Florida’s Election Troops Ready for Gore’s White Flag

After five weeks of ballot recounts, late-night trials and daily demonstrations, the competing armies of lawyers and activists who have camped in Florida for an all-out war finally agreed on one thing Tuesday night: It’s probably over.

With the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of George W. Bush, the legal and political machinery grinding forward on several fronts appeared ready to come to a stop.

“It sounds like we lost,” said Dexter Douglass, a lawyer for Al Gore. “What else can we do? There is no more recount.”

Like Douglass, several other key lawyers on both sides of the battle had remained in Tallahassee, in case the nation’s high court sent the case back and the recount resumed.

“Yes, I think it’s over,” said Bush attorney Barry Richard, from his Tallahassee home. “I’ve read the opinion, and I feel relieved.”

Several members of the Democratic team of lawyers and volunteers here tried to put up a brave front, despite the grim news.

“Every day has a moment of drama in it,” said Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Jenny Backus. “I don’t think we’re in the final act of this play yet.”

Looking at a room full of people who had been working nonstop for Gore for months, Backus added: “We started this campaign together. And whatever happens, we are going to end this campaign together. . . . We are united around whatever decision the vice president makes.”

Lance Block, who oversaw the Palm Beach County recount for Gore, said he was “deeply disappointed.”

“It’s troubling that this is the way it ends, assuming this is the way it ends,” said Block, who would have been a Gore delegate in the electoral college if the vice president had won.

“Most people know that more people went to the polls intending to vote for Al Gore than for George Bush.”

There was no official reaction late Tuesday from the state Supreme Court. At the top of the steps of the high court, where spokesman Craig Waters had, like a modern town crier, made half a dozen earthshaking announcements, the lectern had been withdrawn.

Several thousand Miami-Dade County ballots remained behind the closed doors, their fate uncertain.

Nearby, at the plaza of the State Capitol building, several Republican leaders were ready to declare the latest court ruling a victory for Bush.

State Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, a Republican, suggested that the state Legislature controlled by his party would soon suspend efforts to select its own slate of electors.

“The Supreme Court appears to have agreed with us that there were some constitutional issues at stake here,” he said. “I don’t know if our electors are still at risk, but if they’re not, we can all go home.”

Al Cardenas, chairman of the Florida Republican party, said the Legislature should carry through with plans to appoint a pro-Bush slate of 25 electors to the nation’s electoral college.

“It’s going to take a while for our lawyers to sift through all this and determine if there is finality,” he said.

But Cardenas was certain of one thing. “It’s time for Gore to concede,” he said.

At about 11:20 p.m. EST the Senate Office Building, transformed into an impromptu media center during the recount drama, was the scene of yet another nationally televised late-night news conference. Bush point man James A. Baker III issued the briefest of statements in response to the ruling.

Instead of declaring victory, Baker offered thanks from Bush and Dick Cheney to the GOP ground troops here. “They wanted me to once again express their appreciation to the fine legal team and the hundreds of volunteers who have worked here in Florida on their behalf for the past 35 days.”

And then he left, declining to answer any questions.

Florida Democrats, who have pledged to fight to the bitter end the Republican leadership’s efforts to cast their own slate of electors for Bush, said they would not let down their guard yet.

Rep. Bob Henriquez, a Tampa Democrat, said late Tuesday that “tonight’s events are certainly not good for the vice president.” But the election is not over until Gore concedes, Henriquez said.

“Short of a concession from the vice president, our Republican leadership will continue to go forward,” he said. “Until everything sorts itself out, I think the process will continue.”

State Rep. Lois Frankel, a West Palm Beach Democrat, said Republican lawmakers no longer will have any reason to continue their special session if Gore concedes.

“I never thought the state Legislature should be involved in this in the first place,” Frankel said. “The only reason they were doing it was to make sure [Bush] had his electors. If there’s not a possibility of Gore getting the electors, why would they do it?”

U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) said Tuesday night he was heartbroken.

“It’s over. It’s over,’ he said. “I’m troubled that the votes won’t be counted and it seems like the Supreme Court let democracy down.”