As Gore presides, Bush wins

Sunday, January 7th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON â€“ It might have been one of life's crowning moments for Al Gore, the day he presided over the reading of the Electoral College votes that officially made him the next president of the United States.

Instead, the vice president led a joint session of Congress on Saturday in certifying George W. Bush, against whom he waged a tight campaign and a bitter fight over the disputed Florida vote, as the winner of the Nov. 7 election with 271 electoral votes to Mr. Gore's 266.

In his role as Senate president, Mr. Gore even had to overrule House Democrats who rose to support him by trying to challenge the 25 Florida votes that sealed the presidency for Mr. Bush.

Thirteen Democrats, all but two of them members of the Congressional Black Caucus, tried to interrupt the vote tally to consider allegations of electoral irregularities and disenfranchisement of voters in Florida. The objectors included two Texas lawmakers: Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, chairwoman of the caucus; and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston.

"I rise to object to the 25 fraudulent Florida Electoral College votes," said Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., before being drowned out by colleagues' calls for order.

From the speaker's dais, Mr. Gore reminded her that under federal law governing the certification process, objections cannot be heard unless they are submitted in writing and signed by at least one House member and one senator. Like the others who tried to object, Ms. Waters conceded that she had not been able to persuade a senator to join her.

"I don't care that it is not signed by a senator," she said in frustration.

"The chair advises that the rules do care," Mr. Gore told her.

The ceremony was a constitutional formality to read and confirm the results of the Electoral College votes cast on Dec. 18 in state capitals around the country. To win, a candidate needs 270 electoral votes, a majority of the 538 electoral votes of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. One D.C. elector cast a blank ballot to protest Washington's lack of representation in Congress.

The routine session drew special interest this year because of the long legal battle over recounts of Florida's ballots. Mr. Gore â€“ who won the nationwide popular vote by more than 500,000 â€“ conceded the race Dec. 13, a day after the U.S. Supreme Court said that no further recounts could occur.

Before the count, Republicans called on Democrats to accept the presidential election results and for the parties to work together.

"We are ready to lead and govern in a bipartisan way," said Rep. Asa Hutchinson, R-Ark. "We should work together in a positive way."

At noon Dallas time Saturday, the vice president led senators into the House chamber in a procession that included four aides who carried the two mahogany boxes containing the votes. Mr. Gore smiled and shook hands with several lawmakers as House members applauded the arrival of their colleagues.

Only about a third of the members of Congress attended because the outcome was not in doubt. Those missing included Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., Mr. Gore's running mate, and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.

Rep. Peter Deutsch, D-Fla., tried to object on the ground that a quorum â€“ at least half the members â€“ was not present. But he lacked the required signature of a senator.

The vice president called to the front of the chamber four lawmakers who had been appointed to review the votes â€“ Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn.; Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Rep. William Thomas, R-Calif.; and Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa.

One by one, Mr. Gore handed the electoral vote certificates from each state to the quartet of lawmakers, who opened and read them aloud in alphabetical order by state.

At one point, Mr. Thomas held Delaware's certificate up to the lights and squinted at it, saying, "This one is different than all the others." It was a light-hearted reference to the repeated televised images of election workers examining ballots by hand during recounts of Florida's votes.

But a serious tone returned when the next state, Florida, came up. "This is the one we've all been waiting for," Mr. Fattah said.

Before the certificate could be read, Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., rose to begin the first of 20 futile attempts by lawmakers to lodge objections on the grounds of incomplete recounts in Florida and mistreatment of voters in predominantly minority precincts. Each time, Mr. Gore noted that the rules did not allow the objections.

When the last attempt to object failed, members of the black caucus stood and walked out of the chamber in protest.

"We did all we could, Mr. President," Mr. Hastings, a member of the caucus, told Mr. Gore before the group filed out.

"The chair thanks the gentleman," Mr. Gore said, smiling.

In a news conference after their walkout, members of the black caucus said they had evidence that some minority voters were turned away at the polls in Florida and others were forced to use outdated voting machines that failed to register their choice for president.

Such problems, as well as unfinished recounts in some counties, were enough to prevent Mr. Gore from winning Florida and the presidency, the lawmakers said.

"How long will we settle for injustice in America?" Ms. Johnson asked. "How long will we have to struggle for something that should be every American's birthright? ... There is overwhelming evidence that George W. Bush did not win this election."

Whatever lingering bitterness Mr. Gore might feel over the outcome of the election did not crack his calm demeanor Saturday. After nearly two hours of ceremony, Mr. Gore read aloud the results that confirmed Mr. Bush the victor.

"May God bless our new president and new vice president, and may God bless the United States of America," he said.

Mr. Bush, who will be inaugurated Jan. 20, hosted Republican governors at his Crawford, Texas, ranch.

"I guess I better go write my inaugural speech," Mr. Bush joked when asked about the certification. "It's a humbling experience. I want to reiterate what I said before: I'm going to be the president of everybody, whether they supported me or not."