With Rulings, New Confidence in Bush Camp

Gov. George W. Bush and his campaign hailed Monday’s court rulings from Washington and Florida, while Vice President Al Gore’s legal team immediately returned to the Florida Supreme Court for relief.

“Gov. Bush was very pleased with the Florida court’s thoughtful and comprehensive decision this afternoon,” said Karen Hughes, the campaign’s communications director.

“The court reviewed all the facts, listened to all the arguments, considered all the evidence and concluded that Florida’s votes were cast and counted fairly and properly.”

Displaying growing confidence that he will prevail, Bush told reporters earlier in the day that he was pressing ahead with his transition activities.

Today, he said, Dick Cheney--his vice presidential running mate--will go to Capitol Hill to consult with GOP leaders and some rank-and-file members. Bush said Cheney would not be meeting with any Democrats.

Bush also is to receive his first intelligence briefing from the CIA today, aides said. They did not know whether other agencies would take part in the meeting at the Governor’s Mansion here.

Gore, who was at home in Washington when the Florida ruling was announced, made no public comment. He spent about an hour Monday at his formal office in the Old Executive Office Building, where he met with members of his transition team--among them his running mate, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, spokesman Jim Kennedy said.

But Gore’s attorneys immediately appealed Leon County Circuit Judge N. Sanders Sauls’ ruling.

“They won, we lost and we’re appealing,” said David Boies, Gore’s chief legal counsel.

Boies insisted that the evidence is in the ballots--and that Sauls or the Florida Supreme Court must review those to determine who really won.

“We want to resolve once and for all that the people have the right to have their votes counted,” he said.

Boies conceded that time was running short, but added: “I think there is still time for those ballots to be counted.”

On the Bush team, lawyer Ben Ginsberg was exhilarated Monday.

“Faith in the law triumphed today, and we are very pleased with the outcome,” he said. “We know the appeal is pending, and we would hope that the interest of the country would be paramount in everyone’s mind.”

And Barry Richard, the lead Bush trial lawyer, said he “vigorously” disagrees with Boies’ statement that the case can be overturned on appeal.

“Judge Sauls hit every point,” Richard said. “I couldn’t think of a stronger way to write it.”

Speaking in Austin after the Supreme Court ruling--but before Sauls issued his opinion in Tallahassee, Fla.--Bush said: “I think America ought to be comforted to know that the Supreme Court is going to make sure that the outcome of this election is fair, and we’re very pleased. And I’m grateful for their decision.”

But when asked if he agreed with Cheney’s call on Sunday for Gore to concede, Bush said no.

“That’s a very difficult decision for anybody to make. And I understand that. I do believe that I have won this election . . . but the vice president is going to have to make the decision that he thinks is necessary.”

Bush said that, while the election dispute has not reached a point at which the country’s national interests are in jeopardy, he added:

“I will tell you, though, that it’s important . . . for our team to move forward. Tomorrow, [Cheney], at my request, is going to go up to Capitol Hill . . . because we’ve got a very strong agenda.”

Bush put in another plug for his signature campaign issue, a broad tax cut: “There are some warning signs about our economy that I think we ought to take seriously . . . which argue for a tax relief package.”

The governor declined to comment about reports over the weekend that he might be considering a Democrat for Treasury secretary.

“Oh, I’m not ruling anything out . . . but I haven’t made any decisions yet. And if I did, I probably wouldn’t tell you,” he said.

Andrew H. Card Jr., Bush’s choice for White House chief of staff, told the Associated Press on Monday that “we’ll be able to move pretty quickly” on announcing a Bush White House staff and much of the Cabinet, once legal problems are cleared.

Bush also declined Monday to express a view about whether the Florida Legislature should name a slate of representatives to the electoral college.

“I think we ought to take this process one day at a time. . . . And as far as what the Legislature does in Florida, that’s going to be up to the leadership of the Legislature.”

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Times staff writers Richard A. Serrano and James Gerstenzang contributed to this story.