oracle
07-16-2001, 10:53 AM
Democrats Seek Inquiry on Florida Vote Count (http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/16/politics/16FLOR.html)
By RICHARD L. BERKE
WASHINGTON, July 15 - Several leading Democrats said today that the Bush campaign acted improperly in pressing for counting overseas absentee ballots in Florida after last year's presidential election. And some said they would probably call upon Congressional investigators to open an inquiry into efforts by Republicans to involve the Pentagon to help them contact military personnel.
The Democrats' comments were in response to articles published today in The New York Times that detailed how Republicans mounted a legal and public relations drive to persuade canvassing boards in Bush strongholds to waive Florida election laws when counting overseas absentee ballots.
"This story confirms our worst fears about the Bush team's campaign to manipulate the Florida vote," said Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. "It proves that President Bush was determined to win by any means necessary, including violating the spirit if not the actual letter of the law. The story raises many disturbing questions about the conduct of President Bush in this campaign. He owes the American people an explanation of his actions."
Mr. McAuliffe and other Democrats said they were particularly distressed that Representative Steve Buyer, Republican of Indiana, had sent an urgent request to the Pentagon asking for telephone numbers or e-mail addresses of sailors, including some whose absentee ballots had been disqualified. The Democrats said lawmakers should open an investigation into whether it was illegal for Mr. Buyer to use government resources to get a list of potential voters and deliver it to the Bush campaign.
"I don't think it's proper for the Pentagon to hand out peoples' private e-mail addresses to the political parties - to either party," said Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, the House Democratic leader. "I don't get the sense from the story that there was fraud or illegality. But you've got to ask some questions. There were questionable moves made to pull in some of those votes. I don't know the facts of what went on with the Pentagon, but it's troubling."
Representative Peter Deutsch, Democrat of Florida, said he would probably call for a Congressional ethics inquiry. He said of Mr. Buyer's actions: "It's shocking. It's scary. And it's also illegal and a violation of his trust as an elected official. When you think it can't get any more shocking, it gets more shocking."
In a recent interview, Mr. Buyer had insisted that his outreach was appropriate. Acting as chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee on personnel, Mr. Buyer said he was angry that lawyers for the Gore campaign had urged county canvassing boards to reject absentee ballots without postmarks.
Stanley M. Brand, a Democratic lawyer and a former counsel to the House, said the Armed Services Committee's cooperation with Republican officials appeared to be an ethical violation. "There is a general principle under the ethics rules in both the House and the Senate that you're not supposed to cross the wires between official oversight action and political action," Mr. Brand said.
But William B. Canfield, a Republican lawyer and a former counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, said if Mr. Buyer initiated the outreach as part of his oversight duties, it would probably not constitute a violation. "There is not any way humanly possible for a member of Congress to disassociate themselves entirely from politics," Mr. Canfield said.
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[url=http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/16/politics/16FLOR.html]Click here to read more[/url[
By RICHARD L. BERKE
WASHINGTON, July 15 - Several leading Democrats said today that the Bush campaign acted improperly in pressing for counting overseas absentee ballots in Florida after last year's presidential election. And some said they would probably call upon Congressional investigators to open an inquiry into efforts by Republicans to involve the Pentagon to help them contact military personnel.
The Democrats' comments were in response to articles published today in The New York Times that detailed how Republicans mounted a legal and public relations drive to persuade canvassing boards in Bush strongholds to waive Florida election laws when counting overseas absentee ballots.
"This story confirms our worst fears about the Bush team's campaign to manipulate the Florida vote," said Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. "It proves that President Bush was determined to win by any means necessary, including violating the spirit if not the actual letter of the law. The story raises many disturbing questions about the conduct of President Bush in this campaign. He owes the American people an explanation of his actions."
Mr. McAuliffe and other Democrats said they were particularly distressed that Representative Steve Buyer, Republican of Indiana, had sent an urgent request to the Pentagon asking for telephone numbers or e-mail addresses of sailors, including some whose absentee ballots had been disqualified. The Democrats said lawmakers should open an investigation into whether it was illegal for Mr. Buyer to use government resources to get a list of potential voters and deliver it to the Bush campaign.
"I don't think it's proper for the Pentagon to hand out peoples' private e-mail addresses to the political parties - to either party," said Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, the House Democratic leader. "I don't get the sense from the story that there was fraud or illegality. But you've got to ask some questions. There were questionable moves made to pull in some of those votes. I don't know the facts of what went on with the Pentagon, but it's troubling."
Representative Peter Deutsch, Democrat of Florida, said he would probably call for a Congressional ethics inquiry. He said of Mr. Buyer's actions: "It's shocking. It's scary. And it's also illegal and a violation of his trust as an elected official. When you think it can't get any more shocking, it gets more shocking."
In a recent interview, Mr. Buyer had insisted that his outreach was appropriate. Acting as chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee on personnel, Mr. Buyer said he was angry that lawyers for the Gore campaign had urged county canvassing boards to reject absentee ballots without postmarks.
Stanley M. Brand, a Democratic lawyer and a former counsel to the House, said the Armed Services Committee's cooperation with Republican officials appeared to be an ethical violation. "There is a general principle under the ethics rules in both the House and the Senate that you're not supposed to cross the wires between official oversight action and political action," Mr. Brand said.
But William B. Canfield, a Republican lawyer and a former counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, said if Mr. Buyer initiated the outreach as part of his oversight duties, it would probably not constitute a violation. "There is not any way humanly possible for a member of Congress to disassociate themselves entirely from politics," Mr. Canfield said.
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[url=http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/16/politics/16FLOR.html]Click here to read more[/url[