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Jewish World Review Dec. 6, 2000 / 10 Kislev, 5761

David Limbaugh

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Consumer Reports


The four years war


http://www.jewishworldreview.com -- I TRULY HOPE I'm wrong about this, but I have come to conclude that Gore's perpetual post-election tantrum is just a prelude to the next four years. Democrats, I'm afraid, are just getting warmed up for their Four Years War.

Yes, they are trying to change the outcome of the election, even though they know it's a long shot. But their tactics in furtherance of that end also square nicely with their aim to delegitimize Bush's presidency in the event their contest fails. So, from this perspective, what do they have to lose?

In seeking to win they have ignored mandatory deadlines, filed false affidavits, misrepresented case law both to the Florida Supreme Court and to the state circuit court, ignored the clear mandates of the federal Constitution, overtly changed rules in the middle of the stream, euphemistically characterized improperly cast votes (non-votes) as "undervotes," contacted electors to intimidate them into switching their pledged Bush votes to Gore, and defamed Secretary of State Katherine Harris for performing her legal duties.

Now, in anticipation of their inevitable defeat, look at some of the arguments they are making and actions they are planning:

  • They "know" that Gore received more votes than Bush in Florida. How do they know? Some brilliant Ivy League professor told them so, using a statistical model that was resoundingly discredited by Bush attorney Phil Beck. But James Carville and other Democrats are promising to conduct manual recounts even after Bush's inauguration under ballots obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. Their goal? To undermine Bush's moral authority as president.

  • Gore, they say, won the national popular vote, and is "leading" the electoral vote. Under our system, the winner of the popular vote is legally irrelevant. Clinton never received a majority of the popular vote. And, Gore is not leading anything -- that implies that the election is still underway. It's over, the properly cast votes have been counted, and Gore lost.

  • They contend Bush has no mandate because the election was so close. Yet, nothing in our Constitution says that you have to win by a wide margin in order to acquire full executive authority.

  • Congressional Democrats are elated over Maria Cantwell's victory over Senator Slade Gorton in the state of Washington, which will make the Senate evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. The Washington Post reports that this development "has touched off a full-bore Democratic push for 'power sharing' in the next Congress." In an unprecedented and audacious power play, Democratic senators are demanding a coalition government -- parity in committee assignments, staffing and funding. They are threatening to rule by filibuster if they don't get their way. This, notwithstanding the fact that the Republicans will have an effective majority through the tie vote of Vice President Dick Cheney as the Senate's presiding officer.

  • The New York Times reports that "an array of liberal groups have begun organizing for what could be a succession of quick, brutal battles on nominations, tax cuts, the budget and other issues." These groups are said to be "energized and ready to fight." A far cry from the usual liberal cries for bipartisanship, no?

    The media is already beating the drums for Bush to make concessions by appointing Democrats to cabinet posts and diluting his agenda -- as if Bush has done something wrong for which he must seek atonement.

    I remind you that Clinton, despite being elected by only 43 percent of the popular vote, did not scale back his programs one smidgen. He attempted to take over a seventh of the economy through nationalized Hillary-Care, and did pass the largest tax increase in American history -- with Al Gore casting the tie vote. I further remind you that we heard not a peep of protest from Clinton's media cohorts.

    Al Gore's enormously selfish act of putting the nation through the trauma of his election challenges has severely strained our economy and stock market. This makes the implementation of Bush's pro-growth tax-cut agenda that much more imperative.

    Bush, as the lawfully elected president, will likely assume the presidency in a war not of his making. While he should still reach out to Democrats in an effort to work with them, he should be prepared to govern over their planned obstruction and must not retreat from his programs.



    JWR contributor David Limbaugh is an attorney practicing in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and a political analyst and commentator. Send your comments to him by clicking here.

