Labor Bosses Get Gore Demonstrators to Supreme Court

It soon became clear why. The AFL-CIO made up the bulk of the Gore contingent. The labor leaders are not credited with organizational talent for nothing.

"Ten to one for Gore," a mainstream media maven gleefully said to another today. That appeared to be an exaggeration. But there was no question the AFL-CIO used its organizing muscle, financed by the dues-paying members, including those who do not agree with the union establishment’s politics, to get out the body count for the demonstration on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court as it was hearing the arguments on a case that likely would decide whether George W. Bush or Al Gore is inaugurated 43rd pesident of the United States.

Inside the courtroom, some of the justices were incredulous at the arguments of Gore attorney David Boies that you can conduct a valid recount with different standards applying not just from county to county in Florida, but from table to table.

Bush attorney Theodore Olson, whose list of clients includes Ronald Reagan before and after his presidency, noted that there was no way on Earth of determining the presidential preference of a voter who cast a ballot for other offices but not for president.

At one point, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor appeared perplexed that some voters could not follow voting instructions.

"It’s perfectly clear, for goodness' sake," declared O’Connor, who was regarded as a possible "swing" vote in this history-making case.

In his final argument, Olson was closely questioned by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an appointee of President Clinton, as to whether the variation in vote-counting standards was a matter of state judicial concern. Olson replied that the case involved Florida state court changes in "virtually every aspect of election law" and clear violations of the U.S. Constitution.

Outside, the demonstrations for and against Al Gore were being monitored by

He went on to imply "I told you so," noting that the thin margin of the ruling demonstrates it is crucial for Republicans on Capitol Hill to pay closer attention to judicial nominees, which is what Jipping does full time.

"I have told the Republican majority for the six years they’ve been there [in control of the House and Senate] if they are not more rigorous to make sure that we have the right kind of judges on the bench, not only policy issues like abortion or civil rights but the very structure of our republic itself is going to be endangered," warned Jipping.

"And what we see here is the very integrity and fundamentals of our system called into question."

Jipping, whose center operates under the umbrella of the Free Congress Foundation, has frequently expressed frustration at the Senate GOP’s frequent willingness to trade its opposition to liberal judges nominated by the Clinton administration in return for relatively short-term pro-GOP appointments to lesser offices.

Again, on the 5-4 decision, Jipping said "the tragedy is going to be there would be four votes to ignore the Constitution and to allow the fundamentals of our republic to erode even further."

"The Constitution is more important than the Florida Supreme Court. It’s more important than who wins this election."

Pamela Casey, a homemaker who was demonstrating for Bush, feared that the Gore legal actions and supporting left-wing demonstrations were intended to weaken a Bush presidency.

"If you can’t win, you’re [the liberals are] going to spoil it for someone else."

Casey described the labor union-backed demonstrators as "an angry bunch of people who can’t accept the truth of what’s happened, that they lost."

Waving the AFL-CIO banner, pro-Gore demonstrators chanted: "Gore means jobs! Gore means jobs!"

At one point, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney showed up to survey the results of the federation’s organized protest.

"I’m always proud of a group of workers when they’re gathered to rally for justice and basic rights," he boasted.

But if "Gore means jobs," as his demonstrators insisted, why is it that there are reports that more than a million defense and aerospace jobs have been lost under the Clinton-Gore regime with no protest from the AFL-CIO?

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Sweeney replied, before quickly departing.

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