Dear Editor:
Ultra-right-wing Cubans and other Bush thugs intimidated Miami officials into “stopping” the recount ordered by the Florida Supreme Court.
The recount in Miami/Dade – the only county with a recount that was expected to produce enough votes to erase the Bush lead – has just been stopped by the local county canvassing board after a noisy protest by 100-200 Bush supporters, largely made up of anti-Castro Cubans.
CNN said that the canvassing board had decided that given the tight deadline of Sunday at 5 p.m., they would start their recount with just undervotes (ballots that were not read by the machine.)
According to the Orlando Sentinel, in an article on Nov. 10, this partial recount procedure is exactly the procedure that was used in Seminole County (see article at http://orlandosentinel .com/elections/1110sem.htm).
CNN also said that there were 10,750 “undervotes” to be counted and that the majority of these were from “African-American precincts” likely to yield more votes for Gore.
FOX news said that the mob outside, predominantly made up of anti-Castro Cubans, got wind of this partial recount and amassed in the hallway right outside, on the 18th floor.
According to FOX, dozens of protesters were “banging on the wooden doors” of the room where the recount was taking place, begging to be let in. Similar shouting outside the room was reported by MSNBC.
After these incidents, the recount was stopped and the canvassing board met again to hear testimony and reconsider its decision.
The board, which had voted 2-1 to continue the recount just days earlier, voted 3-0 to stop the recount completely.
There are now thousands of anti-Castro Cubans who have been encouraged by their Congresswoman in a speech just after the decision to defy the Florida Supreme Court ruling and protest a recount.
There is evidence that the crowd is interested in physically disrupting any further ballot counting and Miami/Dade has not provided adequate security to allow them to continue.
At this point, it will take more than just court action for the all the recounts requested by the Gore team to take place.

Author