    WND

    Up

    12/04/00: Debunking Gore myths
    11/29/00: Defending the smaller principles
    11/27/00: Albert O'Gore and the little people
    11/22/00: Doing 'anything to win'
    11/15/00: Enough is enough, Mr. Gore
    11/13/00: Al Gore: Thy country or thyself?
    11/08/00: Bill and Al: Your time is up
    11/06/00:The impending Bush mandate
    11/01/00: Can't stop thinkin' 'bout tomorrow
    10/30/00: George: Give Gore the ball back
    10/25/00: Mr. Gore: A few more questions
    10/23/00: It's the big government, stupid
    10/18/00: Gore's down, so will he panic?
    10/16/00: We're fresh out of new Al Gores
    10/11/00: Gore: Fuzzy math = dirty politics
    10/10/00:Gore: Renaissance man or unbalanced?
    10/04/00: Where have you been, Albert Jr.?
    10/02/00: Clinton’s fragmented presidency
    09/27/00: Liberal media doth protest too much
    09/25/00: AlGore: Turning dreams into nightmares
    09/20/00: Something fishy's going on
    09/18/00: It's the liberalism, stupid
    09/13/00: An open letter to open-minded cynics
    09/11/00: The virtues of going negative
    09/06/00: On a mission for marriage
    09/04/00: Al Gore's 'Trivial Pursuits'
    08/30/00: Lieberman and the paradox of liberal 'tolerance'
    08/28/00: A campaign divided against itself
    08/23/00: Al Gore's trickle-down populism
    08/21/00: Prosperity without a clue
    08/16/00: AlGore can run but he can't hide
    08/14/00: When hate speech is OK
    08/09/00: Bush: The pundits' enigma
    08/07/00: GOP convention: Live or Memorex?
    08/02/00: The first attack dog
    07/31/00: The Cheney taint?
    07/26/00: The anti-gun bogeyman
    07/24/00: The raging culture war
    07/19/00: Is Hillary 'Good for the Jews'?
    07/17/00: How dare you, George?
    07/12/00: Jacoby's raw deal
    07/10/00: The perplexities of liberalism
    07/05/00: Big Al and big oil
    07/03/00: Partial-birth and total death
    06/28/00: Some questions for you, Mr. Gore
    06/26/00: Supreme Court assaults religious freedom
    06/21/00: Waco: We are the jury
    06/19/00: "Outrage" just doesn't quite cut it anymore!
    06/14/00: Al Gore: Government's best friend
    06/12/00: Say goodbye to medical privacy
    06/07/00: Elian: Whose hands were tied?
    06/05/00: Who, which, what is the real Al Gore?
    06/01/00: Legacy-building idea for Clinton
    05/30/00: Clinton: Above the law or not?
    05/24/00: Not so fast, Hillary
    05/22/00: Gore's risky, fear-mongering schemes
    05/17/00: Can Bush risk pro-choice running mate?
    05/15/00: Right to privacy, Clinton-style
    05/10/00: Patrick Kennedy and his suit-happy fiddlers
    05/08/00: Don't shoot Eddie Eagle
    05/03/00: Congress caves to Clinton, again?
    05/01/00: The resurrection of outrage
    04/28/00: A picture of Bill Clinton's America
    04/19/00: President Clinton: Teaching children responsibility
    04/17/00: Elian, Marx and parental rights
    04/12/00: Elian, freedom deserve a hearing
    04/10/00:The fraying of America
    04/05/00: Noonan: End Clintonism now
    04/03/00: Bush: On going for the gold
    03/29/00: Phantasma-Gore-ia
    03/27/00: Treaties, triggers, tobacco and tyrants
    03/22/00: Media to Bush: Go left, young man
    03/20/00: Stop the insanity
    03/15/00: OK Al Gore: Let's go negative
    03/13/00: Deifying of the center
    03/08/00: The media, the establishment and the people
    03/01/00: McCain's coalition-busting daggers in GOP's heart
    02/28/00: Bush's silver lining in McMichigan
    02/24/00: A conservative firewall, after all
    02/22/00: Bush or four more of Clinton-Gore?
    02/16/00: Substance trumps process
    02/14/00: The campaign finance reform mirage
    02/09/00: President McCain: End of the GOP as we know it?
    02/07/00: From New Hampshire to South Carolina
    02/02/00: SDI must fly
    01/31/00: Veep gores Bradley
    01/26/00: The issues gap
    01/24/00: GOP: Exit, stage left
    01/20/00: Nationalizing congressional elections
    01/18/00: Do voters really prefer straight talk?
    01/12/00: Media's McCain efforts may backfire
    01/10/00: Conservative racism myth
    01/05/00: Just one more year of Clintonian politics
    01/03/00: McMedia?
    12/27/99: Al Gore: Bullish on government
    12/22/99: Bradley's full-court press
    12/20/99: Bush: Rendering unto Caesar
    12/15/99: Beltway media bias
    12/13/99: White House ambulance chasing
    12/08/99: Clinton's labor pains
    12/06/99:The lust for power
    12/01/99: In defense of liberty
    11/29/99: Are Republicans obsolete?
    11/24/99: Say you're sorry, Mr. President
    11/22/99: Architects of victory
    11/17/99: Trump's tax on freedom
    11/15/99: GOP caves again
    11/10/99: Triangulation and 'The Third Way'
    11/08/99: Sticks and stones
    11/03/99: Keyes vs. media lapdogs
    11/01/99: Signs of the times
    10/27/99: The false charge of isolationism
    10/25/99: A matter of freedom
    10/20/99: Clinton's mini-meltdown
    10/18/99: Senate GOP shows statesmanship
    10/13/99: Senate must reject nuclear treaty
    10/11/99: Bush bites feeding hand
    10/06/99: Jesse accidentally opens door for Pat
    10/04/99: Clinton and his media enablers
    09/29/99: Reagan: Big-tent conservatism
    09/27/99: The Clinton/Gore taint?
    09/22/99: Have gun (tragedy), will travel
    09/20/99: Hillary's blunders and bloopers
    09/15/99: GOP must remain conservative
    09/13/99:Time for Bush to take charge, please
    09/10/99: Bush's education plan: Dubya confounds again
    09/07/99: Pat, savior or spoiler?
    09/02/99: Character doesn't matter?
    08/30/99: Should we judge?
    08/25/99: Dubyah's drug question: Not a hill to die on
    08/23/99: Should Dubyah start buying soap ... for all that mud?
    08/16/99: 'W' stands for 'winner'
    08/11/99: The truth about tax cuts
    08/09/99: Hillary: Threading the needle
    08/04/99: What would you do?
    08/02/99: No appeasement for China
    07/30/99: Hate Crimes Bill: Cynical Symbolism
    07/26/99: It’s the 'moderates', stupid
    07/21/99: JFK Jr. and Diana: the pain of privilege
    07/19/99: Smith, Bush and the GOP
    07/14/99: GOP must be a party of ideas
    07/12/99: Gore's gender gap
    07/08/99: Clinton’s faustian bargain: our justice
    07/06/99: The key to Bush's $36 million
    06/30/99: Gore: a soda in every fountain
    06/28/99: 'Sacred wall' or religious barrier?
    06/23/99: GOP must lead in foreign policy
    06/21/99: Crumbs of compassion
    06/16/99: Compassionate conservatism: face-lift or body transplant?
    06/10/99: Victory in Kosovo? Now What?

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