Subject:     Fwd: December 30,2004

December 30, 2004

WASHINGTON -- After four years of legal wrangling, George W. Bush was
finally declared the winner of the 2000 presidential election yesterday.

Bush, a Republican, will take the oath of office at noon today and serves until
Jan. 20, 2005, a term of about three weeks. Then he gives way to the winner of
the 2004 presidential election, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Facing a drastically shortened presidency, Bush attempted to strike an
optimistic tone last night.

"We have a lot to accomplish in the next three weeks," Bush said.
"Reforming  Social Security alone is probably going to eat up four-five
hours. Let's get  to work!"

Aides yesterday were calling temporary employment agencies in a frantic
effort to fill Cabinet posts.

Bush's victory ends a four-year court battle between him and Democratic
candidate Al Gore over the results of the 2000 election.

While the dispute raged on, the nation installed an interim president:
New York Yankees Manager Joe Torre.

Torre admitted that running a country and a baseball team
simultaneously has been a strain.

"At times, it's been difficult to keep the two things straight.
Although, in retrospect, trading Jesse Helms to the Red Sox turned out OK."

Torre's four years in office were marked by continued prosperity at
home and  relative calm abroad.

His most controversial move was appointing Yankees bench coach Don
Zimmer to the Supreme Court. Critics charged that Zimmer lacked experience.
He also spit tobacco juice on Antonin Scalia's shoes, angering  conservatives.

Torre's boldest foreign policy initiative was making Cuba the 51st
state in an effort to improve U.S. pitching.

Torre was planning to vacate the White House by midnight tonight, with
Bush moving in immediately. Eager to give an aura of permanency to his
three-week administration, Bush rebuffed suggestions that he sleep on a
bare mattress on the floor and live out of suitcases.

Gore, meanwhile, has yet to concede defeat.

The former vice president issued a statement today saying, "It would be
improper and disrespectful to the democratic process to act hastily
before all the facts are known."

The legal tangle over the 2000 election began with a Gore lawsuit over
the confusing design of ballots in Florida.

When the courts sided with Gore, Bush filed suit, arguing that the Oregon results
were invalid because some ballots were yellow and others pink.

Gore countersued, charging that the West Virginia results should be
thrown out because some people failed to receive "I Voted Today" stickers.

Through the years, various officials proposed compromises to resolve
the impasse. All were rejected, including:

* Establishing a co-presidency, with the two men sharing duties and
splitting the White House. Although never implemented, the idea gave
rise to a hit TV show, East Wing, West Wing.

* Establishing temporarily separate nations, with each candidate ruling
the states he won in the 2000 election. Gore, who failed to carry his
native Tennessee, balked at the idea because it would mean showing a
passport every time he went home.

* Letting Jimmy Carter sort it all out.

Observers said the biggest challenge for the Bush administration will
be working with Congress, which adjourns tomorrow and isn't expected back
until after Bush's term ends.

"One day may not be quite enough time to overhaul the tax system," a
Bush aide admitted. "But maybe we can get started and then finish it later
with a big conference call or something."

Meanwhile, Bush also must work on his legacy and prepare to transfer
power to President-elect Clinton. Clinton yesterday wished Bush well and
asked if  she could start moving some boxes into the White House basement.

Ceal

From:   William Killian <killian@mnsinc.com>

Subject:        Bartcop you missed!!!

> From: me@fake address because I'm a coward
>
> Subject: Bush Christmas Card
>
> Very interesting card as most fire breathing cross burning clan members were
> southern democrats but why let the truth and history stand in your way
 
> ~ me

Yup...

Southern Democrats such as Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms.
Oh?  They switched parties, didn't they?

When Lyndon Johnson signed the civil rights acts he said, "I've just lost the South
for the Democrats for a generation."  That generation hasn't passed yet.
The Southern republicans were no better than the Southern Democrats.

It's that conservative Southern thing not the party affiliation.  Bush is more conservative
than Gore and done fried himself dozens of them uppity boys so he's one of them.

bill

From:  dennis_higgins@hotmail.com

Subject:     Great Republican Quote

Bartcop-

Finally a Republican big enough to speak the truth.

This is a classic - from the Seattle Times, 12/5/2000.  Washington State
GOP Chairman Don Benton, on why Maria Cantwell was able to beat
incumbent Republican Sen. "Slippery" Slade Gorton:

"The bottom line is we didn't do well with women voters, and the reason was the issues,"
Benton said. "You can spend all the money in the world to communicate. If you don't
have the right issues, it's not going to make a difference."

Dennis Higgins