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By Times staff and wire reports
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 20, 2000
Today's hearing will draw a big audience
Forty-seven lawyers now represent the three parties who will appear before the Florida Supreme Court today.
"It's the fastest growing law firm in the state," noted Doug Hattaway, a spokesman for Vice President Al Gore.
They won't all get inside the courtroom, however.
In an order issued late Friday, the court said it would allow two attorneys and one person from each of the parties before the court to attend today's hearing. And there will be a limit on the talk, too -- one hour per side.
The 28 reporters who won seats for the hearing in a lottery lined up outside the Supreme Court building in a cold rain at 8:30 a.m. Sunday to present identification and visit a subbasement room where each was photographed for an ID tag that carries a picture of the Supreme Court building.
The court will open its doors at 1 p.m. to allow the remaining seats to go to the public on a first-come-first-serve basis.
TV stations from around the world have camped on the Capitol steps across the street from the court and satellite trucks line the streets between the Capitol and the court.
A Japanese station has even put up a tent on the court's front lawn and one of the station's reporters was among those who won a ticket to get inside.
Interest in the case has been so high that Craig Waters, the public information officer for the court, was forced to get a new secret telephone number to talk to the press.
Waters said Sunday that his other phone lines ring constantly with queries and comments from interested citizens who have apparently obtained his number from the court's Web site.
Copies of all of the court's rulings and briefs filed by all of the lawyers are being immediately posted on the Web site at http://www.flcourts.org.
AUSTIN, Texas -- George W. Bush jogged, went to church and relaxed with his family on Sunday.
As a cold rain that has pounded central Texas for the past three days gave way to warm sunshine, the Republican presidential nominee took a daybreak four-mile run.
He and his wife, Laura, then went to morning services at the Tarrytown United Methodist Church. About 20 parishioners milling about the entrance clapped as the couple arrived. "Good morning, everybody," Bush greeted them.
After the service, Bush lingered for about 20 minutes, talking to friends and well-wishers, receiving kisses and hugs and patting children on the head.
During the service, Assistant Pastor Ann Beaty alluded to the stalemate in Florida in a prayer that began: "We continue our prayers for the political process in this country and for those most closely affected by it. May your patience be their patience. "
Bush had no other public appearances planned for the day.
The couple's twin 18-year-old daughters, Jenna and Barbara, were expected to join their parents for Thanksgiving week. Both are college freshmen.
WASHINGTON -- Vice President Al Gore stayed close to home Sunday, appearing in public only to exercise with wife, Tipper, and attend an evening church service.
As the Gores jogged inside the grounds of the Naval Observatory, where the vice president's official residence is located, about 100 supporters of Texas Gov. George W. Bush stood across the street chanting "We want Bush."
In the evening, the Gores attended a service at Washington National Cathedral. They sat in the front, with about 100 other people in the section.
The Rev. Canon Peter F. Grandell delivered the sermon, which focused on the end of the year, the change of seasons and "endings and beginnings."
During his service, Grandell said "Jesus calls on us to wait and persevere and trust," and reminded people that "our future belongs to God."
Gore's low Sunday profile stood in contrast to that of his running mate, Joseph Lieberman, who appeared on all five morning TV talk shows to discuss the stalemated presidential election before flying to Stamford, Conn., for his high school reunion.
JACKSONVILLE -- The wife of a Navy pilot said her husband was disappointed his absentee ballot was thrown out because it did not have a postmark.
Abby Krug's husband, Lt. Chad Krug, is stationed aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington.
She learned late Saturday that his vote was one of the 44 overseas ballots which had been tossed out by the Duval County canvassing board. Krug passed that information along to her husband when they spoke briefly on Sunday.
"My husband is risking his life for our right to vote," Krug said in a news conference outside her Jacksonville apartment.
"He did not have a say in whether or not his ballot received a postmark," she said, adding that he had mailed it from the aircraft carrier, now in the Adriatic Sea.
"I am not a political person, but this is very personal," said Krug, 29.