florida Supreme Court ruling, the counties had 787 00:41:25,671 --> 00:41:28,230 Speaker 1: until five pm to turn in their numbers if the 788 00:41:28,230 --> 00:41:31,750 Speaker 1: Secretary of State's office was open. If it wasn't, they'd 789 00:41:31,750 --> 00:41:35,591 Speaker 1: have until the following morning, in Palm Beach County, the 790 00:41:35,631 --> 00:41:39,430 Speaker 1: manual recount was still furiously underway. It had been going 791 00:41:39,471 --> 00:41:43,071 Speaker 1: well well enough that Charles Burton and Teresa Lapour, two 792 00:41:43,071 --> 00:41:45,551 Speaker 1: of the Palm Beach Canvassing Board members, had decided it 793 00:41:45,591 --> 00:41:48,471 Speaker 1: would be okay to take a break for Thanksgiving. This 794 00:41:48,511 --> 00:41:52,031 Speaker 1: turned out to be a grave mistake. By Sunday at noon, 795 00:41:52,511 --> 00:41:55,311 Speaker 1: the prospect of finishing the count on time no longer 796 00:41:55,351 --> 00:41:56,031 Speaker 1: looked so good. 797 00:41:57,391 --> 00:42:01,111 Speaker 24: They're still counting in the Emergency Operations Center. Be behind me, 798 00:42:01,351 --> 00:42:03,631 Speaker 24: and time will tell. And indeed the clock is ticking 799 00:42:03,710 --> 00:42:06,391 Speaker 24: away here. They have been going now since eight am 800 00:42:06,591 --> 00:42:09,830 Speaker 24: yesterday morning, and they still now have about five hours 801 00:42:09,871 --> 00:42:10,270 Speaker 24: to go. 802 00:42:10,511 --> 00:42:11,431 Speaker 31: If you do the math. 803 00:42:11,511 --> 00:42:14,511 Speaker 1: The Palm Beach Canvassing Board still had about five four 804 00:42:14,591 --> 00:42:17,151 Speaker 1: hundred ballots to get through, and since the Secretary of 805 00:42:17,151 --> 00:42:20,431 Speaker 1: State's office was open for business, the deadline was five pm. 806 00:42:20,750 --> 00:42:23,830 Speaker 24: Catherine Harris, the Secretary of State, is inside the administrative 807 00:42:23,871 --> 00:42:27,991 Speaker 24: building here inside at work today on the Sunday afternoon. 808 00:42:27,511 --> 00:42:31,511 Speaker 1: Now, around half past noon, Judge Burton organized a press 809 00:42:31,511 --> 00:42:34,151 Speaker 1: conference and read a letter out loud to Catherine Harris, 810 00:42:34,311 --> 00:42:35,350 Speaker 1: pleading for more time. 811 00:42:35,750 --> 00:42:39,790 Speaker 7: It says, Dear Secretary Harris, the Palm Beach County Canvassing 812 00:42:39,831 --> 00:42:44,151 Speaker 7: Board respectfully requests your assistance and ensuring that the most 813 00:42:44,190 --> 00:42:48,471 Speaker 7: accurate results of the two thousand presidential election are submitted 814 00:42:48,471 --> 00:42:53,510 Speaker 7: for certification. We have been working diligently, including the last 815 00:42:53,551 --> 00:42:57,310 Speaker 7: twenty four hour period, to complete this critical portion of 816 00:42:57,391 --> 00:43:02,591 Speaker 7: the handcount. Your consideration of our request to extend the 817 00:43:02,631 --> 00:43:07,151 Speaker 7: deadline for final submission of this handcount until Monday, November 818 00:43:07,151 --> 00:43:11,230 Speaker 7: twenty seventh, at nine o'clock am, would be he greatly appreciated. 