Dan Frisa
Friday, Nov. 17, 2000

This means, at this time, that only the remaining overseas absentee ballots received by midnight tonight will be added to the current statewide totals, which have Texas Governor George W. Bush ahead by 300 votes.

The import and impact of the decision cannot be understated.

By affirming that Harris acted in a reasoned manner, within her authority and in accordance with the explicit language contained in the state's election law, the judge handed a major blow to efforts by the camp of Vice President Al Gore to reinvent the election in Florida.

Such a ruling is a tremedous vindication for the much-maligned Florida secretary of state, who has been harshly, brutally and personally attacked by such team-Gore cohorts as Warren Christopher, Bill Daley, Alan Dershowitz, Geraldo Rivera, Paul Begala, Jesse Jackson, Mark Fabiani, Chris Lehane, Donna Brazile, Bob Wexler, Peter Deutsch and countless others, including – as usual – the left-wing chorus in the mainstream media.

So much for Gore's absurdly hypocritical exhortation, in his speech Wednesday night, that both sides 'tone down the rhetoric.'

Who was he trying to fool?

It was, and remains, the Gore partisans whose arsenal has continually been laced with venom and invective.

That's all they know. But it increasingly seems that Americans know better and have consistently so expressed themselves in numerous public surveys.

The legal front from here is rather predictable.

Guess who'll file yet another lawsuit?

Not too hard to imagine!

Today's ruling will immediately be appealed by Junior Gore – surprise, surprise – likely on an expedited basis to the Florida Supreme Court, which ordinarily would not take an appeal directly from a trial court. However, given the pressing nature of this case, the state's high court will grant leave to hear this appeal, most legal observers agree.

It is also likely that the Gore campaign will separately seek a temporary injuction to prevent Secretary of State Katherine Harris from certifying a final tally on Saturday, after which his prospects would undeniably sink even lower than his current dismal prospects.

With the momentum created by this extraordinary decision, the political wind has been sucked out of the sails of the Gore campaign.

It's painfully obvious that the Gore has been furiously attempting to 'manufacture' enough 'newly found' votes to at least create the appearance of having garnered more total votes than Bush, for public relations purposes, in the hopes of creating pressure for further consideration of his case before it's too late.

Thankfully, this ploy no longer seems plausible, as time is running out for the desperate Junior Gore.

With the midnight deadline for receipt of overseas absentee ballots merely hours away, the sand in the hour glass is running thin for Gore, as final Florida voting results could be certified as early as Saturday morning, awarding the state's 25 decisive electoral votes, and the presidency, to George W. Bush.

Visit the NewsMax.com National Resource Page for the Free and Fair Elections Act.

Dan Frisa represented New York in the United States Congress and served four terms in the New York State Assembly. E-mail Dan: danfrisa@newsmax.com.

On the Air: Dan Frisa will appear on the Radio America Network with Paul Schiffer at 10 p.m. on Nov. 17, KJSL radio in St. Louis, Mo., at 9 a.m. on Nov. 20, on the American Freedom Network from Corona Del Mar, Calif., with Dr. James Hirsen at 11 a.m. on Nov. 22, and KKSM in San Diego, Calif., at 7 p.m. on Nov. 30. ALL EST; Check local listings. Listen while visiting NewsMax.com!

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