Judge Sauls’ Ruling

* Re “Rulings Narrow Gore’s Options,” Nov. 5: What a pity we had a Sauls on the Florida bench when we need a Solomon. Leon County Circuit Judge N. Sanders Sauls wandered all over the legal landscape reinterpreting statutes and denying the evidence in front of him. To point out one absurdity in his ruling, he recognized the independence of the Florida counties to set their own standards for recounts, but then he denied the right of the individual county to take such action, unless--in fairness, he says--the rest of the state participates. This utterly leaves out any fairness to those voters whose votes weren’t even counted. Didn’t they matter?

It’s a sad day when Mexico can have an honest presidential election and we are denied one.

LISA L. MILLER

Glendale

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Sauls is an all-American hero. President-elect George W. Bush has said he desires to have Democrats in his administration. I recommend Judge Sauls for the next vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court or to be the replacement for his fellow Floridian, Janet Reno, as attorney general. He has restored my faith in the Florida judiciary and may have stemmed the tide of electoral anarchy.

LARRY COLLINS

Laguna Woods

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For all those complaining about the army of lawyers in Florida, I ask, would you rather have an army of soldiers?

DONALD RINALDI

San Dimas

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Well, it’s looking more and more like our next president will be Bush. Apparently the prospect of a chief executive who has been elected by machines instead of voters is not the least bit troubling to our Republican friends. That’s fine. Bush can count on the full support of my toaster oven. And absolutely none of mine.

KURT WELDON

Winnetka

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Bush will be the first president who won by not counting votes.

JACK LEE

Westminster

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Let’s face it. We are never going to know with complete certainty who won the presidential election. The margin for human error in counting ballots, by hand or machine, in Florida or across the country, is greater than the margin of victory. Yet whoever takes office in January will be unfairly accused of “stealing” the election, even though either candidate would have made the same legal and procedural objections as the other had the vote tallies been reversed. If, as a result of this crazy election, we’re stuck with another stagnant, bitterly partisan Washington for the next four years, then the real loser of the election is the American taxpayer.

DANIEL SITTER

Torrance

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I don’t suppose Bill Clinton and Al Gore have the faintest idea of what agonizing and expensive crucibles they’ve put this country through. But then, with these two, blind ambition supersedes all other considerations--the people be damned.

WILLIAM S. KOESTER

Anaheim

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Half of America’s eligible voters didn’t cast ballots in November, their apathy based on the feeling their vote won’t make a difference. The Republicans have proven the nonvoters are right.

JOSEPH ALAN MYERS

Los Angeles