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Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War!
Friday December 8 1:04 PM ET
Fla. Legislature Convenes
By BRENT KALLESTAD, Associated Press Writer
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - In historic special session, the Florida Legislature
pushed GOP-drafted legislation delivering the state's decisive 25
presidential electors to George W. Bush (news - web sites). His campaign
acknowledged Friday it provided legal advice to GOP lawmakers.
``Much of the world is watching and history is watching as well,'' said
Florida House Speaker Tom Feeney, the most forceful advocate for the
gathering, said in opening remarks.
The legislation itself named the electors that were certified following GOP
Secretary of State Katherine Harris (news - external web site)' certification
of Bush's victory by 537 votes last month.
``The Legislature is convened for the sole and exclusive purpose'' of making
sure the state's electoral votes count when the Electoral College (news - web
sites) meets on Dec. 18, read John Phelps, the clerk of the House, speaking
before a packed chamber and a nationwide television office.
Al Gore (news - web sites) has challenged Harris' certification in court, and
denounced the Legislature's intervention.
Democrats in the House have also attacked the decision to call a special
session and said the Bush campaign was calling the shots. Still, they
conceded they are powerless to stop Republicans from carrying out their plan.
Feeney said the lawmakers must act because there has been no ``timely and
universally accepted outcome'' to the election.
To the 63 freshmen House members suddenly thrown into a debate being watched
by the nation, Feeney noted that their first vote would be difficult.
``It's a little tougher vote than my first vote on a citrus canker claims
bill,'' Feeney said.
House Democratic Leader Lois Frankel said her party believes it is a mistake
for the Legislature to intervene. She pledged that Democrats were ready for a
civil debate but added, ``to get along is not to go along.
Bush's campaign, meanwhile, acknowledged that his lawyers ``provided legal
interpretations when asked by legislators, and no one could be surprised by
that,'' spokesman Tucker Eskew said. ``Nor would anyone be surprised if such
contacts occurred between Democratic legislators and Gore lawyers.''
Eskew said that among those providing legal interpretations to lawmakers was
George Terwilliger, a Washington lawyer on Bush's team.
``These are constitutional and legal issues so legislators are going to talk
to lawyers,'' Eskew said. ``We are all Republicans and certainly Mr.
Terwilliger is an example of someone who responded to inquiries and we are
encouraging the Democrats to quantify their contact with legislators and with
any Florida courts.''
Eskew's comments follow an acknowledgment Thursday from Feeney that he's been
receiving advice - but not orders - from intermediaries for the Texas
governor.
The 160 lawmakers, meeting in special session, are likely to wrap up next
week by approving a special slate of 25 presidential electors loyal to Bush.
Even before it started, Democrats were suggesting Bush's team had
orchestrated the event to guard against losses in the courts.
``This thing is just going to mess things up more,'' said Frankel. ``I don't
believe what we're going to be doing is lawful.''
Gore's lawyers are prepared to challenge the Legislature's slate of electors
if necessary, arguing they can't try to control the outcome of the Nov. 7
election with a special session afterward.
But with the state presidential election still unsettled in the courts a
month after voters cast ballots, GOP lawmakers said the session was the only
way to ensure that Florida's 25 electoral votes would be included in the Dec.
18 meeting of the Electoral College.
``I think finality is what the American people are yearning for,'' Rep.
Johnnie Byrd said Thursday.
On the eve of the special session, Feeney acknowledged he has been speaking
with Bush's brother, Gov. Jeb Bush, state Republican Chairman Al Cardenas and
former state GOP executive director Randy Enwright.
Cardenas and Enwright are in touch with the Bush campaign, but Feeney said he
hasn't talked to any top official of the campaign in Austin, Texas. Feeney
added any suggestion the Bush campaign is giving orders to the Legislature is
``out of touch'' with reality.
``These guys are seventh or eighth down the line,'' he said. ``They're doing
nothing but suggesting 'Have you considered this or that?' Nobody said 'We
want you to change your message or you should wait' to call a special
session,'' Feeney said in an interview Thursday with The Associated Press.
``I really get a kick out of folks saying this is being orchestrated out of
Austin,'' he said.
The state Supreme Court and its seven Democratic-selected justices are
weighing Gore's request to overturn that victory. Democrats also have several
other legal actions pending.
Feeney and Jeb Bush attended a conservative think tank dinner Tuesday night.
``In private conversations with the governor it wasn't a question of who his
brother was or whether a Republican or Democrat won the presidency,'' Feeney
said. ``But I thought we had an absolute obligation to make certain Florida
participated in the electoral college. The governor has been very
respectful.''
Lawmakers understood the national implications - and local consequences - of
their historic session.
``I more or less saw this as a way to ensure a finality to all of this,''
said Rep. Bill Andrews, a Palm Beach County Republican whose district went
for Gore by nearly 3,000 votes out of 50,000 cast.
Other Republicans, particularly in the more traditionally more cautious
Senate, worried about injecting themselves into an election on behalf of a
candidate opposed by half of the state's voters.
``Whatever we do, I'm going to make a lot of my constituents very unhappy,''
said Sen. John Laurent, R-Bartow. ``If I vote to seat a set (of electors) or
to not seat a set, it's going to be looked upon plus or minus by
constituents.''
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