819 00:43:12,471 --> 00:43:13,631 Speaker 7: As we know you were read. 820 00:43:13,791 --> 00:43:16,750 Speaker 1: Harris's office informed Burton that the five pm deadline was 821 00:43:16,831 --> 00:43:19,830 Speaker 1: non negotiable. The Florida Supreme Court had said that if 822 00:43:19,871 --> 00:43:23,190 Speaker 1: they were open on Sunday, then five pm was the deadline. Well, 823 00:43:23,311 --> 00:43:26,351 Speaker 1: they were open and that meant five pm was the deadline. 824 00:43:26,511 --> 00:43:29,271 Speaker 2: Getting confirmation out of the Secretary of State's office here 825 00:43:29,591 --> 00:43:32,471 Speaker 2: in Tallahassee has told the Vogue countersen in Palm Beached 826 00:43:32,471 --> 00:43:34,911 Speaker 2: at the extension for that deadline. 827 00:43:34,391 --> 00:43:35,231 Speaker 11: Will not happen. 828 00:43:35,351 --> 00:43:39,591 Speaker 24: Quite a blow to Judge Charles Burton. To Commissioner Carol 829 00:43:39,671 --> 00:43:42,871 Speaker 24: Roberts and Teresa Lapour, the three members of this canvassing 830 00:43:42,911 --> 00:43:45,351 Speaker 24: board here who have been working now since eight o'clock 831 00:43:45,471 --> 00:43:48,390 Speaker 24: yesterday morning with maybe just a two hour Burton. 832 00:43:48,151 --> 00:43:51,911 Speaker 1: Was devastated, and at four fifteen PM he held another 833 00:43:51,911 --> 00:43:55,631 Speaker 1: press conference, this time to announce that after ten grueling days, 834 00:43:56,031 --> 00:43:58,071 Speaker 1: the recount in Palm Beach had failed. 835 00:43:58,631 --> 00:44:01,470 Speaker 7: So the Secretary of State has apparently decided to shut 836 00:44:01,551 --> 00:44:04,631 Speaker 7: us down. With approximately two hours perhaps left to go. 837 00:44:05,631 --> 00:44:09,751 Speaker 7: We believe there are approximately eight hundred to one thousand 838 00:44:09,750 --> 00:44:16,111 Speaker 7: balls left to come. So unfortunately, at this time, we 839 00:44:16,151 --> 00:44:18,750 Speaker 7: have no other choice but then to shut down the 840 00:44:18,791 --> 00:44:20,190 Speaker 7: supervisor elections. 841 00:44:21,151 --> 00:44:25,431 Speaker 1: Hardly up to that point, Palm Beach had discovered a 842 00:44:25,471 --> 00:44:29,230 Speaker 1: net of around two hundred new votes for Gore, but 843 00:44:29,591 --> 00:44:32,470 Speaker 1: now that no longer mattered. None of those votes would 844 00:44:32,471 --> 00:44:34,950 Speaker 1: be counted and there was nothing anyone in Palm Beach 845 00:44:34,951 --> 00:44:35,671 Speaker 1: could do about it. 846 00:44:43,551 --> 00:44:47,511 Speaker 6: Live pictures of the Cabinet room at the Florida State Capitol. 847 00:44:47,551 --> 00:44:49,951 Speaker 6: We're told that this is the room where the official 848 00:44:49,991 --> 00:44:51,951 Speaker 6: certification of votes will take place. 849 00:44:52,631 --> 00:44:56,511 Speaker 1: Hours after the five pm deadline passed, Catherine Harris presided 850 00:44:56,511 --> 00:44:58,911 Speaker 1: over a certification ceremony at the state Capitol. 851 00:44:59,151 --> 00:45:02,310 Speaker 6: Once again, Catherine Harris coming in to this room in 852 00:45:02,351 --> 00:45:06,390 Speaker 6: the state capital to begin the certification process. I think 853 00:45:06,431 --> 00:45:07,471 Speaker 6: we want to listen. 