[Kyra Phillips, Cnn Anchor:] Well, the presidential candidates are keeping a low profile as the battle for the Florida vote nears a critical deadline. But their supporters are out in full force revving up the public relations campaign. We have two reports for you. Tony Clark is covering the Bush campaign in Austin, Texas. But first, CNN's Chris Black with the Gore campaign.
[Chris Black, Cnn Correspondent:] Vice President Al Gore got in another kind of licks heading out for an ice cream cone at a neighborhood shop in Washington with members of his family. But on this holiday weekend, his lawyers and campaign operatives are preparing to contest the Florida election results after certification, arguing every vote should be counted.
[George Mitchell , Fmr. Senate Majority Leader:] The overriding objective for all concerned should be a full, fair, and accurate count of the votes because in our democratic society, the will of the people is and ought to be, in the words of the Florida Supreme Court, the paramount consideration.
[Black:] Gore campaign lawyers say they are certain to contest the results in Miami-Dade where the recount was canceled; in Nassau, where a machine recount showing a Gore gain of 52 votes was thrown out; and almost certain to contest Palm Beach County results. They are charging county officials are ignoring the standards set by the court for judging ballots.
[Doug Hattaway, Gore Campaign Spokesman:] We totally expect to file a contest under the Supreme Court's guidelines by the end of Monday at the latest.
[Black:] So far, Democrats are standing with the vice president with some members of Congress lending a hand in the public relations war complaining GOP-organized demonstrators caused Miami-Dade to stop counting votes.
[Rep. Alcee Hastings , Florida:] What happened in Dade County is stunning. It smells. There's something drastically wrong when bullies can override ballots. That to me doesn't sound like the America that I know.
[Black:] Campaign officials say the gains Gore is making in Broward County prove they should contest the results in other counties. And, they say, by scheduling a hearing for Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court has done the campaign a favor by giving them a few more days to make their case for a recount of all the ballots in Florida. Chris Black, CNN, Washington.
[Tony Clark, Cnn Correspondent:] This is Tony Clark in Austin, Texas. Governor George W. Bush arrived back in Austin to the cheers of supporters who encircled the Governor's mansion. Though the demonstrators' signs called for Vice-President Gore to give up and Bush to become president-elect, the Bush campaign has made public no plans to declare victory, or conversely, to begin challenging election results once Florida's votes are certified Sunday night.
[Don Evans, Bush Campaign Chairman:] We won the count twice and, you know, I think we'll win it again a third time tomorrow night.
[Clark:] Campaign Chairman Don Evans and strategist Karl Rove thanked supporters for coming out Saturday. Meanwhile, Bush lawyers were preparing their briefs for the upcoming legal battle in the U.S. Supreme Court and changing the arena for their state court battle over counting military ballots.
[Mindy Tucker, Bush Campaign Press Secretary:] There are counties where the Democrats are still very active in keeping the canvassing boards from going forward, and even when the canvassing boards decide to go forward, the Democrats are protesting those votes. So, instead of filing suit against all the counties here in one in Leon County, we're going to the individual counties where we haven't been able to get action yet.
[Clark:] In addition to the courtroom press on the counties to reconsider excluded military votes, the Bush campaign upped the public pressure, bringing out Medal of Honor winners to make their case.
[Ron Ray, Medal Of Honor Recipient:] I believe that actions must be taken immediately by our county canvassing boards to insure that our servicemen and women are treated fairly in this voting process. Anything less is totally, totally unacceptable.
[Clark:] Demonstrations have become a key factor in this public relations war. While Bush supporters in Florida have been accused by Democrats of trying to disrupt the recount process, Saturday's marchers in Austin trying to show an anger over the recount isn't limited to Florida. [on camera]: And once the vote is certified in Florida, feelings here, as well as in Florida, will likely grow even stronger. Tony Clark, CNN, Austin, Texas.