ad info

 
CNN.comTranscripts
 
Editions | myCNN | Video | Audio | Headline News Brief | Feedback  

 

  Search
 
 

 

TOP STORIES

Bush signs order opening 'faith-based' charity office for business

Rescues continue 4 days after devastating India earthquake

DaimlerChrysler employees join rapidly swelling ranks of laid-off U.S. workers

Disney's GO.com is a goner

(MORE)

MARKETS
4:30pm ET, 4/16
144.70
8257.60
3.71
1394.72
10.90
879.91
 


WORLD

U.S.

POLITICS

LAW

TECHNOLOGY

ENTERTAINMENT

 
TRAVEL

ARTS & STYLE



(MORE HEADLINES)
 
CNN Websites
Networks image


Morning News

Sen. Kerrey: 'The Supreme Court of Florida is Not a Partisan Organization'

Aired November 22, 2000 - 10:13 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's check and see what reaction there is in Washington, where Gore camp is dug in at the moment.

CNN's Eileen O'Connor standing by with that -- Eileen.

EILEEN O'CONNOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Gore campaign this morning has been saying that they were fearful that there would be some Republican tactics to quote, "slow-walk the process" because, as you know, Leon, yesterday's decision by the Florida state Supreme Court did say that those manual recounts had to be done by November 26, which is this Sunday.

Some of the counties saying it would be -- they thought they could easily make that deadline. And they actually -- the Gore campaign has, in fact, three democratic lawmakers on the ground in Florida: Senator Levin; Harold Ford, a congressman from Tennessee; and also Senator Kerrey who, they say, are out and about observing. The Gore campaign saying that they've had Republican observers on the ground challenging more ballots, trying to, they say, slow down the manual recounts -- Leon.

HARRIS: All right, thanks much; Eileen O'Connor reporting live this morning from Washington -- Kyra.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we're going to turn it now to Jeff Flock, who's in West Palm Beach. Jeff, I hope this are a little more calm there than they are in Miami right now.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you said it. I'm with Senator Kerrey right now. Senator Kerrey of Nebraska, you're aware of some of what is going on in Miami. We were talking, before we went on here -- if the legislature were to get involved, perhaps they would need some political cover to do so. The thought being that the election is being stolen from them. Do you think this gives them that kind of political cover?

SEN. BOB KERREY (D), NEBRASKA: I do not think it gives them that kind of -- look, the Supreme Court of Florida is not a partisan organization.

FLOCK: But the Republicans say it is in some fashion because they're Democrat. KERREY: Well, I could say that the Republican -- I could say the legislature is a partisan organization because they're Republican. I mean, it's not fair for them to be making that accusation unless they have evidence of it. They have not accused the Florida court of being a partisan court up until the moment that they got a decision they didn't like.

FLOCK: What about this decision in a situation in Miami, though, right now? That is now -- they've gone ahead and changed their mind again. They're going to back now -- just count the under-vote. Does that not smack of being unfair to you?

KERREY: If it's regarded as unfair -- I haven't seen the details of it, but if I'm in Miami-Dade and I think it's unfair, I've got a court that I can take my case to. That's what's going on in the Florida. And why are the courts taking it up? Why did the Supreme Court take it up? Because the legislature wrote a vague, an ambiguous and, at times, a conflicting law. And by the way...

FLOCK: If they take the electors, that might not be unambiguous.

KERREY: That would not be unambiguous, but I think they will cast a pall of illegitimacy over the Bush presidency if that's what they do.

FLOCK: Are you worried about it?

KERREY: Am I worried about it? I think it would be a terrible mistake for them. I've seen things like this happen in the past.

Look, what's happened is you've got a very close election, statistically dead even with a law that is a bit confusing, and I think the people of Florida are figuring this thing out. The less that we can tell them what to do, the better off I think they are going to be.

FLOCK: Senator, I appreciate the time. Thank you so much, Senator Bob Kerrey, Democrat of Nebraska here in West Palm Beach, as we continue to watch it.

I am Jeff Flock, CNN, reporting live.

HARRIS: All right, thanks Jeff.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

 Search   


Back to the top  © 2001 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.