854 00:45:10,591 --> 00:45:15,710 Speaker 18: Ladies and gentlemen, as the State Elections Canvassing Commission. We 855 00:45:15,791 --> 00:45:18,671 Speaker 18: are here today to certify the results of the election 856 00:45:19,151 --> 00:45:23,031 Speaker 18: that occurred November seventh, two thousand, because of the great 857 00:45:23,031 --> 00:45:25,151 Speaker 18: interest in our actions, we're meeting. 858 00:45:25,190 --> 00:45:30,591 Speaker 1: Probably the ceremony was just that a ceremony because everyone 859 00:45:30,671 --> 00:45:32,470 Speaker 1: knew that it wasn't actually going to end the election. 860 00:45:33,671 --> 00:45:35,671 Speaker 1: Gore and his team had already indicated that they would 861 00:45:35,671 --> 00:45:38,911 Speaker 1: be filing a lawsuit to contest the official results, and 862 00:45:38,951 --> 00:45:41,031 Speaker 1: that meant the beginning of a whole new stage in 863 00:45:41,071 --> 00:45:46,151 Speaker 1: the process. For now, the final tallies stood at two million, 864 00:45:46,270 --> 00:45:48,750 Speaker 1: nine hundred and twelve two hundred and fifty three votes 865 00:45:48,791 --> 00:45:51,551 Speaker 1: for Gore and two million, nine hundred and twelve thousand, 866 00:45:51,631 --> 00:45:55,190 Speaker 1: seven hundred ninety votes for Bush. Gore would be entering 867 00:45:55,190 --> 00:45:57,991 Speaker 1: the so called contest phase of the recount, trailing by 868 00:45:58,031 --> 00:46:06,631 Speaker 1: just five hundred and thirty seven votes. I have to 869 00:46:06,671 --> 00:46:09,471 Speaker 1: admit I was pretty flabbergasted when I learned about how 870 00:46:09,551 --> 00:46:13,031 Speaker 1: the hand recount and Palm Beach ended. And for the record, 871 00:46:13,071 --> 00:46:15,350 Speaker 1: I went into this project not knowing anything about what 872 00:46:15,351 --> 00:46:17,671 Speaker 1: the Secretary of State's office really did or didn't do 873 00:46:17,831 --> 00:46:21,391 Speaker 1: during the recount. I was aware of Harris's reputation, and 874 00:46:21,431 --> 00:46:24,191 Speaker 1: I understood that Democrats generally believed that she made decisions 875 00:46:24,230 --> 00:46:27,270 Speaker 1: to benefit Bush. But I was prepared to find out 876 00:46:27,311 --> 00:46:30,071 Speaker 1: that the truth was more complicated. And then I read 877 00:46:30,071 --> 00:46:33,191 Speaker 1: about this thing with Palm Beach, about how Charles Burton 878 00:46:33,270 --> 00:46:35,631 Speaker 1: begged Catherine Harris for a few more hours they could 879 00:46:35,631 --> 00:46:38,310 Speaker 1: finish counting, and how she wouldn't allow it no matter what. 880 00:46:39,591 --> 00:46:41,871 Speaker 1: And what I saw in this story was Harris making 881 00:46:41,871 --> 00:46:45,270 Speaker 1: a decision that was transparently and unambiguously motivated by a 882 00:46:45,270 --> 00:46:49,230 Speaker 1: desire to stop the recount. Yes, the canvassing board had 883 00:46:49,230 --> 00:46:51,750 Speaker 1: made a truly short sighted decision to take time off 884 00:46:51,750 --> 00:46:55,230 Speaker 1: for Thanksgiving, but the Florida Supreme Court had said that 885 00:46:55,270 --> 00:46:57,471 Speaker 1: having vote totals come in on Monday at nine am 886 00:46:57,471 --> 00:47:00,390 Speaker 1: would