Rival political armies encamp in state

From young warriors to old warhorses, they've massed on the battlefield where the next president is being determined.

By ALICIA CALDWELL

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 15, 2000

The headsets are a dead giveaway.

Pacing in courthouse hallways throughout the state, the political operatives who have descended on Florida for the presidential recount are easy to spot. They talk non-stop on cell phones tricked out with the latest technology. They speak longingly of getting five hours' sleep a night.

And they spin, file lawsuits and talk strategy.

As the country awaits Florida election results, the campaigns of Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush have deployed virtual armies of people to Tallahassee, as well as Palm Beach, Volusia, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

Statewide, the Democrats have 200 union members and dozens of others "on the ground." Republicans also place their troops at 200.

If that weren't enough, the saga has resurrected some politicos from years past: former U.S. Secretaries of State Warren Christopher and James Baker headed to Tallahassee to lead the recount fights. And former Florida Secretaries of State Jim Smith and Sandra Mortham have resurfaced to quench reporters' thirst for expert opinions on the matter.

Everybody who is anybody in politics and law has a piece of this one.

"There's absolutely a sense of purpose," said Ray Sullivan, a Bush spokesman, who added that many lawyers representing Republican interests in observing recounts have volunteered their services. "We have staff, attorneys and volunteers fanned out across the state to help monitor these efforts."

Republicans have commandeered the state party headquarters in Tallahassee for the effort, Sullivan said.

"Some people have had to give up their offices and move into other space," Sullivan said. "They have been exceptionally generous."

Although some are volunteering their services, the effort still is enormously expensive. To foot the bill, Bush has sent out an e-mail seeking money.

"We have the high ground," said the e-mail. "We're poised to win. But we need your help to defend the integrity of the Florida election."

Sullivan said the Bush-Cheney recount fund raised $125,000 in an online fundraiser Monday night. Another 500 contributions arrived through express mail on Tuesday and had not been tallied.

The Gore camp set up a recount committee in Washington, D.C., staffed by 30 members of the campaign committee. Peter Knight, a Gore ally in Washington, reportedly collected pledges of $3-million for the Florida effort.

Local political consultant Mary Repper said that for a political junkie, Florida is the place to be this week.

"Both sides are going to pick the best of the best that they have," Repper said. "We're the center of the universe."

In Palm Beach County, about 70 lawyers jammed into a courtroom on Tuesday. They represented both political campaigns, at least two congressional offices, the secretary of state, the Division of Elections director and the Palm Beach County canvassing board and County Commission.

State Rep. Lois Frankel, a West Palm Beach Democrat who has been taking up the fight on behalf of Democrats, said she has spent many hours speaking to reporters. There are about 200 union members and lawyers working on behalf of Democrats, she said.

But the rhetoric that has emerged from the cacophony is even more astonishing, she said, because outsiders are forgetting that it is all about the will of Palm Beach voters.

"It's amazing to watch this develop," Frankel said. "All the spin that's going on. The legalese. People calling us stupid. We just really feel disgusted. Left out. Angry. Emotional."

The call to serve, though frequently described as historic and important, does not come without its inconveniences -- and moments of levity.

Early Tuesday morning, a well-dressed man in a perfectly tailored blue suit rushed up to the front desk at the Sheraton in West Palm Beach.

"I just sent down a load of laundry to go out," he told the clerk breathlessly. "Then the campaign called. I've got to go to Miami. Can I possibly get my laundry back or is it too late?"

The clerk found the plastic bag and returned, holding it triumphantly.

The lawyer noticed a bystander taking all this in.

"I'm a lawyer," he explained lamely. "I can't go to court without my briefs." When the bad joke failed to elicit a response, he added, "I'm sorry. But I've left dirty laundry from here to Tallahassee."

Ken Lisaius, a Bush spokesman stationed for the moment in Volusia County, also bemoaned a lack of clean clothing.

"I haven't had the opportunity to go and get clean clothes," he said. "It was like "Go pack. Get on a plane.' They didn't tell me where I was going or how long I would be gone."

Where would he go next?

"It could be Palm Beach. Maybe Tallahassee. Trying to anticipate what's going to happen next is impossible. We just go."

-- Times staff writers Jean Heller and David Karp contributed to this report, which includes material from Times wires.

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