Bush Gets Boost From Colin Powell
BERNARD SHAW, CNN ANCHOR: A truckload of ballots arrives in the Florida capital paving the way for another courtroom collision over who won the White House.</s>SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D-CT), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It threatens to put us into a constitutional crisis which we are not in now by any stretch of the word.</s>JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: The Gore camp takes aim at the Florida legislature's step toward intervening in the presidential tug- of-war.</s>GEN. COLIN POWELL, FMR. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Thanks for having me and congratulations, Governor on your success in your election.</s>SHAW: Colin Powell is brought in to reinforce George W. Bush's claim of victory.</s>WOODRUFF: We'll help you follow the legal and political moves on both sides and the ways this election stalemate may end.</s>ANNOUNCER: From Washington, this is INSIDE POLITICS with Judy Woodruff and Bernard Shaw.</s>WOODRUFF: Thank you for joining us. Well, many people couldn't help but be reminded today of the infamous O.J. Simpson Bronco chase, as they watched hours of live television coverage of a single moving vehicle. This time, of course, it was a rented truck, which arrived in Tallahassee, Florida a little more than an hour ago packed with nearly a half million ballots from Palm Beach County. Those ballots are pivotal in the presidential election impasse as we head into several new rounds of legal and political clashes. We'll have complete coverage of all the latest developments. We begin with the Gore campaign, its contest of the Florida vote count and its dispute with the Florida legislature. Here is CNN's Jonathan Karl.</s>JONATHAN KARL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Emerging from a White House meeting with Vice President Gore, running mate Joe Lieberman waged the latest Gore campaign public relations offensive, this one aimed at Jeb Bush and the Republican-controlled Florida legislature.</s>LIEBERMAN: I am very disappointed and disturbed about the continuing movement by the Florida legislature, now encouraged by Governor Jeb Bush, to consider choosing their own slate of electors after almost six million people in Florida voted on Election Day.</s>KARL: As the Florida legislature takes steps to possibly bypassing the courts and appoint its own set of electors, Vice President Gore's team smells blood.</s>LIEBERMAN: This action by the Florida legislature really threatens the credibility and legitimacy of the ultimate choice of electors in Florida. It threatens to put us into a constitutional crisis, which we are not in now by any stretch of the word.</s>KARL: Public indignation aside, the Gore team claims the legislature's action will present what one top aide called a tremendous opportunity to score points in the court of public opinion. As Jeb Bush publicly supports the steps taken by the Florida Legislature, the Gore team is in overdrive, portraying the move as what another aide called a brazen power play by the Bush brothers. But as the Gore team aimed its public indignation at the Florida legislature, most of its legal might is aimed at getting a speedy recount of approximately 14,000 disputed ballots from Palm Beach and Miami-Dade Counties. In a petition with the Florida Supreme Court, Gore's legal team asked for an immediate counting of the disputed ballots, arguing that they are almost out of time -- a point made by Gore's top lawyer in Florida.</s>DAVID BOIES, GORE CAMPAIGN ATTORNEY: One of the things that we are doing is we're getting close to the end, and we're trying to focus on those issues that we think can be resolved easily and quickly because we're going to run out of time.</s>KARL: Meanwhile, the quiet but deliberate work towards presidential transition continues. The vice president had his second meeting in two days with his transition-in-waiting team, including long-time friend and adviser Roy Neel; Labor Secretary Alexis Herman, mentioned by Gore aides as a top candidate for chief-of-staff; Leon Fuerth, considered the leading candidate for national security adviser; Charles Burson, Gore's current chief of staff; and Katie McGinty, a long-time adviser on environmental issues.</s>KARL: Behind the scenes, Gore campaign chairman Bill Daley has been busy working the phones on yet another front, placing calls to potentially nervous Democratic governors and members of Congress in an effort to keep the party unified in support of the vice president -- Judy.</s>WOODRUFF: And Jonathan, is that effort successful and as you answer that, tell me about the symbolism of Joe Lieberman stepping out in front of the White House today?