have been fine. Why couldn't Harris have just given 887 00:47:00,431 --> 00:47:03,790 Speaker 1: Palm Beach the extra couple hours. What possible reason could 888 00:47:03,791 --> 00:47:06,710 Speaker 1: she have had other than wanting to protect Bush's lead. 889 00:47:08,031 --> 00:47:10,750 Speaker 1: I asked Harris about this, and to my be she 890 00:47:10,871 --> 00:47:15,910 Speaker 1: remembered the story completely differently. In Harris's mind, she didn't 891 00:47:15,911 --> 00:47:18,991 Speaker 1: cut the Palm Beach recount short. She thinks she actually 892 00:47:19,031 --> 00:47:20,151 Speaker 1: extended the time they had. 893 00:47:20,871 --> 00:47:23,870 Speaker 4: They said originally Friday, and we said we'd stay open 894 00:47:23,991 --> 00:47:25,591 Speaker 4: till Sunday to give people more time. 895 00:47:25,991 --> 00:47:27,830 Speaker 1: No, I think they said Sunday. They said Sunday. This 896 00:47:27,911 --> 00:47:29,911 Speaker 1: was the beginning of a pretty drawn out debate. 897 00:47:30,230 --> 00:47:30,671 Speaker 3: Sunday. 898 00:47:30,831 --> 00:47:33,951 Speaker 1: No, they said that the votes have to be in 899 00:47:33,991 --> 00:47:36,791 Speaker 1: by Sunday at five pm. If the Secretary of State's 900 00:47:36,791 --> 00:47:40,031 Speaker 1: office is open, or if the Secretary of State's office 901 00:47:40,031 --> 00:47:41,511 Speaker 1: is not open on Sunday, they can come in at 902 00:47:41,591 --> 00:47:42,391 Speaker 1: nine am on Monday. 903 00:47:42,431 --> 00:47:44,350 Speaker 4: I remember the nine am on Monday, but I also 904 00:47:44,471 --> 00:47:47,191 Speaker 4: clearly remember that because we wanted it to be finished, 905 00:47:47,190 --> 00:47:49,631 Speaker 4: everybody argued, let's do it Friday, Let's do it Friday, 906 00:47:50,230 --> 00:47:53,511 Speaker 4: and we said, no, we're going to stay open. So 907 00:47:53,951 --> 00:47:57,790 Speaker 4: I'm not sure. Maybe I'm not remembering that exactly. I 908 00:47:57,791 --> 00:47:59,270 Speaker 4: do know about the nine but I thought that we 909 00:47:59,311 --> 00:48:02,951 Speaker 4: had to certify at five. It said you shall. 910 00:48:02,710 --> 00:48:04,790 Speaker 1: Certify if you were if you were open. 911 00:48:04,951 --> 00:48:06,871 Speaker 4: Yeah, and we chose to stay open so that they 912 00:48:06,911 --> 00:48:09,951 Speaker 4: would have the time. So you're you and I just 913 00:48:10,071 --> 00:48:12,031 Speaker 4: agree on that. But I can go back, you know, 914 00:48:12,071 --> 00:48:13,791 Speaker 4: we can both go back and check. But I clearly 915 00:48:14,791 --> 00:48:17,750 Speaker 4: in my mind, it was my understanding that we had 916 00:48:17,750 --> 00:48:19,431 Speaker 4: a choice of Friday or Sunday. 917 00:48:20,471 --> 00:48:23,350 Speaker 1: I don't know what to make of this exactly, other 918 00:48:23,391 --> 00:48:28,071 Speaker 1: than Harris really truly remembers doing everything right, right according 919 00:48:28,071 --> 00:48:31,230 Speaker 1: to the law, right according to the principles of democracy, 920 00:48:32,031 --> 00:48:35,071 Speaker 1: right according to the duties of her office. And to 921 00:48:35,111 --> 00:48:36,831 Speaker 1: be honest, that's true of pretty much all the people 922 00:48:36,831 --> 00:48:40,671 Speaker 1: I interviewed for this show. Everyone remembers acting impartially and 923 00:48:40,750 --> 00:48:45,391 Speaker 1: honorably and fairly, but that doesn't mean they remember it correctly. 