Editorial: Worthy overture dismissed

Thursday, Nov. 16, 2000 | 9:45 a.m.

The Bush campaign has said repeatedly that Al Gore has been unwilling to accept finality in Florida's presidential election -- unless it was the result Gore was seeking. Well, Gore put that unfounded belief to rest Wednesday when he suggested a way to quickly resolve this bitter contest. Gore said he would drop any legal challenges to voting irregularities as long as Bush agreed to a hand recount, a situation that could settle the election in days, not weeks.

But even before Bush had a chance to respond, Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris rejected the requests by counties to submit hand recounts of ballots. Her decision Wednesday left no doubt that Harris, a Republican who was co-chairwoman of Bush's Florida campaign, was driven by partisanship. A state judge's ruling this week gave Harris discretion in deciding whether to approve a recount by hand, but her immediate dismissal of their requests still was stunning in light of all the documentation that voting machines frequently had failed to count ballots that had been cast. Considering that only 300 votes out of 6 million cast separate Bush from Gore in Florida -- and with it the presidency -- Harris' confounding decision has been appealed by Gore.

After Harris' announcement, Bush felt free to turn down Gore's recount offer, and he even refused Gore's suggestion that they meet so they could clear the air and improve the dialogue that has grown nasty. In contrast to Bush's stubbornness, Gore has shown statesmanship. It's evident Gore is committed to a fair resolution that recognizes the will of the people. There was a brief moment Wednesday when it seemed that reason might prevail in deciding who will win the presidency, but Bush and Harris obviously had different plans.