</s>KARL: No question, clearly an effort by the vice president's team here to show the vice president in a presidential setting, to have vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman come out and reinforce that message. As far as Bill Daley's effort to keep the party onboard, so far they are doing well, but they know that time is running out on that effort as well. The most nervous Democrats right now have simply been encouraged by Secretary Daley to stay quiet about this, to not come out and criticize the vice president; and right now you see some of the most nervous democratic governors in the South, representing conservative states that were taken by a wide margin by George W. Bush, simply not commenting on the issue at all. And that's exactly where Vice President Gore's team wants those Democrats who may become wobbly on this to be -- to simply not be out there criticizing the vice president. They know it will become very difficult, though, Judy, after this weekend as we really get into the home stretch here.</s>WOODRUFF: All right, Jon Karl, thanks very much -- Bernie.</s>SHAW: George W. Bush stepped up the profile of his transition operation today with the help of a would-be cabinet member known for his gravitas and star power. CNN's Candy Crowley reports on Bush and his meeting with Colin Powell.</s>CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For all the effort to make this look normal, the whole transition scene is awkward. We know it, they know it.</s>POWELL: I look forward to our conversations this afternoon on matters of international affairs and foreign policy and also to discuss transition issues. And I'd like to add congratulations, governor, on your success in your election.</s>CROWLEY: One of the world's most open secrets is that Colin Powell may have any seat he wants at the Bush table; but he hasn't been asked.</s>POWELL: But I never expected that the governor would reach that point in his deliberations until after this matter had been resolved.</s>CROWLEY: "This matter" being the presidency to which they are transitioning.</s>GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH, (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When the counting finally stops we want to be prepared to lead this nation. That's what we were elected to do. And as far as the legal hassling and wrangling and posturing in Florida, I would suggest you talk to our good team in Florida led by Jim Baker.</s>CROWLEY: Bush's role is to project certainty while his lawyers deal with questions -- to have the presidential look while the Florida legislature and the courts deal with chaos. A macromanager, Bush largely gives the thumbs up or down to his legal team while letting them wage the Florida ground war. As for efforts by Florida's legislature to begin the process of picking its own set of electors, the Bush camp wants as much distance as it can get.</s>QUESTION: In Florida, with the special session of the state legislature, are you concerned that this has the appearance of a partisan power play to short circuit the courts?</s>BUSH: You know, here's my view: I've won three counts and I think it's time to get some finality to the process.</s>CROWLEY: Bush strategists say they have made, quote, "no effort" to prod or otherwise influence the Florida legislature. It's their thing, insists the Bush camp.</s>CROWLEY: The problem, of course, is when the Florida legislature is dominated by Republicans who can basically have their way and your brother is the governor of the state, there is only so much distance you can get -- Bernie and Judy.</s>SHAW: Candy, any concerns by Governor Bush or staff members about the word going around that he's appearing to be too laid back?</s>CROWLEY: Well, you know he, basically, every time we see him he gets asked that question. In that photo opportunity that you saw, Bush kind of laughed off the question, he's used to hearing that. Dick Cheney was asked that question when he gave a news conference at -- about transition yesterday and he said, look, you know, there are phones in Crawford. Sometimes, you know, he's criticized for being too aggressive in putting out, you know, cabinet potentials, at least in a picture. He's too aggressive in talking about transition, and then they say he's too laid back. So from the Bush campaign point of view, he's sort of, you know, is, you-know-what if you do and you-know-what if he doesn't.</s>SHAW: Yes, we do know. Candy Crowley, thank you -- Judy.</s>WOODRUFF: Well, more on the Florida legislature, and we'll be talking with two members of the Florida state Senate. Plus, still ahead on</s>INSIDE POLITICS: carrying a cargo central to the election standoff, the latest on moving two counties' worth of ballots to the state capital.