924 00:48:51,671 --> 00:48:58,431 Speaker 20: Good evening, from the beginning of this extraordinary period of time. 925 00:48:58,951 --> 00:49:02,111 Speaker 1: Seven minutes after Catherine Harris presided over the vote certification 926 00:49:02,190 --> 00:49:05,190 Speaker 1: in Florida, Joe Lieberman was once again asked to go 927 00:49:05,230 --> 00:49:09,671 Speaker 1: on television to represent the campaign. Leeberman addressed reporters as 928 00:49:09,710 --> 00:49:13,071 Speaker 1: the Hey Adam's Hotel in Washington, Who's three days after 929 00:49:13,111 --> 00:49:16,311 Speaker 1: Thanksgiving and the interior of the hotel was already decorated 930 00:49:16,351 --> 00:49:20,071 Speaker 1: for Christmas. This time, the would be VP said exactly 931 00:49:20,151 --> 00:49:22,591 Speaker 1: what he was supposed to. 932 00:49:22,631 --> 00:49:27,910 Speaker 20: This evening, the Secretary of State of Florida has decided 933 00:49:27,951 --> 00:49:33,391 Speaker 20: to certify what, by any reasonable standard, is an incomplete 934 00:49:34,071 --> 00:49:38,190 Speaker 20: and inaccurate count of the vote's cast in the state 935 00:49:38,230 --> 00:49:44,071 Speaker 20: of Florida. We have an opportunity here and we have 936 00:49:44,111 --> 00:49:50,270 Speaker 20: a responsibility to ensure that this election lifts up our 937 00:49:50,351 --> 00:49:56,791 Speaker 20: democracy and respects every voter and every vote, no matter 938 00:49:56,831 --> 00:50:02,631 Speaker 20: what the outcome. And that is precisely what Vice President 939 00:50:02,991 --> 00:50:08,191 Speaker 20: Gore and I will seek to do in the days ahead. 940 00:50:11,111 --> 00:50:14,350 Speaker 1: George W. Bush gave a speech that night too. He 941 00:50:14,431 --> 00:50:16,391 Speaker 1: called on Gore to drop his plan to contest the 942 00:50:16,431 --> 00:50:20,871 Speaker 1: election and to concede instead. He also asked President Clinton 943 00:50:20,951 --> 00:50:23,631 Speaker 1: to formally open a transition office for his new administration. 944 00:50:24,431 --> 00:50:24,991 Speaker 23: Good evening. 945 00:50:26,471 --> 00:50:31,870 Speaker 15: The last nineteen days have been extraordinary once but now 946 00:50:31,871 --> 00:50:35,031 Speaker 15: that the votes are counted, it is time for the 947 00:50:35,111 --> 00:50:38,911 Speaker 15: votes to count. I've asked Secretary Cheney to work with 948 00:50:39,031 --> 00:50:43,151 Speaker 15: President Clinton's administration to open a transition office in Washington, 949 00:50:44,031 --> 00:50:47,711 Speaker 15: and we look forward to a constructive working relationship throughout 950 00:50:47,750 --> 00:50:52,951 Speaker 15: this transition. Together, we can make this a positive day 951 00:50:52,951 --> 00:50:56,111 Speaker 15: of hope and opportunity for all of us who are 952 00:50:56,111 --> 00:51:00,631 Speaker 15: blessed to be Americans. Thank you very much, and God 953 00:51:00,671 --> 00:51:06,951 Speaker 15: bless America. 