Search  About Salon  Table Talk  Newsletters  Advertise in Salon  Investor Relations

Salon.com


[Arts & Entertainment][ Books ][ Comics ][ Mothers Who Think ][ News ][ People ][ Politics ][ Sex ][ Technology ][ Audio ]

Article Finder
Politics


 

The woman under fire | 1, 2


Indeed, by not allowing Palm Beach and other counties to extend their deadlines to, say, Friday, when the absentee ballots are due, Harris has made a ruling that undoubtedly has her friends in Austin, Texas, pleased, even though she can argue that she is just abiding by the state statute. The one provision in the statute that would allow her to waive the Tuesday 5 p.m. deadline would be in the case of a national emergency, like a hurricane. Such arguments hold little water with Democrats, however.

"She is clearly a partisan Republican -- and there's nothing illegal about that," said Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla. "And I give everyone the benefit of the doubt, expecting them to perform their public functions appropriately. But her actions will speak volumes about whether she is qualified. If she does this fairly, fine. But if she acts as an emissary for Bush to steal this election in Florida, she will delegitimize Florida's vote count."




Print story


E-mail story


View Salon securely with SafeWeb


This isn't the first time critics have questioned Harris' impartiality. Last month, the Tampa Tribune reported Harris had spent $100,000 in state funds on trips to New York, Washington and abroad, raising "speculation [about] Harris seeking an ambassadorship if Texas Gov. George W. Bush is elected president."

Additionally, Harris personally enlisted retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf in a Florida public service TV announcement urging Floridians to go to the polls. Schwarzkopf is a well-known Bush supporter who not only vouched for Bush during the Republican National Convention but appeared with the Texas governor at numerous campaign stops throughout the Sunshine State. Democrats and others criticized Harris for selecting someone so clearly aligned with the GOP candidate.

"The only reason to certify the elections at 5 p.m. tomorrow is a partisan one," Wexler said Monday. "If she does what she says she's going to do -- certify the elections at 5 p.m. tomorrow -- she will have proven her critics correct; she will have proven that she is an emissary of the Bush campaign who is willing to steal an election."

Whether that's true or not, Harris' actions throughout the past year have given critics plenty of ammunition to use against her.


salon.com

- - - - - - - - - - - -

About the writer
Jake Tapper is the Washington correspondent for Salon News.

Sound Off
Send us a Letter to the Editor

Salon.com >> Politics
 


 



Don't get sunburned! Cover up with a Salon T-shirt this summer.




More great offers in
Salon Plus

____
 
   
 
____
 


 

 
 
  Current Stories
  • A presidential aura With the crowds growing, the campaign money flowing and the media swarming, John Kerry is looking more and more like the front-runner.
    By Tim Grieve
  • Among the Democrats On a big night for the sitting president, his Democratic challengers gather together to rally the faithful -- and crack Bush jokes.
    By Jake Tapper
  • Drunken sailor economics Bush's bloated budget will likely put the U.S. over $1 trillion in debt. But criticize it, and the White House calls you soft on terror.
    By Jake Tapper
  • Poisoned fairways Among the big winners in Bush's proposed rollback of pesticide restrictions? The politically untouchable golf industry, where dangerous chemicals are par for the course.
    By Jake Tapper
  •  

    Salon News A Salon-eye view of the day's news, with investigative reports, analysis and interviews with newsmakers.



    Salon  Search  About Salon  Table Talk  Newsletters  Advertise in Salon  Investor Relations


    Arts & Entertainment | Books | Comics | Mothers Who Think | News
    People | Politics | Sex | Tech & Business and The Free Software Project
    Letters | Columnists | Salon Plus | Salon Shop


    Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited
    Copyright 2005 Salon.com


    Salon, 22 4th Street, 16th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103
    Telephone 415 645-9200 | Fax 415 645-9204
    E-mail | Salon.com Privacy Policy