Redistricting squabbles a sign of fights to come

MORGAN

© St. Petersburg Times
published June 22, 2002

It's not every day that a judge calls Secretary of State Katherine Harris a crazy woman, but it happened this week as the state's redistricting fight coasted to an end.

Circuit Judge Robert Lance Andrews of Fort Lauderdale made the comments for the second time Friday, after Harris filed a motion asking him on the one hand to disqualify himself from hearing any issues relating to her participation in the state's redistricting fight and on the other hand to rescind an order he issued earlier this week saying she cannot defend the state in court.

"She's crazy," Andrews said. "She has moved to disqualify me four days after I lost jurisdiction. She wants me to disqualify myself, but first vacate one of the two orders I issued."

Andrews questioned why Harris should remain as a defendant in a lawsuit filed in Broward County by U.S. Reps. Carrie Meek, Alcee Hastings and Corrine Brown. Before tossing the entire lawsuit out, Andrews decided Harris could remain a defendant but couldn't represent the state.

"Instead of kicking her out of the room, I made her sit there and be quiet," Andrews said as he decribed his action.

Now Harris wants him to rescind that decision and disqualify himself from presiding because he told reporters Harris was crazy.

The judge no longer has the power to issue orders because his decision has been appealed to a higher court.

Actually, Harris issued a news release praising Andrews on Tuesday, but that was before she read a story in a South Florida legal publication in which Andrews said: "this woman is crazy."

"I think I'll just ignore it," Andrews said Friday.

The skirmish between Harris and the judge is but one sidelight in the dramatic tug of war between Democrats and Republicans this year. The 2000 presidential election recount has given life to Democrats who were down and out, and made everyone sit up and take notice of how narrowly divided the state's two major parties are.

While Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 400,000 registered voters, a lot of Democrats in North Florida consistently vote for Republicans. One redistricting lawyer in court last week noted that in Broward, the opposite is true: a lot of Republicans vote for Democrats.

That means Florida's brand of politics is likely to be lively for years to come.

More than 20 lawyers filled a federal courtroom in Tallahassee on Thursday as they spent eight long hours arguing before three federal judges. The judges will decide the issue soon, but so far the Republicans seem to be winning.

Interestingly, Democrats drew the lines in 1992 and created districts that began to elect Republicans.

Harris, now running for one of the congressional seats at stake in federal court, also tossed a few barbs at Attorney General Bob Butterworth in the Broward lawsuit.

In written motions, Harris accused Butterworth of taking "a megalomanic tack" by claiming that he alone represents the state. She said Butterworth was the butt of jokes in federal court where the redistricting trial has been under way and argued that he cannot "unilaterally anoint himself Caesar."

Those are strong words from a fellow Cabinet member who has to sit down at the same table with Butterworth twice a month.

Much of the animosity generated in redistricting appears to be a holdover from the close and bitter presidential recount that saw President George W. Bush squeak out a win.

It would seem that neither Harris nor Butterworth can let go of the past. She was an honorary co-chair for Bush and he chaired Vice President Al Gore's campaign in Florida. It is but the opening shot in a battle that will not end until Election Day 2002 when the votes are counted.

We can only hope it doesn't take us 36 days to find out who won.

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