954 00:51:07,511 --> 00:51:11,511 Speaker 1: Just after Catherine Harris's certification ceremony, lawyers from the governor's 955 00:51:11,551 --> 00:51:14,151 Speaker 1: office rushed to prepare the documents that would officially seat 956 00:51:14,151 --> 00:51:18,351 Speaker 1: Florida's twenty five Republican electors. The Bush camp was concerned 957 00:51:18,511 --> 00:51:20,951 Speaker 1: that the Democrats would try to subpoena the documents and 958 00:51:20,991 --> 00:51:24,751 Speaker 1: prevent them from getting filed, so, out of an abundance 959 00:51:24,791 --> 00:51:27,831 Speaker 1: of caution, the lawyers transported the documents in an unmarked 960 00:51:27,831 --> 00:51:30,390 Speaker 1: police car and mailed them to Washington from an out 961 00:51:30,391 --> 00:51:31,991 Speaker 1: of the way post office where no one would be 962 00:51:31,991 --> 00:51:35,310 Speaker 1: expecting them. In the end, none of it turned out 963 00:51:35,311 --> 00:51:38,951 Speaker 1: to be necessary. The Democrats didn't even try to interfere. 964 00:51:47,230 --> 00:51:50,190 Speaker 1: On the next episode of Fiasco, Al Gore becomes the 965 00:51:50,230 --> 00:51:53,750 Speaker 1: first presidential candidate in American history to formally contest the 966 00:51:53,791 --> 00:51:56,870 Speaker 1: results of an election, while Republicans in the Florida State 967 00:51:56,951 --> 00:52:00,591 Speaker 1: legislature lay the groundwork for installing Bush as president by 968 00:52:00,591 --> 00:52:04,111 Speaker 1: any means necessary. For Their basic argument was, Hey, it's 969 00:52:04,151 --> 00:52:06,391 Speaker 1: a mass, it's confusing. How about we let these fine 970 00:52:06,471 --> 00:52:10,151 Speaker 1: legislators over here decide whether not Bush or Gore will 971 00:52:10,151 --> 00:52:14,551 Speaker 1: be president. Fiasco is a production of Prolog Projects, and 972 00:52:14,591 --> 00:52:18,390 Speaker 1: it's distributed by Pushkin Industries. The show is produced by 973 00:52:18,391 --> 00:52:24,031 Speaker 1: Andrew Parsons, Madelin kaplan Ulakulpa, and me Leon Nafock. Our 974 00:52:24,071 --> 00:52:28,431 Speaker 1: script editor was Daniel Riley, Our editorial consultant was Camilla Hammer, 975 00:52:28,831 --> 00:52:32,790 Speaker 1: and we received additional editorial support from Lisa Chase. Our 976 00:52:32,911 --> 00:52:35,790 Speaker 1: music and score are by Nick Silvester of god Mode, 977 00:52:35,831 --> 00:52:39,750 Speaker 1: with additional music from Alexis Quadrado. Our theme song is 978 00:52:39,750 --> 00:52:43,270 Speaker 1: by Spatial Relations. Our artwork is by Teddy Blanks at 979 00:52:43,311 --> 00:52:47,911 Speaker 1: Chips and y Audio, mixed by Rob Buyers, Michael Raphael 980 00:52:48,031 --> 00:52:51,711 Speaker 1: and Johnny Vince Evans of Final Final V two Special 981 00:52:51,710 --> 00:52:55,391 Speaker 1: Thanks to Luminary for a list of books, articles, and 982 00:52:55,431 --> 00:52:58,471 Speaker 1: documentaries that we relied on in our research. Click the 983 00:52:58,511 --> 00:53:02,111 Speaker 1: link in the show notes. Thanks to c SPAN, NBC 984 00:53:02,230 --> 00:53:05,471 Speaker 1: News Archive, CNN and Channel twenty in Palm Beach for 985 00:53:05,511 --> 00:53:09,271 Speaker 1: the archival material you heard in today's show. Thanks for listening. 986 00:53:21,591 --> 00:53:22,671 Speaker 15: I don't know wh